Just shift your perspective a bit, and yes, that's already the world of PR.

More relaxed, more straightforward. But what if we could amplify PR value with just a little extra essence? I'd like to explore this idea with all of you.

Come to think of it, what exactly is "strategic PR" anyway?

The term "strategic PR" started circulating around 2009. It sounds familiar yet elusive—like there's no clear answer. In English, it's "Strategic PR." But if you casually use this term overseas with foreigners, you'll get snapped at: "Strategic PR? What kind of expression is that? PR without strategy is impossible to begin with! What are you talking about, Japanese person!" Well, that's true. Sure, sometimes we do routine work that doesn't require much thinking, but usually, we PR folks are constantly thinking things through. Of course, I'm no exception—my brain's always in overdrive. Well, sometimes I get that look that says, "This guy isn't thinking at all (- -#)"...

Then, this past June, when I published "The Essence of Strategic PR: Five Perspectives for Practice," I kept thinking, "Huh, what exactly is strategic PR in a nutshell?" And honestly, I couldn't quite nail it down myself. So, I started asking various people, "What do you think strategic PR fundamentally is?" And again, it was ten people, ten colors – everyone had a different take. Well, this won't do! Absolutely won't do! So, I decided to first present my own definition to the world. Of course, there will be various opinions on this definition, so I'll leave that for separate discussion forums. In this column, I aim to get to the core of "strategic PR itself" by introducing the "essence of strategic PR" seen in everyday situations – things like "Oh, so that's also a thing?" or "Hmm, that makes sense." Well, I suppose so."

The Essence of Strategic PR
¥1,260 (tax included) / Asahi Shimbun Publications

"Could you please explain difficult terms as clearly as possible?"

By the way, this is a slight digression, but the thing I was most careful about when writing this book was "not to write in a pretentious way." As it is, new terms are constantly emerging in this industry, especially in marketing and digital fields. Sometimes during presentations, you can't even tell what language they're speaking, right? Speaking of which, I had a moment of realization during a recent meeting with a young female client.

"I'm not very knowledgeable, so could you please use simpler terms going forward?" she pleaded. Thinking, "Alright, alright, this old man will use gentle words..." I replied, "Where exactly? What part is unclear? I'll explain it thoroughly and carefully~" Then she said, "Um... here, 'PR is fact-based. By multiplying those facts with individual consumer benefits, we build stories that foster consumer engagement with the company. We then adjust this communication design using a PESO*1 media mix of Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media...' That part is hard to understand..." she pointed out... "Whoa! How embarrassing (blushing)"—that's what I instantly thought, honestly. Just imagine someone reading this out flat-faced to you. It totally exposed how I'd been stringing together vague buzzwords to create a "sort of" conversation vibe. "Whoa, I was bragging about this??" ... Ugh, I want to forget it. Wish it never happened. Is there a hole somewhere? A hole to hide in. Eek.

So, here we go: "Shinmeikai 'Strategic PR'". More relaxed, more straightforward. But could we amplify PR-like value (ah, meaning informational value. Phew, I just can't help using those katakana words) with just a little essence? That's what I want to explore with you all. Since I'm fundamentally a bit haphazard, this will be an irregular series, so please bear with me. First up, I'd like to share my personal take on some recent Cannes Lions award winners—not limited to the PR category, but evaluated through a PR lens. Stay tuned.

※1 Refers to the collective term for Paid Media, Earned Media, Shared Media, and Owned Media