The PR function needs to be braver

The PR function, both internal communication teams as well as external agencies, needs to be braver in terms of ideation, expressing views and in execution.Speaking at Marketing Magazine’s inaugural PR conference, PR Asia 2013, senior communications professionals said the profession lacks courage.“Agencies think clients don’t like to be opposed. The reality is, clients appreciate agencies with a point of view different from theirs,” Jonathan Sanchez, VP, global communications, Unilever(pictured, center).However, he added that clients also need to allow experimentation.“It is true that agencies get fired even if one campaign fails to deliver. Clients need to cultivate a culture where they allow their agencies to experiment.”John Morgan, president and CEO, Asia, Hill+Knowlton Strategies also said that in fact it is easier for agencies to express a differing point of view as compared to internal comms as they bring to the table an outsider’s perspective.What makes a good PR person?“PR professionals should be practitioners of purpose,” said Sanchez.The responsibility of PR leaders is not to churn out product press releases, but rather to portray the purpose of the brand through communications.Sanchez also highlighted the disconnect between what CEOs want and what HR thinks comms professionals should be.“CEOs are looking for PR professionals with geo-political knowledge and not social media experts as many HR and head hunters would tell you,” he said.PR and Marketing: A business case for working togetherA common concern marketers voiced throughout the day was the disconnect between PR and marketing. The silo-ed structure is an impediment in executing great integrated campaigns they said.Going forward the two will have to work in tandem, creating a single metric for measuring returns on investment.Citing example of how his company operates, Michael Rose, director, corporate communications, Polycom APAC said a uniform structure incorporating PR and marketing works best and is what the future of communications will be.Guests attending the event agreed, with some saying the PR – marketing conflict is a major issue indeed.Moreover, for communications to be able to understand business objectives it is vital it works tightly with sales and marketing.“Softening the soil for sales is the most important thing a PR person can do,” Lee Kin Seng, director of marketing communications, Park Royal on Pickering said, adding that going forward communications and marketing professionals need to be multi-skilled.The sentiment was echoed by Rose who said that PR is increasingly being charged with driving demand generation.Crisis communicationsAnother important area of discussion was crisis communications, with experts highlighting what basics need to be put in place.Being transparent is important. But speakers highlighted that it is perhaps too late to be transparent during a crisis. Being transparent should be a company value, crisis or no crisis, said Karen Yew, VP of strategic communications, NTUC Income.What also comes in handy during crisis are solid relationships brands build with their stake holders, said Derrick Koh, head of communications, Lenovo, who added that these relationships ( with media, bloggers, etc) help brands tide over a crisis with greater ease.But the media shouldn’t be the only priority. Bruce Blakeman, VP corporate affairs, APAC, Cargill said a brand’s key stake holders including employees should take precedence over anyone else when it comes to communicating during crisis.The age of social media only highlights the need for an impeccable crisis comms strategy. In fact social media has revolutionised the way brands interact with stake holders.Citing an example, Arunav Sinha, director, corporate communications, India, China and SEA of Yahoo APAC said the brand has stopped sending out press releases and is engaging the bloggers and members of the media in a more social way - through its blog posts.“It is well known that brands cannot afford to be control freaks and that should reflect in its spokespeople and in how they are trained by PR agencies as well,” said Sinha.Other valuable tips to manage crises, as shared by experts are as follows:Knowing you need help and knowing it fast is vital. Admit when you need help, get it, and move quickly. Don’t call your agency too late there is nothing to be done about it. - John Morgan, president and CEO, Asia, Hill+Knowlton StrategiesDuring crisis management, tailor your message to the victims. -John Morgan, president and CEO, Asia, Hill+Knowlton StrategiesGlobal teams need to be empowered rather than waiting for the word from headquarters. - Karen Yew, VP of strategic communications, NTUC IncomeYou can't answer all criticisms on social media during a crisis. Pick up the vital issues and address them. - Karen Yew, VP of strategic communications, NTUC IncomeEven though there is social media, not all communication teams prioritise it in crisis management. - Derrick Koh, head of communications, LenovoPR MeasurementTalking about dated measurement tactics, Advertising Value Equilvalency (AVEs), several communications professionals said it is a necessary evil, given the demands of the top management.Polycom’s Rose said AVEs, as traditionally known, don’t make business sense as the measurement compromises on quality and leaves much room for ambiguity.However, several guests highlighted how they have tweaked their practices with using AVE, including getting rid of the multiplier, specific categorisation and other such measures. On the overall, while advertisers do consider other metrics such as NPS (net promoter score) and other social media related measurements, AVE continues to play a dominant role in PR measurement.“It is upon comms professionals to help their top management migrate to other metrics which make business sense,” Rose said.PR Asia 2013 is a two day conference organised by Marketing Magazine, held at the Four Seasons and supported by H+K Strategies, Lewis PR and Rice Communications.