As I surf marketing industry blogs I see much discussion about the new economy and new agency business models. I’m shocked that I haven’t heard the topic of client collaboration discussed at all. It has been a critical part of the STIR business model and our success in this economy. What is client collaboration? It entails the fusion of agency and client resources to produce efficiencies. It often takes the form of coordinating the creative, digital, PR and promotional staffs of both entities on the same campaigns. Readers of this who are not agency veterans may not realize what an innovative step this is, because it sounds like simple common sense. Our industry has long harbored the unfortunate stance that client side talent was somehow inferior – they’re “dumb,” unenlightened and an obstacle to good work. As a result, communication between teams generally feels awkward and strained, which leads to critical evaluations of agency work.

If you are going to call yourself a marketer today, you’ll need a strong grasp of what Public Relations can do. If you think PR is becoming a thing of the past, you couldn’t be more wrong. In the big picture PR is an absolute essential messaging channel for brand development and product marketing. Virtually every campaign in any medium requires a PR component to achieve success. Social marketing is not pushing PR out. It’s not said much, but the real secret to a strong social media campaign is a PR jolt to tap into a more significant audience. Social media needs PR and visa versa.

I’d like to lay out a case for why you need to get on-board with promotions.  The great evolution of digital media integration that we have witnessed recently creates many opportunities for companies and marketers.  Those enhanced opportunities are not just about outbound advertising impressions; they’re about interaction and engagement with customers.  And engagement is about promotion. A strong promotion needs to become central in your thinking about marketing and a part of every marketing plan.