As communications professionals, we tend to spend our days advocating for our organizations or clients.
We’re great at explaining why a particular offering could make someone’s life easier.
We love to talk and usually when you get us started, it’s kind of hard to make us stop.
The great thing is, we don’t just love to talk just for the sake of it. We want to help people or make their lives easier.
Whether it’s sharing news, or explaining a process, there isn’t a whole lot that thrills us more than when we’re able to help.
But what about the world outside of products and services? How do you provide communications counsel for advocacy or issues management?
If you’ve ever had this question, you’re in luck.
This month’s #PRStudChat covers that…and more.
#PRStudChat Guest Rebecca Primis
Rebecca Primis is director of marketing at the State Policy Network, and was great at explaining some of the challenges and rewards of working in this area of communications.
Before we get any further, take a look at some of the questions we hit Rebecca with over the course of the chat.
- Let’s start big: how is comms for issues management different than, say, soap?
- Your current job is much more about building relationships than PR. Were you able to bring a lot of PR skills to that job?
- How has the communications landscape changed during your career so far? How has pitching media changed?
- What are some skills you’ve had to learn that weren’t addressed in school?
- A challenge in issues management is that there’s usually another side out there saying you’re wrong. How does that change your approach?
- Related: Opponents can create a permanent body of wrong or bad information about your org online. How do you combat that?
- What percentage of your organization’s PR work is executing against a plan vs. reacting to something in the current news cycle? How do you find the right balance?
- What makes for a great intern? And, in your business, do they need to be 100 percent on board with the mission?
- What’s your favorite PR success story?
- Let’s assume your job isn’t like Scandal or House of Cards… which TV show best fits your day-to-day work life?
Practicality in Advocacy and Issues Management is Key
We started off with the big question right off the bat.
Rebecca did well summing up the differences between PR for issues management versus products, services, and basically everything else.
Biggest difference is that you have to make the ideas as practical and necessary as consumer products. #PRStudChat
— Rebecca Primis (@RebeccaPrimis) February 21, 2019
If people don’t see how the idea could apply to their daily lives, they probably won’t be invested in it. #PRStudChat
— Rebecca Primis (@RebeccaPrimis) February 21, 2019
While Amber Roessler mentioned that a lot of the differences revolve around communications goals.
A1: The goals make all the difference. With issues you’re often pushing for awareness for moral issues #PRStudChat
— Amber Roessler (@AJRoessler) February 21, 2019
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Cue David Bowie.
The communications landscape might be one of the fastest moving industries in around. And while there were many points of view, there was one subject where everyone agreed.
All our participants knew social media wasn’t a fad when it first made its way into our lives.
Anyone else feel like literally all the skills?! Haha–I remember writing a paper in my capstone college class titled “Is Social Media a Fad?” #PRStudchat
— Taylor Cenicola (@TaylorCenicola) February 21, 2019
Rebecca pointed out how we now have easier access to important decision makers.
Traditional or big media is the primary medium anymore. We can communicate directly with thought leaders, elected officials, and the public through social media and other online platforms. #PRStudChat
— Rebecca Primis (@RebeccaPrimis) February 21, 2019
Tying into that question, we touched on skills learned outside the typical confines of school. Everyone agreed that with such a quickly shifting industry, your education in PR never stops.
Plus, as so many of us own our own agency or consulting business, we often don’t have “traditional bosses” to whom we report.
Time management and prioritization! There’s no one around on a daily basis to tell you what to do and when to do it. #PRStudChat
— Rebecca Primis (@RebeccaPrimis) February 21, 2019
The pace of communications isn’t slowing anytime soon, and, for the majority of us, that’s something to be excited about.
Wrapping Up the #PRStudChat
We’re so grateful to be able to sponsor PR Student Chat and, we wouldn’t have this opportunity if it weren’t for co-founders Deirdre Breakenridge and Valerie Simon.
Their connections with industry leaders and PR-savvy ways make all of this possible.
No matter where you are in your communications career, you can always take something valuable away from these chats.
We’ll have the next #PRStudChat in March, and we’ll be sure to update everyone with the details. Stay tuned for that info!
If you didn’t get enough of this edition of the chat, you can always read it in its entirety using this link.
As always, if you have more questions, leave them in the comments.
We’re talkers and… well, we love having something to talk about.