Characteristics of a strategic thinker in public relations are:
- To be curious – genuinely interested in what is going on in a client company, industry, with people and in the world around us.
- To have a focus on the future and remaining alert for opportunities that may prove valuable.
- Openness – welcoming new ideas from peers, customers, suppliers and business partners.
- Positive outlook – viewing challenges as opportunities and believing that success is possible.
- and experience.
In my work as an external consultant, I look at trends outside a client’s organization, setting objectives that are SMART and linked to the overall business objectives. These shouldn’t just focus on output, but also on out-take, outcome and IMPACT.
I took a workshop with my Institute in March – the Chartered Institute of Public Relations – in Strategic Thinking in PR with Alison Arnot, which encouraged us to take a high-level approach to PR by developing strategic thinking as a routine habit.
Recognizing when we are thinking tactically, as opposed to strategically is something I encounter and having to reset people’s thinking style. Balancing day-to-day concerns with a big picture perspective can be a challenge, particularly with the many external threats in the world since 2020: political, economic, social, technological, regulatory, demographic, cultural, etc.
Strategic thinking in PR – what is it?
- Strategic thinking means clearly defining purpose and thinking about the bigger picture. It’s about moving daily focus from output (PR/communication activity), to also consider out-take (what people think or feel as a result) and impact (what this means for the organization or its stakeholders).
- It is a process of understanding the past and present, then seeing beyond today and visualizing or creating a picture of the future and its opportunities and pitfalls.
- It involves analysing trends, data and other information.
- It involves challenging assumptions and I’ve learned to never assume.
- It provides the insights to answer the questions “What situation are we in today?” and “What situation should we be in tomorrow?”
Making strategic individuals’ brands get noticed is a clear goal for me, each and every day.
| Strategic thinking in PR – focus on | Non-strategic – focus on |
| Why? | How? |
| Big picture, long-term, changing environments and horizon scanning | Delivery in the ‘here and now’, particularly what has been briefed in |
| Evidence and research | Tactics |
| Possibilities – ‘what WILL and COULD things be like? | Recycling ideas |
| Challenging the status quo | Immediate and pressing SMART objectives |
| Experimentation, with new ideas and calculated risk encouraged | Let’s get on with this |
Asking ‘why?’ helps us challenge assumption and dig deeper into the real issue. It can be very useul to use this technique when challenging a woolly brief and getting to the real need at hand. Start with the problem or opportunity and use the questions to get to the real solution.
Alison Arnot
Trendspotting – part of the PR toolkit
All managers must or should view trendspotting as an important aspect of their jobs and encourage teams to collect and share relevant information as well. Having different members from key departments contributing to the conversation can make the whole team more intelligent, as we can all learn from each other. When someone has deep knowledge of a topic on the team, everyone becomes inspired.
Responding effectively to world trends and changes in the macro environment has to be built into an organization’s business plan. Carry out a PESTLE analysis.
I like to monitor headlines across publications relevant to clients and explore conversation patterns in social media. Social media and opinion pieces from strategic individuals – thought leaders, c-suite, subject matter experts – need to be central to an organization’s PR strategy, to its planning and activation of PR in raising awareness of brand.
SWOT analysis – another part of the PR toolkit
- SWOT analysis helps us to tease out what matters. It can be used for a range of tasks from fact-finding to developing a messaging strategy or deciding a campaign approach.
- It looks at the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats that help or hinder our activity, so that strengths and opportunities can be amplified and weaknesses and threats minimized.
- SWOT analysis helps us to build on what we do well, to address what we’re lacking, to minimize risks, and to take the greatest possible advantage of chances for success.
Scenario planning
Scenario planning is about identifying and playing out how we will respond in a range of different situations – worst case, best case, and most likely.
What PR is ….. and what it isn’t
Public relations often gets lumped into the same category as marketing and advertising. While all are functions of a strategic communications plan, each function carries the team in a different way. Overall, our PR goals and outcomes should integrate into a marketing strategy.
Taylor O’Brien
PR doesn’t prepare products for the marketplace or initiate paid promotions directly to consumers, however it takes the role of telling the market that a new product is available, sharing both what it does and why the market needs it.
PR’s job is to bring awareness to all that a company is already doing and amplify its expertise in the market.
What PR professionals do is help build and maintain a company’s positive image.
Taylor O’Brien
Our job is to generate interest in a company’s news and point of views by engaging with relevant media to convey the significance of an organization and its perspective on the market, showcasing why their audience will care about it. The goal from that effort is earned media (coverage or promotion of your brand – company and individual – through organic means. It’s a very effective form of content marketing and is also the toughest media type to get.)
Unlike paid advertorial content that a marketing team might secure, earned media refers to free editorial coverage that elevates your company’s voice on trends in your market and industry.
To conclude, strategic PR is carefully considered, data driven communication and relationship building that aligns with or supports ‘big picture’ organizational objectives, values and activity. It is designed with a clear purpose or intention and is delivered in a way that will help businesses achieve specific and realistic goals.
Strategic public relations involves ongoing measurement, evaluation and review.