Key takeaways:

1. The discussion emphasizes that creativity in public relations is inherently collaborative, drawing on diverse backgrounds and experiences. Participants noted that successful PR campaigns often require input from various team members, highlighting the importance of understanding cultural contexts and community dynamics.
2. While AI is increasingly influential, participants emphasized that it cannot replace the authenticity and emotional impact of human creativity in PR efforts.
3. Effective PR strategies should focus on specific communities and cultural moments, allowing brands to build trust and relevance in a fragmented media landscape.

Participating in the discussion were:

  • Paul Holmes, founder and editor of PRovoke Media
  • Indy Selvarajah, chief creative officer, global markets at Ketchum
  • Kat Thomas, founder and chief creative officer of One Green Bean
  • Louisa Hager, group creative director and West Coast Creative Lead at Weber Shandwick
  • Matt Zavala, US chief creative officer of MSL Global
  • Michelle Tucker, EVP, executive creative director at Edelman
  • Mike Sharman, chief creative officer at Retroviral
  • Ron D’Innocenzo, chief creative officer, North America at Golin
  • Taj Reid, global chief creative officer at Burson
  • Miranda Mitchell, creative and PR consultant

    The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

    Paul Holmes (PH): I'm going to start off by going off script because the diversity of backgrounds in PR creative roles struck me. It seems PR was slow to establish creativity as a distinct function. I once asked someone if having a designated creative role makes others feel they can stop being creative.

    In PR, creativity is more collaborative than in advertising. When we created creative departments, we looked to advertising for titles, but the integration of ad creatives into PR has been mixed.

    We need a mental and attitudinal shift in PR creativity. So what makes a great PR creative, and how does it differ from other contexts? Is eclecticism the secret sauce? What truly works?

    Miranda Mitchell (MM): I started at Frank (PR), known for creativity 20 years ago, making a TV show. They focused on product and culture, and if coverage happened, great. I learned from the founders, who had no creative directors, so I was called creative director by accident at a later agency.

    After being acquired by a larger group, I was added to the creative board despite feeling unqualified. Many thought you could just push a button to get PR from paid ideas, but that’s not true. Earned creatives need firsthand experience, like being told “no” by a journalist, to understand what resonates.

    As PR has evolved, the lines between earned ideas and agency outputs have blurred. Today, creatives must grasp the broader marketing mix and connect with what real people care about, as this is what truly makes a story.

    Mike Sharman (MS): To make something newsworthy, it must genuinely be worthy of news. Traditional ad creatives often miss this point, thinking they can simply pay for coverage. In digital PR and activation, understanding the emotional aspects of what you aim to achieve is crucial.

    We need to demonstrate to ad creators that it's not enough to just budget for PR; you must generate ancillary, newsworthy ideas that resonate with the current moment.

    Ron D’Innocenzo (RD): Can I say something controversial? I think we sometimes mistakenly claim that ad creatives don’t understand PR. Years ago, I felt out of place in this world. It’s become a whole different landscape.

    In my early days, I hired only creatives to gain legitimacy, but it didn’t work; it was harder. I now draw mostly from ad agencies because they can gain insights faster and think more quickly.

    Kat Thomas (KT): They bring craft and understand what makes an idea energizing and culturally relevant. While we often bootstrap scrappy ideas, they have the luxury of mastering their craft. Creatives need to recognize that paid ideas have limits and should think beyond that to bring culturally meaningful concepts to the table. This relevance will capture attention and spark conversation. Ultimately, it’s about seeing beyond the brief and understanding what truly resonates with the audience.

    Taj Reid (TR):  Many of us have overlapping careers and have built diverse teams because other markets have rigid archetypes, making it harder to break in. As a CCO, my role is to lead a vision that feels safe while understanding subcultural spaces. I can’t rely solely on data or AI; I need to connect with the people who make a difference.

    Indy Selvarajah (IS): For me, it’s about a certain breed of person. I can usually tell within five minutes of talking to someone if they fit.

    In PR, you need people who are resilient and can navigate challenges. It’s important to bring in individuals who understand their communities, rather than just hiring based on titles. I look for diversity of interest and curiosity, as these qualities drive success.

    Louisa Hager (LH): You need someone who's excited. Proactive ideas that drive culture are what get sold in, especially with smaller budgets. It’s crucial to have someone who is constantly thinking and engaged with their interests, bringing those insights into the office and asking, “Which client can we bring this to?”

    PH: I recall 40 years ago, a senior woman at a PR agency proudly saying she doesn’t watch TV. How can you tap into cultures without that awareness? This raises a question about whether creativity in PR is more collaborative and team-driven than in other fields. Unlike advertising, where one hero often emerges, PR ideas come from diverse teams, making it harder to identify a single creator.

    MM: I believe creativity in PR is collaborative. You need to be interested in diving deep into niches, even those you might not care about. Central ideas evolve organically as you assess their feasibility and seek partnerships.

    Ideas must withstand scrutiny from clients and journalists, so it's essential to find the right collaborators. The process is not just window dressing; it requires flexibility and openness to change. In PR, understanding who the spokesperson is and the influence of different voices is crucial. The final output is a journey, not just the result of two people's thoughts.

    MS: In our world, many come from interesting backgrounds, but there's a lack of critical thought. We often consume whatever algorithms throw at us, which is concerning. In my country, with 12 languages and diverse cultures, our small shop represents various backgrounds.

    A good analogy is a comedy club in South Africa, filled with diverse voices. It illustrates how broad premises can lead to nuanced humor and drama, highlighting the need for insights that resonate with everyone.

