100 days in PR: Carl Ratcliff reflects on the differences between PR and ad agencies
Having spent his career at creative agencies Carl Ratcliff moved from Naked Communications to lead One Green Bean earlier this year. Here he takes stock of his first 100 days in the CEO role and reflects on the differences between an ad agency and a PR agency.
There’s a whole host of prose out there about your first 100 days.
In terms of taking stock. And sizing your wares. What to change, what to fix, what to leave exactly as it is.
‘Do nothing’, a previous boss has said to me.
When a big integrated campaign is set to launch the ad agency is relieved that all its work is done. The PR agency is gearing up because the bulk of its work is just beginning
Like the sound of an early start
Interesting article. There are learnings for both sides here.
This is one of the better PR led articles to ever appear on this website. Carl = clever.
Great summary!
Incredibly insightful!
Great insights and bang on from my experience.
Thanks for sharing Carl.
Having started in advertising before a career in PR, this rings true. I always have done my most creative and in-depth work at night, but in a large PR agency I was often the only one there at that hour.
good summary, nice to see more industry crossover because adfolk are notoriously ignorant of how the media they pay for, actually works…
Saved to my must read from time-to-time.
Advertising now wants Carl back.
Both still package the self-evident in incomprehensible jargon and have far too little awareness of the real world.
a rant I’ll share with my peers.
Carl, you are crafty..
Carl, I’m sure ur are a smart guy and very insightful…but shouldn’t we focus in the idea and not further splinter the ‘industry’ by applying names and then comparing generalisations? Does a client care if ur there early or late?
Nailed it Carl! have worked Creative Agency side, PR Agency side and in-house and recognise and agree with many of our observations. These traits actually translate to the day-to-day workings of client-agency relationships, however, your point around; “Advertising agencies argue brand. PR agencies argue consumer,” raises an interesting idea. Traditionally, PR struggles to find a seat at the ‘table’ (Let’s assume this means it’s an afterthought in the marketing mix or viewed as an economical way to promote x product) – is this because marketers are also aligned to brand, rather than their consumer. Perhaps sales and not marketing would be a more suitable and logical lead for PR people and marketers focus on promotions and advertising. I’m not suggesting this as a done and dusted solution to elevate PR, sales people are not attuned to PR currently, but there’s no reason this can’t change in the medium to long-term future? Marketers will argue they focus on their consumers and they do but perhaps juggling ‘brand/product’ and ‘consumer/audience’ is too big a job for any one person?
Enjoyed the insight. Agree you can’t buy attention any longer. Marketing mix has shifted from overt selling to overt helping. But whilst PR remains heavily in earned media space it is also shifting into owned, shared and paid media as firms understand it’s less about messaging & more about dialogue with customers – but also employees, shareholders, suppliers etc. Creating communities around & within firms that are based on a higher purpose than simply flogging stuff.
Go Carl! A very interesting read, and a great perspective.
Like it Carl – but what about the middlemen – CRM? I think you build a very strong argument for individualised PR – which is how I see CRM, (at its best and when it incorporates social CRM). We think consumer and build brand by making it more individually relevant, don’t you think? Px
um @LP, re your remark “traditionally, PR struggles to find a seat at the table”, i think you’ll find that, while this may be true of party and consumer product PR, the opposite applies when it comes to corporate and financial PR
the Corporate Affairs functions in listed company has the ear of the CEO and Board, who usually have accounting and/or financial backgrounds.
Corporate affairs and media relations activities can have an immediate and direct impact on share prices and executive reputations, especially during crises/issues management
Marketing and advertising
The biggest difference I found between PR and Adland is the amount of time and premium placed upon creativity. In an agency, finding a creative solution to the problem is THE priority – because agencies believe that is what generates your cut through and ultimately your success.
In PR, creativity is not a priority at all. The pressure is simply to do something that will work. And that you can prove worked.
I’m not saying one is better than the other, they’re just different. In advertising I spent all my time concepting. In PR I spend all my time cutting and pasting. Makes for a much shorter work day, thank goodness.
When I moved into PR I was horrified by the little amount of time spent on creative. It was much more about solutions to client problmes. On the plus side, I was horrifed by the PR it was the opposite. The amount of time devoted to the creative process with a fraction of the time spent on
Having your expectations exceeded never gets tired. Was expected another tossy advertising weighted ‘she said, he said’ adland/PR comparison and got a succinct relatively insightful perspective. But as you say Carl, it won’t last.