By: Emily John, Account Director
As PR professionals, our principal goal is to cultivate and build relationships whether its with colleagues, partners, clients, journalists or influencers.
Relationships are a the core of what we do.
It is unsurprising therefore, that there is mounting concern that the human relationships that lie at the heart of PR may be neglected following the introduction of AI and other emerging technologies.
It has never been more important to ensure that our clients, their customers and the media do not feel like our interactions are cold transactions, but rather cultivated relationships that we value and want to nurture over time.
Uniting with clients
To properly understand the client with which we are working, we need to get to know them on a deeper level, recognising their goals, listening to their challenges and discovering what they are passionate about. By establishing this one-to-one relationship, we humanise our interaction which aides the process of working together to achieve the same goal.
It is through this process of that our clients learn to value and trust our team. Beyond just delivering PR results, being connected - committing to achieving shared goals and investing in our client's success - is the recipe for establishing loyalty and ultimately, a long-standing relationship.
Connecting with customers
When it comes to humanising brands, our mission is to bridge the gap between the target audience and our client’s business. This involves adopting a more relatable and personable communication style, rather than corporate speak and jargon. Relevant, authentic and humane content shared regularly allows our client to connect with their audiences, gain a loyal following and strengthen their position in the industry.
With careful planning, underpinned by a strong relationship, we can better anticipate our clients' needs, appeal to their goals and offer them choices when it comes to PR tactics. By bolstering our clients' brand personalities and values, we are able to establish meaningful and genuine connections with their customers in the longer term. None of this is possible without relationships, or at least it is significantly harder to do and much less likely to be successful.
Cooperating with journalists
Humanising the relationships we have with the media is just as important as the ones we foster with our clients and their customers. Having spent time carefully planning, strategising and creating content, the media are our lifeline to raise awareness of our client’s brand in the marketplace.
It’s vital to grow these relationships, and this process will not happen overnight. Investing time and effort into getting to know our media contacts, familiarising ourselves with their work and engaging with them across social media, are just the first steps. As an industry we must not underestimate the value of face-to-face interactions.
As the old saying goes, investing in people is investing in success. And this is no different in PR. Whilst the introduction of AI has a multitude of benefits across the industry, it can not detract from the importance of human interactions.
Humanising connections with clients, customers and the media has to remain a top priority for PR professionals for years to come.