pr means business: how communications firms are evolving
TRANSCRIPT
PR MEANS BUSINESS:
HOW COMMUNICATIONS FIRMS ARE EVOLVING
TODAY’S PRESENTERS
Matt Cookson
President and CEO, Cookson Strategic Communications
Jennifer Zingsheim Phillips
Founder, 4L Strategies
How has the PR business evolved in the last decade?• Digital transformation
• The expansion of social and digital media
• The rise of freelancers• Firms commonly work with a network of consultants, rather than a large team of full-time employees• Allows firms to hire specialists
as neededPhoto courtesy of Jason Howie
Where does it still need to evolve?
• Putting more emphasis on measurement• Linking communication efforts with business goals to
show value and justify larger budgets
• Creating a flexible schedule, partially in response to the 24/7 media cycle
• Reevaluating existing practices, such as the billable hours model, to determine their effectiveness
Predictions for the future of the business
• Continued digital transformation
• The expansion of technology including:• Predictive analytics• AI• New social platforms
and features
Q&A
