PR/Advertising/Marketing...It's all the same (always has been, always will be)

Adweek published an article today announcing the Edelman, the biggest PR firm in the world had hired a former Leo Burnett, ad exec as the company's new head of "Brand." (http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/edelman-hires-former-leo-burnett-exec-moves-further-ad-agency-territory-173669).

In what may seem like a blurring of church and state, Edelman is moving into direct competition with ad firms.

This is about as far from surprising as can be. What PR does, and does really well is:

1. Inform - educate a targeted audience about a specific issue, product, stock, or service
2. Influence - communicate to that audiences messages that will impact their decision making process in a way that is favorable to a client's point of view
3. Activate - encourage that audience to take a specific action, buy a product, vote for a candidate, consider a stock, etc.

Targeted audiences is what PR does, and does well. Crafting and delivering messages is second nature to our industry. And, for the past few years, leveraging different forms of paid content distribution has become de rigeur to communications professionals.

Leaving any channel off the table has never made sense to me. As one of the the owners and manager of a smaller PR shop I am envious of Edelman. Creating and dissemination high-value, well-produced content via paid channels makes 100% sense.

Historically we have had a role in participating with the media. Over the past decade or so we have recognized that we need to disintermediate the media (hence our adoption of social media in all its glory), now Edelman is blazing the way to owning the media.

When making a decision about hiring a PR firm, ask them what they think about the future of communications creation and dissemination. Poke and prod about how the view developments like this one. It will give you insight into the type of strategic thinking that you will get.