Courtney LukitschA timely topic in the realm of both marketing and media relations is the increasingly dominant role of creative leadership in PR. At a moment where the public relations industry as a whole continues to expand, and our collective purview increases to include active brand reputation building on an hourly basis, we now manage visual print, digital, social and broadcast media within a 24/7 media culture, hungry for new creative content.

The possibilities are limitless, how best to harness creative assets and talent to achieve optimal results within this new climate as a PR leader? Much has been written and promoted as late on the topic of leadership.

The New York Times recent piece about cultivating leaders of consequence titled Can You Learn to Lead? illustrates that this is now being taught at top universities and business schools.

Are leaders made or born? The answer to that question may only be answered through successful examples of brands that uniquely embrace the tools that new media has to offer their PR practitioner.

But do PR firms fully assume this creative leadership opportunity? It’s a matter of debate. The question most clients will ask at an initial meeting is how creativity can be leveraged to drive their business. The next question that follows is invariably how to measure and harness business success.

The ‘4Ps’ of leadership -- purpose, principles, people and process -- have been assigned to PR practitioners to take this uniquely complex creative set of skills and run with it past the goal line.

These include but are not limited to hourly client-side services such as visual and written brand building, reputation management, media relations across thousands of platforms, event planning and production, internal communications and meeting coordination, troubleshooting and problem solving, plus community relations.

PR ResponsibilitiesIs that all you might ask? Why no, it is not. Business development, creative partnership building and strategic industry relations all come under the PR leadership umbrella of duties as well.

The Harvard Business Review studied this polemic within multiple companies to determine the leadership skills needed at every level within an organization required to reach this creative nadir in tandem with an agency, rather than outsourcing it all together, as can often be the case.

Consistent with this idea, PR practitioners are no exception to the professional positions in need of creative leadership. The PR industry as a whole arguably requires this leadership style considering the immensely varied needs of the clients and constantly shifting media landscape.

With analytics, behavioral insights, experiential and social media all moving in on traditionally earned media in the realms of print and broadcast, the PR leader becomes a galvanizing resource. Bringing this discussion to the forefront also means that PR firms must necessarily evolve in the near term.

For more insight into visual media and the evolving media landscape from a creative PR standpoint, Gotham PR published this piece in PR Insider last summer, which has proven to be quite prescient: Visually Promoting the Client's Global Brand Story.

As strong media relations and brand outreach become increasingly relevant in the business world, PR professionals will continue to pursue the highest standards in creative leadership, while adapting to the pressing new needs and related skillsets in global business.

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Courtney Lukitsch is Principal & Founder of Gotham Public Relations with offices in New York & London.