The Future of PR
Laura Crimmons
Communications Director
PR
MediaPublic
Press Releases
Events/Launches
Boozy Lunches
etc
Newspaper / Magazine articles
The old model
(pre social media)
PR
MediaPublic
The new model
Social Media
Blog posts
etc
Newspaper / Magazine articles
So where are we
going next?
It’s a 24 hour
news cycle
‘Always on’
is on
everyone’s
minds
Everything has a hashtag now…
And the hashtag becomes the campaign name
#susanalbumparty
In a crowded online world, sparks of creativity
are more important than ever
If people
wouldn’t talk
about your
campaign here…
They won’t talk about it here…
Or here…
And money (Ads) won’t change that –
paid promotion can help something get seen and talked
about but it can’t make it worth talking about
So do the pub
test.
76% of journalists feel more
pressure now to think about
their story’s potential to get
shared on social platforms
Five ingredients to make content
more shareable:
1.Video/images
2.Brevity
3.Localisation
4.More use of human voice
5.Proximity to trending topics
Five changes predicted by
journalists in 2015:
1.More digital/mobile focus
2.Quicker turnaround
3.More (original) video
4.Smaller and more focussed staff
5.Rising social influence
Campaigns need more people around the table –
videographers, designers, ad men, data
Ad campaigns are becoming PR campaigns
“PR is becoming the glue in a lot of integrated
campaigns. Does it matter that we don’t create
the idea? One of the things we do is make
someone else’s ideas even better. We can come up
with the great idea, and we can make other
people’s campaigns better. But clients are
interested in integration.”
- Michael Frohlich, Ogilvy UK Chief Executive
We might need to
learn new skills
Working together is key
Campaigns need more layers
We’re in a time where curiosity wins
We need to keep an eye on new technologies –
but use them only when relevant
But we
shouldn’t
just wish for
the best –
we need to
know
something’s
going to
work
Tools will only get you so far
People want to interact with people – brand
personality has never been more important
Create a
‘personality’
and stick to it
Storytelling
is key
NOT
content for
content’s
sake
Paid media is finding its place in PR
RIP
AVE
RIP
AVE
(Thank
God)
So what replaces it?
Barcelona Principles (2.0)
1. Goal Setting and Measurement are Fundamental to Communication and Public
Relations
2. Measuring Communication Outcomes is Recommended Versus Only Measuring
Outputs
3. The Effect on Organizational Performance Can and Should Be Measured Where
Possible
4. Measurement and Evaluation Require Both Qualitative and Quantitative
Methods
5. AVEs are not the Value of Communications
6. Social Media Can and Should be Measured Consistently with Other Media
Channels
7. Measurement and Evaluation Should be Transparent, Consistent and Valid
Working with ‘data scientists’
helps us work smarter and prove
our worth
Focus on Outcomes NOT Outputs
Outputs:
Press Releases
Coverage
Links
Tweets/FB posts
Outcomes:
Increase in sales
Increase in brand
awareness
Focus on Outcomes NOT Outputs
Outputs:
Press Releases
Coverage
Links
Tweets/FB posts
Outcomes:
Increase in sales
Increase in brand
awareness
Outcomes have real business impact (on the
bottom line), outputs do not.
Barcelona Principles (2.0)
1. Goal Setting and Measurement are Fundamental to Communication and Public
Relations
2. Measuring Communication Outcomes is Recommended Versus Only Measuring
Outputs
3. The Effect on Organizational Performance Can and Should Be Measured Where
Possible
4. Measurement and Evaluation Require Both Qualitative and Quantitative
Methods
5. AVEs are not the Value of Communications
6. Social Media Can and Should be Measured Consistently with Other Media
Channels
7. Measurement and Evaluation Should be Transparent, Consistent and Valid
The future?
(True) Integration – Search, Adv, Data
Better data & measurement
No more mail merge press releases
Recognition of influence over reach
Laura Crimmons
Communications Director,
Branded3
@lauracrimmons
laura.crimmons@branded3.com

The Future of PR - @lauracrimmons at Figaro Digital