Shelby’s recap of “Why PR Practioners Should Embrace PESO” – Heidi Otway, APR, CPRC

By: Shelby Isaacson – Central West Coast Chapter (IG @grateful_gal FB @ShelbyIsaacson)

“Why PR Practioners Should Embrace PESO”

Heidi Otway, APR, CPRC, President, SalterMitchell PR

Walking into the fourth breakout session of my first annual conference I couldn’t help but wonder what else I could possibly take away from today, that was until I attended, “Why every PR practitioner should embrace PESO” with Heidi Otway, APR, CPRC and President of SalterMitchell PR.

To be truly honest I had no idea what PESO stood for, but I can now tell you that PESO is more than a form of currency. It’s actually an acronym for Paid, Earned, Shared andOwned media and can help you create result driven campaigns according to Otway.

The Media Breakdown within the PESO model:

P is for Paid:Social media advertising, sponsorships, strategically placed print and outdoor ads, etc.

E is for Earned: Publicityvia media relations, bloggers, social influencers, investors

S is for Shared: Influencer engagement, responding to detractors, turning detractors into loyalists then into advocates, partnershipswith strategic partners such as charity tie-ins and community service, co-branding with influencers

0 is for Owned: Content created by or on behalf of the client, i.e. expert knowledge, employee stories, third-party validation opportunities, user-generated content, webinars, videos, podcasts, social posts

Otway had discovered this method several years at an annual FPRA conference just like this one, though the method was not labeled as formally, she knew this could be the ticket to winning a big account. When she said that, I couldn’t help but think about the RFP I have been working on. I asked Otway why she started implementing PESO and she explained that it gave her team the chance to really contemplate how they could optimize their approaches.  High-five Otway!

We can all agree contemplation is key to creating a solid plan. As I did just that during this session, I could hear my mother saying, “A goal without a plan is just a wish” and Jan Spence of Jan Spence and Associates who just challenged me in the session prior to “Dare to be different.” Maybe different is just being a better version of what I am already doing, after all I strive to provide a cohesive plan for my clients now. Why wouldn’t I want to implement the PESO model? It helps us spread their message and by upselling additional ideas I can put more money in my pockets. Did someone say, “student loans?” Oh, how I want to pay those babies off!

If that wasn’t enough of a push to run to my computer and start implementing, Otway shared this Gini Dietrich of Spin Sucks quote with the group…

“If you aren’t using the PESO model for your communications work and measuring the meaningful metrics that help an organization grow, you will not have a job in 10 years.”

Yeah, that’s a punch in the gut, but I’m going to take the high road and take this as my “Ah ha” of the day.  In all actuality though, I think most of us are naturally moving towards the PESO model, we just need to stop and take that much needed breath sometimes to consider the bigger picture.