And so, while media consumption continues to evolve, traditional news rooms keep shrinking and media outlets pull their print editions, where does this leave \u2018traditional\u2019 PR? Here\u2019s five reasons why its going nowhere\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n The traditional media is still one of the most credible news sources and word of mouth remains a powerful tool for spreading a message.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take the largest pandemic of our lifetimes as an example of that. According to Ofcom<\/a>, traditional media remained the most-used source of news and information about the coronavirus, used by almost nine in ten people (86%) and of these people, 63% said it was their most important news source.<\/p>\n Additionally, the most common way people shared news or information about coronavirus was by talking to family, friends or colleagues, either in person or over the phone.<\/p>\n With the rise of misinformation and fake news in our online world; radio, television, and news outlets will always be identifiable as a credible source of information to anyone at any age, and something that shouldn\u2019t be discarded.<\/p>\n There\u2019s simply no skirting around the fact that measuring traditional PR has always been ambiguous and our old friend AVE (Advertising Value Equivalent) just isn\u2019t a credible measurement tool. Was it ever?<\/p>\n Digital PR is much easier to quantify and you can prove its value in terms of website traffic, backlinks<\/a>, performance on organic search<\/a> and ROI for a business (like sales or enquiries).<\/p>\n Genuine brand awareness should continue to be a metric that\u2019s held in high regard, particularly in a world where consumers buy into a brand\u2019s values as much as the products or services it sells. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important that you set out clear aims and objectives for your campaign or PR retainer from the outset so you can<\/em> measure and quantify success.<\/p>\n Great PR isn\u2019t about what you say about yourself, it\u2019s what others say about you. And even better PR encourages a behaviour change. And there are so many ways to measure that too. We follow the best-practice guidelines laid out by AMEC\u2019s Integrated Evaluation Framework<\/a>, which means we\u2019re focused on measuring:<\/p>\n Depending on your objectives, PR agencies like us will be able to make suggestions on the route we take to achieve that \u2013 whether that\u2019s a paid media campaign to boost clicks or sign ups to a landing page or a traditional PR outreach<\/a> plan with a well thought out story – or a concoction of both (which we love!).<\/p>\n Either way, one of the first questions from us will always be: \u2018what does success look like for you?\u2019.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Behind the smart branding, CSR strategies and witty social channels, brands are still headed up by actual real life human beings. And so, trust plays a key role. In a world where a brand\u2019s purpose matters to people \u2013 and it is proven to influence their buying behaviours \u2013 you could argue trust is more important than ever.<\/p>\n Just like meeting your partner\u2019s Mum for the first time, traditional media has had a much longer relationship with its audience (in this case, your partner!) and that established bond and connection makes it more difficult to swoop in on.<\/p>\n In the age of fake news and mis-information, people still tend to trust highly reputable, long-standing media outlets and news organisations over information from social and messaging apps.<\/p>\n Even as a millennial, when a viral news story breaks, I\u2019ll always head to the BBC for the verified low-down but then straight onto Twitter for all the quick-witted memes and public reactions. So too do many others.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s exactly why the traditional and digital worlds still complement each other.<\/p>\n In Ye Olde days, press releases were the main and only form of communication between PR and journo \u2013 usually issued by post, fax or carrier pigeon (ask our MD, Gary<\/a> about that one!).<\/p>\n While press releases still carry their weight when it comes to communication, we\u2019ve also acknowledged that not everyone consumes information in the same way. This is why as PRs in a digital world, we go that step further in considering other tactics and channels to present the same information.<\/p>\n A blog with target search queries from your SEO agency<\/a>; a guest-appearance on a relevant podcast; visual content with an animated video; a CEO interview or a social media launch with a sponsored hashtag and a list of pre-briefed target journalists are all examples of going that extra mile when considering how you can communicate with your audience and understanding the channels that work best.<\/p>\n It\u2019s about thinking beyond a single tactic. It\u2019s about thinking in an integrated way.<\/p>\n All of this, however, still relies on the traditional PR skill of storytelling<\/strong>.