It’s common for people to have misconceptions in regard to what Public Relations actually means. But fathers always know best, right? Maybe. Our “homework” over Father’s Day weekend was to ask our dads what PR means to them; some of the Olives even asked their dad, “How would you define what I do for a living?” Surprisingly, most of our dads’ responses were on point! Here’s what some of the Olive Dads had to say:
- Lindsay’s Dad: “You are the link between the business and the public. You come up with ways and ideas to promote them and make the communication chain stronger.” Lindsay’s dad definitely knows what’s going on. Think of your PR team as an extension of your company’s internal team that serves as a branch of positive, streamlined communication between you and the public (including the media).
- Hannah’s Dad: “It’s kind of like promoting a company’s product or service and making that attractive to new customers, and keep existing customers or clients happy.” Hannah’s dad is on the right track! The best way to attract people to your brand is to illuminate all of the great features that make up your company, brand or product. At Olive, we find the most unique parts to your company’s story and share them with the world.
- Courtney’s Dad: “You’re a promoter of sorts…for clients’ needs, products and stuff…you put news bits out there that are hoping to be picked up by someone else. You spread information to a larger audience.” Courtney’s dad is spot on in regard to our ability to spread information! As PR pros, we always aim to get the right information in to the right hands to help spread the message and reach viral status. (Our Courtney knows all about viral status!)
- Megan’s Dad: “It’s like marketing, but not really. It’s like advertising, but without the direct budget. It’s getting your client positive press without resorting to cheesy ads or cheap tactics. It’s more intellectual recognition that requires a bit more nuance and thought.” Truth! We love this response. However, we also want to point out that we are firm believers in having strong marketing and advertising strategies that link up with your PR strategy as well. Marketing, advertising and PR work best as a well-rounded team.
There you have it. As you can see, there are many ways to explain what PR really means, proving that it’s extremely important to do your homework and seek professional insight when you’re looking into PR services for your business or product.
Without looking up a definition, how would you define Public Relations? Leave us a comment below!