Six years ago I decided not to practice media relations anymore. I did not enjoy the ceaseless pitching of reporters. While the media relations clients represented about a third of my business, coverage was the only thing clients really seemed to care about.
When I shuttered my media relations practice, I also stopped describing my agency as a PR firm. One comes with the other was my logic.
As time passed, this worked out well. My current agency engages in a variety of activities from social media services to sponsorships, all of which seem to fit well under the term marketing.
I see other PR pros struggle with the same issue. Many no longer practice media relations, yet they are weighed down by the anchor of the business public’s perception of the profession. In many ways, I understand both sides of the equation.
Why media relations is perceived as most valuable
There are many ways to influence perception that extend far beyond the media’s slowly dwindling powers. Yet the power of a great media placement hit usually outweighs anything else a PR pro can do with a blog, Twitter handle, native advertisement, speaking engagement or an award (Nobel and the Academy aside).
From a business perspective it makes sense to pursue media placements. This is particularly true of businesses that aspire to become significant fixtures in their sector.
In fact, if a business has a strong product and good operations in place, that media hit can literally provide the tipping point. It is the proverbial home run that all managers hope for in the bottom of the ninth inning. Unfortunately for most businesses, we are in a dead ball era where the home runs are much harder to get.
Some pros will counter that search, social media and content can work without traditional media. You see more examples of the media feeding off of social media or content successes (Dollar Shave Club comes to mind), but in the end sooner or later the media helps break a story open.
Leaving story discovery to chance is a mistake. I believe a media relations pro or agency that can open those doors and facilitate that story breakthrough is even more valuable today than ever before. There are fewer media opportunities with shorter windows to get a story place. The ability to deliver is almost invaluable in these times.
Practicing public relations without media relations is much like playing the lottery. Assuming the media will stumble upon your business story may as well be a raffle, one that loses probability every year. Brands need help, especially with dwindling media opportunities.
Positioning blurred lines
If PR pros cannot escape media relations, perhaps it comes down to clearly communicating their offerings.
We know the lines between PR and advertising are blurred. You see this with native advertising more than other tactics, but increasingly PR and advertising divide the duties of marketing communications.
These blurred lines allow PR pros who no longer want to offer media relations to position their service offering a little differently. They can clearly offer marketing communications services, or social media marketing, or simply content.
However, even with a clear differentiation of services the label of public relations will always infer media relations to the less savvy members of the business community. You can only do so much as a PR practitioner today. The home run ball still beckons.
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Image: sean hobson (Creative Commons) Geoff Livingston, Geoff Livingston
