‘PR isn’t an afterthought’: TBWA’s new agency approach
As agencies’ boundaries continue to blur, Mumbrella’s Abigail Dawson speaks to TBWA Sydney’s new leadership team on how they successfully melded creative, strategy and PR into one cohesive offering.
TBWA Sydney has been implementing a new integrated agency model where creative, strategy and public relations have been consolidated to work as one department, with TBWA Sydney’s managing director Nitsa Lotus arguing public relations is no longer an afterthought.
Lotus says the group’s PR brands Eleven and FleishmanHillard, and TBWA’s creative department has been consolidated to “one creative department” with PR being involved in creative pitches from the initial brief.
Matt Springate: chief strategy officer, Paul Bradbury: chief executive officer, Nitsa Lotus: managing director, Andy DiLallo: chief creative officer
PR has not been an ‘afterthought’ for 50 years. I’m glad the good folk at TBWA have eventually caught up.
‘Groundbreaking’
Unfortunately Chris, in my experience, for most brands, for significant creative development, PR has been a bit of an afterthought. I have always thought PR should be on the creative/planning floor as well as the boardroom. Good luck TBWA
I love the ego of advertising when it claims “no one is anywhere near us” despite not really knowing what is out there aside what they do. Big part of agency problem – complete restrictive thinking around what the job actually is.
Glad to see the advertising world catching up. PR should never be an afterthought. The phrase “Let’s PR that!” has always been a red flag for me. PR is not a verb. When utilised in this way, it often becomes nothing more than a collection of ego-stroking headlines. Instead, PR is a powerful strategic discipline that combines data, human insight, creativity and storytelling to truly drive a brand’s ability to connect with its target audience and drive desired behaviours.