‘Channel agnosticism’: The next wave for PR agencies?
Firm FleishmanHillard has formalized the philosophy of mixing PR, marketing, advertising, social media, and more together in its rebranding. Experts say that can work for agencies, if they know their limits.
The agency is becoming “channel agnostic,” says Dave Senay, Fleishman-Hillard’s president and chief executive. That doesn’t mean it’s becoming an advertising agency, though it does mean paid media will be on par with earned media (the traditional bread and butter of PR agencies), owned media, and social media.
A firm with Fleishman-Hillard’s nearly 70-year history and immense size making a change this big would seem to indicate something larger is at play within PR as an industry. But is adding social media marketing and advertising to the PR formula a good idea? Or are agencies spreading themselves too thin?
PR Daily asked agency experts to weigh in.
The changing landscape
Lots of agencies are already doing what Fleishman-Hillard is doing, says Emerald Partners President Fraser Seitel.
“Public relations today encompasses all matter of communications—publicity, advertising, social media, reputation management, whatever,” he says. “A good PR shop will endeavor to solve communications challenges with whatever tool is required.”
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