The last day, the last hours of the Theory and Issues in PR module. In fact the classes ended on the 24th of March, but from then and until now we had the opportunity to revise everything we have learned during this course and to continue our blogs.
This is my last post for this class but hopefully not for PR profession. And here I would like to sum up what is written in my blog.
Public Relations is the art and science of establishing relationships between a company and its audience. It plays a key role in creating communication channels between these players and in spreading the message across people. such interaction is supposed to be a two-way mutually beneficial dialogue resulting in particular public actions. This is the good side.
However PR has a doubtful side: propaganda, spinning, fiction, manipulation, ethics and moral issues, "window-dressing" through CSR and NGO, women's discrimination, transparency and authenticity etc.
In addition to this the "bad" side of PR is the loss of people's trust, critique and an undermined reputation.
Truthful and devoted to the profession practitioners still struggle hard to improve and "lift" the face of PR. Using new technologies, new media, new global opportunities, new advocates and new "brains" these fighters are moving towards people's interests, ethically and legislatively regulated activities, charitable and socially responsible deeds and of course towards a good name.
In conclusion I'd like to say that PR is an essential part of our everyday life. Every single person is introducing and promoting him/herself to others, is doing his/her own PR even without realising it. PR professionals help people communicate, have a dialogue, say their opinions, concerns, share their information and experience and so forth. What could happen if PR didn't exist? There would have definitely been an analogue to this profession. Nonetheless people's feedback, evaluation and analysis are crucial for its reputation and existence.
It is not truth that this profession has almost died out - there are plenty of new ways and opportunities for development, it is just important to look attentively around, understand people's needs and create.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Parliament opens its doors to bloggers
The House of Commons is following the trend of increased importance of user-generated content by allowing selected bloggers into the Westminster lobby system (a small group of journalists with privileged access to certain parts of Parliament).
To learn more you can read the following PR Week articles:
Bloggers Set To Be Allowed Privileged Access To Westminster Lobby System
Is Opening Parliament To Bloggers Sensible?
Doesn't it approve the significance of this new type of independent journalists? Is the influence of these social media amateurs so powerful that even politicians need them to accelerate the change "for the better in transparency and democracy"? Well, this leads to the conclusion that bloggers might have got on the way to replace or move to the second positions journalism and PR.
To learn more you can read the following PR Week articles:
Bloggers Set To Be Allowed Privileged Access To Westminster Lobby System
Is Opening Parliament To Bloggers Sensible?
Doesn't it approve the significance of this new type of independent journalists? Is the influence of these social media amateurs so powerful that even politicians need them to accelerate the change "for the better in transparency and democracy"? Well, this leads to the conclusion that bloggers might have got on the way to replace or move to the second positions journalism and PR.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Do you trust polititians?
Good day to you my reader!
During one of the sessions we had been discussing Political PR and the debating teams had crossed each other on whether "political PR has undermined public trust in politicians" and whether it "is the single biggest threat to our democratic health". This case made me think about the following: Do people still have enough trust in politicians?, What are the statistics?, How has it changed comparing to previous years? and What are the reasons?
Today trust is elusive. People once treated as experts have now lost their credentials and can not be trusted any longer. Many politicians say they operate in the public interest but do never fully disclose their own agendas and motives. Often the roles they perform in the political structure are unrevealed as well. Such "closed" authority's intentions cannot represent the public interest, but are efficiently promoting themselves through compelling influencers' speeches, motivations and fictions. Democracy's face is damaged because of similar politicians' reputation and actions. But how dramatic is the question?
Having made a bit of research I found out that trust in politicians is nowadays as as ever and that only 13% of people in the UK "trust politicians to tell the truth" according to an October 2009 poll by Ipsos Mori. The given reasons for that are: "the stories in the press", unreasonable and not trustworthy behavior, politicians are "out of touch with the needs of people", "too many promises that haven't been fulfilled". To read more: "Trusted" professions asked about faith in politicians.
