What is PR?
Introduction
You might think you know what public relations (PR) is, but the truth is it means vastly different things to different companies.
Public relations combines lots of linked tasks, including reputation management, influencer management, event planning, communications, media relations, crisis communications, social media and content marketing. It’s complex, and no single public relations definition totally covers all that PR is as a whole.
Many definitions aren’t even directly related to increasing business profits… so we’ve written our own PR definition! Public relations is a customer-centric, strategic approach to improving relationships (usually with customers) to increase sales from new and existing customers – which is exactly what your business needs to grow efficiently at a greater speed.
Gone are the days of spamming journalists and sending out generic press releases. It’s time to put old-school PR tactics to bed and embrace building one-on-one relationships with influencers that drive your customers to take the steps you need them to.
What is PR?
Every professional and business person has heard of PR, but here’s a little secret: if you asked them all “what is PR?” many would be completely stumped, while most would provide some vague answer about communications and media relations.
That’s because most people don’t really know what PR people do. They know we have an important role in marketing and branding, but if pressed, they can’t quite put their finger on how we do what we do. If you’re a little bit confused about the wizardry that is PR too, read on, because we’ve got the inside scoop – and a definitive answer to the question what is public relations?
The History of Public Relations
Many people think that public relations is a modern invention. The truth is, however, that the profession can trace its roots back to the very early 1900s in the United Kingdom.
Long before inappropriate Tweets were sinking careers, PR professionals were working their magic for artists, performers and business people.
What The Experts Say When Asked “What is PR?”
How could we explain what public relations is without including some awesome examples of what influential people throughout history think of PR?
Here are a collection of ten great quotes that help to capture what PR is all about:
#1 “Everything you do or say is public relations.” – Unknown
#2 “If a young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is – that’s advertising. If the young man tells his date she’s intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he’s saying the right things to the right person and that’s marketing. If someone else tells the young woman how handsome, smart and successful her date is – that’s PR.” – H. Simmons
#3 “Public-relations specialists make flower arrangements of the facts, placing them so the wilted and less attractive petals are hidden by sturdy blooms.” – Alan Harrington
#4 “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffet
#5 “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about at all.” – Oscar Wilde
#6 “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.” – Unknown
#7 “In a downturn, aggressive PR and communications strategy is” – Doug Leone, VC, Sequoia Capital – Silicon Alley Insider
#8 “If I was down to the last dollar of my marketing budget I’d spend it on PR!” – Bill Gates
#9 “Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad.” – Richard Branson
#10 “Historically, PR, Marketing and Advertising budgets are the first to be cut; however, that could be one of the first mistakes a business makes in an economic crisis.” – CBS Marketwatch
The problem with all things marketing (to the non-marketing person) is that much of it seems either mysterious or frankly, just made up. You only have to watch someone’s eyes glaze over when you mention SEO or branding to know that they’ve zoned out and gone to their happy place, where marketing jargon doesn’t interfere with their daily business.
Public relations is no different.
In fact, if you ask most people how they define public relations, the answer would be hazy at best. That’s because most people don’t even realise that PR is a distinct and different branch of marketing altogether. Of course, it doesn’t help that even in the industry, those who do define public relations do so differently. Some differences are subtle, while others are not, but thank goodness there are at least a few common threads.
I am Dionne from Story Match. If I can be of assistance in understanding or applying anything you’ve read, give me a call on 0411 230-301 or email me at [email protected].