Comments on: PR getting the social media budget

By: Sagar Yadav

Sagar Yadav — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:41:41 +0000

The real benefit of Social Media is harnessed when the interaction between PR, Business, and Social Media expert is in the form of a triangle. Social Media is a discipline in itself and every business should realize it’s value.

Social Media works not only with PR but other functions of the organization as well. Businesses need awareness about it’s benefits. Call a Social Media expert and have a meeting with them – nobody is gonna regret it (PR included) !!

By: Insurance in Plain English » Social media and public relations: BF4E?

Insurance in Plain English » Social media and public relations: BF4E? — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:46:21 +0000

[...] an organizationâ€™s social media efforts and public relations pros. PR departments are being given control of the purse strings more often than marketing, allowing communications professionals to [...]

By: Social media and public relations: BF4E? « Insurance in Plain English

Social media and public relations: BF4E? « Insurance in Plain English — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:12:38 +0000

By: Kingsley Tagbo

Kingsley Tagbo — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 07:15:35 +0000

I think your questions about ‘who owns a TV’ and ‘who owns advertising’ are interesting. This is because everyone owns a TV and everyone owns advertising. Everyone can get an AdWords account right now and start advertising, whether they’re a multimillion dollar business or a lemonade stand. Or, they can go out onto a street and hold up a sign by the nearest intersection. The same is true for who owns social media. PR may be the most suited for social media conversations, but it involves more than conversations. Social media involves, or CAN involve, every aspect of a business. This includes the CEO sending messages to shareholders, marketing events, PR, customer support, and anything else that a business is capable of doing. How far you want to go with social media depends on your company.

By: Claire Raikes

Claire Raikes — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:44:27 +0000

Hi Lauren, Hi Donal. I experienced much the same thing as you Donal. We responded by offering a dedicated service for PR and generalist marketing agencies alongside our ‘direct to end client’ service (much like you suggest Lauren) – and it actually worked very well for us as we built strong relationships based on ‘added value’ and a policy of always seeking to make them look like superstars whilst never kowtowing – so overcoming the ‘lowest bidder’ scenario.

With this in mind, I began contacting PR agencies to form alliances around social media back in early 2006… not one wanted to talk. I got the impression that they simply didn’t ‘get’ it, weren’t even thinking about it and/or were plain scared of it and hoped it would go away. In one case, I was educating the London branch of global ad agency; the MD wanted to get started with blogging and podcasting, but the PR dept were so terrified of the consequences of that, they blocked it!

That said, I think Lauren’s right about trust… and if our historical experience is anything to go by, the budgets will, in time, end up in the right place… where that might be is anyone’s guess

By: Smart Technology: Predictable, Planned, Proactive | Tutur Tinular

Smart Technology: Predictable, Planned, Proactive | Tutur Tinular — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 03:58:02 +0000

[...] PR getting the social media budget [...]

By: 3 Steps to Start a Home Business on a Budget | My Income Multiplier

3 Steps to Start a Home Business on a Budget | My Income Multiplier — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:00:03 +0000

[...] PR getting the social media budget [...]

By: Lauren Fisher

Lauren Fisher — Mon, 31 May 2010 18:40:19 +0000

Hi Donal, interesting to hear that you went through a similiar experience with event management. My advice would always be to use a specialist, because no-one’s going to know what they do, like they will!
I hope my post didn’t sound like a sob story, it wasn’t meant to at all. Getting work from other agencies can work really well, if you have a good relationship with the agency, and they are happy for you be client-facing. I wouldn’t really be happy with it otherwise. And like I said, it may be nothing more than the fact that social media is so new, and brands only trust an existing agency with the budget.
Will be sure to stick what we do, onwards and upwards

By: Donal Cahalane

Donal Cahalane — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:20:07 +0000

Been through this all before so I have the utmost sympathy for you all. I worked from 1997 – 2003 in and around the events business in Ireland where every public relations and marketing company were quick to add “event management” to their service portfolio, to the frustration of specialist businesses like the one I worked in at the time. In fact as the newcomer in the business I had to beat down many doors to get new clients and even more frustratingly was that over 80% of my work ended up coming from the public relations companies themselves who simply took the work from the clients and sub contracted in to the lowest bidder usually.

The harsh reality is that public relations companies are especially good at their own PR and even when its very obvious that the work is being sub contracted out, they have come up with all sorts of ways of showing their clients how this is a good thing! They talk about co-ordinated messages, keeping everything “on message” and pick up their fees on route. I tend to look on most agencies as project managers as opposed to being the creative spark behind things.

Stick with being yourselves and being the creative ones behind campaigns and eventually the money will find itself your way!