I really love soccer. Truly. And I can’t stand it when people say soccer is just a game where 20 fools chase a ball while two stand in goal waiting for it to roll their way. That’s about how much it irks me when someone says PR is just influencing, attending glamorous events, and sending out PR packages (what even are PR packages?!).
To the young people who approach me – hopefully because of my experience and because, I dare say, I do know a thing or two about PR – I make it very clear they should stay away from this profession if they think PR is all about packaging lip gloss, creams, foundation, or wet wipes. It matters deeply to me that the work we do at IMC Agency is not reduced to that.
PR is serious business. PR is strategic thinking that, in today’s challenging environment, creates a competitive edge. Reputation is everything – and today, when everyone is a media outlet, reputation is like a plant that constantly needs watering. That’s what PR is for.
To know how to build and protect your reputation, you need to know who your publics are. Imagine, for example, a manufacturing company with 1,000 employees, hundreds of suppliers and partners, millions of customers/consumers, strict legal and market regulations, and environmental and socially responsible business components, all under constant media scrutiny. That’s a huge number of stakeholders that must be communicated with – timely, thoughtfully, and continuously. That’s what we do. That is what PR truly is.
Through carefully planned communication activities, PR as a strategic component ensures that key messages reach target audiences, while also building and maintaining strong relationships with them.
In the long run, PR helps build trust and loyalty – foundations of sustainable business and competitive advantage. PR also tracks environmental changes, helping the company adapt its processes, anticipate potential crises that could harm its reputation, and prepare crisis communication plans.
All these functions make PR an essential element of a successful business strategy, one that helps companies adapt and build relationships in ways that support their growth.
No matter what you do – whether you’re a small or large player in the market – you need someone to strategically manage your communication. Someone who will:
- Analyze the context and environment in which you operate
- Identify your weaknesses and competitive advantages
- Map your stakeholders – clearly defining who you’re communicating with and why
- Set communication goals
- Develop key messages for each stakeholder group
- Define communication tactics and channels (which definitely won’t just mean sending “PR packages”!)
- Set criteria to measure success
In short, PR is a strategic discipline that goes beyond simple advertising or media relations, because it’s based on building and maintaining long-term relationships and trust.
If you’re still wondering whether you need PR – trust me, you do. In an environment where reputation is everything, every business strategy must be accompanied by a communication strategy. That’s our job.
