The PESO model

PESO is a framework for planning how an organisation uses different forms of media to achieve its goals and execute an integrated campaign. It stands for Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned. It was devised by Gini Dietrich

PESO illustrates the relationship between forms of media as four overlapping circles.

Paid media: an investment in distribution of owned assets or creative

Paid media is becoming a mainstream area of public relations practice. Influencers, algorithms and amplification are all compelling reasons for paid integration. Search and social media algorithms are throttled so that organisations have to pay to maximise the reach of content. Practitioners have a high level of control outcomes thanks to planning and predictive analytics.

Examples include print and television advertisements; search keywords; ads and promoted social media content (see shared); and paid influencer content.

wilko examples include print and television advertisements; search keywords; ads and promoted/sponsored social media content; and paid influencer content.

Shared: pushing content through owned social channels; typically also requires paid

Shared or social forms of media are the networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. They may also be messaging platforms such as iMessenger or WhatsApp. There’s typically a moderate level of control over outcomes but the addition of paid media helps improve effectiveness.

Examples include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

wilko use Facebook and Instagram for bonding content and customer communications. LinkedIn is a channel currently used to promote wilko.jobs. Twitter is no longer used for promoting the brand but is used as a customer support tool.

Owned: brand media and community relationships; requires long term investment

This describes any content and channel over which an organisation has complete control. It includes apps, email, marketing communication collateral and websites. If an organisation has invested in building a community with its stakeholders it can be highly effective, and there is a high level of control over outcomes.

wilko run regular email campaigns and a website at wilko.com The business also have an app which is currently only used for Internal Communication with its team members.

How to apply the PESO framework in practice

PESO is a useful tool for planning how an organisation uses different forms of media to achieve its goals and execute an integrated campaign. It is typically applied as part of a campaign plan as a menu of media with each format aligned to a variety of objectives and outcomes. But that underplays the value of the framework.