In a world led by social media – and the need for real-time, multi-platform engagement that comes with it – are PR agencies going to become the dominant species among agencies? GMR asks the industry.

BRIAN LOTT, CHAIRMAN, MIDDLE EAST PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION, AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GROUP COMMUNICATIONS, MUBADALA
The role of public relations agencies is dramatically different now than it was even five years ago, thanks to the power and penetration of social media. For many, social media platforms supplement traditional media – both broadcast and print – disrupting the way information and entertainment have been distributed and consumed for decades. And, for a younger demographic, the loyalty to these traditional outlets was never there. They are digital natives and always will be.

This has resulted in a dramatic impact on how PR agencies are structured and the services they provide. With video now overwhelmingly popular on social media, digital units or teams are now a requisite for any agency, mobilised to work with clients on how best to leverage video for social media platforms to reach key stakeholders.

In addition, how agencies think has changed – like their clients, they need to constantly work to integrate content across various communications and marketing disciplines to make what they are communicating relevant, shareable and dynamic.

It’s not that PR agencies are suddenly more important than marketing or advertising firms; it’s simply that the lines are blurring rapidly, creating zones of grey that force collaboration.

Clients want strong creatives and the ability to target the right audience and influence the conversation. PR firms have flirted with boosting their in-house creative abilities; the next move may be for marketing and advertising companies to [have extra focus] on PR. Total integration is already a reality for client teams, so their consulting counterparts have to think and structure themselves in the same way.

MAJDI AL AYED, EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT AND UAE MANAGING DIRECTOR, TRACCS
PR, advertising and media buying are all part of a strategically planned marketing programme and, if used smartly, can complement each other, with multifold benefits for any organisation.

While each of these disciplines is independent, they are all intrinsically linked: advertising and media buying are essentially used to promote a brand and its products or services, while PR communicates a brand image, influences perception and builds reputation. While the core of what PR accomplishes remains the same, the advent of social media and its rapidly growing importance have triggered multiple boardroom meetings, as the lines between the two disciplines are still blurred for most.

Over the years, PR has been effectively used by companies to create consumer demand for their products and services. However, these same companies are now having to keep up with the breathtaking speed of social communication to alter their product development plans.

In light of this, PR agencies, who are predominantly content creators, are having to adapt to the social style of communication, ensuring that content is no longer generic and focusing only on the brand. Drafting a great press release or putting together a few posts is no longer enough; these need to be highly engaging and tailor-made for consumers – not just to influence perception, but also to serve as calls to action.

Brand ambassadors are also slowly but steadily making way for social media influencers. Needless to say, social media has had a catalytic impact on the growing importance of PR and the immense surge in the power it harnesses to build long-lasting reputations.

Furthermore, with consumers becoming content creators, crises always lurk around the corner and brands have to stay alert 24/7; this is where PR agencies come into play. With decades of offline crisis management experience, seasoned PR agencies are best suited to this and are adept at mitigating or countering any online crisis.

While ensuring the dual capability of producing relevant and engaging online and offline content that engages, empowers and excites consumers, as well as ensuring that the messaging on different channels and for different target audiences remains consistent and unified, PR agencies are certainly leading the pack.

ROXANE MAGBANUA, HEAD OF MEDIA, AL-FUTTAIM GROUP
I don’t think PR would be the most important of the three agency relationships versus media and advertising companies. In fact, I don’t think one can be more important than the other.

Agencies aren’t traditional anymore. Nobody has exclusive control of social media. Digital works differently; it is non-linear. In the US, clients are already discussing the concept of the Agency of the Future, which simplifies the fragmentation – a holding group that can successfully implement real consolidation without walls of separation between media, creative and PR, thus making synergy and interdependence more effective.

This agency of the future is more client-centric and data-driven across the board: PR, media and creative.

The only thing constant in an agency set-up is change. Everything continues to accelerate, fuelled by data, technology and proprietary tools. There are always conversations around change and how to keep being relevant. Nowadays, the focus is on people having new skill-sets, embracing new business models, diversification, blurring the scope and what clients want to hear – “the need to be strategically agile”.