breaking into public relations - a presentation for undergraduates looking to work in public...

Alison OwenHead of PR at BDBInternational business-to-business PR specialistwww. bdb.co.uk @bdbmarketing @alisonmowen

Presentation at PRCA ‘Breaking into PR’ conference 11 February 2013Manchester Metropolitan University

Summary What is PR – the classic definition Different career opportunities PR vs advertising Is it for me? A typical day The changing media landscape The career choice of the future?

What is PR? Reputation management

– what you do

– what you say

– what others say about you

Planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and understanding between an organisation and its publics

Presenting a company favourably– Shaping information

– Targeting

– Engaging relevant audiences

Different career opportunities

Agency vs in-house Agency

– Small business or global network– Can offer faster promotion than in-house– Broad spread of clients – across different

sectors– Variety of work / disciplines

In-house– Corporate culture– Structured career path– Focused on core sector / related sectors– Marketing team – may work with an agency

Consumer vs B2B– Consumer (B2C)

– Brand you may have heard of– Products/services more accessible– Entry level usually junior– Media challenges– Faster pace / project turnover– Can be more UK-focused

– B2B– Often more technical– Can offer better opportunity for

progression– Media challenges– Longer term / longer lead times– Can be more international

PR vs advertising “News is what somebody somewhere wants to

suppress. Everything else is advertising.” Lord Northcliffe

Advertising– Hard-hitting

Space paid for Raising awareness Quicker results

Public relations– Softer skill

Editorial space free but earned on merit Shaping attitude Long term results

Editorial promotions / advertorials– Blurring lines

Is it for me? Personable

– Build relationships Good copywriter

– Variety of material Organised

– Good time management / deadlines Good memory

– Lots of projects ongoing– Eye for detail

Flexible– Late nights / travel

Initiative– Self starter

Creative ‘Passion for PR’

Don’t rule it out Don’t necessarily need a PR / marketing

communications degree– Scientists– Linguists– Humanities

A typical day? No such thing! Maybe

– Editor ring-round to ‘sell-in’ a story– Client meeting about a forthcoming event– Compile and evaluate a clippings report– Research for a new business pitch– Attend an exhibition to represent a client– Take part in a brainstorming session for

future project– Put together press lists for new product

launch – Research / draft press release– ...

The changing media landscape

Safeguarding reputation Transparent environment

– Instant / global

No reputation is bulletproof– “When everyone has a blog or Facebook entry,

everyone is a publisher

– “Your reputation is going to get set in stone so much earlier…a digital fingerprint that never gets erased”

Thomas Friedman, New York Times

How has PR changed? New digital channels

– Accelerated pace of working– Fragmented media– New skills / tactics

New influencers– Engagement

It’s all in the story Discipline of PR remains the same Creating a consistent message thread

– Across fragmented media

Engages audience– Relevant message

Create and protect

corporate reputation

/ brand loyalty

The power of social media Influence of bloggers

The power of social media

Headline news

Fast growing career choice

Corporate reputation is critical– PR is booming

$10bn business in 2011 1

Employs 66,000 people worldwide 1

Growing at 8% pa 1

– PR ranked no 5 “Hot Careers to Watch 2013” 2

1 Holmes Report, 20112 prnewsonline, 27 Dec 2012

Any questions?