Debate about PR Defined misses the point

PRSA got people talking with PR Defined. But is "What is PR?" really the question we should be asking? (Image credit: boomdialogue.com).

I work in PR. I work for a PR agency. But I don’t like calling myself a PR pro. Or saying that I work in PR. Because most people don’t know what PR means. Or they have a preconceived notion of what it means that isn’t helping my or my industry’s reputation.

If I had to pick a word, I’d choose communicator. But instead of focusing on a title, when I talk to others about PR, communications or whatever you want to call it, I think it’s much more valuable to focus on what we can do to help a business achieve its goals and how the work of a communicator has changed.

Look, I applaud PRSA for launching the PR Defined initiative. Even though, as Gini Dietrich pointed out correctly, the three final crowdsourced definitions are jargony gobbeldy-gook and no one would ever really talk like that, at least PRSA got people talking about this topic. Because there is obviously a disconnect out there around what communicators do and what value it can provide companies.

My issue with the whole thing is that the initiative and much of the debate around it has been focused on the wrong thing. To put it another way…Do we really need to redefine PR? Or do we need to do a better job of explaining how communicators and the understanding of customers they bring to the table can help a business?

We don’t need a definition

Those two questions may sound like the same thing to some people, but I’d argue that there are distinct differences. The biggest one being that a definition alone doesn’t create the understanding of the business value PR can provide. No definition can, because it’s just a definition. It takes a conversation with concrete examples to start to changes peoples’ minds so they see PR in a different light.

I tried the definition out this weekend. We went to brunch with friends we hadn’t seen in a long time. And when the conversation finally turned to what you do for a living, I brought out my PR definition. Two sentences. And was greeted with blank stares. So I went into conversation mode and started explaining how we work with clients to create strategic communications plans designed to help achieve a company’s business goals. The point being communications actually can provide business value. And after that explanation, I got head nods. Those are head nods you or I will never get with just a definition.

Focus on the customer…not redefining PR

First of all, redefining PR focuses solely on a discipline title and definition. News flash — corporate America already focuses WAY too much on titles and functions. Who owns what and who’s allowed to do what and what falls under what department. The PR industry, or any communicators for that matter, don’t need to contribute to that confusion.

People put things in buckets like PR or marketing because we’ve always done that. It’s our society’s way of organizing. But when we focus solely on an industry definitions or titles, we contribute to the silo mentality. We worry too much about what job functions are included in a PR pro’s toolbox instead of using our skills as communicators to show how we understand the customers’ perspective.

When you stop and think about it, our clients’ success really is all about the customer. Because your brand is what your customers say it is. End of story.

Proponents of integrated marketing communications have the right idea. Ideally, IMC forces different departments to come together around one goal — better understanding the customer. Now the turf wars can make finding that ideal state tough sometimes. But companies that spend less time on titles and job specialties and more time putting the customer at the center of their universe win.

Not to be cliche, but just ask Dell, Zappos or Southwest. And you can give me the line I’ve heard a million times: “Those companies are different. They’re not like us.” To which I’ll reply: “You’re right. Those companies put the customer first. Before any job title or department definition.”

PR’s perception problem

The other factor here is the existing perception of PR. It’s not like we’re going to redefine the industry and everyone else is going to jump on board. There are a variety of preconceived notions about PR, many of them not flattering, that involve words like spin and stunt. Those perceptions will not be changed with a definition. They will only be changed with conversation, hard work and results.

So we can redefine PR all we want. But it’s going to take a lot more than a definition to change perception.

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