Public relations in motion

Public relations. So many businesses use the phrase as a catch-all to encompass everything from advertising to advocacy. But that muddles the true meaning of public relations. 

The most current definition, from the Public Relations Society of America, states that “public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

At its core, public relations is the ability to communicate with truth and clarity to move people to meaningful action. It’s purpose driven, informed by data and memorable. It’s a two-way conversation in which both the public and the organization experience value.

This is very different from the perception that PR is simply a news release that gets sent over the wire and nothing comes of it. Or the idea that you work work work your connections until someone does you a solid. OK, that happens, but that’s not what PR is all about.

Public relations is about relationships, built with honest communication and effective storytelling that draw connections and paint a picture people can believe in. Done well, it differentiates you and you remain true to the values of your organization. In doing so, you can move the audiences you’ve built relationships with to action.

Take the Microsoft We All Win campaign. Yes, it was selling a new controller, the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which is much larger than traditional controllers and has features that up gaming accessibility. It also sent a message, featuring voices from the community it was trying to reach, that its relationship with people with disabilities is real. That it wants to show up for that community. And, in this case, it did.

Your public relations efforts go far beyond a well-crafted slogan or a creative ad. Advertising can play an important role in your efforts — who doesn’t love a funny or inspirational Super Bowl ad? Ad and marketing pros pour creativity into their craft to ensure their deliverables are aligned with company values and resonate with audiences. Advertising can underscore a message and be a useful tool in a public relations effort, but it is simply one piece amid a range of strategies that connect organizations and audiences.

The real question is: What’s next? Consumers are in the driver’s seat and, with that, public relations strategies are evolving rapidly. It’s harder than ever to control a narrative. But maybe that’s a good thing. When conversations between organizations and audiences are real, there’s power. Embrace it. Learn from it. And use it to connect in ways the previous generation of PR practitioners could only imagine.