A Look at the New and Improved PESO Model
The Updated PESO Model from Spin Sucks. Used here on Creative Commons License.
For a lot of us, the PESO model was an important step in the establishment of an identity for the public relations profession, as we shifted from media relations to the wide variety of relationships we foster today. A few facts:
PESO stands for Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned.
It was developed by Spin Sucks and Gini Detrich.
The model provides a best-in-class picture for people who don’t know what we do, or think they do and are wrong. I have used it when speaking to college classes—especially to marketing majors.
As Detrich says:
The role of the communicator is a tough one. Because of politics and Hollywood, most people have an inaccurate perception of what we do. In some cases, we’re seen as party planners with a large network; in others, we’re seen as liars or spin doctors (hence, spin sucks).
So, after several years, they have “refreshed” the model to modernize and reflect what is still a rapidly changing field. The NEW model is pictured above. If you want Gini Detrich’s blog post that fully details the changes made, here it is.
What’s different?
Some of this is cosmetic. You knew Google+ is gone and so is Vine. Hi, TikTok.
To me there are two big-picture changes. First, the new model clarifies the role that each of the P-E-S-O elements play in advancing organizations. (I have re-ordered them here for a more linear progression).
Owned: Brand Narrative
Earned: Credibility
Shared: Distribution
Paid: Grow Reach
These “swim lanes” might seem like a minor refinement, but they support the overall purpose of the PESO Model (or any model), which is to take something huge and identify its parts and how it works. Detrich says that the four elements are the legs of a table, and you need all four of them. The addition of the outcomes makes that clearer and reminds us that strategic communications are communications done for a purpose.
Second, there is a line of text near the title:
Experience, expertise, authority, and trust.
This section is very interesting, because it is how Spin Sucks envisions how we will need to adapt our content for generative AI. She says this:
As AI begins to take over, Google is rushing to remain the leader in search. Recently, they have been on a tear, de-indexing web pages, articles, blog posts, and more all over the web. This is because much of the content on the internet is low-quality, keyword-stuffed, and soulless. All of that content is being moved farrrrr down in search results to make room for content that has a soul.
Beyond the AI angle, I really like the phrase because in our degraded and mistrustful world, these are four elements that we need to retain our stakeholder’s permission to communicate.
Don’t Give Me That “Who Me?” Look
Last point. The PESO model applies to every organization. The old saw was that everyone had a brand. Well, every organization needs authority and credibility, a strong brand story, and to spread the word. It applies to GM. To a small non-profit. And to a local store.
This approach, like Resilient5 is pro-growth. And when seen through a stakeholder relations lens, it prepares any organization for the turbulent times we live in.