Convergence: The intersection of marketing and PR

PR and marketing have long been on a collision course. Agency execs that don’t adapt to the industry’s new model could soon be left in the dust. Here’s how you can adjust and thrive.

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How to forge the ideal relationship between marketing and public relations is a debate as old as the industries themselves.

Some argue that the goal of PR, building mutually beneficial relationships, is incompatible with marketing’s focus on sales. Others (such as I) would say that fundamentally both exist in order to enhance and expand companies—through good will, through word-of-mouth, through direct sales. The tactics don’t really matter; marketing and PR should sit together at the strategy table.

Successful communications strategies rely on a thriving relationship between the two. If they work together, marketing teams will have better stories to tell prospects, and PR execs will know which messages resonate better with target audiences.

In most organizations, though, the two functions remain highly separated: PR teams are working to land their next big headline, and marketing pros work toward closing a new deal.

In today’s constantly fluctuating economy, organizations can no longer afford this division. They are losing valuable time, talent and ideas by keeping these two teams separate.

Here’s what should change:

Agencies must adapt to the marketing mindset

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