[Editor’s Note: In this weekly feature we ask PR pros to spot trends and discuss how they are reacting to them. In this edition we hear from Stephanie Elsea, VP, communications, Southwest Affiliate, American Heart Association.]
Most of my career has been focused on traditional PR activities such as pitching media, key message development, spokesperson training and media tracking. Though I often worked with marketing and advertising teams, even being at a nonprofit I didn’t need to know a great deal about their side of the business. That’s changed.
While media relations remains a foundational element of our work, the lines between PR and marketing have blurred. Now, I’m hiring as much for graphic design and video editing skills as for pitching experience.
One of the reasons for this trend is the shift to more of a pay-to-play media environment. In the past, we could depend upon media sponsors to amplify our earned media. Now, however, we have to bring some budget to the table. The financial aspect is even more significant with social media, where we have to promote posts to get in front of followers.
I recently admitted to myself—and others—that the industry had changed faster than my ability to keep up with it. My team and I were working on pilot project overhauling our media and marketing approach in Dallas Ft. Worth. It occurred to me that my on-the-job training in marketing and advertising hadn’t properly prepared me for the task. Sure, I had picked up additional skills over the years, but my depth of knowledge wasn’t what the project demanded and deserved.
Rather than try to hide the gap, I used the project as an opportunity to learn. I contacted a couple of trade organizations and ended up having coffee with Bart Cleveland, president of the Austin chapter of the American Advertising Federation. It turned out Bart, a longtime ad agency owner, had recently created a company focused on helping creatives learn specific industry skills. After a couple of conversations, I hired him to help guide my senior team and me through the project and to teach us new tricks. I believe we feel much more confident, and competent, in advising our internal clients about the best investments for their limited marketing dollars. To promote continual learning, we also subscribe to trade publications, are members of industry organizations and I try to send at least one staff member to a conference every year.
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