The public relations industry is getting a good deal of PR these days, as evidenced by articles and think pieces in publications ranging from The Economist to Advertising Age. The story is that the advertising industry is in the throes of a crisis of confidence, if not identity, while PR, with its protean ability to integrate messages through a variety of platforms, is filling the void.

In seeking clues as to why the PR units of the major advertising holding companies are experiencing rising first quarter gains while revenues at their advertising brethren remain largely stagnant, theories have pointed to greater spending in the health care and tech sectors. A recent Ad Age article posits a more fundamental theory: the traditional silos between PR and marketing are breaking down as clients seek to create more integrated campaigns. Furthermore, in the face of a more media-savvy public and an ever-more cluttered ad environment, marketers are beginning to place higher value on the “earned media” from a PR campaign, as opposed to the paid media of advertising.

While Ad Age’s thesis is sound, we’d like to drill down a bit deeper as to the factors tipping clients’ more favorable reaction to PR.

One of the most significant drivers leading to the rise of PR is the emergence of filtering technologies. Consumers have embraced such digital tools as DVRs, pop-up blockers, spam filters and “do not call” registries, all of which allow them to avoid marketing messages. Conversely, adoption rates for tools that enable the delivery of content, such as RSS feeds, “buddy” lists, customizable news home pages and video on demand are soaring. Most audiences do not want ads, but everyone wants news, information and entertainment.

Now that consumers can control their preferences, it’s clear that a strategic media relations program – leading the overall PR effort – has become indispensable for marketers looking to reach audiences actively seeking credible content.

However, a truly effective media relations campaign must focus on intelligently persuading an independent third party such as journalist, producer or blogger to inform their readers/viewers of the virtues of a brand, product or service. Since digital filters can screen out bogus press releases and manufactured “Word of Mouth” messages as easily as they can filter out ads, legitimate media coverage is the only marketing platform that can deliver true third-party endorsement and credibility.