Alison Owen Head of PR at BDB International business-to-business PR specialist

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?

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 –Broad spread of clients – across different sectors –Variety of work / disciplines  In-house –Corporate culture –Clear career path –Focused – usually core sector / related sectors

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

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  Employs 66,000 people worldwide 1  Growing at 8% pa 1 –PR ranked no 5 “Hot Careers to Watch 2013” 2 1 Holmes Report, prnewsonline, 27 Dec 2012

Any questions?