Recently, I got married to my beloved Laura. As newlyweds, life is great. But like any relationship, it’s a lot of work, a whole lot of give-and-take and, yes, it can be stressful at times.

Hmm … sounds a lot like managing a PR campaign. To continue PRBC’s theme of exploring five ways in which PR is like __________, I thought I’d address the five ways that PR campaigns are like getting married.

1.       Constant stress. No, this isn’t a bad thing, but it does mean that managing a successful PR campaign, much like managing a successful marriage requires constant attention, time and dedication. In other words, you can’t just mail it in. And especially early in the campaign, there will be a lot of loose ends you’re trying to tie together to make sure things run smoothly and no unexpected bumps come along. Just like marriage.

2.       Constant stress. See No. 1. In all seriousness, the reality is that PR campaigns have a lot of moving parts. Schedules to juggle, interviews to arrange, outreach to coordinate, etc. One of the beautiful things about public relations is that it is not one-dimensional. There are multiple layers to every campaign, just like a marriage has years and years of built up understanding, friendship and love between two people that makes it all click.

3.       Talking to people you probably don’t like/won’t like/don’t know. This one is pretty self-explanatory, right? For fear of putting my foot any further into my mouth , I’ll leave it at that.

4.       Both cost a lot of money to execute. Have you seen how much it costs these days to host a wedding? It’s crazy! And try doing it in New York City. You don’t want to know, trust me. Same goes with a successful PR campaign. Between the client’s regular retainer and add-on costs for the campaign, the costs add up fast, which brings on new levels off stress. See Nos. 1 and 2 for more examples.

5.       Potential to get a lot of money back. Weddings are great for many reasons. Great food, fun and time spent with friends and family. But another added benefit is that people give you cash when you get married, which is a beautiful thing. Similarly, if your firm executes a client campaign well, you can expect to reap some benefit. Whether that’s a continuation of the contract, a bonus for you and your colleagues, or just knowledge that, yes, you get to keep your job for a few more months (and thus, earn a bit more cash), successful PR campaigns can have a big pot of gold at the end, just like a great wedding.

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