The intersection of public relations and content marketing

In the modern-day plot of marketing, social media may be the hero, but PR is the heroine, and content marketing is the emotion that ties them all together.

 

Gone are the times when we could dissociate one’s impact from the other. A good strategy for our new age relies on the convergence of content marketing and PR, making it the heart of the modern promotion machine. With the advent of digital media and the 24/7 news cycle, brands cannot rely solely on tools such as press releases or conferences to get their message across. These ‘one-way’ tools have become extinct, for not only do they fail to satiate the consumption cravings of an Indian newsroom but also those of the end consumer. The true currency for PR today is authentic storytelling, with content format formulated uniquely to cater to the consumption patterns of each stakeholder being targeted during a publicity exercise. Be it education or edutainment, our new age information seekers prefer their knowledge being told in the way that best suits their (tl:dr) lifestyle, subject to the platform of their choice and confined to a visual asset and/or a word count. News isn’t news until it adds value to their lives, and nothing is consumed till it is shared. This is the new rule of the media jungle, and PR must pay obeisance.

 

Traditionally, PR was responsible for reputation management via ‘coverages in press’ and content marketing primarily aimed at retaining a community of like-minded individuals via the sharing of valuable information. Now they play an interdisciplinary role capable of compounded reach, where a well-produced piece of content can generate more press than a traditional announcement, just as PR efforts can bring communities together or even foster one from scratch. 

 

Engagement is the throne on which every PR asset now aspires to sit, and it cannot do so without the help of content marketing. Both industries have had to increase the types of weaponry in their arsenal by adopting all forms of paid, earned, shared, and owned media channels to communicate any key message. I would like to refer to this symbiotic relationship as ‘Communication Intelligence and creativity at play’, and it is the genesis of modern publicity today.

 

A real-world example of such a successful integration is the engineering of India’s largest and most comprehensive report on ‘The State of Fitness and Wellness in Corporate India 2023-24’ by a fit-tech brand called FITPASS. Not only did they produce a study vetted by the top CHROs of India that went on to generate massive press, but they also converted this effort into byte-sized content pieces, videos, articles, and blogs to be used across multiple social media channels (Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter) and professional networks (such as LinkedIn), thereby building a new community of Gen X organizational leaders who were committed to bridging the gap between fitness and wellness initiatives and their contribution to corporate productivity. In a brilliant move, the founder minded content marketing to establish himself as an industry expert while using PR to create a fraternity where none previously existed.

 

There are some ground rules, however, that must be adhered to, to craft this mutually beneficial relationship between PR and Content marketing. Think of the acronym ‘PLUCK’ while attempting this confluence for your next media campaign.

• P: Plan Collaboratively to develop concepts and themes that can resonate across both disciplines.  
• L: Leverage more than one channel by using the PESO model to identify, expand, and amplify the reach of your efforts
• U: Unify your Content calendar with your PR calendar to ensure alignment between both streams. Build content for important PR events like launches, and let important industry milestones and knowledge sharing equally drive PR efforts.
• C: Consistency of Messaging is key to establishing trust, credibility, and an emotional connection with your chosen audience, thereby aiding in reinforcing brand recall.
• K: Know your end goal beforehand so that you can avoid unrealistic expectations from your campaign and set the right benchmarks for measurement.

As our media landscape continues to evolve, we need to remember that content is king, but only if it comes from the right source. Both PR and Content Marketing cannot exist in silos and need each other to thrive in more meaningful ways.

This article is penned by Aakanksha Gupta, Founder, The Other Circle. 

Disclaimer: The article features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the stance of the publication.