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What Exactly is Public Relations in Today’s World?

By September 26, 2023No Comments

Public Relations (PR) has seen significant changes over the past decade. At Fort Lauderdale- and Aspen-based public relations firm Durée & Company, Inc., we frequently answer questions such as “What is public relations?” and “What do public relations professionals do on a daily basis?” The textbook definition of public relations is “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

However, there is so much more to public relations in today’s world. It’s not just about a press release and promotions. It involves a great deal of research, planning, drafting, editing, event orchestration, reputation management, and relationship building. With technology constantly changing, as the communication landscape evolves, so does the world of public relations!

As for the basics of public relations, below is a quick glossary of terms associated with the industry:

  • Boilerplate: A short company description at the end of a press release, providing background information on the company or brand.
  • Crisis communication: This involves managing a brand’s reputation in the face of adverse events or public controversies. It’s about ensuring timely, transparent, and effective communication to mitigate potential damage and reaffirm trust with the audience.
  • Earned media: Earned media refers to authentic conversations about a brand, generated without the brand’s direct involvement. It’s often the outcome of a well-executed PR strategy, encompassing publicity from third-party endorsements including publishers, influencers, and bloggers. These “earned” mentions, whether it’s a magazine feature, a social media shoutout, or a shared blog post, are given voluntarily without any fees, solidifying the brand’s credibility and fostering trust.
  • Embargo: A request by a source that the information or news provided is not published until a certain date or certain conditions have been met.
  • Media kit: Also known as a “press kit,” this serves as a brand’s resume. It’s a curated collection of content — from press releases to bios to fact sheets — that provides a comprehensive view of the brand’s identity, background, history and achievements.
  • Media list: A media list is essential for targeting specific journalists who cover relevant beats. By creating a comprehensive and strategic media list, a public relations agency researches and identifies the appropriate contacts within various publications. This precision ensures that PR pitches are optimally positioned to connect with the client’s target audience.
  • Media outreach: At D&Co, we define media outreach as the strategic approach of reaching out to a curated list of individuals in the media. Our pitches are meticulously tailored, ensuring that they align with the interests and existing content themes of our contacts. By targeting pitches to what a journalist or content creator already writes about, we enhance the relevance and appeal of our story for their specific publication.
  • Media relations: The proactive management of relationships between a brand or organization and the media. Media relations involves understanding journalists’ needs and interests and finding ways to provide them with value, often in the form of stories or sources.
  • Media placement: Also known as a “clip,” a media placement is anywhere a brand secures space in media, whether in print, digital, broadcast, or social platforms that is written by a third party, providing a third-party endorsement. 
  • Newsjacking: The art and science of injecting your brand’s ideas into a breaking news story to get media coverage. 
  • Op-ed: A piece of content, often an opinion, written by an expert and published in a newspaper or magazine. The term stands for “opposite the editorial” as it traditionally appears in that section of the publication.
  • Press release: A brand announcement can also be seen as a “press release.” This comprehensive document announces the latest news or developments issued by a brand. Its purpose is to make a formal announcement and grab the media’s attention, offering them a fresh and relevant story to consider covering. Press releases serve as a bridge between brands and the media, providing journalists with news and information tailored their identified audiences. A press release is an important tool in public relations and helps shape the narrative and maintain consistent messaging.
  • Story angle: More commonly known as a “pitch,” this is the unique vantage point of how a brand’s story is communicated. It’s the compelling twist or narrative that makes a brand stand out in the media.
  • Thought Leadership: Another way to describe thought leadership or an expert narrative is a “byline” or a “bylined article.” It’s not just an article; it’s a testament to a brand’s authority in its field. Written by a brand specialist, it dives deep into niche topics, positioning the brand as a thought leader.
  • Owned media: Owned media refers to content a brand directly controls, such as websites, blogs, and social media pages. This control enhances digital presence and SEO rankings. Though there’s an initial investment, the brand remains the owner of the content, facilitating consistent messaging and expertise. With the right public relations support, this foundation can be leveraged for greater audience reach and alignment with the brand’s mission. Owned and earned media are two of the four pieces of the PESO model from SpinSucks. To learn more about the other components, read more here. This model serves as the backbone for a public relations agency to craft an amplified PR strategy.

Navigating the ever-evolving field of public relations can be daunting without the right guidance. At Durée & Company, we have been providing that guidance, priding ourselves on being seasoned public relations pros. With decades of expertise, we help our clients achieve great success.

If you’re looking to create buzz about your brand’s story and build lasting relationships with your target audiences, contact us. We’ll ensure that your voice is not only heard, but it is remembered.

 

About Durée & Company, Inc.

Founded in 1999, Durée & Company is a full-service, well-respected and highly creative public relations and marketing agency serving a diverse client base of local, national and international consumer brands, landmark industries, business leaders and philanthropists from its offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Aspen, Colorado. Practice areas include nonprofit, hospitality, business, lifestyle, health and wellness, legal, real estate, yacht and marine as well as cannabis, psychedelics, and other emerging industries. Durée & Company is the proud recipient of four notable 2023 awards: Bulldog PR Bronze Level for “Best Crisis Management,” Cannabis Marketing Association Seven Award for “Best Use of PR,” Fort Lauderdale magazine “Best of Fort Lauderdale Top PR Agency” and PR News’ People of the Year Award. Durée & Company is a member of PR Boutiques International™ (PRBI), an elite organization of global public relations professionals. To learn more, call 954-723-9350; go to dureeandcompany.com; cannabismarketingpr.com; or psychedelicpr.com. Join the social conversation and follow Durée & Company on Facebook, Instagram, X (Formerly Twitter), YouTube and LinkedIn at @DureeCoPR.

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Five Things That Need to be in Your Resume or Cover Letter

To paraphrase Jerry Maguire, help us help you. As we sift through the paperwork, here’s what we are looking for:

1. What you love to do and why.

In PR, you may love writing, editing, interviewing, pitching the media, researching, coordinating events, networking, posting to social media … whew! While we would love it if you had a passion for it all, we’d never believe you if you said as much.

What part of this zany, crazy, whirlwind, yet meticulous, tedious, detail-oriented, profession calls to you and why? Help us make the connection as to how PR is really for you, and call it your Professional Summary.

2. Something you did that changed something or someone else.

If you never showed up to your last job, what wouldn’t have happened? That’s right. Erase yourself. Now which clients disappeared with you? Which articles just fade away? What press releases cease to exist? How much social media did NOT get liked?

We are just meeting you. So take a moment to spell out your impact, and it will be easier for us to see what you can do for the clients of Durée & Company. Share this under your Job Responsibilities.

3. Anything you created.

Feeling humble? Well, stop it. This is the part where you brag. If you craft a delightful blog, master a mind-blowing website, shoot crazy video or direct wonderful events, show us.

Then tell us a bit of how you did it, so we trust that it was your brilliance and not the intern’s. Let’s dub this Your Portfolio.

4. An indication of why you belong here.

At PR firm Durée & Company, we have a culture. Really, all companies do. To learn about ours, do some legwork. At this point, if you’re on our blog, you are in the right spot to begin learning. Hate pink? Not good with women? Live in Kansas? Low energy? Then you might want to reconsider applying. However, if we resemble a group that you’d like to hang out with, share why. You can do that in the Cover Letter.

5. Correctly spelled words – all of them.

Do more than hit spell check. Know how to spell or ask someone to proofread. Correctly spelled words work everywhere, all the time. Consider them the Little Black Dresses of resumes.

So consider these five tips – we’ve just given you a “cheat sheet” about what we’re watching out for. Even if our position may not be for you, feel free to use our advice for another – it may just get you the job!