Taking PR Seriously

Rebecca Tillet, director/team leader for Pfizer's U.S. Pharmaceuticals public relations, shared some nice quotes in last month's MM&M magazine (that promoted the effectiveness of PR within the marketing mix), they include:

• "PR...must engage with brand strategy"
• "PR staff must share marketing strategies with agencies, and must push from within to play an integral part in strategic planning"
• "Too often, PR strategies focus not on what the brand needs, but on what public relations does best"
• "[PR plans] must incorporate market research, including upfront research to validate the strategy and messages, and classic research to measure impact - and reflect these elements in proposed plans and budgets"
• "Agencies need to communicate [their PR results] in terms that resonate with brand teams"