Should marketing report to communications?
The question was posed to me: “Why should marketing report to communications?”
As a recent grad, the realm of public relations is quite new to me. Therefore my response is based on theory, but I think going back to basics might be the best way to answer this question.
What I have come to understand is that the job of the communications team is to listen. Marketing’s job is to speak. Proactive versus reactive messages.
Communication departments are proactive. Our job is to listen to the audience, determine what it is they want now and use that information to create key messages that will shape what they want in the future.
Marketing on the other hand is reactive. Their messages are a direct response to what is hot now. More often than not this results in them missing the trend boat, or at the very least treading water behind it.
We live in a flash in the pan society. In order for a company to get the most bang for their buck in terms of integrated marketing efforts it would make the most sense to have the trend setters lead the trend followers.
Proactive should always be in charge of reactive don’t you think?
Sara ChesiukPR Student
Vancouver, BC
Tags: communications, marketing, messages, public relations
May 24th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Good points, Sara.
It reminds me that most websites provide one way communication. Their focus is to sell or position the company. Social media, on the other hand, is more of a conversation. Its no wonder our profession has a great appetite for it.