Kerrie Finch: The Oldest Trick in the Book - PR

As the founder of a reputation management company specialised in the creative and tech innovation industries, advising both brands and brand builders from our offices in Amsterdam and London, I find myself in a privileged position. I get a peek behind the magician’s curtain when it comes to issues facing the communications industry worldwide. And it’s not all smoke and mirrors. The smart agencies, whether they are led by design, digital, advertising or apps, are those which understand the relevance of authentic conversations – of listening as well as talking. Of sharing stories which are consistently well told. Which basically is PR, right?

After all, the oldest profession in the world is arguably either prostitution or communications. A similarity which is not lost on me. If that sounds somewhat hard to swallow, just think about the key attributes you need to get ahead in both fields: creativity, reinvention, solid people skills, professionalism, sensitivity to the wants and needs of each specific client, as well as clearly defined – and mutually respected - KPIs.

So how does this effect the PR category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity? It makes it one of the trickiest to pin down, for a start. Cannes Lions defines PR as “the creative use of reputation management by the building and preservation of trust and understanding between individuals, businesses or organisations and their publics/audiences.” Awards will be won by those campaigns, programmes and tactics which both actively engage audiences, and exemplify stellar strategy, creativity and business results.

Easy. Not. Because the lines are blurred between PR as a professional discipline and every other discipline under a catch-all of ‘communications’. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Because the best campaign platforms sit across a brand ecosystem within which PR is central – or at the very least, integral. No longer is PR (so often) seen as the last line on a comms briefing. Nowadays the best creative ideation is driven from the get-go by ideas that travel, unlimited by medium, geography or discipline. Preferably, to my mind, undaunted by media spend.

The best PR, of course, is interwoven acutely into the bigger media mix - becoming seamless, invisible - so that we as individuals are engaged by an idea, rather than sold to as consumers. It captures the imagination, is naturally shareable, and drives current – or better still, emerging – conversation. There are plenty of campaigns that qualify, but whether they have been entered into the PR category, or branded content, or creative effectiveness, or insert-as-you-see-fit, is to be seen. I’m hoping for the likes of Fuck The Poor by Publicis London for The Pilion Trust, Leo Burnett’s Like A Girl for Always, or even the ALS Icebucket Challenge to strike gold.

Ultimately, whatever discipline you identify most closely with, we are, in no small part, storytellers – communicators - by different degrees. Of course, as an industry we are briefed to get people talking, get products flying off shelves, or get bums on seats in the quickest, most efficient way. But when you boil it down to its bare bones and distil the essence, we can only do that by telling a convincing story and allowing consumers to connect with it. 

Connection and honesty is paramount, whether we are talking pre-production or post, creative development or file transfer, big data or product design innovation. This is where PR in its broadest sense shines brightest.