In 2014, thanks to a small book called “Spin Sucks”, the PESO model of strategic planning for marketing communications was officially launched. Changes in the communications industry have reflected the evolution of this model. As part of the celebration of the model’s 10th anniversary, the author of the PESO model, Gini Dietrich, and her team presented its updated version.
Evolution of the PESO model
From the very beginning, the PESO model was designed to combine both paid publications and paid advertising, as well as generated publications, social media posts, etc. These are paid communication channels (Paid media), free publications generated in the media or earned channels (Earned media), as well as publications on social networks (Shared) and in own corporate media, own platforms (Owned media). The model has undergone significant changes in recent years to reflect new trends and challenges in the industry.
PESO model in 2020
Updated PESO graphics
Thus, one of the major changes was to reflect a strategic approach to the model. The new version emphasizes the expected results from using and sharing each type of media. This includes such aspects as trust, distribution, storytelling, reaching the target audience and others.
Adding E-E-A-T in the center
Meanwhile, the most significant change in the updated model is the special emphasis on such criteria as experience, expertise, authority and trust (E-E-A-T). This reflects the importance of building trust and authority in today’s environment where authenticity and quality of content are critical.
Change in Paid media
Paid posting and advertising are still about generating traffic, leads, fans, etc. The creators of the model expanded this block to include marketing communications, such as influencer marketing and event marketing, since they overlap with Paid media, and also separated lead generation into a separate subcategory.
Changes to Earned media
The biggest change in the Earned media category is that getting free publications from journalists and bloggers is only one aspect. The model also added publications from news anchors on the TikTok platform, relationships with influencers, interaction with journalists on platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit, as well as review sites. This category also includes recommendations, word of mouth, relationships with bloggers, investors and influencers, and review sites.
Changes to Shared media
Shared media has also changed and now includes reviews, forums, mentions, private social networks and messengers (such as WhatsApp, Slack and Discord), YouTube Shorts, Instagram and TikTok. monitoring social networks, etc.
Changes to Owned media
This channel has expanded to include blogs, websites, podcasts, video, live streaming, storytelling, brand journalism, internal communications, search generative experiences, and generative artificial intelligence.
PESO model in 2024
The future of the PESO model
In the future, the PESO™ model will continue to evolve and the model’s authors expect greater integration with AI, increased importance of content authenticity, the emergence of new media platforms and increased analytics and performance measurement.
Thus, the PESO™ model continues to be a key tool for strategic planning and execution of communication tasks, providing flexibility and adaptability to changes in the industry.
