The older and more mature public relations becomes, the more it relies on less traditional approaches to getting results. It also relies on connecting more with a younger audience through the use of social media marketing and online campaigns. These ads feature content geared towards a millennial audience.
Cision recently responded to these changes and the growing demand from PR specialists by overhauling its dashboard. The new design makes it easier for newcomers and veterans alike to get results.
More Focus on Tracking Engagements
In the past, businesses focused more on the end result of public affairs and promotions, like sales and revenue growth. More recently, public relations and marketing specialists spend more time tracking engagement.
Data from these activities show businesses not just whether or not sales grow, but what areas they need to improve. This may involve attracting more new customers, or building better repeat business. Cision currently only allows users to do this for Twitter, which is king of the social media marketing world.
More Long Term Focus
One of the main differences between marketing and public relations is PR centers on more long-term relationship building with consumers while marketing focuses more on strengthening a short-term bond. This short-term bond then translates into immediate or near-immediate sales, while a long-term bond equals repeat business.
As the competition grows, businesses begin to realize that staying ahead means growing current relationships. They must strengthen customer loyalty to keep them coming back for more every time the need for a new product or service arises. This explains why so many companies provide loyalty programs.
Storytelling
Public relations specialists also focus on the importance of storytelling to create bonds. Storytelling may cover the history of how the founders and corporation came into existence. It may also detail what they achieved so far. In addition to this, storytelling may go on to cover customers’ experiences with the brand.
Subaru allocates a large amount of their resources on building stories for ad campaigns. They do this by letting customers show how Subaru contributes to life experiences by telling stories often shared on YouTube. As a result, Subaru is now the car of choice for many active people who need a motor companion for hiking, transporting BMX bikes, and taking part in other active parts of their life.
Building a brand gets harder as new marketing and PR campaigns begin to lose effect. This new generation steadily grows immune after a constant bombardment from ads. As a result, PR must find fresh new ways of engaging with potential buyers and existing customers. Or just find ways to remind the general public “we are here, existing, and thriving.”
This not only sends a message to the competition, but to people still looking for quality brands to take with them on their life journeys; whether it’s a pearl necklace to a cocktail party, or a skateboard to ride down the street.
