How Public Relations Agencies Are Becoming Top Creators Of Digital Video Content

1. How Public Relations Agencies Are Becoming Top Creators Of Digital Video Content

2. THE WORLD OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT IS GETTING MORE AND MORE COMPETITIVE. TODAY, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF DIGITAL VIDEO SERVICES, ALL COMPETING FOR VIEWS AND ATTENTION. IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRMS HAVE A MONSTRUOUS CHALLENGE TO STAY RELEVANT, BY EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATING AND TELLING STORIES TO THE TARGET AUDIENCES OF THEIR CLIENTS, DESPITE THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF DIGITAL CONTENT OUT THERE. AN ARTICLE FROM THE PR SOCIETY OF AMERICA PREDICTS FOR 2018 "DRAMATIC INCREASES IN VIDEO CONTENT — AND WITH IT, MUCH GREATER USE OF SNAPCHAT AND INSTAGRAM." IN THE PROCESS, MORE PR FIRMS WILL VERTICALLY INTEGRATE TO CREATE AND PRODUCE THEIR OWN CONTENT. HERE'S HOW AND WHY THIS PHENOMENON IS UNFOLDING. WITH TRADITIONAL MARKETING, ADVERTISING AGENCIES AND PR AGENCIES HAD CLEAR AND DELINEATED ROLES. AD AGENCIES CONCEIVED, CREATED, AND PRODUCED ADS, WHILE PR AGENCIES REINFORCED A FIRM'S MARKETING MESSAGE WITH COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES, AMONG OTHER THINGS. IN THE DIGITAL SPACE, THESE ROLES HAVE BEEN SHUFFLED AND BLURRED BECAUSE IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT PRODUCING AD CONTENT FOR MASS MEDIA, IT IS ABOUT DEVELOPING TARGETED MESSAGES THAT RESONATE WITH A TARGET AUDIENCE. AD AGENCIES, PR FIRMS, DIGITAL PLAYERS, CONSULTING FIRMS, SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES, AND MEDIA PUBLISHERS ARE ALL FIGHTING FOR A FRESH ROLE IN THE DIGITAL MARKETING VALUE CHAIN.

3. John Clinton, U.S. Head of Creative and Content at leading global PR agency Edelman, stated to Forbes: "With the emergence of social media, a key success factor is the ability to develop compelling stories that drive word-of-mouth. It has become about producing not just good content, but content that people will want to share. So despite everybody jumping to claim the market, PR firms have an edge because they have always had to earn attention, while ad agencies have bought attention." In that context, then, it makes sense for PR agencies to increasingly lead the creative and production process. Clinton has seen his department grow from about 80 to more than 300 creatives. He reflects, "It's not about the top content, or the cheapest content, but who can tell the best story to the target audience. So it made sense for Creative and Content to drive strategic growth for our business. Our creative network includes not just writers and directors, but also journalists, comedians, TV writers, producers, documentarians, experiential experts and designers, who help produce compelling, shareable content." Based on this broader role, Edelman now sees itself as not just a PR agency, but as a Communications Marketing agency. Some PR firms are even venturing to own studios, teaming up with brands to produce video content. Praytell, a young PR agency, has decided to launch its own studio, Praytell Films. The documentary "More Than T", subsidized and produced by Mac Cosmetics from Estee Lauder, was shot in the Praytell studio, and Showtime got the distribution deal.

4. Andy Pray, founder of Praytell, states, “PR agencies shouldn’t only amplify content from other shops. There are times when we should be producing it, integrating the work into holistic communications campaigns that deliver across the earned, owned, and paid spectrum." Praytell's Creative Director, John Urquhart, adds, "The shelf life of digital content is incredibly short, which leads to every execution needing to be the cliched big idea that can break through online and reach the right audience. PR agencies are more naturally suited to quickly create digital content with promotion, influencer, and amplification strategies built into the idea's DNA."

5. In other situations, the PR client itself may actually film the content. Companies like Bank of America and Pepsi have their own studios. Either way, the trend for brands and PR agencies to collaboratively create content is evident. To that end, PR Week launched a brand film festival, which in 2017 had hundreds of submissions, and featured short-form film winner The Escape, produced by BMW Films and starring Clive Owens and Dakota Fanning.

6. DR. STEPHEN RAPIER, PROFESSOR OF MARKETING AT THE PEPPERDINE GRAZIADIO BUSINESS SCHOOL, AND FORMER AD AND PR AGENCY EXECUTIVE, SUMMARIZED NICELY THIS PHENOMENON, "PR AGENCIES ARE RISING TO A NEW LEVEL OF BEST PRACTICES FOR DIGITAL VIDEO LEVERAGING THEIR EXPERTISE AT EARNING MEDIA, TO SET A STRONG FOOTHOLD IN DIGITAL MARKETING. IN MY MIND, PR AND ADVERTISING FUNCTIONS HAVE CLEAR LINES OF DISTINCTION EVEN IN DIGITAL, BUT THE LINE BETWEEN PR AND ADVERTISING AGENCIES IS BECOMING BLURRY. PR FIRMS HAVE AN EDGE IN THEIR ABILITY TO DEVELOP CREDIBLE, STRATEGIC CONTENT THAT INTEGRATES ACROSS MEDIA PLATFORMS, INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA, TO CONNECT MEANINGFULLY WITH THE TARGET AUDIENCE." THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE MARKETING VALUE CHAIN IS GOING THROUGH AN IMPORTANT TRANSFORMATION AS DIGITAL DRIVES MARKETING BUDGETS. AND PR FIRMS ARE SMACK AT THE CENTER OF THE TRANSFORMATION, CAPITALIZING ON THEIR ABILITY TO DEVELOP VIRAL STORYTELLING BY GROWING THEIR CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION CAPABILITIES,AND FOR SOME LIKE PRAYTELL, EVEN VERTICALLY INTEGRATING TO HAVE THEIR OWN STUDIOS. FASCINATING.

7. Image Source: Article Source: Forbes.com WordStormPR.com.Au