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I used to work in creative PR but ended up switching to the ad side. In PR your job is 99% ideating, and very rarely does anything get produced. The ideas are bigger and more fun, but with no money or media plan sometimes it just feels like throwing gold down a well. I think the hours are typically better. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
Not just to clients, I presented countless decks to my CDs too. Decks everywhere, all the time. The design department basically just designed decks.
As a current creative in PR, I can say that all of the answers given are highly accurate. I'll give my largest pro and con since so much else has already been covered.
PRO:
Diversity of projects and creativity. Every brief is wide open. We're not beholden to a specific medium or exection output. It's all about the idea and whatever serves it best.
CON:
PR account folks lack a fundamental understanding of creative. They don't "get" what makes an idea great, understand production, or appreciate craft. The typical response to any idea is "how do we make this easier, faster, and cheaper?" You have to be your own advocate for good work because everyone else is actively fighting against you.
Recently made the switch—albeit after going in house for a few short dark years. I’ve noticed strategy is valued exponentially more than at ad agencies. Lots of decks, but you’re actually being a CREATIVE—is creating, sketching, etc.
Biggest item to note: Most clients will have a production agency as well. This was tough to understand at first. For example, they may get the idea from PR Firm X, who will deliver all of the assets. But then Publicis.Sapient or Momentum etc will build the site and we swoop in for UAT.
Make the switch—do it. I’m so glad I did! Feel free to DM with any specifics.
My perception and my experience has been that PR agencies are constantly making elaborate pitch decks to show what they COULD produce, if only given the budget, only to have their clients say they already have an agency that does creative and production, and giving the PR agency a few cents to continue producing events, reaching out to influencers, and overseeing tiny video shoots.
So accurate. It was infuriating to put in so many hours and pretty much know that it wasn’t going anywhere. I lost count of the number of times it happened.