Head to Head: Does PR have more value than advertising?
In this series, Mumbrella invites the industry’s senior PR professionals to share their opposing views on the industry’s biggest issues. This week, Joanne Painter, managing director at Icon Agency goes head to head with Eleven PR’s group account director Kiefer Casamore on whether PR has more value than advertising.
Marketers and those in the ad industry often debate which is better: advertising or PR?
The managing director of Icon Agency, Joanne Painter, argues PR has more value, because PR can own content and the profession is now much more measurable than it used to be. On the other hand, Eleven PR’s group account director, Casamore says PR and advertising need to work together, making one not any more valuable than the other, because advertising is the megaphone for PR.
Yes, argues Joanne Painter, managing director at Icon Agency:
“With the advent of the data age, many marketers are re-evaluating the role of PR and advertising in their marketing mix. Understanding how each discipline measures and ‘demonstrates’ value is increasingly important.
Think Joanne is almost spot on, and that Kiefer is spruiking a dying industry.
Both of them, however, have a view of the other’s industry that is no longer applicable – advertising and PR have changed exponentially, just as they needed to.
Hahahahahaha. Sorry, I’m really really bias, but lol. At least Kiefer is talking a bit of sense.
two points:
1. What does it mean to “own” content? This is fast turning into the new “all PR people are natural storytellers” meaningless jargon.
2. PR is more valuable than advertising. However, the huge irony is that ad agencies are showing themselves to be better at PR than PR agencies.
That’s an interesting perspective – can you offer an example of how ad agencies are “showing themselves to be better”?
better work for one
The article references DWTD. Add Fearless Girl as well – pure PR. Meet Graham. Same. Although I am reluctant to reference award shows, it is one of the few metrics we have, so look at the Cannes PR winners. Ad agencies. Every year. The big ideas that get the public talking are almost exclusively coming out of ad agencies.
There are of course reasons for this: larger budgets, more creative staff, etc. But its also due to the fact that PR agencies is playing catch up in the areas that really get cut through – digital, creative, paid, etc. – and is seriously hampered by legacy staff. Ad agencies have some of the same issues, but not at the same level.
I’d be worried if I worked for a PR agency, you really aren’t that dissimilar to Print media – small pockets of life but the writing is on the wall. Everything you can do can be wrapped into a media deal if briefed in properly and with sufficient media budgets. The most unproductive meetings I attend are when PR agencies sit in client meetings alongside media agencies and try and justify their existence…pure torture
Spot on SS.
After being in this industry for many years, I still find myself asking colleagues –
“what do PR people even do on a day to day basis and what value do they honestly bring to the table that a media agency cant?”
The media agency model is on its way out, and is one of the earliest services to be automated and self-managed via tools from Google, Adobe, and every social media platform in existence. These platforms are becoming increasingly sophisticated and simple to use – putting research, buying, and monitoring in the hands of other agencies and clients.
“we are all natural storytellers”
“we own content”
“we get social”
” we build relationships”
In other words, lots of slogans but not much substance.
(Although I don’t think media agencies are necessarily the answer either. As much as I hate to say it, it is integration that will work best)
Also, to add, one thing PR agencies bring to the table is a sh*t load of insecurities!
Not sure this is accurate. PR agencies are booming locally and growing (we know as we sit on international member groups).
And single-minded agencies of all persuasions continually sing their own wares over other mediums, platforms and solutions.
But you’re right – the space is changing rapidly, and agencies who don’t adapt fast enough (media, PR, creative, advertising, digital) are falling by the wayside.
Multi-skilled, digitally literate, and agnostic is the future IMHO.
From a client perspective, creative agencies offer far better VALUE FOR MONEY. Generally a good grad or two can offer the same services as most PR agencies these days
This is an interesting point.
What is the specialized service that PR agencies bring? They often like to compare PR with other professional services, but lawyers need a lot of formal training, as do accountants. What about PR? What is it that can possibly justify such high billing numbers?
Who is the best, Ronaldo, or Barack Obama?