Looking back to just 16 years ago, PR agencies hardly existed, much less the distinction between traditional and digital PR. The digital world was just a futuristic concept – something we were looking forward to getting to know. As time went on, some agencies embraced the new digital world. These agencies are now fully fledged digital agencies, leaving those remaining pegged with the “traditional” title and the connotations that come with it.
Essentially, it will always be fair to say that even though they specialize in two very different areas, both traditional and digital agencies work towards the same general objective. However, with the demand for digital news and media at an all-time high, can traditional PR agencies still keep up with digital agencies in reaching their goals?
Having now experienced both sides of the PR agency debate, with a background in a traditional environment and now being part of the Mediavision team, I will be outlining some of the most notable differences between the two types of agencies, according to my own experience.
1. Similar yet different objectives
It is a common assumption that both traditional and digital PR agencies work towards the same objective and this assumption is essentially correct, although only on the surface.
Put simply, for both types of agencies, the ultimate goal is to enhance recognition of their clients and to generate more sales. What they are both looking for in that very first glance, is different though. Where in traditional PR, this will be the aesthetic (something must look a certain way for a client to be ‘fit’), in digital PR, this also still applies but it is not the first hurdle.
In digital PR, the ‘holy grail’ is a high DA (Domain Authority) which is, in layman’s terms, a rating of a website’s value to users, as determined by the search engines.
2. Measuring Results
Being able to measure and demonstrate results of great PR is something I am passionate about and so is Mediavision. Hence my reasoning behind wanting to ‘jump ship’ to digital. A big ‘bug bear’ of mine and of course to every client I have worked with in the past, is the fact that with traditional PR, the methods of gauging results are outdated and often inaccurate. By looking at Domain Authority and SEO parameters, digital PR agencies are able to accurately measure the results of PR and can even tell you what is and isn’t working. Brilliant right?
3. Client Account Dynamics
As a PR exec at a digital marketing agency, one of the most interesting experiences is being able to get involved and learn more about other departments, aside from your own. For example, even though I sit within the digital PR team (coolest team of ‘em all) I’m still involved in and aware of what the SEO, PPC and Content teams are working on too. Alongside this, you are also super involved in all contact made with the clients themselves.
The truth is, you will always find that the more you are involved with and the more opportunities you have to contribute, the more invested you will be. Whereas in more hierarchical environments, often seen within traditional agencies, client contact and department interaction is very minimal and left to more senior team members.
4. Work Pace
In digital PR, I think it is pretty self-explanatory when they say that you work at a much faster pace. Digital media continues to grow stronger, being used across all generations and more often than ever, so evidently, platforms have to churn out news and features at a much higher and faster rate. Print magazines (often published on a weekly or monthly basis) are limited to amount of pages and the size of the page so content is a lot more selective and restricted.
5. Creativity and Flexibility
I spent most of my time in traditional PR working within the fashion industry, a space which most people naturally assume is inherently creative and exciting. Although traditional PR is not completely lacking in elements of creativity, digital PR offers so many more opportunities for you to don your creative hat. Me having the opportunity to write this blog post is just one example.
6. One Way Communication vs. Open Communication
Working as PR executive in a traditional agency is often a one-sided affair when it comes to communicating with press. Having to cover quite a wide network of journalists, more than often, the information you are trying to convey is lost and you are able to collect very little feedback for the client. Online journalists are a lot more vocal in this sense, and in turn, the success rate of securing coverage within a digital agency is much higher.
7. No more gifting, no more events! (but it’s not all doom and gloom)
A couple of things you do leave behind when leaving the traditional PR world are press gifting and press events. Its not that you won’t ever attend one again, but they are far fewer and far between. While gifting and events are both essential part of a traditional PR agency’s job, they are often time-consuming and expensive for the client and PR agency alike.
The Future of PR
A topic that seems to be as hotly contested as the dreaded “is print media dead” saga, is whether or not traditional PR will eventually die out entirely.
Although I do not think the answer is as black and white as ‘yes’ or ‘no’, the reality is that target audiences are now more active online and this automatically means that digital agencies have the upper hand. I believe that the presence of brands with traditional values will ensure that there will always be some demand for traditional PR, but the traditional approach to PR is becoming increasingly difficult to defend.
Find out more about Mediavision’s digital PR services