A couple of months ago I read an article about a new franchise called PR Store in Inc. Magazine. I read a less positive article about the same franchise a little bit later. This stirred up in me the concept of communications tools being available to all. PR Store’s concept is that everyone, not just the guys who can afford to spend tons on money on it, should utilize the tools of Public Relations in their everyday business plans, and be able to do so at a reasonable price. Too often PR is seen as a luxury method of reaching and shaping audiences’ perceptions, and it is rarely thought of as a standard or cost effective method for small and many medium sized companies.
I believe in the PR Store philosophy. The counterpoint to this sunny idealism is that when you start taking a business service that is considered an “art form,” such as: public relations, marketing, copywriting, advertising and graphic design, and begin to sell it as a bargain basement product, minus the (costly) creative process and the planning involved in high quality business services, you are stripping the service of its value. It is somehow “cheapening,” lowering the art form and diluting the talent pool.
I can see how this might tug at one’s heart. Especially when a communications professional has spent years developing their personal skills, making contacts and honing their practical skills. This sort of commoditizing of art forms happens all the time, and with it comes, yep, mediocre versions of the original form of art.
I say so what. There is a version appropriate for everyone. And God Bless America that for every business need there is a product/service scrambling to fill that need, no matter what the price or market. Yes it stinks that the “art” of what you or I might do for a living is now being be done for a lot cheaper by folks with possibly a lot less experience and skill, but if it means the possibility of extending and extolling the virtues of communications services to more businesses in more markets, I say yay, let there be marketing, copywriting, advertising, graphic design and PR for all…
What do you think?
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