The truth of the matter is, digital or traditional PR – the fundamental skills remain the same. We know that…but people new to the industry really don’t.

What TikTok wants is not the same as News at 10. (obvs!) But this complete obsession with owned media channels and the fallacy that the cool PR is digital PR, is quite simply wrong. Not all audiences are on social media. It’s the ability to tailor communications across all (appropriate) channels that matters.

Digital PR is essential to all brands, of course it is. Websites, social (owned and shared) offer greater measurability in an industry that has struggled to demonstrate ROI in the past. With around 25% of a Google ranking dependent on quality links, digital PR clearly offers a direct correlation between activity and a company’s bottom line.

The 5 w’s (who, what, where, when, why) should be the starting point for all PR. But it seems only ‘where’ ie digital platforms, appeals to the next generation of PR recruits.

Digital platforms are just that. A platform. A channel. A method. It’s our job to understand how best to utilise these as a communications channel…but they are only one part of a communications matrix.

So, does PR need a rebrand? No…but, to attract a broad range of potential candidates, you need to use the word digital in a job title….and they’ll learn that not all communication is digital communication.

Now, where’s the notice board for me to pin this to.