From Communication to Collaboration: Ensuring Success for PR Agencies and Corporate Communication teams

Welcome to Gazette! This edition explores the growing synergy between PR agencies and corporate communication teams. As collaboration becomes essential for impactful campaigns, we highlight key strategies to ensure clear communication, goal alignment, and successful outcomes.

Communication is a multifaceted tool and if used correctly, leads to enhanced collaboration and long-term success. It is no longer limited to Aristotle’s linear theory, cognitive dissonance or adaptive structuration and the same can be witnessed if we dig deeper into two distinct stakeholders — public relations and corporate communications.

Considering the gradual transformation of PR over the years, this comprehensive shift has aligned closely with the shifting requirements of corporate communications. While PR’s scope of work has extended to cover individuals, products or services — big corporations have emerged as critical enablers of the domain. Leading companies spend millions, if not billions to conduct PR campaigns globally, emerging as the critical enabler of the growth and scalability of the PR space. Ensuring success of these PR campaigns remains the centrepiece of concern and an ambiguous approach involving close collaborations between the two has been identified as imperative to the cause. However, no fixed approach is deployed to ensure this success but a comprehensive effort is required to guarantee a favourable outcome.

Appropriate communication

To begin with, success in PR is a gradual process and both PR and Corporate Communications professionals must work in tandem to ensure proper communication. From strategizing a PR campaign, and sharing coverages to requesting strategic changes in campaigns and remunerations — everything must be communicated through proper channels. This reduces the chances of any miscommunications and future issues, leading to a straightforward path ahead for both stakeholders. For example, strategizing a PR campaign remains a multidimensional process and Corporate Communication professionals must communicate their requirements in a simple yet meaningful manner so it can be reflected similarly in the campaign. On the other hand, PR professionals must communicate any deficiencies or gaps in communication from the Corporate Communications members in the due process effectively to ensure success later.

Lack of proper communication between PR and Corporate Communications professionals has the potential to lead to unforeseen challenges in critical times or even create a crisis. For example, if a corporation achieves a significant milestone and the same is not conveyed to the PR team as part of the due time, accumulating coverage for the same later becomes a challenge as it becomes old news. On a similar note, if PR teams do not apprise Corporate Communication teams of the ongoing trends in media, they fail to offer their clients the optimal way forward — reducing the chance of success.

Aligning to the requirements

Success derives from requirements, not understanding which will never lead to favourable outcomes. PR campaigns are not exceptions to this, as both PR and Corporate Communication professionals must understand the requirements, identify the deficiencies and address them skillfully. The scope of work in PR begins at the clients’ end, in this case, the corporations and the Corporate Communications department and is managed optimally by PR professionals working in distinct capacities. Corporate Communications professionals need to introspect internally to identify PR deficiencies before communicating the same to PR professionals. This is a crucial juncture where efficiency in identifying gaps becomes the differentiating factor in garnering PR success. This also reduces the chance of PR professionals aligning to the original requirements viably and the subsequent failure is reflected in the general PR effort.

Furthermore, without aligning with the requirements of their clients, PR professionals fail to gain the necessary insights and are faced with enhanced exposure to challenges. For example, if the goal of PR efforts is to offer crisis management strategies and the PR team communicates otherwise, the subsequent result fails in value creation and is faced with challenges in garnering favourable media coverage or other measurable success.

Strategizing the way forward

Interbusiness collaborations like that of Corporate Communication teams and PR professionals can be ensured success through mutual trust and communications. While it is understandable that only limited exposure to internal data can be made accessible for external PR teams for data security purposes, it is imperative that Corporate Communications and PR teams operate in tandem to close down apparent gaps through constructive partnerships. For example, a company operating in the healthcare space cannot share private patient data with a PR agency to draft a research report. However, what it can instead do is offer meaningful patient testimonials to the PR professionals to create a relevant campaign based on their statements. Strategic interventions like these can help to ensure long-term success for PR campaigns and prove to be mutually beneficial for both stakeholders.

Conclusion:

Success in PR lies in collaboration, clear communication, and shared goals. By fostering trust and strategic alignment, PR agencies and corporate communication teams can create impactful campaigns that drive growth and visibility. Let Gazette guide you toward mastering this partnership for lasting success.