Is there still room for traditional PR?

There has been some speculation over the years on whether traditional PR will eventually die out and become a profession that is no longer relevant.

Unlike the rag and bone man or a lamplighter, the short answer to the debate is no.

That doesn’t mean you can now stop reading now.?Do let us explain or you’ll never understand the connection with the image…

Yes, the PR landscape has changed, and we now see some agencies just specialising in digital PR where goals are more focused on gaining online visibility through the likes of backlinks and SEO.?The aims are generally still the same, receiving third party endorsement, raising awareness, and ultimately, money - it’s getting the result through a different format.

However, traditional PR is still trusted to get messages to the target audience by securing coverage across print and broadcast media. In a world full of fake news, people still buy and tune in to mainstream newspapers, radio stations and TV shows.?In fact, we possibly rely on them more than ever as credible sources.?

Traditional PR has always been more cost-effective than advertising.?With buying space there’s always a lot of wastage in trying to get it to the right consumer and let’s face it, people buy a publication to read the editorial content, not the adverts. Also, PR often gets into media that advertisers can’t, so it’s a vital marketing tool.

Reputation and credibility are two more things that traditional PR can help build and maintain.?A PR professional isn’t just there to put you into the news, they are there at times to keep you out of the press too.?If something bad happens, protection is required.?Any good PR still has that little black book of contacts, so in a time of crisis, it is vital to tap into those established relationships that have taken years to build.

Having a PR also means that the media bothers them, not you.?PRs still answer their phones early in the morning, late at night, at weekends, and even on holiday when the seagulls are trying to steal their chips. They act as the gatekeeper and establish exactly what the journalist requires and the urgency of their request.?A good PR knows the questions to ask and will filter accordingly, so you don’t have to.

So, it’s not RIP to traditional PR, it’s not one size fits all, but it is a move toward blending services for maximum on and offline exposure.

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