Richter7’s Tim Brown says PR isn’t all bad
If public relations people can learn to do their job correctly, the relationship between journalists and PR people can move past disagreement and they can begin to work together, said Tim Brown, executive vice president of Richter7 advertising and public relations agency, Wednesday at the semester’s Media and Society Lecture.
Brown has 24 years of experience working in the field of PR and has worked for such clients as Hard Rock Cafe, The Home Depot and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Brown said the two fields of PR and journalism are interrelated and by working together, both professions can accomplish their jobs easier.
“PR people that have an agenda that are trying to feed journalists give PR people a bad name,” Brown said. “There is no reason why we can’t get along.”
Brown said in the field of PR, he tries to help clients understand that if they are forthright with the media, the media tend to be nicer than when they detect a cover up.
“The problem is when there is bad you news, you run and hide,” he said. “We help clients understand that (the media) is going to report it anyway, why not let them get it from you?”
Brown said when companies find themselves in a crisis they try and just give the media bits of information at a time, which makes the crisis last longer.
“Essentially you want to provide all the information so you can get in and get out of the crisis as fast as possible,” he said.
Even though some clients come to PR firms when they have a crisis, Brown said PR mostly involves helping clients figure out what audience they are trying to reach.
“There is a message a client wants to communicate,” Brown said. “We help them target an audience. If you can always make it an audience driven strategy, you win.”
When it comes to helping clients, Brown said people often think PR people only write press releases to be sent to newspapers, but he said he thinks it is much more than that.
“PR is writing brochures, scripts and speeches,” Brown said. “Most people think it is centered around publicity only. While it is a major part of the pie, it is not the only thing.”
Brown said he thinks one of the best things about being in PR is being able to be an insider.
“You are in the inner circle,” Brown said. “You are thinkers, you are strategists, you are seeing the bigger picture.”
Brown said although he loves being in the inner circle in companies, the pay for PR people makes it worth it as well.
“I have seven children, and they have all eaten today,” Brown said. “It is a good-paying job.”
Brown said the pay makes the job easier but sometimes after clients have received help from the PR firm, they don’t feel the need to pay later.
“After you perform the service, your value is way down there because the service is already down,” Brown said.
Brown said students who are looking to become PR professionals need to write often, become aware of the world around them and, most of all, try to unlock their creativity.
“I believe we were all creative at one time in our lives,” Brown said. “Primarily as kids, adults would shut us down. The first words we learn are ‘no’ and ‘Don’t touch.’ There are ways to uncover that creativity.”
-debrajoy.h@aggiemail.usu.edu