The rise of power PR

PR has experienced incredible growth in the last two years as businesses are finally realising the power of the discipline to deliver measurable results. Consequently companies are allocating bigger portions of their marketing budgets to potent PR campaigns.

The new PR is both creative and strategic with new roles, new precision, and new importance, delivering better results. Old-style PR was primarily focused on publicity measured in sheer column inches. By stark contrast, power PR embraces a wider spectrum of influential elements including media relations, event management, celebrity endorsement, product placement, crisis management, tactical initiatives, and strategic partnerships.

As newsrooms diminish and operating budgets are cut, trusted PR agencies with influential networks are becoming a major source of news and information. Where once the PR was regarded as an irritant, the relationship between journalist and PR has matured and entered a new dimension, with each dependent on the other in a mutually-beneficial partnership. A win-win situation for journalist, PR and client. One reason for this is the clever way in which good PR agencies have become far more strategic, tailoring their angles precisely to relevant publications. Instead of the old-fashioned shotgun approach, where journalists where showered with irrelevant, generic material, accurate targeting and an understanding of journalists is crucial.

PR is a potent integrated discipline that has proven its effectiveness internationally and been championed by people such as Bill Gates, who said, "If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on PR". South African companies have taken notice, and are taking action, resulting in substantial growth.

South African advertising agencies began to take PR seriously, about four years ago, when the bigger agencies established their own PR divisions, or bought majority shares in existing PR agencies. The result was disappointing for both, since the advertising agencies tried to dominate and dictate, trying to turn the PR arm into an advertising agency. The PR teams were still largely old-school and had not quite shifted into the next gear of Power PR. Also, both the advertising and the PR teams were territorial and competitive, often sabotaging each other's efforts.

Today the converse is true. The new integrated Power PR works in synergy with the advertising agency to benefit the client. Both need to work in close partnership, but provide different functions and results. PR will never replace advertising nor will advertising do the job of PR.

A successful example of this new synergy was when Total Media was brought on board to handle PR for Shell V-Power through advertising agency, J Walter Thompson Cape Town. Total Media successfully conceptualised and implemented a strategic campaign that effectively educated consumers about the benefits of unleaded fuel and assisted in changing negative perceptions.

Total Media champions Power PR, and has successfully leveraged this new practice for a number of key retail brands, namely Sissy Boy, Carpe Diem Kombucha and Shell V-Power. The Total Media ideology is that organisations should demand Power PR while embracing this new synergy between advertising agencies and public relations consultancies.