Exploring the World of PR: Opportunities, Skills, and Trends

1. Alison OwenHead of PR at BDB International business-to-business PR specialist www. bdb.co.uk @bdbmarketing @alisonmowen

2. Summary • What is PR – a classic definition • Different career opportunities • PR vs advertising • Is it for me? • A typical day • The changing media landscape • Career choice?

5. 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

6. Different career opportunities

7. Agency vs in-house • Agency • Small business or global network • Broad spread of clients – across different sectors • Variety of work / disciplines • In-house • Corporate culture • Clear career path • Focused – usually core sector / related sectors

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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’

11. Don’t rule it out • Don’t necessarily need a PR / marketing communications degree • Scientists • Linguists • Humanities

12. 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 • ...

13. The changing media landscape

14. 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

15. How has PR changed? • New digital channels • Accelerated pace of working • Fragmented media • New skills / tactics • New influencers • Engagement

16. 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

17. The power of social media • Influence of bloggers

18. The power of social media

19. Headline news

20. 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, 2011 2 prnewsonline, 27 Dec 2012

21. Any questions?