Advertising, Marketing & PR

Public Relations

Public Relations is often said to be the controlled and sustained effort to promote a company (its image, ideas and products) through the media and across other channels.

Raising a companies profile through PR techniques have a number of advantages, including being significantly cheaper than paid for advertising and more influential to a public being "sold" to at every opportunity who are increasingly critical of the messages around them.

Growth in the media sector is expected to lead to increased demand and other areas of predicted growth include business to business PR, corporate communications, consumer PR and internal communications.

There are around 6,000 people in Yorkshire employed in PR and the workforce is equally split between the public and private sector. The public sector includes positions within Local Authorities, NHS Trusts, some Government departments and charities. In the private sector there are considerable opportunities to work in consultancies with larger firms located in Leeds and Sheffield as well as smaller operations in Wakefield, Huddersfield and Harrogate. You will also find opportunities to work inhouse in larger private sector firms such as Energy and Production industries with PR often falling under the responsibility of the marketing or communications department.

Consumer PR is the lowest paid sector within PR and has been under recent pressure as a new type of agency has developed - handling ‘corp-sumer' PR for large corporations which entails campaigning for the client while also addressing wider social and political issues which impact on the corporation's agenda such as green issues like carbon offsetting. Other developments in PR include new types of marketing activity such as guerrilla, viral and word-of-mouth marketing.

Jobs in this sector are scarce and competition high so employers will be looking for graduates who have a proven interest in PR. A work placement or volunteering with you Student Union's marketing and promotions team are good ways to get some hands on experience or visit your local Voluntary Action service for opportunities with local charities in your area.

Industry knowledge is essential and if you want to work in PR you need to take an interest in campaigns in the media. It's a good idea to subscribe to a trade publication such as industry preferred PR Week or The Drum for everything media outside of the M25 or join the CIPR for up-to-date industry news as well as industry events in your area.

Graduate jobs are rarely advertised but keeping an eye on the Media Guardian is a good place to start as well as making sure you are signed up to receive Jobs By Email from our site so you don't miss out on that perfect role. Sending a CV along with a good covering letter to agencies in the region can also be a good way to gain your first position.

 

Useful links:

Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)

The CIPR site for the Yorkshire region gives further information on news and events in PR for this region and PR information in general. They is also a CIPR Facebook group set up for anyone interested in PR in the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire regions - you don't need to be a member of the CIPR, just interested in communications. There are links from this group to other PR related groups which may also be of interest.

How to get into PR

Provides information about working in the PR industry.

Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA)

The Public Relations Consultants Association is the voice of public relations consultancies in the UK. They provide advice on issues such as industry standards and hold an annual conference.

BMedi@

bmedi@ is a thriving network of media, new media and technology related companies in the West Yorkshire district. This includes Marketing & PR companies. Being a member gives you access to networking events, discounts, training and market sector information.

Wolfstar Consultancy blog for the Yorkshire region

Based in Leeds, Wolfstar is a specialist consultancy offering expert counsel in public relations, social media and word of mouth marketing.

Behind the Spin

Public Relations Magazine for Students and Young Professionals. They also have a Behind the Spin Facebook group.

PR Week

This is the leading magazine for PR Practitioners. The website has up-to-date news and options to subscribe to the print version.

PR and Communication Network

The PR and Communication network is for people working as consultants, account executives/managers or in-house PR roles across the UK. There is also a PR and Communication Network Facebook group.

Blue Boomerang PR Directory

A searchable database of PR companies. You can narrow searches by city, and type of organisation.

Leeds Metropolitan University, Courses in Public Relations

The Communications and Public Relations Subject Group, part of the Business School in the faculty of Business and Law at Leeds Metropolitan University is one of the best known teaching departments in Europe specialising in public relations and communications undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses.

Leeds Trinity & All Saints, MA/PGDiP in Public Communication

These courses are designed for information staff in the public sector and include a module on Public Sector PR.

Sheffield Hallam University, Courses in Public Relations

Both undergraduate and postgraduate courses are offered in Public Relations by Communication, Media and Journalism (part of the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Sciences) at Sheffield Hallam University.