Public relations executives fought for years to earn their place in the C-suite. That fight for credibility and respect has taken on a new dimension, as advertising and marketing — two disciplines long grounded in measurement — are converging with public relations through the “integrated” approach to communications that is increasingly common. Senior management speaks the language of metrics, and public relations professionals will need to be quantitative and measurement-savvy to remain vital for their organizations.

Continue reading " Measurement Standards at the Global Business Level "

Many challenges face public relations today — distrust of business, economic uncertainty, and a new media environment driven by Web 2.0 technologies and social media. As if that’s not enough, a recently released Gallup poll shows that consumers have lost confidence in print and broadcast news — posing what may be the greatest challenge to our industry. And, it’s one born not of technology, but of simple economics.

Despite best efforts to offer factual, objective and timely information to the media, what can you do when your audience no longer believes what they hear?

For consumers, news is never farther away than the smart phone on their waist or the hotspot around the corner. Bombarded 24/7 with news, analysis and commentary, it’s no wonder that media is more fragmented and segmented than ever before. In this morass of news coverage, media channels are in constant competition for the audiences who drive their ratings and bottom line. So, to keep their viewers, readers, advertisers and corporate management happy, media outlets need to focus on appealing to, rather than informing, the audience.

Continue reading " Public Relations’ Role in Navigating Polarized Media "

It’s remarkable how quickly time passes in today’s hyper-frenetic world.

Though it seems like just yesterday, it was in January of 2009 that PRSA started publishing PRSAY. It was the second blog to be launched by PRSA, following the introduction of our professional development blog, ComPRehension, in September of 2007.

We created PRSAY in response to research that showed strong member interest in new ways of communicating and exchanging ideas with PRSA leaders. But after 15 months of publishing PRSAY, we realized that the blog has come to serve multiple roles — part PRSA news vehicle, part industry commentator and part celebrant of people, places and things — without ever fully realizing its intended purpose.

Continue reading " The Evolution of PRSAY "

Ask a public relations professional, “What do you do for a living?” and you may get as many different answers as there are practice specialties and organizational settings. Ironically, defining the discipline can be nearly as tough as combating the persistent stereotypes that denigrate its value and reputation.

To foster more accurate and better-informed perceptions surrounding the value and roles of public relations, PRSA today rolled out “The Business Case for Public Relations™.” This advocacy campaign, which was created with input from senior industry leaders, is intended to drive industry recognition and growth by helping professionals in the field educate key stakeholders about public relations’ functions and outcomes, demonstrate its strategic value and enhance its reputation.

Continue reading " Building a Case for Public Relations "

PRSA officially unveiled its new  Web site , which is something we’ve been eagerly anticipating for more than a year now. Redesigned with the help of extensive member input, the new site is clean, modern and presents information in fresh and easily accessible ways. You should find it a welcome change from our previous site.

What benefits does the redesign offer you?  First, the new site architecture makes it easier to find news, information and learning resources, as well as other PRSA members. Updated navigation categories and submenus are now more logical, context-specific and interconnected; for example, we integrated three previously distinct member directories, so it will be quicker and easier to find someone — or be found.

Continue reading " The New PRSA.org "