The Blurring Lines Between PR & Influencer Marketing

Sonam Shah Jul 08, 2021

Till early 2020, social and digital media marketing were touted as the most growing medium, but post-March 2020, the game changed. With the lockdown implemented, two simultaneous transitions were happening - behavioural changes in readership of news along with drastic transitions within the media landscape and the adaption of social media platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and a variety of short format apps.

The last year and half of the ongoing Covid19 pandemic has seen a massive shift in the communications space and the way it functions. With digital and social media being the only mode of communication and staying connected, the demand for “being seen online” and having an online presence has increased by manifolds, specifically when it comes to Public Relations.

This user transition not only increased awareness around PR but also gave rise to influencer marketing, specifically on Instagram. Brands and small businesses started capitalising on this trend strategically, as influencers went all out to support small businesses.

With overall news mostly being around Covid19 and bringing in gloomy sentiments, audiences preferred to be on more “happy platforms” like Instagram. This move burgeoned the follower count of influencers on Instagram, especially once Tik-Tok and other Chinese apps were banned, and with having more free time on hand, they started churning regular engaging content. Individuals who had started using Instagram as a hobby or passion made their accounts public and became influencers as their follower count rose rapidly, while already established influencers, with a very distinguished follower base, took to being Digital Content Creators.

This growth of influencer marketing has not only helped brands and small businesses alike survive their business during a challenging year, but it also made them realise the importance of earned media and the need to be in news to enhance their online presence. Brands and businesses started noticing the value which Public Relations add to their business profile, and how only focusing on social media activities is not the long-term solution for growth.

The need to have earned media presence and media articles for having a verified account has further fuelled the need for pure PR. This change of mindset and demand has created a lot of ambiguity within the market when it comes to what PR brings vs. what Influencer Marketing offers. While everyone wants to be in the media and news, the lack of understanding makes it challenging for industry professionals.

Since we are in a very nascent plus and evolutionary phase, there is no clear embarkation as to what Public Relations brings to the table. There is a very strong overlap here, which needs to be addressed and answered as clients often end up mixing PR and influencer activities as the same since they fall under marketing activities.

Below are a few points on what Public Relations offers:

· PR brings in earned media value

· It builds thought leadership and expertise within its stakeholders

· It builds a value of trust and faith which adds up to the image of the brand

· PR strengthens brand recall

With influencer marketing now coming under the ASCI radar and influencers having to mention it as paid promotion on their handles, it is just a matter of time, that transparency will increase, and the end-user will understand that a paid influencer activity is as good as brand endorsements. The overlap which is currently present will slowly diminish. Thus, the need to highlight this and overcome the blurred lines needs to be addressed to offer clients a long-term strategic solution without burning their pockets and hampering their brand image.

In coming times, a more defined format can be predicted within these two and this for sure has brought exciting challenges within the PR industry. It is exciting to see how this grows ahead.

The author is Sonam Shah, Founder and CEO, Treize Communications