“So, what is it you actually do?” Celebrating PR on World PR Day
Today is World PR Day, a moment for PR and communications professionals around the globe to shine a light on the value of what we do (and no, it’s not just writing press releases!).
As a B2B PR and Communications agency, we live and breathe PR so naturally, we’re here for any opportunity to celebrate it. World PR Day is also a great chance to tackle one of the most common questions we see being asked time and time again - what actually is PR?
It's a fair question and PR and comms is one of those industries that many people have heard of, but not everyone fully understands what exactly it entails. Is it just a form of marketing? Do you need PR if you already have a marketing department? Is it all about getting coverage in the press?
Well, the answer is yes and no.
Much more than simply pushing out brand messaging (which don’t get us wrong has its place in the bigger picture) PR is at its core all about building trust, communicating clearly, and telling the right story to the right audience at the right time. As World PR Day itself says: “PR is and should be: a strategic aspect of business and governance, invaluable in building relationships, preventing crises, achieving business objectives; pushing national interest, and preventing the kind of confusion that could ruin a company or lead nations to war.”
At KC Media, our day-to-day work spans everything from developing communications strategies and producing industry-focused content, to managing social media, supporting events, award entry support, and more. Perhaps a key contributor to the fogginess surrounding what PR actually is, is the very fact that it’s such a broad discipline, and no two days look quite the same.
But that’s exactly what keeps it interesting.
So, to mark the occasion, we thought we’d share a few insights from the KC Media team exploring how we each found our way into the world of PR, and what we love most about it - spoiler, there’s a lot!
Why did you choose a career in PR?
Karis Copp, Managing Director, Karis Copp Media
I had a lot of weird and wonderful (mostly weird) jobs before it occurred to me that my love of writing could be a career, so I trained as a journalist in my mid 20s. B2B journalism, specifically in the print and signage industries, just happened to be my first role, and a content role at a print industry focused PR firm followed. I loved working closely with the fantastic trade media as well as the businesses that move our industry forward, and realised what a rewarding career path PR offers – so much so that I started my own PR agency focused on printing!
Kerry Rice, Senior Account Manager, Karis Copp Media
It wasn't planned, but it is a perfect fit, even though my parents still don't understand what I do. I studied A LOT of different subjects - Constitutional Law, Linguistics, Cold War History, Organisational Psychology, Economics, Research Methodology, Industrial Relations, Sociology of Africa... the list goes on. I was also the Communications Officer for my favourite university club for several years. I emerged from university curious about absolutely everything and equipped to research and to write essays. I had interviews for roles in journalism, publishing, marketing, music production (still baffled by that one!), events management and PR. The PR agency called me back first. To be honest, I don't think I really knew what PR was when I started, but when I saw the coverage from the first story I pitched appear in several newspapers, I was hooked.
Carys Evans, Account Manager, Karis Copp Media
During my six years on the editorial team at print industry publications Print Monthly and SignLink, I quickly developed a love of creating content, telling often technical and complex stories in a way that is digestible, and having the opportunity to interview interesting and insightful people from all corners of industry and sharing their stories, perspectives, and experiences. Over the years, I worked closely with PR agencies and contacts, recognising the important and collaborative role both sides have to play in sharing and updating the industry with important and valuable news and insights.
So, when the time came to try something new and develop further in my career, a PR role at Karis Copp Media felt like a natural and exciting next step as it enabled me to utilise my existing skill set whilst presenting a whole host of new challenges to get stuck into. Another big factor was that it enabled me to remain within the industry that I have spent over half a decade analysing, exploring, and building my knowledge in - and bring this expertise to support our clients in their success - a win-win in my eyes!
What is your favourite thing about PR
Karis Copp, Managing Director, Karis Copp Media
Talking specifically about B2B PR with an industry specialism, I love developing the deep industry knowledge and expertise that allows us to take often complex and technical client information and tell compelling, relevant stories that connect with the right audience. If I was to pick a bonus ‘favourite thing’, it would have to be the relationships. B2B PR is about building long-term trust and partnerships, be it with clients, media, industry experts, customers, and more. To me, this is a hugely rewarding part of my job.
Kerry Rice, Senior Account Manager, Karis Copp Media
It's a long game. Yes, you can get 'quick wins' (a term I hate!), but if you're approaching PR in a strategic way, you need to appreciate that some of your biggest successes may take a while to achieve. In my first PR job I spent two years working toward a piece of coverage in a particular consumer magazine. My client was a lifestyle-change weight loss programme, but this magazine had a firm editorial stance against diets. It took two years of pitches and information sharing to build a trust-based relationship with their health editor, but when she decided to run a piece on lifestyle-based weight loss programmes, I was her first call, and being positioned alongside international brand names opened a whole new market segment for my client.
Carys Evans, Account Manager, Karis Copp Media
There are many things I love about PR, including the fast-paced nature of the role, the relationships we build with our media colleagues and industry friends, and the rewarding nature of working closely with clients on their goals and strategy and contributing to their growth and success. But for me, my number one favourite thing about a career in PR is the variety. You could be drafting social media posts and blog content one day, pitching and researching media opps the next, and then you could be travelling overseas to film a video case study or supporting a client with an industry event - all in the same week! No two days are the same and that’s something I really love about my job.
What one word would you use to describe PR?
Karis Copp, Managing Director, Karis Copp Media
Communication. It’s my preferred word to describe what we do – PR often conjures up an image of strictly media relations, and while that is a hugely important part of what we do, our roles are so much more varied.
Kerry Rice, Senior Account Manager, Karis Copp Media
I never just use one word - the others might feel left out. :-) Here are five instead: Always relevant and constantly evolving.
Carys Evans, Account Manager, Karis Copp Media
Partnership - Our clients know their businesses and products inside out and they know what goals they want to achieve. We know PR and communications inside out and are able to take this key information and translate it into language that their customers will understand and resonate with. We really are an extension of our clients’ team and working in a collaborative and strategic manner enables us to achieve the best results.
To find out more about how we could help you with getting started with PR and Comms, just get in touch!