Contributed by PRSA Oregon partner Allen Hall PR,
University of Oregon
The PESO model is a visual representation of the four types of media combined for a successful PR campaign. The model was created by Gini Dietrich who founded and co-authors the blog Spin Sucks and has years of communications industry wisdom under her belt. PESO stands for Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned Media. Each type of media is important to build brand awareness and see results. If all four types of media are created and maintained successfully, according to Dietrich, “it can help you establish authority… [which] means you’re a thought leader.”
Paid media refers to the sponsored content seen online, social media ads and other digital marketing options. This option does not have to break the bank. Set aside a small budget and choose to sponsor a piece of content that represents the brand well. Test out what content works well for your brand and what doesn’t. Eventually, trends will start to show about what is effective, and then more money can be confidently put into these advertisements.
Earned media is the traditional media relations that the PR world has been doing for decades. Getting your brand’s name in print from a third-party source is obviously still an excellent way to build credibility for your brand. With the ever-growing communications field and the dwindling number of journalists, building and maintaining relationships with the press is crucial to success in earned media.
Shared media (which some people combine with owned media) is social media. This is the content that is going on all the brand’s social platforms. To be successful, content needs to be creative, authentic and posted regularly. Brands need to be active on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for starters, be a part of conversations about the industry the brand works in and have a clear and developed brand voice that makes content stand out. Right now on Instagram especially, but also Facebook and Snapchat, stories are where users spend a lot of their time on the apps. Therefore, brands need to be creating content every day that can be added to the brand’s story. Make it interactive with a poll or a question to get users more engaged. Make sure to follow trends and work out how the brand’s voice can contribute to them.
Owned media is content that the brand produces itself. A lot of this media likely resides on the brand’s website. These are things like a blog, a podcast, photo series, stories written by people from the brand, and any other content created in-house that is not on social media. Owned media is where the brand has the most freedom to tell its own story. However, the other three types of media are essential for creating credibility.