Which type of boss do you have?

I’m seeing a divergence in the bosses that PR people report to. And this has significant ramifications for your PR future.

Not the direct supervisor, but the chief who allocates resources among different teams at your employer or client. Might be the CMO or VP of Marketing, might be VP of Corp Comm.

Let’s start with the Old School Boss:
– Benefits of media coverage are taken as obvious
– Typically over 40
– Subscribe to NYT or WSJ or regional paper
– Heard of the Buzzfeeds or BizInsiders of the world but doesn’t consume them

And then there’s the New School Boss:
– Challenges media coverage with questions like, “How can we grow fastest?” “What do these media placements do for me?” “Why allocate budget for earned media when we can invest in more predictable advertising like FB and Google?”
– Often 40 or younger
– Graduated college with internet & email, smartphone in hand most of adult life
– Doesn’t usually subscribe to anything print
– Gets news from Google News, Apple News, open to new media brands

Which one do you have? How are you adapting to their point of view?

There are still a LOT of “Old School Bosses” out there. My experience is that more than half of bosses fit most of the criteria. People who work for them are challenged, but not around the core function they fulfill, earned media. There will still be “Old School Bosses” around in 5-10 years.

But their numbers will increasingly dwindle.

The “New School Bosses” are taking over. Either maturing to fill the roles the Old Schoolers vacate by retirement, or even nudging them out. They will be the dominant influence in PR in the next 5-10 years.

So your time to adapt is now. Before you get a new boss who pulls the rug out from underneath you.

That’s why I’ve made the biggest enhancements to the Inner Circle in its nine-year history. We’re still THE place to refine and solidify your pitching expertise. And we also teach you how to integrate your media relations with other marketing disciplines to stay relevant.

Enrollment is now open, but it closes June 6. Check out the updates – and reaction from members – here now.

P.S. You owe it to yourself to stay current on opportunities to grow. Check out what we’re doing inside the Inner Circle.