Rachel Huff’s Post

Buckle up. I’m wading into the PR vs. Communications vs. Marketing debate. I’ve seen just about every conceivable configuration of which departments report to each other and who leads strategy. There is no magic bullet for how to organize these functions, but there are key considerations to ensure successful outcomes. Here’s my take: 🤝 It’s critical that these departments closely collaborate and integrate campaigns and messaging. Not in name only. Turf wars stifle these efforts. They also need to strategically align their goals with business or organizational objectives. 🗞️ PR works best as one part of a broader portfolio of a corporate communications shop. My team is full-service and includes PR, public affairs, crisis communications, internal/integrated communications, creative, digital, social media, and branding/narrative. 📢 I have seen successful models of CMOs or CCOs running these integrated teams, but the ones who do best have firsthand experience of every one of these functions. Earned and paid media should work symbiotically, but earned media can be pretty elusive to paid media-only experts. The answer is NOT churning out press releases as a primary media strategy. 🌎 CCOs are well positioned to advise the executive leadership team on reputational and thought leadership issues. We have a pulse on the landscape and are in the trenches every day messaging around key issues that arise from media, social media and crisis situations. CMOs have a pulse on their key audiences and should also have a say on how to engage them. What is your hot take? I’d love to see your thoughts in the comments.

Great discussion on the PR, Communications, and Marketing blend! I agree that the magic happens when CCOs and CMOs work in tandem. The CCO's knack for reputation management combined with the CMO's audience insights is a winning combo. It's all about finding those sweet spots where their strategies intersect. I appreciate your take on this and am excited to see more viewpoints from our peers in the industry! #communicationsstrategy #corporatecommunications #integratedmarketing

We closely work with the CCO and the CMO on executive communication. Here’s how: Our goal is to amplify any work the CCO is leading in relation to the brand, so it can connect with the CMO’s goals for each of the organization’s audiences. The dynamic is to integrate and connect the various media channels, from earned media to shared media to owned media, with a dotted line to any paid media activities. A brand is built through ongoing communication, messaging, and repetition across various channels, mediums, and activities. In today’s world, every organization has to be a media channel before being a product or service channel. The interplay between the executives in terms of communication, marketing, or any digital activity has to be tightly coordinated, marching towards the following objectives: 1- Nurturing a relationship with the prospective audience where they spend their time. Move them from unaware to aware. 2- For the aware target audience, nurture them and build trust. 3- Recognize the warm audience with intent, convert them into customers, and keep them engaged.

I think Tal Woliner hits the nail on the head, as there is no silver bullet solution in how an organization should setup and manage their communications and marketing functions. The understanding of each discipline and how they interconnect is so important. But even more so IMO, is the ability to get them all working in lockstep. With so many opportunities for communications/marketing to breakdown and become inconsistent (from a message standpoint), that is the real challenge no matter the hierarchy or objective.

Does your company have a PR or communications team? Here’s an insider tip: if you have a unique perspective or story—regardless of what it is—share it with them! Really. Even if you aren't sure if it's relevant. 🤨 Let me explain. In B2B #communications, it's challenging to craft stories that stand out from the competition AND capture media interest. So your insights, whether product-related or not, might be useful for a blog post, media pitch, social media content, a brand campaign, or even a recruiting drive. Let the comms team decide if it's relevant or not—you might not think it's newsworthy, but they may see it as a great hook. Remember, as a company employee, you are a representative of your brand. By offering a unique angle, you might benefit both yourself AND your organization—it's a win-win situation. And if your story *also* helps the #PR team find a fresh pitch angle, that's a win-win-win. (And they'll love you for it!) 🤜 💥 🤛 So, my advice (as a comms leader who knows a thing or two about this): don't hesitate to contact your comms or PR team! Let them know what you have to offer. Share your ideas and expertise. There very well may be a place for it in the broader communications strategy—you never know! 💥 In my experience, some of the best media coverage I've ever earned for my brands was when we looked into the org for unique perspectives from our employees. I can list a few examples off the top of my head of seemingly unrelated topics that led to interesting brand and PR campaigns—often driven by one person's interest or expertise in a topic. 🤔 What do my #comms and #PR network think? Do you leverage your employees for interesting threads for your communications activities?

As always, Becca Chambers ✨is spot on. Bringing in your comms team (PR and AR) early on more often than not unearths additional opportunities to strengthen relationships with media and analysts and grow brand awareness. One of the things that often makes teams nervous about including comms people earlier in the process is the belief that all ideas must be fully baked before you bring them to external influencers. The great news is...that's not true. Intelligent conversations about ideas are critical to growing relationships with influencers (especially analysts) and can yield valuable feedback and new ideas.

