Panic, PR and the Way Forward

As we begin 2024, there are a lot of unsettling developments in the media industry. Layoffs and the shuttering of legacy media – it can cause a panic. But we know that change is constant and there is always a way forward.

 

Axios article: "Challenger" firms rising: Top PR talent defect from big agencies

 

Transcript

 

Michelle Kane (00:02):

Thank you for joining us for another episode of That Solo Life, the podcast for PR pros and marketers who work for themselves, people like me, Michelle Kane, with VoiceMatters, and I am joined by my wonderful co-host, Karen Swim of Solo PR Pro. Hi Karen, how are you?

Karen Swim, APR (00:19):

I'm doing great, Michelle. How are you doing?

Michelle Kane (00:22):

Oh, I'm doing really well. Thank you. I can't complain because no one wants to hear it anyway, there

Karen Swim, APR (00:29):

You haven't. I think that we're all in that same boat. We actually all could complain, probably judging by the way, 2024 starting off. Not nice 24,

Michelle Kane (00:40):

Not

Karen Swim, APR (00:40):

Nice.

Michelle Kane (00:41):

It's being a little rude. Maybe it'll start rude and end nice. Who knows? But speaking of not being okay, we want to talk a little bit about the PR panic that we've seen and felt in the air. I mean, there's been a ton of uncertainty as the years go on the pandemic, just our sources diminishing, our media pitching being so much more difficult on an ever increasing pace. And there was an article in Axios recently that sort of speaks to that, but it sort of speaks to an overall theme of the pivot of pivoting to something new that the Axios piece specifically was speaking about the rise of challenger firms. How much of the top talent is leaving the larger PR agencies and either striking out on their own or forming smaller concerns, which, gosh, that sounds so familiar. Is there a model about that, about being a solo PR pro? So if you're listening to this as a solo, you're like, I've already done that, but it's just interesting to note for sure.

Karen Swim, APR (02:03):

Yeah, I think what's also not in that particular piece that we are definitely seeing a lot of is that we're seeing PR people as well as the media pivot their careers in different ways. So we're seeing PR people turn away from delivering PR services to serving the PR industry. So we've seen all kinds of PR sales agencies pop up. We're seeing paid media services, we're seeing people start newswires or database companies, or they're coaching, they're doing something adjacent to PR but not doing pr. And when you really think about it, because it can be a little bit disconcerting when you are bombarded with all of these changes, and you're also bombarded on a personal basis with how these changes are impacting your day-to-day job, the traditional job market has been tumultuous since the pandemic. And so it tracks that. We're seeing some of that chaos impact the PR industry. And let us not forget, unfortunately, that the industry at large for so many years has been driven by traditional PR services, meaning your in-house or it's a big agency. So that chaos now in the broader workforce market is really coming home to roost for PR people and automation has kicked it into a whole different gear.

(03:48):

So we're seeing a lot of uncertainty about not only the economy, but the work market, how much you have to work with, how much you'll be able to get resources to do the job you do. What people really think about your job is they are like, could I replace some of these functions or could I downsize and have two people do what a team used to do? Because I have automation? And those are all fair questions, but it definitely can be a little nauseating for PR people watching the spin and trying to figure out, okay, how do I keep my footing in the midst of all this?

Michelle Kane (04:27):

Right? And it can be very disconcerting and disturbing. I mean, look, we know that traditional outlets have been losing advertising dollars for years just because of the way we're consuming our media is changing. I mean, that's a given. And I think a lot of it is partly due to that change outpacing the juggernaut of the industry as a whole, being able to make up for that. So seeing something like, unfortunately, the entire Sports Illustrated staff just be obliterated, is jarring because Sports Illustrated has been such a part of our pop culture or our cultural psyche for so long, and it's like, whoa, what? What's happening? So just at that base level, it's very, very disturbing. But when you kind of sit with her for a while, you think, well, I guess it kind of makes sense in a way. So how can we best position our businesses to deal with that?

Karen Swim, APR (05:35):

Yeah, these are great questions. And you're right, it's some of those old institutions, trusted institutions are failing. And so here's the reality. Yes, things are changing. Yes, jobs will go away. Yes, some people will lose clients. And yes, there may be fewer jobs in certain sectors, that's reality. But let us not forget that that has always been reality, period. Some jobs have gone away and new jobs emerge. And so for the Sol PR Pro, what I would encourage us all to do is to look up from our to-do list and really do some future proofing of our business instead of being caught in the tailwind of what's happening right now, look ahead to where, because I believe that we all are equipped with the knowledge of being able to look out into the future and say, this is where I think things are going. And so I think it's important to do a little of that reflection and to think about what you're seeing in your business, what trends you're seeing, and what you believe lies ahead and preparing for that.

(06:43):

So right now, you should already be working on having a business for 2027, not just on what's happening in 2024, because this is all going to settle out, but what's going to remain standing? And here's the thing. Within these dark times and within these times of crisis and chaos, there is something called opportunity. And economists understand this very well. There's opportunity. So look at the problems that you believe will exist and start to work on how can I solve those things instead of getting caught up in the now and for the now, the way that you manage it is you do what are the right things. So you build in some of that innovation, but you also make sure that you are not being seen as someone who's just a tactician. If people see you as just somebody who gets media heads, then you're not going to be okay in the short term.

