Got Skills?

Earlier this year, Statista surveyed nearly 900 marketing professionals from across the globe to determine the must-have skills for those working – or looking to work – in the public relations industry.
And the top vote getter was neither (as one might assume) communications nor writing. It wasn’t media relations either. Or even social media.
According to the respondents, the most valued skill PR people need have today is strategic planning.
At first I was surprised by the results, but in thinking about it, our team serves each of our clients as more than just a media relations, social media and/or even content creation agency. We serve, first and foremost, as the strategic right hand (or, left hand, in my case) to our clients. We serve as their partners, tying marketing communications functions to business and brand goals.
Another surprise – media buying fell to dead last in the survey. And while many teams – ours included – do offer media buying services, it was refreshing to see that the public relations function is clearly not defined by advertising. The two functions are powerful when applied together in a deliberate, dynamic manner, but they are two different things.
Take a look at the full results here, and chime in if you find anything that surprises you.