Return on investment for Public Relations is not a new topic and is regularly discussed by both the buyers of PR services as well the PR community. In and of itself, ROI for PR services is a complicated discussion. From an agency perspective, PR teams don’t live within their clients' organizations, have access to the large datasets from which clients pull insights, and generally don’t often get a look under the full marketing analytics hood. This reality creates a lot of unknowns. Did a media placement drive increased website traffic to a signup page or new LinkedIn followers? Was the sales team able to leverage a piece of thought leadership content in their outreach, which ultimately resulted in new business? Was a secured speaking opportunity a tipping point in driving new customer awareness? Yet, with all this said, PR firms need to be accountable. The spend needs to create a return. So what is the answer? For Indicate Media, it's about resetting how we work with our B2B Tech and Venture Capital client partners. We have continued to move from just being purely an execution partner to being a STRATEGY and EXECUTION partner. Here is an example. Instead of being brought into a new product/service roll-out once everything is complete and ready to be announced, we advocate for PR taking a larger seat at the business strategy table. If a product team is doing a sprint to come up with new features, for example, we come into the process earlier and interact with the product team (not just the marketing team), talk over the potential messaging and communications strategy, research how others may have successfully or unsuccessfully rolled out features and what messages resonated, etc. Sometimes this collaboration can even bring changes to the new feature. So, having a smart communications umbrella and being on the strategy side early on in the process can be a win-win and ... further justify the tangible value of PR.. How does your company think about ROI from its PR efforts?

Understanding the Power of PR Strategy A well-crafted PR strategy isn't just a roadmap; it's the key to unlocking success! It's the fusion of data, messaging, and brand research, meticulously designed to shape public perception positively. Whether it's about propelling your organization, brand, product, or personal image toward a specific business objective, a robust PR strategy is your guiding light. But here's the thing: PR strategies are as dynamic as they are crucial. They're not just siloed endeavors; they're collaborative ventures that transcend departments and stakeholders. Take, for instance, a comprehensive PR strategy aimed at securing financing for our brand. Within this master plan, there's a multifaceted approach: from captivating consumer attention to fostering internal cohesion among our employees. 👥 In this intricate web of PR excellence, we see various players stepping into the spotlight: 👩💼 CEO, CFO, and Board Members: Leading the charge in investor relations, they drive confidence and trust among our stakeholders. 🎯 CMO, Product Managers, or Marketing Managers: At the forefront of consumer PR, they craft narratives that resonate, driving brand affinity and loyalty. 🤝 HR: Masters of internal communications, they ensure our team is not just informed but inspired, aligning everyone with our vision. At the heart of it all lies synergy—a harmonious blend of expertise, vision, and collaboration. Together, we don't just navigate the PR landscape; we define it.

What exciting new projects are you currently working on in PR and communications? In straightforward terms, collaboration plays a pivotal role in the world of public relations (PR) and communications. Let’s break down some key aspects: Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborating with internal teams, clients, media, and other stakeholders ensures that everyone is on the same page. It aligns messaging, goals, and expectations, fostering transparency and building trust. Cross-Functional Teams: PR and communications involve various functions like marketing, content creation, design, and legal. Collaborating across these teams ensures a holistic approach, leading to cohesive campaigns. Media Relations: Building relationships with journalists, editors, and influencers is crucial. It helps secure media coverage, manage crises, and disseminate accurate information. Crisis Management: During crises, collaboration is vital. Cross-functional teams work together to address issues promptly, maintain reputation, and communicate effectively. Content Creation: Collaborating with subject matter experts, writers, and designers results in compelling content. Different perspectives enhance creativity and resonate with diverse audiences. Measurement and Analytics: Collaboration with data analysts helps measure PR impact. Insights drive informed decisions and enable continuous improvement. In summary, collaboration fuels innovation, amplifies reach, and ensures that PR and communications efforts are strategic, cohesive, and impactful.

Tamara Bekcic is the General Manager and Co-founder of the Chapter 4 PR agency in Serbia, which is part of the Chapter 4 PR network and the exclusive representative of one of the leading PR networks on a global level - BCW. We asked her to answer the question "Thanks to the development of technologies, agencies are constantly transforming and upgrading. What communication challenges does your agency face today and how do you see the potential of agencies on the market in the future?" "Recent years, turbulent in many ways, have proven the power of communication and the importance of the consultancy role of PR agencies partnering with companies. The PR industry overall has demonstrated its potential in strategic counsel, creative innovation, and sector-specific expertise across platforms. Corporate communications in the C-suite has outlasted the pandemic — suggesting a permanent benefit of having PR firms as trusted advisors. Technology and empathy cross paths and affect one another in the communication industry, especially in today`s world which is often characterized as a time of distrust. In particular, geopolitics, diversity and inclusion, ESG, employee engagement, health and wellness, and digital transformation — have reinforced and elevated the critical value of empathetic public relations across multiple stakeholder groups, showing the industry's strengths across the globe. Technology and AI a hot topics and we are increasingly seeing their application in the communication industry. AI tools can help us analyze text and speech and identify emotions, giving us valuable insights. Increased emotional awareness can create a more compassionate and empathic environment by expressing understanding and support. AI tools will be able to help foster a more inclusive environment in this way. Based on our experience at Chapter 4 PR agency, corporate communication will continue to have a critical role in managing and protecting the company's reputation and trust, especially in our age of social media and instant communication. PR agency support also often includes intelligence insights on market trends, consumer behavior, and reputation management. Brands are expected to embrace purpose-driven initiatives and demonstrate a strong commitment to their values. Communication, Marketing, and ESG will play pivotal roles in shaping and communicating these values authentically, aligning the brand's heritage with contemporary expectations and business. Best practice directs us to more collaboration, adopting an integrated approach in messaging, brand positioning, and communication plans and strategies, which will be even more so in the future. Alignment of communication functions, external and internal with marketing and ESG, can result in what we call ‘mixternal‘ communication - a syncing process that empowers companies, their reputation, and their business."