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  • June 15, 2025

They Will Eat the Communicators First

May 6, 2014 by Karen Swim

English: Zombies

English: Zombies (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am convinced that if aliens invaded the earth, they would eat the communicators first. This belief has been shaped by years of watching PR and Marketing functions get cut when organizations are looking to save money. I watched the slash and re-staff cycle throughout my career and as an independent have seen the same logic applied when companies slash budgets or eliminate outsourced partners entirely.

So if the zombies show up, forgive me if I leap over your head to scramble to safety.

 

Often, when companies are faced with a need to trim their expenses, they view PR and Marketing as the fat of the company. In the heat of the battle, all of the hard work done by these communication pros is reduced to press releases and pretty brochures. Ugh. I could successfully argue that this is a big mistake. I could even provide examples of how cutting these departments actually hurt the bottom line, but today I want to focus on a different perspective. We get treated like the fat that can be trimmed away because we hide our true value under muumuus. It’s time we wear form fitting clothes that show organizations that we’re not fat, but muscle.

 

Communication pros often do a rotten job of communicating our true value. We serve others beautifully crafting messages, positioning brands and rising to the challenge in the face of crisis. Yet, we are quiet about what we do and how it ties into the priorities of the C-suite.

 

At the heart of all PR and Marketing tactics is strategy. While others may focus on tactics and output, we know that those things are secondary to a solid strategic plan. To develop this strategy, we have to know the business, understand the big picture vision, know the market, be ahead of industry shifts and know the competition. We do all this but we don’t articulate it and worse we fail to fight for our seat at the executive table where our voices can be heard.

 

As a result, executives see us as those with creative intelligence but may miss or devalue our broader insight and it’s our fault.

 

It pains me to admit it but I have made this mistake. A client wants to cut their budget (code for we don’t get why we’re paying you) or is questioning what PR/Marketing is really doing for them. All of your metrics and charts and case studies dissolve into nothingness when you have failed to make it clear not only what you do but how you do it and how that integrates into what the company cares about. Ouch.

 

As communicators we must lean in and take our seat at the strategy table. Have the business discussions and make sure that you are aligning what you do with what matters to the company (Hint: It’s money – making it, saving it- but it is always money). More importantly learn to talk about it in a way that matters to those who are listening.

 

Yes, there will always be clients/employers who simply do not get what we do but we can do our part to make sure that we do not get eaten first.

 

I want to hear from you, how do you communicate your value to clients/employers? What can we do better?

 

Filed Under: Marketing, Public Relations Tagged With: business, client communication, Marketing, Strategy

Is Your Business Puzzle Missing a Piece?

February 8, 2010 by Karen Swim

Sudoku Cube
Image via Wikipedia

I need a press release

I was told I need to be on Facebook

We need someone  to create tweets for us

and so it goes…

One piece of a much larger puzzle, offered as the answer by a well meaning advisor, expert or friend, or taken out of context from a book, presentation or speech. Tactics offered up without an accompanying strategy served up like a gourmet meal that has only appetizers and no main course.

The problem with pieces is that you need all of them to get a full picture.

We have become spoiled. Information is widely accessible and often free. As a result we have been lulled into a false sense of confidence that specialized expertise no longer matters. We have the pieces of the puzzle, and we can put them together on our own. Who needs a PR professional when you can write or buy a press release? Hire a web designer- pshaw! We’ve got WordPress! Pay fair value for writers ? Of course not, we have article directories and PLR content.

But just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Having the pieces is only one part of the equation. A puzzle master will have a strategy for how they all fit together. He or she will assemble the right pieces, faster and better than you can do on your own.  Specialized expertise is not a waste, it is actually a more cost efficient method of achieving your goals.

Being an expert in your own business will require you to strategically choose how you spend your time. If you are bootstrapping a new business you will need to get creative and do some things on your own. However, you cannot remain a bootstrapper for the lifecycle of your business. At some point, to grow and take your business to the next level you will need to hire skills that you do not possess.

In the short term, you may save money by figuring things out on your own but what will you have sacrificed in the process?

Specialists invest in their ongoing education. They hang out with other specialists to learn and grow. They have inside knowledge and competitive information. When you hire a specialist you are paying not only for skill but their contacts, database of knowledge, hard won lessons, shortcuts, tips and more.

I realize that we are living in leaner times. You cannot hire a specialist for every business process but you should consider it for mission critical tasks. Weigh your upfront investment against the return and you may also conclude that it’s cheaper to hire someone who can take the right pieces and make a whole picture that is just right for your business.

Do you hire specialized expertise or have you gone the do-it-yourself route? Why or why not?

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Filed Under: Insights Tagged With: Business process, specialized expertise, Strategy

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