With 2010 nearly in the rear-view mirror, and thoughts moving ahead to a (hopefully) bright and prosperous 2011, we thought it appropriate to start a new tradition for the PRSay blog of predicting trends within the profession for the year ahead. We turned to our smart and witty Section members and asked them to submit their top-11 predictions. (Thanks to all who submitted their ideas!)
We hope you enjoy their thoughts, and please chime in with your own predictions in the comments below.
For the lay person reading this week’s Economist article about historical shifts in public relations, derisively titled, “Rise of the image men,” it would appear that public relations is viewed as the selfish younger brother or sister of advertising and marketing, desperately grasping at the glory and profits those industries have long enjoyed.
Fortunately, for the well-informed, The Economist’s pessimistic assessment couldn’t be further from the truth. Reality tells us that the profession is far more sophisticated, and delivers considerably more value, than it is often given credit for.
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 "
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’ "
I had an interesting chat yesterday with Lou Capozzi, APR, Fellow PRSA.
Many of you may know Lou from his days as chairman emeritus of Publicis Public Relations and Corporate Communications Group, or as chairman and CEO of MS&L Worldwide. These days, Lou maintains an honorary role as MS&L senior counselor, and is serving as an adjunct instructor in the Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations Department of New York University (NYU) School of Continuing and Professional Studies. He’s also President of the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) Executive Committee.
