Communication crossroads: a guest post by Nancy Bacher Long

Nancy Bacher Long, Principal of Ducknot, LLC  provides some insight into public relations experts as master storytellers.    

Nancy has spent more than 25 years in the communications business working for Fortune 100 pharmaceutical companies, start-up biotechnology ventures and medical device companies. She established Dorland Global Public Relations, a business unit of Dorland Global, in 1992, and led the business for more than 16 years. Long left Dorland in 2009, and established Ducknot, LLC, a communications consultancy.

To achieve brand success in the evolving world of social media, companies need to rely on the timeless storytelling skills of experienced PR firms.

The healthcare industry is paying more attention to cross-cultural communication. Whether it’s language, age, geography, gender or sexual orientation, there is often a campaign micro-targeted to a particular constituency.

Conversely, in healthcare communication, it is all about integration. Cross-discipline campaigns, influencer marketing, and integrated communication are a few of today’s buzzwords. Agencies are cautioned to “play nice” to execute campaigns that comply with one holistic brand platform.

While much has changed since I started in pharma public relations in the ’90s, one troubling gap persists. As we all seek the “holy grail” of a successful, integrated campaign, my advertising colleagues still lack an appreciation for the process, perspective, and nuances of a successful public relations campaign. As one colleague pointed out–perhaps obviously–PR is the business of developing relationships with the public.  Not a headline, not a tagline, not a brand promise–a relationship.

I came from an agency that offered an integrated suite of services–long before that was considered cool. Although this structure had some benefits in the pitch process, the bigger advantage was in broadening one’s perspectives from public relations and in winning respect from advertising colleagues.

Public relations practitioners are storytellers, and companies must remember that story is the most important thing a company can deliver to its target audience. Through a compelling story a target audience can, after learning about the company and becoming familiar with its brand, recommend its products, invest in its stock–and perhaps even want to work there.

More and more, this kind of storytelling has migrated from the newsroom to the chat room. Blogging, micro blogging, podcasting, video blogs (vlogs), and social communities all belong to PR. Brand identity, SEO, and online and offline advertising campaigns belong to marketing.

So, as campaigns are driven more and more by social media engagement, advertising professionals should keep an eye on the rearview mirror. Your PR colleagues may be gaining on you in the marketing mix. Better understand their language so you can more effectively travel down the road to brand success.