Never Mind the P, Just Get the Relations Part Right

Regardless of who your audience is, the key is being able to relate to that audience. Whether you're dealing with media, consumers, what have you, the way to speak to them, write to them, communicate with them is of the utmost importance.

Although, I do agree with Ari and say we could just drop the acronym all together and still be okay. Maybe "interaction specialists" is a better name?

Tessa Carroll
www.blogs.vbpoutsourcing.com

From my background in the manufacturing world, we would talk about achieving a "lot size of one", which meant that every product could be unique, made specifically for one customer, and that's how I've always approached "relations", at the end of the day it's one-on-one.

Well you do have to have a relationship with someone. The old term simply meant that the private company would somehow connect with the outside world, ideally controlling or at least influencing the messages as much as possible. Those days are gone. So it's now about developing all different kinds of give and take relationships with multiple constituencies. We now have the tools to do that along with the willing if not insistent participation of those communities. PR pros just need to learn how to use them, for the mutual benefit of both parties.

It's true when all is said and done, relations or relationships are what truly matters. You can have all the publicity in the world but without properly formed relationships there's nothing to build off of.

At last. A post that doesn't suggest that PR = press release!Still think the public bit is applicable, because we're talking about audiences - be they internal, external etc - with an 'official' hat on. It's an exciting time for all media types, be they social, print, broadcast, which we, as PR people, will need to roll with, innovate with, and learn with.

Thought-provoking, Danny. As I continue to learn and study, this new world I've ventured into seems to be all about conversations and community. I like the exchange between you and Ari too... I think there's a lot of confusion out there as to what is marketing, what is PR, what drives the customer to make a buying decision, and I think it will continue to evolve. But I think this post exemplifies the change in the thought-process.

Heh, you abandoning your comment back there that PR is Personal Recommendations, too?Thanks for the shout.While I admire your gut to go with Relations over any modifying clauses about it, is that the best word? Is "relations" the best word to describe the synergy between customer/constituent and agency?

Regardless of who your audience is, the key is being able to relate to that audience. Whether you're dealing with media, consumers, what have you, the way to speak to them, write to them, communicate with them is of the utmost importance.

Although, I do agree with Ari and say we could just drop the acronym all together and still be okay. Maybe "interaction specialists" is a better name?

Tessa Carroll
www.blogs.vbpoutsourcing.com

From my background in the manufacturing world, we would talk about achieving a "lot size of one", which meant that every product could be unique, made specifically for one customer, and that's how I've always approached "relations", at the end of the day it's one-on-one.

Well you do have to have a relationship with someone. The old term simply meant that the private company would somehow connect with the outside world, ideally controlling or at least influencing the messages as much as possible. Those days are gone. So it's now about developing all different kinds of give and take relationships with multiple constituencies. We now have the tools to do that along with the willing if not insistent participation of those communities. PR pros just need to learn how to use them, for the mutual benefit of both parties.

It's true when all is said and done, relations or relationships are what truly matters. You can have all the publicity in the world but without properly formed relationships there's nothing to build off of.

At last. A post that doesn't suggest that PR = press release!
Still think the public bit is applicable, because we're talking about audiences - be they internal, external etc - with an 'official' hat on.
It's an exciting time for all media types, be they social, print, broadcast, which we, as PR people, will need to roll with, innovate with, and learn with.

Thought-provoking, Danny. As I continue to learn and study, this new world I've ventured into seems to be all about conversations and community. I like the exchange between you and Ari too... I think there's a lot of confusion out there as to what is marketing, what is PR, what drives the customer to make a buying decision, and I think it will continue to evolve. But I think this post exemplifies the change in the thought-process.

Heh, you abandoning your comment back there that PR is Personal Recommendations, too?

Thanks for the shout.

While I admire your gut to go with Relations over any modifying clauses about it, is that the best word? Is "relations" the best word to describe the synergy between customer/constituent and agency?