Public Relations can, and has been proven to be, a crucial factor in a successful corporate communications program. But it’s not only about publicity – it’s about a company developing the strategic message(s) it wants known, and then getting out them out to its publics.

According to a Financial Post article “PR More Vital Than Ever for Business,” strategic communication is more important than ever today, due to the instant availability of news and information on various social media outlets.

“PR is going to play a more important role over time because of the power of persuasion and who [is steering that],” says Miles Nadal, chief executive of Toronto-based advertising conglomerate MDC Partners Inc., “It’s not about ‘publicity,’ it’s about overall strategic communications. Crisis management is more important than ever before. You read every day about BP. The regulatory environment has increased everywhere, every company has got some crisis somewhere, and it’s harder to contain because all of the social media is instantly accessible. Every single person with a PDA all of a sudden is a reporter.”

“The brand detractor is more influential and more vehement than the brand evangelist,” Mr. Nadal said. “With crisis communications you have got to be honest and up-front and head into the ambush and confront the realty at its worst level, because it is like the cockroach theory: it is always way worse than it initially seems, and there are way more than you thought there were. If you don’t get ahead of the message, you will always be fighting a losing battle.”

Consumers are much more savvy these days. “Research show that consumers find news coverage more persuasive than traditional advertising – earned media is worth more and costs less,” says Andrew Pelletier, VP of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Walmart Canada Corp. Pelletier says that because social media is information-based as apposed to selling-based, and it’s set up to have two-way conversations with consumers, PR is better equipped to manage this type interaction than advertising given their in-depth knowledge of the vast media channels, including new media and expertise in communications.

To see how public relations can benefit your business, contact Joy Scott, Scott Public Relations at [email protected].

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