PR’s ever-changing landscape

Today’s public relations practitioners are working in a field that reaches far beyond the press release – it’s creative and dynamic. Bridget von Holdt of Prisa says PR is the glue that binds together the elements of an integrated approach to communications.

In the lead-up to the 2016 Prism Awards, which celebrate excellence in PR, Von Holdt points to a number of new trends that are shaping the PR landscape this year. “One of the greatest shifts I have seen is that social media have finally become an integral part of most campaigns and are no longer seen as an added extra. In fact, if social media are not an integral part of a campaign, there should be a compelling reason,” she says.

Audio-visual media, in the form of video clips and visuals, are fast becoming the most effective way to catch the attention of consumers. “If you don’t catch them in the first 10 to 15 seconds, they move on,” says Von Holdt, adding that consumers no longer have the time or inclination to read copy-heavy communication. They prefer to consume media in bite-sized chunks, which is why visual works so well across all platforms.

Another trend is that of companies outsourcing their PR functions. “In-house PR resources are continuing to deal with stakeholder and internal communications, while specialists are being tasked with reputation management, media relations, crisis management, digital communications and the like,” she says. There are a number of reasons for this, including the fact that outsourced PR practitioners are “always on” – they don’t have down time or take sick days or leave, which is more beneficial for cost management. It’s easy to budget for PR expenditure and output and to ensure there are service level agreements in place to manage those expectations,” she explains.

Collaboration in the marketplace is bigger than ever and PR practitioners are increasingly finding themselves working as part of an integrated team of agencies for a single client. “Convergence of media and channels is taking place more often between agencies, which is a good thing as it ensures that the message is consistent,” says Von Holdt.

The tough economic climate of 2016 is creating a basis for new market development as clients begin to seek opportunities beyond the borders of SA. “There is a growing market for PR practitioners and agencies of all sizes [elsewhere] in Africa,” says Von Holdt. She adds that as budgets have been tightened, there has been an expansion of industry knowledge. “PR practitioners need to broaden their knowledge of all communication channels as they are expected to advise clients across the board. It’s great for the industry, fostering integration and collaboration,” she says.

She cautions clients that though it may be tempting to cut budgets in these tough economic circumstances – reducing the PR budget to focus more on sales –  it’s more important than ever to invest in channels that will help maintain market share, brand awareness and reputation as well as manage unexpected crises.

The big take-out: While it may be tempting to cut the PR budget, the tough economic situation is a reason for doing exactly the opposite.