PR professionals are more relied on to be content generators than ever before, says Debenhams PR chief
Public relations and its role within marketing has changed irrevocably, as brands turn increasingly to methods such as newsjacking to capture consumers’ attention in an already content-cluttered online landscape, according to Debenhams director of PR Ed Watson.
Speaking to The Drum, Watson said the skillsets required of today’s PR professionals have become more news-generation focused than ever before.
“We are more than ever relied on to be content generators. If you had asked me six years ago whether the press release was dead in terms of news generation I would have said yes – but today I would say the ability to identify news and great content has become more important than ever as a skill for communications professionals,” he said.
Watson, who is also a judge for The Drum Marketing Awards, said this focus on newsjacking is changing the identity of some brands, but is not a method suitable to all brands.
“I want Debenhams to be generating conversations that become water cooler conversations. That may be down the pub, or on the tube or bus to work and are communicating via Facebook or Twitter – it’s all about getting the brand spoken about in ways it wouldn’t necessarily be spoken about it.
For Debenhams this method is core to its overall, ongoing brand campaign to address the nation’s “body image issue”, according to Watson.
“Inclusivity is our mantra – the average UK body size is 16 [for women] – so we have been very keen to demonstrate that in the way we talk to customers. We put size 16 mannequins in our shop windows, we use plus size models, petite models, a broad spectrum of different shapes – it’s a journey we have been for the last five years.
“That’s what I mean by water cooler conversations – using the brands to influence others in a positive way to tackle self-esteem issues. The body image agenda is one we will continue to push over the coming months and years, and not enough retailers and publications show it the focus they should.”
Deciding which emerging digital channels are worth having a brand presence on remains a challenge, with new products emerging so frequently. For now the main social media channels Debenhams will continue to focus on are Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+, with the latter starting to gain “significant” traction among its audience, according to Watson.
Yet it will keep its eye on new technologies, with image-sharing app Jelly currently under the brand's watch.
“Sometimes you have to jump on a train just to find out where it is going to, so we are watching Jelly with one eye open. But it’s very much a matter of sorting the wheat from the chaff to find what is most effective for your particular brand,” he added.
As a judge for The Drum Marketing Awards, Watson said he is will look for entries where creativity "jumps off the page". Alongside this he will be looking for examples of PR that have really driven traction in relation to the business. "This may be through brand awareness/recognition or sales as well as activity that prompts….’I wish I had thought of that, thoughts’," he said.
Watson will soon leave the retailer, having accepted the position of director of global communications at N Brown Group.
The Drum Marketing Awards are sponsored Havas Worldwide London, The Gask & Hawley Group, The Recommended Agency Register, Tube Mogul and The Drum Network.
More information on The Drum Marketing Awards, judges, categories and how to enter can be found on The Drum Marketing Awards website.
The deadline for submitting entries is 24 January.