One of the realities of PR - in fact of any service business - is that you are primarily selling ideas in the form of solutions. And, you're not alone.
Just take a look at marketing communications. Whether you are functioning in-house, as a communications consultant or as an agency executive, your goal is to understand the marketing need or problem within the big-picture context and offer creative communications solutions to help achieve a successful outcome - whether in the form of sales, market share, or mind share.
And although each of the marketing communications disciplines (advertising, promotion, direct response and PR) provide very specific expertise, the lines between when and why to use one versus the other frequently blurs. Therefore counterparts are likely to propose ideas and plans simultaneously with or in advance of yours.
The ad agency, for example, may already be out in front of the brand or product positioning, which includes an overall creative direction as well as a proposed media plan.
The promotion team may have begun formulating months ago a host of powerful concepts from sponsorships to events or from retail activities to contests. And similarly, the direct response pros may be proposing highly customized packages to connect directly with individuals in the identified critical audiences, seeking to motivate and convert those with the greatest potential. In turn, these may be the same targets that you're gearing up to reach.
And last, don't forget that any one of these same teams may also be proposing, or already engaged in, various forms of online communications.
So how do you take these seemingly competing scenarios and turn them into opportunities for PR to contribute and flourish?
Actually, it's not that tough, and I suggest eight logical, practical and straightforward steps to help this process.
1 Brush up on your marketing. You will need to understand the marketing challenge facing your company or your client as well as the marketing plan that's in place. You must also understand the company's business and the competitive, regulatory and financial climate in which it functions. This enables you to form some judgments about what PR can accomplish, and about what each other's discipline(s) will be called upon to achieve.
2 When you can appreciate what is driving the efforts behind advertising, promotion or direct response, you will be better equipped to a) leverage and augment those activities through PR; and b) demonstrate that you can participate on their playing field by discussing and appreciating the value of the programs offered by other disciplines, but mostly showing how PR can actually enhance or build upon these efforts. Understand, in general terms, the fundamental purpose, approaches and benefits of your marcom counterparts.
3 Demonstrate respect and gain trust. In an integrated context, each discipline must work as efficiently and effectively as possible, supporting other marcom activities and helping to optimize resources. This means you must function as a fair and thoughtful member of a team who respects other disciplines and engenders trust.
You must never try to undercut another colleague's program or approach an integrated communications meeting with the hidden agenda to sell in PR-only concepts and programs.
4 Be smart about all of the ways PR can contribute and the benefits of using PR tactics. Don't allow yourself or others to place PR into the narrow role of just providing publicity.
There are so many ways the full PR arsenal can be used to drive success and heighten the impact of other disciplines: Why limit that?
5 Know your audience, their influencers and the trends that affect them. Research is the key to understanding and prioritizing your audiences and knowing both the rational and emotional messages that will motivate them. By the same token, you will need to learn from primary, secondary, or anecdotal research the cultural, marketplace or media trends that will help you shape powerful messages and programs that rise above the competitive clutter.
Ask these questions: How do you gain the fundamental knowledge I've referenced? It's easier than you might think: If you've never taken a marketing course, or if it's been a few years, get a good marketing textbook and study a chapter a week, or take a brush-up course at your local continuing education center.
6 Ask for informational meetings with your colleagues or your counterparts in advertising, direct response or promotion. You might be surprised how helpful they will be and, in the same process, you'll be forging important future relationships.
7 Read the marketing trades and marketing columns of major news magazines and dailies. Study what various companies have done or are doing to solve their marketing challenges.
8 Invest in a marketing-oriented dictionary if you don't have one. It will help you sort through the specialty functions and truly understand the specifics of what your integrated partners are proposing.
Next month: IMC case examples and what's on the IMC 1998 wish list of top communications executives.
Barbara H. Hines is executive VP of brand marketing at Porter Novelli. She can be reached at 415/288-7420.