Diversification of PR services is vital in a ‘post-earned’ world (PR Week)

The basis of the modern PR agency is a well-trodden path. In essence, leveraging an established base of media contacts, knowledge and strategy to sell media relations to clients at a decent margin has been the route to success.

Sure, there has been some innovation around the edges with paid and organic social; with influencers instead of media; or with selling content services and community management – but essentially, the core of the model has remained the same.

The end of this approach has been oft-predicted but, for most agencies, the dirty secret is that media relations is what pays the bills.

Busy-ness doesn’t make for good business (SynergyMode)

Being a busy leader has been fetishised by the modern business world. The CEO or senior exec whose diary is booked for months to come or who schedules their day in five minute slots is seen as more effective, more virile and more dedicated. However, are they genuinely more effective? Is busy-ness really the sign of effective leadership?

How companies can earn brand loyalty (Raconteur)

In an always-on era, achieving brand loyalty is more challenging than ever. Not only is the competition fast and fierce, but consumers are increasingly empowered and ready to bite back

The truth is difficult to take: most brands will disappear; they won’t impact millions and they won’t truthfully change anything. For some, notably Colgate, which was founded in 1806 and can be found in more than half of global households, longevity and brand loyalty are part of what defines them. But for every Coca-Cola or Apple, there will also be millions of short-lived ventures, very briefly on the money, but then forever forgotten.

Flexible working - embracing the change (SynergyMode)

For employers, one of the biggest shifts in employee behaviour in recent years has been the rise of flexible working.  In survey after survey, the ability to work remotely has been amongst the most popular employee benefits, with some polls showing as many as 70% of staff now work away from the office for at least a part of the week. However, this has also been one of the hardest shifts for businesses to manage.  Fears of falling productivity and loss of collaboration have given bosses many sleepless nights as they struggle to optimise their flexible working approach.

In an integrated world, PR must trade on its ‘secret sauce’: storytelling (PR Week)

All marketing is meeting in the middle: PR agencies are increasingly focusing on paid tactics; digital and media agencies are looking at earned media; and every man and his dog is peddling owned content.

In a world where we’re all doing the same thing, one has to ask: what’s the point of a PR agency?

The core skills of marketing these days are content production and distribution. That content may be a press release, a video creative, a physical stunt or an event.

The distribution may be through media relations, influencers, paid media placement, owned digital tactics or experiential.

Finding balance can help you to achieve brief ‘nirvana’ (PR Week)

A PR agency brief can be the difference between the success and failure of a campaign.

Whether it’s a brief for a new business pitch or for a fresh campaign for an existing client, getting the brief right upfront sets the scene for all that’s to follow.

With that in mind, it’s perhaps a surprise that briefs sometimes seem – to the agencies that receive them at least – to have been put together with little thought for the outcome.

Do awards and accreditation matter?

As an agency MD there are an ever-increasing number of ways in which you can secure third-party validation of your agency’s success. There are obviously awards – most importantly those of PRmoment naturally – but there’s also a range of accreditations, audits and benchmarking you can submit to in order to receive a stamp of approval.

What should PRs do about the referendum on Europe?

With the Conservative election victory, a referendum on EU membership is now inevitable. The speculation over the political and economic impact will reach new peaks but, at a more practical level, what does a PR practitioner need to do now to prepare?

Take a position

While commonplace in the US, it is relatively rare for UK businesses to take explicit political positions. However, given the potential impact of the decision on UK businesses, any PR should expect to be asked for their company’s view on the matter.  

As such, PR should play a central role in deciding the company’s position.