<\/p>\n While the channels and tools might have changed, the required expertise to pull it off are still completely relevant.<\/p>\n The coronavirus pandemic and the shift to working from home has meant that journalists have been even more difficult to get hold of, so PRs have had to work even harder to capture their attention.<\/p>\n As I mentioned earlier, we\u2019re all human beings with lives outside of work. Many of us enjoy a Saturday night takeaway, a drink in a beer garden (finally!), and we all face our own personal challenges.<\/p>\n But digital channels and social media have given us more access to people\u2019s lives than ever before. Through Instagram, I still follow the lives of girls I\u2019ve met on holidays years ago, and people from my Uni courses that I did one group project with, and I\u2019m sure I wouldn\u2019t be the only one to admit that either. But naturally as human beings, we\u2019re all just quite nosey! So how as PRs, do we use that to our advantage?<\/p>\n With more and more news outlets canning their print editions and focusing on digital subscriptions, there\u2019s much more focus on website visits, clicks and engagement. After all, these outlets are still businesses, and these figures can be a highly attractive leverage for advertising and advertorial teams.<\/p>\n So, what inspires these clicks and comments? You guessed it – people. Real-life, relatable people with a story to tell.<\/p>\n Instead of leading with the brand\u2019s story, what about the story behind how the brand\u2019s Financial Director battles with dyslexia and still manages to head up a team of analysts? Or how your company\u2019s pillow, while marketed to athletes and sportspeople, is helping hospitals tackle the coronavirus pandemic<\/a>, or how an entrepreneur used your business to launch his own<\/a>?<\/p>\n PR \u2013 whether traditional or digital \u2013 is rooted in storytelling but that knowledge to create those stories comes from a trained eye for one. And that\u2019s a skill not to be sniffed at.<\/p>\n A good knowledge of the news landscape, a keen eye for a story and the skill of conveying a message is the foundation for a strong PR campaign \u2013 whether that\u2019s digital or traditional.<\/p>\n As we face ever-changing technologies, new tools and approaches, PR agencies and professionals that evolve along with these changes will only continue to deliver real value for their clients. Traditional media and PR will always have its place, but those who complement their existing skills with digital tactics and tools will only keep on winning.<\/p>\n In this age, everyone\u2019s an expert, but good PR isn\u2019t always guaranteed. The skills of the \u201ctraditional PR\u201d are here to stay, we\u2019ve just added to our toolkit. <\/strong><\/p>\n At No Brainer, we\u2019re constantly embracing changes to our world and take steps to ensure we\u2019re armed with the knowledge and tools to adjust and adapt. We\u2019ve found that sweet spot between solidifying our understanding of the news agenda and journalist priorities, and complemented it with a more authentic understanding of our audiences and where we can find them in real-time *chef\u2019s kiss*.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019ve worked in the PR industry for over eight years now and in that time it\u2019s changed A LOT, and even more so during the pandemic. New digital techniques, an increased shift to social and click-bait, and the changing needs of news outlets and journalists have really transformed the discipline. So, if you\u2019re an experienced […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":18895,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-pr","category-traditional-pr"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n1. Traditional media is still a powerful channel to reach your audience<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nobraineragency.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/ofcom-news-consumption-survey-2020.png\")
<\/p>\n2. \u2018We can\u2019t measure PR!\u2019 \u2013 Yes you can<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/strong>Media reach, impressions, sentiment, event attendance, clickthroughs, tweets<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\n<\/strong>Subscribers, unique vistors, enquiries, comments, return visits, social followers and shares<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\n<\/strong>Trust level, statements of support, brand preference, sign-ups, leads, registrations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\n<\/strong>Public support, sales increase, retention, donations, cost savings, targets met<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n3. Traditional media is trusted<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nobraineragency.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/trust-in-media-reuters-digital-news-report.png\")
<\/p>\n4. The evolution of the press release to integrated comms<\/h2>\n
5. Digital has made us more human than ever<\/h2>\n