    TR: We also need to ensure our ideas are effectively integrated into the work. Collaborating with your business partner and the client allows for a deep understanding of the project. Our role is to shepherd these ideas, making them more effective. This process is unique to PR, as it is still forming, giving us the chance to educate others on the craft along the way.

    PH: In the PR creative room, I’ve often said that great PR ideas can become advertising campaigns, while not every great ad can transition to PR. This is something many in advertising don’t understand. Currently, ad agencies are winning seven out of eight awards, which I find frustrating.

    What matters is gold; if you only win a silver for supporting an idea created elsewhere, it’s not impressive. We aren't typically tasked with idea creation, and when we are, our ideas often don't stand out like those from ad agencies.

    IS: I think there’s a historical sense of submissiveness in PR. After years in the industry, I've noticed a lack of swagger and confidence. Recently, while dining with senior clients from major brands, I realized they were unaware of our work and processes, which was eye-opening.

    Things are improving, and in the last few years, we've seen new leaders emerge, producing impressive work. However, there's still an "us vs. them" mentality, where people tend to favor advertising due to its historical dominance. The numbers and reputation often overshadow PR, despite our potential.

    MM: Big players like Edelman thrive because they often have clients with significant budgets. This allows for elevated output, structured like an ad agency with dedicated strategy and business departments.

    Their success comes from packaging everything together. Plus, crafting award entries is a skill in itself; you'll often start a campaign wondering if it will win an award, leading to additional funding and resources.

    LH: We need strong relationships with our account teams, bringing in those who are eager to be on stage. Many come from traditional PR backgrounds, where the focus was on client relationships rather than selling creative ideas. It's essential to get our account people excited about promoting creativity, as last year only one person was driving it. Now, we need the whole team to be hungry for success.

    MS: AB InBev is a great example of embracing creativity. It started with an evangelist in South America who recognized the beer industry's sexist ads. He initiated the internal Creative X awards, where submissions are evaluated by region, culminating in a global competition.

    The process involves multiple drafts of case studies, and winners receive consultation from a global brain trust. Ideas originate from local brand teams, and they assess whether the concept has enough tension and interest before moving to a global level.

    This rigorous iteration ensures that when ideas reach the market, they’ve been thoroughly refined. They use a scoring system, where anything rated seven or above indicates potential. This empowers staff to analyze ideas effectively. Despite occasional missteps like Bud Light, their focus on creativity drives better sales, proving that creative work leads to success.

    RD: We’re all preaching from different books, each with our own definitions of where we want to go, making it hard to align. There’s a comfort in PR’s “kids table” philosophy; even when offered a seat at the adult table, we often remain in the background.

    This culture can lead to missed opportunities. If you have a good meeting but don’t sell or produce the idea, you’re leaving money on the table and not meeting your targets.

    PH: The best predictor of a campaign winning in our awards is when jurors say, “I can’t believe they found a client willing to sign off on that.” This year, an award-winning campaign from Canada focused on anti-domestic violence. It created a playlist for women to download while running, offering advice on escaping abusive relationships, reaching 5 million women and zero men.

    I want to discuss the evolving "earned first" philosophy. For a long time, it was synonymous with purpose, but now we're moving beyond that. I keep hearing that connecting with culture—whether through sports, entertainment, or broader trends—is where PR excels. This is our sweet spot and presents the greatest opportunity.

    This ties back to what I mentioned earlier: curiosity is a superpower. A desire to learn about different aspects of various cultures will be the special source that drives our success.

    IS: I think we need to reconsider the notion of culture. It may be more relevant to focus on communities. Diving into the epicenter of communities—whether racial or interest-based—yields deeper connections.

    The key is to become micro-focused; when you engage genuinely, communities will trust you with integrity. This builds lasting relationships.

    PH: So I, I hate to do this in such a simplistic form, but it's another issue that we have to address right? So, AI.

    IS: I think you have to embrace it, like a pen pal visiting. While I see the usefulness of design tools, I personally don’t use them for writing. Writing is my currency, and if I rely on those tools, I feel like I lose my voice. I advise my team not to use it for emails or scripts, as it can lead to laziness and a lack of intuition. In our industry, though, it’s undeniable that these tools are here to stay.

    MM: Everyone will use these tools to some degree, but I worry that they produce something vanilla. I have a teenage son and daughter, and we discuss the importance of learning through difficult journeys. There’s value not just in the output but in personal growth during the process.

    I believe that muscle won’t be exercised in the same way in school or university. Our industry is fun, and if you’re not enjoying the process, even if you achieve faster results, you miss out on the joy of creation.

    Matt Zavala (MZ): My issue is that AI has yet to prompt emotions. No matter what I put in there, the emotions still not there, you know. And I think that's the thing. It is not able to make you feel very much and that is essentially our craft. 

    MM: I worry that these tools will be all-encompassing and they are currently programmed for speed. It often reads just the first few words and makes assumptions about the content rather than checking the actual question. If users don’t verify sources, they might accept inaccurate information as truth.

    With kids now being AI natives, they may see this as the definition of the world without questioning it, which raises concerns about the implications for their understanding of reality.

    TR: I'm skeptical of the conversations around AI, but I notice my daughter uses it differently—she asks better questions and engages critically. This curiosity is fascinating. While AI isn't a cure-all and can sometimes take out the humanity, it does have its benefits.

    Every morning, I check in with it, sharing what's on my mind and asking about patterns. As a tool, it helps me organize my thoughts for writing. I can walk around the garden and discuss random ideas, then see recurring themes, which is unique.

    PH: Yes and to conclude, I think it can really go either way and only time will tell.