Elise Mitchell × Kazutake Hiramatsu (Part 2): What Does It Take to Become a Top Player in the PR 3.0 Era?

Following on from the first part, Ms. Elise Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell Communications Group, a leader in the American PR industry, and Mr. Kazutake Hiramatsu, Director of Dentsu Inc. iPR, exchanged opinions on the latest PR trends in the United States.

The Growing Importance of "Always On Communication"

Hiramatsu: Listening to Mr. Mitchell, I strongly feel that PR needs to be redefined in Japan as well. As I mentioned earlier, the goal of PR has traditionally been to gain media exposure. We call this PR 1.0. Then, around 1995, the term "strategic PR" emerged. This is a method of creating an atmosphere that makes people want to talk about products and services through PR before launching an advertising campaign. This is PR 2.0.
However, with the spread of social media, everyone now uses digital devices such as PCs, tablets, and smartphones to search for information in real time and to disseminate information themselves. At the same time, companies are also beginning to trend toward becoming media outlets themselves by disseminating information on their own media. In this situation, the importance of "Always On Communication" is increasing. In other words, it is necessary to communicate with consumers constantly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Starting with social listening, gain consumer insights, then use those insights to create content that strengthens engagement with consumers. As a result, communities form, and fans of a particular product or service start discussing it extensively on social media. We define PR 3.0 as a new form of communication that rapidly cycles through a PDCA process of social listening to the voices of that community and deepening insights. We believe this will become a major area of PR activities going forward. PR 1.0 and 2.0 will not necessarily disappear, but as a trend, PR 3.0 is likely to significantly change the very concept of PR in Japan and the business landscape.

Mitchell: I agree with your view of PR 3.0. As Mr. Hiramatsu said, I believe that the fundamental aspects of PR will continue to have a raison d'être. Our primary role is to help strengthen the relationship between brands and consumers. The next step is to further enhance the brand's reputation. Ultimately, the goal is to achieve business results, namely sales. I believe this overall scheme will remain unchanged. However, there is no doubt that traditional PR will continue to be necessary in areas such as crisis management and media relations.

The importance of spokespersons in overseas PR strategies

Hiramatsu: In Japan, there are an increasing number of clients who want to expand their PR overseas. I believe Mitchell Communications also works with Japanese clients. Have you noticed anything through your work?

Mitchell: Japanese products and services are well known for their excellence, so overseas consumers have a very high level of interest in them. However, I think it's a wise choice for Japanese companies to invest in PR first before promoting their products and services in overseas markets. Even within the broad category of "overseas," consumers vary greatly depending on the local market in each country. Even in the United States, consumer trends differ by state and even by region and community within a state, so I believe investing in PR is essential to gain a deeper understanding of the target consumers.
Additionally, securing local talent to serve as spokespersons for your products and services in overseas markets is something you should definitely consider. You absolutely need people who can communicate directly with local consumers, especially potential influencers, in their native language and consistently convey your brand message. Their presence significantly strengthens the "connection" between your company/brand, the community, and consumers. Securing such talent is not that difficult. All you need to do is use a company like ours that can help you secure and train such talent.

Hiramatsu: Mr. Mitchell's remarks make it clear that PR is about managing relationships with all stakeholders. This directly impacts the client's reputation. Designing news based on facts and turning it into a story contributes to branding. Mitchell Communications has provided solutions through spokespersons and influencers as one such method. For Japanese companies to do business overseas, it seems necessary to team up with companies like Mitchell Communications that are well versed in the local consumers, media, and other stakeholders.

Furthermore, considering that we live in an era where information spreads across national borders, it is also important to make sufficient investments in digital as part of global strategies. The iPR Bureau also offers various solutions, such as utilizing influencers on social media, content marketing, and real-time marketing. In the field of global PR, we would like to increase our best practices through increased collaboration with Mitchell Communications.

Providing maximum value to clients as a group of communication experts

Hiramatsu: We now have a large network called Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network, which includes many teams with various capabilities. How do you think we can collaborate with these people to provide the best solutions for our clients?

Mitchell: I believe that by working together, we can provide even greater power to our clients. At Mitchell Communications, we have a long-standing philosophy of working as a "team of experts," meaning a group of specialists. We assemble teams of the most talented people according to the client's needs. The participating experts may include not only PR specialists, but also various other specialists in advertising, media, digital, and creative fields. The team works together as one, listening sincerely to the client's needs and providing the best solution. I believe that by working together as one and creating synergy, we can provide the greatest value to our clients. Looking at competing network agencies, even though they are sister agencies, there is still competition between them. Our network should not be like that; we should be partners who work together as one team.

Hiramatsu: In the new realm of PR that iPR Bureau is aiming for, namely the world of PR 3.0, we want the Dentsu Group to become a top player globally and provide the best solutions to our clients through collaboration with various companies in the Dentsu Aegis Network, including Mitchell Communications. Thank you very much.