As I wrote earlier this year, I had an incredibly inspiring time at SXSWi this past March. I, like half the rest of the tech community, submitted a panel for consideration. It’s crunch time with this week being the final days to get those votes in.
The topic I’m digging into (surprise, surprise) is: Can Marketing & PR Co-Exist Without Competing?
Here’s my formal description:
- The business demands of public relations professionals are rapidly expanding but most are ill-prepared to think beyond the media-box and use the art of communications and a holistic approach to truly drive sales and grow business. We’ll discuss how PR needs are evolving and what professionals must learn to not be left behind.
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- Does PR need to be re-defined now that it’s crossing into marketing territory?
- Where did the PR industry veer off track and just become about media relations?
- What is Public Relations vs. Publicity?
- How does Social Media fit within broader PR practices?
- What areas of marketing and PR now overlap and how can they co-exist without competing?
- How are executive’s attitudes changing about the roles of PR and marketing?
- What can we do as an industry to better prepare future leaders?
- How can PR be used to meet business goals and support sales/business development?
- Are PR agencies prepared to represent PR’s evolving responsibilities? If not them, then who?
- What strategies/thoughts/approaches work? What doesn’t?
Anyone who reads this blog knows this is a topic I am extremely passionate about. SXSWi brings together some of our industries most progressive and active minds. I’d welcome the opportunity to pile in one room and have a true thought leadership discussion that examines how we move forward instead of re-hashing the past.
If you’re so inclined, give it a thumbs up and leave a comment.
Thanks in advance and see you in Austin regardless!
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You’ve identified one of those “strategic marketing” concepts that senior executives need to pay attention too, so this will be a great session at SXSW.
Companies are embracing social media and implementing Voice of the Customer (VOC) listening programs. The PR department is the best equipped part of the marketing communications operation to run these programs. This is because PR people are already having two-way conversations with people outside the company.
Other marcom functions are typically focused on one-way communications, such as advertising’s outbound and Web marketing’s inbound, so they usually don’t have the human-to-human interaction experience that PR people do.
As much as several of us advocated for one-to-one marketing techniques to be used on company Web sites, few companies did so. Today, social media programs are accomplishing the goals of one-to one marketing — and it needs to be managed by marcom people who understand “relationships.”
Here’s hoping your panel is selected!
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