'Great PR campaigns aren't all about the creative ... now you need data analysis skills'

Mandy Pearse is a CIPR Fellow with over 30 years’ experience in PR and marketing. A former CIPR President (2021), she has spent much of her career working in the public sector, leading in-house communications for organisations such as Plymouth and Exeter City Councils. Having founded her company Seashell Communications in 2012, Mandy also works as a consultant and trainer, as well as speaking at conferences on data, research and campaigns. 

Her CIPR courses aim to equip comms professionals with the practical skills and strategic thinking needed to tackle challenges such as social media and data-driven comms. (Page down for details of how you can train with Mandy.)

In this interview, Mandy talks about the growing corporate expectation for PR professionals to be data analysts, the importance of planning and critical thinking, and how delegates on her courses are encouraged to share their ideas.

I’ve noticed many comms pros are struggling with their campaigns recently. The challenge [for them] is around delivering high-quality campaigns and effectively evaluating impact. Social media management presents another big challenge: how PR professionals can optimise channels and audiences to ensure organic content creates an impact. 

PR professionals are increasingly expected to be data analysts. Bosses are reading that AI can do miracles with large datasets and are expecting them to use data. The problem is many PR people don’t have the data basics. 

There’s a common misconception in PR that great campaigns are all about the creative. It’s not. Instead, it’s about pairing the creative spark with solid planning and evaluation. 

Too many people in the industry are increasingly believing AI will do all the work. But people will still need to understand the evidence, do the critical thinking and check the outputs. 

Managing social media also presents challenges. It involves continually-shifting algorithms that increasingly favour paid promotion and advertising over the organic content which PR people typically rely on. 

My advice for delegates attending my courses? Lived experience is important... PR work always has and always will be rooted in evidence and real-world experience. There are no shortcuts. 

My courses should be fun! There’ll be a mix of presentation, data, case studies, group exercises and discussions. People should come happy to share ideas, ask questions and get to work with other delegates.

Sign up for one of Mandy Pearse's upcoming training courses

Social Media Management
Wednesday 16 September

Stakeholder Engagement
Thursday 26 November

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Further reading

How a CIPR trainer helps PR professionals tackle today's biggest communications challenges.

Mandy is also co-author of Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns: A strategic approach (2024) with Anne Gregory.