PRs Aren’t Confident Enough To Put Forward Their Capabilities To Clients: Ross Dawson

PRs Aren’t Confident Enough To Put Forward Their Capabilities To Clients: Ross Dawson
Emma Mackenzie
By Emma Mackenzie



The public relations industry is struggling to visualise what it sees in the mirror in the changing media landscape. It’s having an identity crisis, says futurist Ross Dawson, and with that, sees it lack confidence in showcasing its capabilities to clients.

“Advertising is about having the answers. So that breeds a particular type of person and personality and interaction with a client,” Dawson told B&T.

“PR people don’t put themselves forward enough. They have the capabilities, but they don’t necessarily, aren’t necessarily strong enough, in being able to present those capabilities for the client.”

Advertising arguably has a large amount of ego in it, said Dawson, and PR doesn’t necessarily lend itself to that kind of individual.

“There’s a reality there is an arrogance associated within the advertising industry, an assumption of arrogance, which is very different to that of the PR profession,” he said.

“In categorising them, the advertising people believe they know it all, they position themselves in having the answers to give to the clients, so that’s why the client hires them.

“Whereas the PR industry is more around relationships. They don’t tend to be as arrogant.”

Dawson said it’s meant clients perceive PR to be a form of just media relations and getting the word out there, as opposed to turning to the PR professionals to help.

He added PR professionals can have the capabilities to communicate through everyone and be the gel between agencies and clients.

However, PR firms need to make sure they’re actually doing this.

“It has the potential to be [the gel],” he said. “And I think that arguably other disciplines are also well equipped to play that. It comes to PR professionals and PR firms enabling, first having the capabilities, but also putting themselves forward and actually playing that role of being able to help coordinate the bigger picture.”

However, he reiterated that he doesn’t suggest PR firms are necessarily the best ones to do this.

“But I think in general, they tend to have a broader view of the ways in which the customer’s are impacted.”

 




Latest News

Choose A Path Less Trodden This Cannes In Cairns
  • B&T Exclusive

Choose A Path Less Trodden This Cannes In Cairns

Don’t be basic. Think creatively and you shall reap the benefits of Cannes in Cairns. “We want brands!” “We want the CMOs!” We heard you and we acted. The content slate at this year’s Cannes in Cairns, presented by Pinterest, is packed to the rafters with some epic brands and top marketing talent. But that’s […]

Cannes In Cairns MC Keeva Stratton Shares Her Top Session Picks
  • B&T Exclusive

Cannes In Cairns MC Keeva Stratton Shares Her Top Session Picks

Self-professed nerd and one of four top Cannes in Cairns, presented by Pinterest MCs, Keeva Stratton has a front-row seat to some fascinating minds and fierce debates. But who should you put on your must-see, must-hear list? Here, B&T grabs five with the Quip agency founder, who will be helming the lecture in the Rainforest […]

Nielsen Data Reveals Brands Spending Big To Attract Aussie Tourists
  • Advertising

Nielsen Data Reveals Brands Spending Big To Attract Aussie Tourists

Nielsen Ad Intel data has revealed that the travel and tourism industry spent more than $153 million on advertising in Australia in Q1, 2024 – an increase of 8 per cent from the previous quarter, with TripADeal the biggest spender, followed by Virgin Australia, then the Flight Centre-owned Ignite Travel. As many Australians return from […]