5 common myths about technology PR
By Tristan
Like most walks of life, the humble technology PR pro (although the use of the term ‘pro’ suggests perhaps we’re not so humble) is subject to fairly widespread misinterpretation about what it is we actually do. Shows like Sex in the City and
It’s fluffy; like all PR
The PR industry in general is notoriously regarded as one of the ‘fluffier’ career paths, and technology PR is no different. Of course, I can’t shed much light on the realities in other fields of PR, but having heard tales of fashion folks who work 20+ hour days during fashion week, I’m fairly certain it’s not any fluffier on their side of the fence. I should point out here that nine hour days thankfully tend to be sufficient in the technology PR field; since it’s unlikely anyone’s going to be up at 2am writing about the latest innovation in helpdesks or hosted services; no matter how ground-breaking they are. There are of course some ‘fluffy’ aspects to the job, but overall, it’s much the same as any office-based job when it comes down to it.
Tech PRs don’t get technology
To an extent, this one seems to be largely driven by our counterparts in journalism. Unfortunately, I suspect that sometimes they have a point; there probably are some out there who are doing PR for technologies they don’t really understand; and it’s easy to see why they’d be mocked for such ignorance. But many of us (and certainly we at Spark) take a real pride in having a solid understanding of our clients’ technology and the industry they’re operating in. It wouldn’t be possible to do our job without this understanding; you can’t tell a compelling story about a company without being able to speak the same language.
Technology PR people are geeky
Technology has always had a bit of a stigma surrounding it, so naturally there’s a bit of a perception out there that people who work at a technology PR agency are of course indomitable geeks who can’t get enough (gadgets I mean). Whilst that may be the case for one or two, certainly in my own experience we’re about as diverse a group as you can get. Most technology PRs (and technology journalists for that matter) that I’ve met have ended up on the career path more by default than intention. It seems to be more of an analytical mind-set (and an admittedly slightly odd and often warped sense of humour) rather than fawning over technology that makes a technology PR.
It’s all about the perks
You might assume that since all our clients are technology companies, we’re overloaded with freebies. And when you imagine those freebies; you’re picturing iPhones, tablets and wall-shaking home entertainment systems right? It saddens me to say that this isn’t the case; maybe since we focus on enterprise technology PR, rather than consumer technology, so our clients deal with cloud services and Big Data applications rather than mobiles and tablets. Of course, there are some freebies, but these tend to be more along the lines of squishy cloud-shaped stress relievers and branded pens. Which are lovely of course, but not quite the same as what you may be imagining.
Technology PR is glamorous
Following on from my above point, you’d be forgiven for being under the impression that since many technology firms are based in Silicon Valley and with trade shows taking place in all manner of exotic locations that the life of a technology PR is all about globe-trotting and general awesomeness. Again, this is sadly a misconception. Certainly in the two years I’ve been working in the industry, the furthest afield I’ve ventured for work is the East Midlands. That said; there is a lot to be said for being based in London, so it’s not all bad. Think we knock back a few glasses of Champagne every Friday? Nope. Technology PR people are fairly normal when all’s said and done; we’d much rather have a few cold beers, or maybe some Gin if we’re feeling a bit posh. Best not to mention the WKD.
So that’s a good measure of what technology PR isn’t; but what is it then? As jobs go, it’s definitely one of the more challenging and rewarding that I can think of. The sheer variety of tasks and the need to balance a number of priorities for different clients at any given time is in itself a real challenge; so it’s ideal for those of us who like to be kept on our toes. There’s also a real buzz in taking a complex issue and technology and translating it into a fundamental story that anyone can understand. You might think all this sounds a bit stressful (and of course it is at times), but it’s also incredibly rewarding when everything’s running like a well-oiled machine; the top-notch coverage is coming in, and everyone’s happy. It’s certainly not the fifth most stressful job in the world as some have suggested; it’s not as though lives are at stake!