You're a PR Major? Is that like marketing? What do you do?

By: Simone Kramer, Account Supervisor

Four years ago, I decided to enter BU as a journalism major. I knew I wanted to study communications, since it’s a field necessary for all industries. I never had a specific calling, except the fact that I enjoyed studying the humanities and loved to learn. It was important for me to find a career where I could let my curiosity shine. 

I’d heard whisperings about what PR was, through friends and TV shows, and, in my head, it seemed like a subset of advertising or marketing. I never had any interest in exploring it further – that was until the mass communications unit of Boston University’s COM 101. Dr. Arunima Krishna was the professor for that topic, and she started it off by debunking every stereotype I had ever heard. After finishing the unit, I remember telling my mom I wanted to declare a double major in journalism and PR. The rest is history. 

With that all said, what actually is PR, and how does it work? What does it look like to study it? 

According to the Public Relations Society of America, “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

Instead of marketing tangible items or generating sales, PR focuses on relationship-building and garnering positive sentiments and reputations. When a company decides to launch a campaign or product, the public should already have a favorable view of it and be excited to support the new venture. 

This is not to say PR practitioners don’t learn about what it’s like to work on specific campaigns and one-time projects – but they focus more on building long-term relationships with audiences. A key way PR professionals do this is to form connections with those they trust, like influencers and journalists. 

One class I remember very well is media relations, which I took with Professor Kelley Chunn. In this course, we spent time crafting media lists, pitch letters, and press releases to send to the media. She emphasized the importance of targeting reporters with niche audiences that clients could connect with. Thus, in the long run, their reputations will be strong.

PR is useful for any industry, which is why there is such a plethora of classes on different topics. This is also shown with the client variety in PRLab. My client is PRSA (Public Relations Society of America), which is a nonprofit professional organization. Others include Ben & Jerry’s, DexaScan, and Artbox. 

PR does not have to be the glamorous, cut-throat environment we see it portrayed as in TV shows and movies. It is often purpose-driven, behind-the-scenes work that might go unnoticed, but is absolutely essential to the success of so many organizations. 

Throughout my time in the PR department, I’ve learned that PR is about so much more than making a company look good. It’s about communicating succinctly and ethically with audiences, giving them unparalleled transparency, and doing so with kindness.

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About the Author:

Simone Kramer is the account supervisor for the PRSA Boston team, and this is her second semester in PRLab. As a senior, she’ll graduate this May with a double major in public relations and journalism. She loves traveling, spending time outside, and trying fun recipes.