By: Corinne Findlay

When family and friends ask me about my academic path at Penn State I, of course, respond “public relations.” Yet, it is almost always clear when they are unsure of what I am talking about. When trying to boil it down to phrases such as image management, deliberate messaging and maintaining relationships with the publics, it still sometimes is not clear to those who are completely unfamiliar with the industry.

Back when Bernays developed the idea of propaganda and public relations in the 1920s, initially put into action with the “torches of freedom,” he defined the profession as “a management function, which tabulates public attitudes, defines the policies, procedures and interests of an organization…followed by executing a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.” Almost 100 years later, the Public Relations Society of America voted on a definition that states, “public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

Over the course of several decades, the ultimate goal of public relations has not changed very much, yet the strategies and tactics used to execute it effectively are constantly transforming. This progression of public relations has truly made it difficult to put into a few short words when describing the profession to those who are unfamiliar.

I have found that it is far easier to explain the functionality of a public relations professional by explaining the settings in which they work in, the skills needed and their purpose in the various paths that their careers may take them. With this in mind, I decided to organize the field into two categories: corporate and agency.

My past professional experiences include working for Coyne PR and Coburn Communication, two communications-focused agencies. There, I was supporting teams juggling many clients. This summer, I have brought my agency skills onto the client-side at Comcast Corporation, where the singular “client” I am responsible for is Comcast’s own Xfinity consumer products. After thinking deeply into the comparison between the two roles that function similarly at the surface level, there are also many aspects that differentiate greatly. So, now when sharing with an individual unfamiliar with the exciting field of public relations and how it works, these are the key points that I proceed to make:

Bachelor’s degree(s) vs. Ph.D.

I was once told by an experienced professional some wise words along the lines of, “while working in-house will allow you to get a Ph.D. in one singular industry and/or product, you will have multiple bachelor’s degrees across the wide array of clients you touch while at an agency.” In corporate PR, you are the expert. In an agency, you typically know a ‘little’ bit about a lot.

Jack of all trades

Agency life is fast-paced and full of unpredictable tasks and responsibilities. Not to say that corporate PR is slow and boring (it most definitely is not), but you are expected to wear many different hats and have a large toolkit when working for a company that has its hand in several different industries (rather than just one) all at once. When working on the client-side you are typically tasked with responsibilities that more closely align with one another.

Time tracking

A key logistical component of the comparison between corporate and agency – time tracking. In corporate PR, 100% of your work is put toward your company’s objectives, goals and products. However, in agency PR one could potentially touch four different clients in one day. Therefore, it is important, for the financial sake of the agency, that you are always aware of how long you work on each client every day so that your company is credited the appropriate monetary value for your time and efforts.

Buying into the product…or the people?

What does any typical corporation have to sell? Products and services. What do public relations agencies have to sell? Its people. The people are the foundation of success in any agency. Agency employees are basically selling their ideas and creativity while helping their client try to sell their product or service. Therefore, it is particularly important to be personable, relatable and trustworthy when working at an agency. You are essentially the product of your company.

The clock is ticking

Working to constantly please an external group of professionals is not an easy task. In an agency, you are constantly responsible for making the client happy, and in some ways, the phrase “people pleaser” may, in fact, be appropriate. With this being said, you’re running on their schedule. What if the client needs a draft by 2 p.m.? Skip lunch. What if a media list needs to be aggregated by tomorrow morning? Stay late tonight. What if that presentation next week is falling behind? No summer Friday. Extra sacrifices must be made when working more so for people and (maybe) not so much for product sales. In corporate PR, you have far more control over what needs to be done and by when.

Adapting to culture

Work culture is everything – especially if you are in PR. Agency life is unquestionably more vibrant and tends to attract younger professionals, while the corporate side is typically more buttoned-up and traditional. Each is extremely exciting, in my opinion, but both sides of the industry are not for everyone. Typically, in a PR professional’s younger years they tend to be more attracted to agency life, then proceed to move to the client-side to “settle down” into a traditional nine to five (ish) career.

Climbing the totem poll

Agency life and corporate life function differently in regard to promotion frequency from what I have observed in my professional experience thus far. Traditionally, it is common for agency employees to get promoted each year. As one continues to get promoted, the promotions occur less often, of course. In a corporate role, employees almost always work for over one year in one role (at least two to three) and promotions happen less frequently than the entry-level-focused roles in an agency. However, responsibility in each role within a corporate environment seems to carry more weight. This is simply because of the structure in the different types of organizations.

These various real-life situations allow me to exemplify and educate those around me on the different ways in which PR folks contribute to the workforce. Comparing and contrasting the reality between agency and corporate explains the different paths that professionals within the field can pursue. In the coming months and years, it is my hope that more and more people learn about public relations and the extensive effect we have in every single industry and organization worldwide. As Bill Gates, principal founder of Microsoft, once said, “If I was down to my last dollar, I would spend it on PR.”