Monday, October 1, 2012

What Corporate Can Teach Agencies

When we talk about PR, we throw around the terms "in-house" and "agency", as if they are mutually exclusive. While they both do have their differences, corporate in-house PR can give valuable insight to traditional PR agencies. 
  1. Understand the corporate structure: Remember that when you are working for a company, you may have to report to an executive board. You will have to give them hard numbers of what you are accomplishing: how many people are you reaching? How many press releases did you send? How many news outlets picked up the story? etc. Realize that the board may not have a solid handle on PR and doesn't realize what goes on behind measurable results and the intricacies behind it. Discuss how you can translate the board's need for numbers into actual PR success.
  2. Learn the language: At my internship, I am required to file every single mention of the National Constitution Center into a document, with specific impression numbers, so that we can physically show where, to whom, and how much we are reaching. Having one big document to easily compile this information allows for minimal effort with maximum results.
  3. Proactively maintain communication: Your clients will not always have something newsworthy going on. Don't wait for them to come to you, make something happen. Keep in the loop about projects and identify potential media opportunities. Silence isn't golden in PR.
Have you ever worked in both "in-house" and "agency"? What did you  learn from it? Let us know!

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