Who can honestly say they grew up dreaming of one day landing a job in public relations? While there are exceptions to every rule, the answer is . . . not many.

PR, once viewed as a repository for ex-journalists who had crossed to the “dark side,” is fortunately no longer perceived to be a den of evil. However, the industry has for some time been a transient field that many tend to “fall into” and “out of” — particularly at the junior level.

Continue reading " Attracting the Best and Brightest — Can PR Compete? "

Last weekend (Nov. 13, 2010), The New York Times business section published a fascinating column on the emerging practice of neuromarketing. The column described how the practice uses biometrics and other measuring techniques from neuroscience to evaluate consumers’ perceptions of content, messaging and advertising.

Like other still-emerging practices, neuromarketing presents tremendous opportunities to savvy public relations practitioners and marketers who can envision how its blending of technology, behavioral science and traditional marketing practices might benefit their clients. But like many other emerging technologies and practices, there are inherent risks that may arise if neuromarketing —or similar emerging concepts — is not thoroughly understood, and if its impact and level of influence is not respected by public relations and marketing professionals.

Continue reading " Tread Lightly Before Adopting Untested Tactics "

A recent blog post by Neville Hobson, co-host of the popular industry podcast “For Immediate Release,” discussed an issue that has often been the bane of public relations: e-mail spam. Specifically, Hobson noted how detrimental an apparent increase in the amount of off-topic and unsolicited blast e-mail pitches are having on the perceived value of public relations among reporters, bloggers and the business community.

The post was prompted — in part — by a recent initiative from our friends at the UK-based Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), which has released a Media Spamming Charter, in conjunction with the Public Relations Consultants Association, the Investor Relations Society and supported by the UK’s National Union of Journalists. The Charter is meant to be a guide to CIPR members and the public relations profession on standards of conduct when working with the media and bloggers.

From PRSA’s perspective, this Charter represents a common-sense approach to media relations, and is a valuable reminder for practitioners that interactions and communications with members of the media should be approached in a respectful, genuine and ethical manner.

Continue reading " Reflecting On the ‘Media Spamming Charter’ "

Aristotle is quoted as saying, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” In the world of communications, this philosophy hits the nail on the head. Communications today is a process, not an event. Messages need to be on target and disseminated via multiple channels to be heard and, more importantly, retained. Creating an internal communications program aligns business strategy, generates employee commitment, leverages technology and cultivates actions that engender trust.

In hospitals across the country, a new methodology modeled after the Baptist Health Care System is taking hold. In the book, “The Baptist Health Care Journey to Excellence,” CEO Al Stubblefield outlines four key ingredients to the recipe for excellence.

Continue reading " Excellence in Internal Communications "

I’ve always thought of myself as an optimist who could accomplish anything in life. Optimistic euphoria is a personal addiction that’s hard for me to kick. Of course, throw in a few overly optimistic failures and self-doubt begins to erode confidence and dull the drug. So, one of my secrets to remaining positive has always been to draw inspiration from others who are on the same journey. What’s really cool is I that I didn’t have to look too far this year to find a big source of it.

At the recent PRSA Counselors Academy Conference in Asheville, N.C., I was browsing the conference program to select my next workshop of the day. I ran across an interesting session being presented by my College of Fellows colleague, Elise Mitchell, APR, Fellow PRSA, who is CEO of Mitchell Communications Group in Fayetteville Ark.  Something about the title, “Postcards from Dartmouth,” intrigued me.  Not knowing what I was in for, I entered her “class” and took a seat right up front.

Continue reading " On Inspiration, Optimism and Winning "