SA's public relations (PR) industry remains a sector in search of an identity. Clients continue to question the value that a consultancy adds, though lazy media operatives - especially those covering specialist areas - often refuse to acknowledge the dependency they have on so-called reputation managers or spin doctors. It makes for a tricky relationship of reluctant dependence.
PR is also more often than not an ad hoc promotions expense, or the first part of a marketing budget that is lopped off in another round of budget cuts.
One also has to ask how many marketers include PR as a necessary part of the communications budget. PR - the stuff that emerges on the editorial side of the communications equation - can be far more valuable than a paid-for radio or television commercial or a double-page spread in a national newspaper. The measurement of PR success remains elusive, but experts will tell you a well-crafted and well-argued editorial contribution can have 10-15 times the eyeball and intake value of a commercial message.
In the fight for shrinking marketing budgets, ad agencies are usually better at making their case for money than PR companies are. The solution would be for PR companies to become better at marketing themselves, and selling the obvious advantages of editorial over advertising.
The trouble is they don't always have the skills to do so. With some notable exceptions, the industry still remains the preserve of a few good senior staff (often ex-journalists) who are overstretched and trying to serve too many clients who all demand their specialist insights.
Then there is a huge void of middle-level skills and a plethora of bright young things who still think PR is mainly about events and parties. It's when the middle gets fatter that the industry will shed its rather suspect image.
Now all of this is not fair on some of the more established players. Meropa Communications under the stewardship of veteran newsman Peter Mann reports a turnover of almost R30m/year. He has among his listed clients Old Mutual, Mittal and PPC. The agency has shed its past reputation of sending in the heavies to pitch and letting the juniors do the work. Clients speak of strategic solutions and real partnership.
SA's second-biggest agency by staff is Magna Carta - 70%-owned by the TBWA group that also has Hunt Lascaris as an affiliate. Listed clients include Sasol and Standard Bank. The agency seems to have cracked the code of working alongside an ad agency and providing what the experts call a through-the-line solution. In ordinary language, that's making sure the message is seamless in both above and below-the-line advertising and then working that into any editorial execution.
For instance, when Standard Bank CEO Jacko Maree is interviewed, he would make sure the payoff line "simpler, better, faster" is worked into the conversation. That's by careful strategic design and not by chance.
One of the big criticisms of PR agencies is that they are too big on planning and fail miserably on delivery. Several draft strategies that result in a single-column story in the Boksburg Bugle means your money is being wasted.
When hiring a PR company, insist on a one-page strategy and lots of pages on deliverables. In its simplest form, PR is about getting ink - coverage in the titles that count.
The late PR doyen Aubrey Sussens used to refer to "a golden circle of journalists". It was his contention that if each client could be linked to a core group of specialist writers and given insightful information that added to the debate, a PR practitioner need never pick up a pen. The problem in the local industry is too much writing and too little connecting.
The PR companies that seem to achieve constant success are the smaller shops that are able to offer one-on-one service to clients. Carol Dundas, who works with Stanlib and Astrapak, springs to mind. She has a direct line of communication to senior executives and has won their trust.
Remuneration is another issue. PR agencies will push for a two- to three-year contract and say it takes time to understand the organisation and manage and tailor a message.
The truth is most agencies work on tight margins and guaranteed income from one or two big contracts is a blessing. That seems to be changing. Many marketing directors are now looking for the specific skills that agencies offer, and going the project route. It keeps all parties on their toes.