(07:47):

Maybe you're just not. And it doesn't mean if you are a media relations specialist, you are doomed. That is not what I'm saying, because there are plenty of people who are going to continue to thrive as media relations specialists, but those media relations specialists who will last are those that are strategic who have made themselves invaluable to the c-suite. Because what we don't understand is a lot of those people whose wholly focus on media relations aren't just writing pitches and connecting with the media. They actually are offering strategic counsel. They're probably doing a little bit of executive coaching and leadership training as well. They're doing some messaging workshops, even if it's not formally a workshop, they're helping the brand tell their story. So there's a lot of other things that are wrapped up in that. So we shouldn't be swayed by the title, but if you are not making yourself invaluable in other ways and elevating what you offer, then in the short term as somebody who just relies on tactics, you're going to get shuffled.

Michelle Kane (08:51):

Yeah. Yeah. And I think the key phrase there is strategic counsel. I think anyone who works as a solo, that's certainly what we offer without even thinking about it. So it's kind of like five, seven, however many years ago it was because time is a blur. When integrated marketing became the new buzzword, it hit me personally as strange because even when I worked in an ad agency, we offered PR services. So I'm like, well, that's what I've been doing. But if your work has been more siloed, now is the time not saying that you have to become a specialist at everything, but now is the time to consider shifting, to not consider, to shift your practice into a way that meets the needs where you can continue to be that answer to your client's question, that solution to your client's problems. I am in this bleak mid-winter. I am keeping the mood in my TV viewing, I'm watching the true detective, whatever, is it night country. And I love what Jodi Foster's character, who is the chief police, keep saying to her younger proteges, no, you're asking the wrong question. You have to ask the right question to get to the right answer. And that stuck with me because my goodness, if that doesn't work for life as well as fictional crime solving, I don't know what does.

Karen Swim, APR (10:22):

I love that. I haven't seen that show, but I love that line because you're absolutely right. We do have to ask the right questions to get the right answers, and it's going to be an interesting year. So if you thought differently by now, you've probably had a rude awakening, doesn't mean that it's going to be bad, but that there is going to be a lot of change. And in the US we know that whenever we are in an election year, it drives a level of uncertainty, period, because you don't know what the next administration will do with policy. So it's really important for us to find a lane that we can dig deep into. As you were saying that too, I would advise all solo PR pros to go deeper into your clients. I know that we all usually work with a couple of key primary contacts, and we may have interaction with other staff members, but as you just said, Michelle, about asking the right questions, you need to do some relationship building beyond the current department.

(11:34):

So get out of communications marketing and make some time to talk to somebody in finance and just ask, say, for my own knowledge, can we hop on the phone for 20 minutes? And I just want to hear more about your function of the business and what you're seeing so that you start to understand the future. And if you can't do that with your current clients, I understand sometimes that's not possible, then you need to make it your personal mission to network outside of PR people and start to talk to people in other functions. There are plenty of ways to do that. You can attend virtually webinars that are geared to other job functions, to learn about what they're seeing and the challenges they're facing, because the more that you understand business at large, the better equipped you are to begin asking different questions to get the right answers that are going to carry you through not only this year, but the next several years.

Michelle Kane (12:40):

That is so true. And I did see something recently, of course, by the time this hits, it won't be so recent, but I was checking what the muckety mucks at the Davos meetings were saying, and they actually had a fairly bright outlook for 24. So amidst all this uncertainty, we're certainly not saying that the sky is falling. And they also noted that, which was a bit satisfying to me, to see that yes, we like ai, but they're not as gung-ho. Everyone's like, we're just going to use it for everything and it's going to be fine. These leaders and decision makers are saying, yes, we like it, but we realize that it has its limits. So the sky is not falling solos. But my goodness, there are opportunities out there for us to pursue, which is a wonderful thing. And that's the wonderful thing about being a solo.

Karen Swim, APR (13:35):

It is. And honestly, if you feel like your head is spinning, you're not alone. I am going to be 100% transparent and tell you that I have those days where I think I'm over all of this. Can I just retire right now and not care about any of this? So it can be exhausting to try to keep up and to continue to try and innovate and recreate your workflow and stay ahead of things, which is why you should definitely plug into our community. If you're a communicator, either in a small, in-house team or functioning as a solo or micro agency, go to solo pr pro.com and on our homepage, you'll see a join now button, and we encourage you to connect up with us because life is definitely a lot better when you have a room full of colleagues, a virtual room full of colleagues that understand what you're going through and can offer useful advice,

Michelle Kane (14:37):

They will, and they will make you smarter, and they will help you remember how smart you are. And so many times they will talk you off the, because they have me, I can give that unvarnished, vouch, vouch for respect. And we all need that.

Karen Swim, APR (14:57):

We all need that. I'm sorry. We have, and we're all hitting that ledge a little kind of frequently these days.

Michelle Kane (15:04):

Yeah, right. It's like, oh, because yeah, even though you work for yourself, it doesn't mean that you should do it alone. So we hope hundred percent. Yeah. Well, we hope this time together has been helpful for you. It's always helpful for us, even as we record these episodes. So please do go over to soloprpro.com, check it out, see if it's for you. I think it'll be, and please share this around if you found the content of value, we would really appreciate that. And until next time, thank you for listening to That Solo Life.