Does the PR industry need better leadership?

I was interested to see this week a live debate by the two candidates for the CIPR presidency. The debate was being trailed by Philip Sheldrake on Twitter and he was also asking for possible questions for the two. I decided to throw my hat into the ring:

@sheldrake with many thinkng PR is fallng behind, wht should the CIPR do to ensure we lead the way/thinking in digital, social & SEO #ciprtvless than a minute ago via HootSuiteDanny Whatmough
DannyWhatmough


I was pleased to see that my question was posed to the two candidates (about 14 minutes in!). The responses were mixed.

Rob Brown, who has written an excellent book on digital PR, gave a good overview of where we are and argued that, while the past has been all about journalist relations, PR faces a new opportunity and needs to reinvent itself.  He suggested that we have a fantastic opportunity to get to the heart of what PR actually is and begin to engage directly and build relationships with the public.

Sally Sykes was a little more hesitant in her response and although she acknowledged that ‘this was our moment’, she fell back into the reputation management debate which I don’t really think encompasses the true might of what digital and social means for the PR industry. She did however acknowledge the importance of training, which is another positive sign.

Do we need more than the grassroots?

So my question is: does the industry needs better leadership from the top when it comes to online PR and social media and do we have this at the moment?

I’d argue we don’t.

I feel that a lot of the new thinking out there is coming from the grassroots of the industry (maybe this was always the way?). I see wide-ranging, in-depth arguments about the future of PR on Twitter, Linkedin and on blogs (even in PR Week from time to time!), but I don’t see much of this coming from the industry’s professional bodies.

I should add that I’m not a member of the CIPR and so maybe it’s just that I don’t hear some of the noise they are making because it is internalised. And perhaps this is partly why I’m less interested in membership itself.

I want the CIPR to be going out there are really representing the industry and its members by demonstrating the opportunity that PR has, encouraging change and best practice. We know that social media conferences are always oversubscribed; there’s clearly an appetite out there, but I feel that there is confusion and panic about how the industry can adopt these new techniques. The industry needs leadership here.

I know how these organisations work. In the past I used to work for a professional body and I appreciate that in big organisations like this change takes time and it happens slowly. Maybe this is how it should be; maybe we need a more staid, considered approach from the top? But I see some of the great work that bodies like the IAB do in the digital arena and wonder why PR be the same.

Let’s grasp the opportunity and shout about it

At the end of the day, I’m not trying to bash the CIPR or the other PR trade bodies, I’m just passionate about the opportunity the PR industry has and the changes that are necessary for it to truly grasp this potential.

It’s why I decided to enter into the PR industry in the first place instead of some of the other digital marketing disciplines out there. PR has a powerful argument for owning communication in the digital age. I’m just not sure that, as an industry, we are fully realising this potential yet. Hopefully, if elected, Rob or Sally will take this baton and run with it. As Sally said, this is our moment, we need to take it before it is too late.

Why PR just doesn’t need journalists anymore

There’s an rare article about PR in today’s Independent, which lifts the lid on the ‘new PR’:

PRs, who once had to go through the prism of journalism to convey their messages to a mass audience, are increasingly confident in circumventing traditional media altogether. In generating their own video and text-based digital content on behalf of clients, they are not only taking the bread from the table of a weakened advertising sector but encroaching onto the old territory of television and press companies.

Despite much of the article reading like an advert for Edelman (this line for example: “Other PR companies acknowledge the boldness of Edelman’s play”), it nicely recaps the position that PR finds itself in and the potential opportunity that many of us feel exists.

I bang on about this potential opportunity the industry has to really take control in this democratised and fragmented media world we find ourselves in. At a time when brands are quickly waking up to the fact that the ‘push’ marketing of yesterday just doesn’t cut it anymore and that creating intimate relationships directly with end users is not only possible, but is quickly becoming vital for brands.

It’s an exciting time.

Working together to make a happy car…

Oh Charles, what have you started!?

Tech journo supremo Charles Arthur this week compared the client/PR/Journo relationship with the car industry.

Confused? Well, yes, you might be! But stick with it. There are some interesting points raised (some more valid than others) including in the comments section if you can be arsed to wade through them.

Here are a few short, sharp observations of my own:

  • Mr Arthur is not your typical journalist
  • Every journalist is different – see this post Not all PRs/journos can be tainted with the same brush – this is a big industry with many sectors
  • Media relations (which is what we are talking about) is only a (diminishing) part of PR
  • MRs (and therefore PRs and their clients) still depends on journalists
  • There are more and more PRs and fewer and fewer journos
  • There is still a place for good quality, best practice MRs
  • PRs need to be consultants and need to be specialists and need to be realistic
  • As Guy says, the journalist doesn’t work for the client
  • But, the PR does work for the client
  • And most many journos need MRs
  • Many PRs HATE MRs
  • ‘Did you get my press release’ – these calls do work sometimes and, in desperation, are understandable (if unfortunate)
  • But they don’t justify/want/need spam
  • As with everything in modern-day marketing, targeting is absolutely crucial
  • Good PRs are not merely consumed by money and/or results. We know the issues and the topics and how to write good stories
  • But we all (PRs and journos) have commercial interests; sometimes (at the best times) these can be mutual
  • We all get it wrong from time to time

About

This is my story. I've always been fascinated by the internet. My first passion was music and I studied a music degree at Birmingham University. But once graduated I quickly went back to the web working as a digital marketer. I also ran a web startup for a few years. In the need of a new challenge, I turned to the world of PR and now work as an Account Director at EML Wildfire. My interest is primarily looking at how PR professionals can make the most of the web and digital marketing. This blog contains my thoughts and things I find inspirational.

© 2012 Danny Whatmough - Made by me