Moreover I found the Edelman Trust Barometer - the 2010 Annual Global Opinion Leaders Study - which is a very curious document reporting globally a modest increase of trust in government, business and a CEO as a spokesperson for a company, and a decline of trust in media.
So how can people trust politicians if they are not being honest? How comes that their policy often changes when they win the elections? Of course we cannot generalize and call all politicians "liers" or "spin doctors", but the actions of a few damage the reputation of a 100. Citizens should say their concerns and disagreement aloud otherwise we will get only more untruthful politicians to threat our democratic health.
During one of the sessions we had been discussing Political PR and the debating teams had crossed each other on whether "political PR has undermined public trust in politicians" and whether it "is the single biggest threat to our democratic health". This case made me think about the following: Do people still have enough trust in politicians?, What are the statistics?, How has it changed comparing to previous years? and What are the reasons?
Today trust is elusive. People once treated as experts have now lost their credentials and can not be trusted any longer. Many politicians say they operate in the public interest but do never fully disclose their own agendas and motives. Often the roles they perform in the political structure are unrevealed as well. Such "closed" authority's intentions cannot represent the public interest, but are efficiently promoting themselves through compelling influencers' speeches, motivations and fictions. Democracy's face is damaged because of similar politicians' reputation and actions. But how dramatic is the question?
Having made a bit of research I found out that trust in politicians is nowadays as as ever and that only 13% of people in the UK "trust politicians to tell the truth" according to an October 2009 poll by Ipsos Mori. The given reasons for that are: "the stories in the press", unreasonable and not trustworthy behavior, politicians are "out of touch with the needs of people", "too many promises that haven't been fulfilled". To read more: "Trusted" professions asked about faith in politicians.
Moreover I found the Edelman Trust Barometer - the 2010 Annual Global Opinion Leaders Study - which is a very curious document reporting globally a modest increase of trust in government, business and a CEO as a spokesperson for a company, and a decline of trust in media.
So how can people trust politicians if they are not being honest? How comes that their policy often changes when they win the elections? Of course we cannot generalize and call all politicians "liers" or "spin doctors", but the actions of a few damage the reputation of a 100. Citizens should say their concerns and disagreement aloud otherwise we will get only more untruthful politicians to threat our democratic health.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Can PR ever be ethical?
Ethics is a sensitive and almost "eternal" issue in PR.
I have such an impression that this question is discussed nearly in the course of every possible matter. People often accuse PR of being unethical. Political propaganda and spinning have undermined PR's reputation, but the profession itself is not immoral to a 100%. However I won't agree with that NGO and voluntary sector PR are the most ethical ones. Might it be simply new names for calling or to "veiling" means to achieve someone's interests? To me these organizations' real intentions seem doubtful and contradicting to what they tell people about their goals. But this is a completely separate question.
Nonetheless I believe that PR can become ethical. Codes of Conduct and Ethics are essential to establishing legitimate PR practice, better PR reputation and trustworthy relationships between any organization and its audience.
Openness and transparency are another issue on the way to ethical PR. In my opinion social media is today's key benefit: independent users who are now writers and publishers of their own unedited content advocate the truth and critique any lies, - so modern Internet users have the best opportunity to represent the voice of a company. Such people reveal the tales. Consequently it's in organization's interests not to disappoint its customers, to follow their expectations and respond to their moral values.
Actually its is more about the duty of PR practitioners to follow ethical regulations in PR. This is something that a child is explained by his parents, but has to be taught during all his life, as he grows up, according to life situations.
I have such an impression that this question is discussed nearly in the course of every possible matter. People often accuse PR of being unethical. Political propaganda and spinning have undermined PR's reputation, but the profession itself is not immoral to a 100%. However I won't agree with that NGO and voluntary sector PR are the most ethical ones. Might it be simply new names for calling or to "veiling" means to achieve someone's interests? To me these organizations' real intentions seem doubtful and contradicting to what they tell people about their goals. But this is a completely separate question.
Nonetheless I believe that PR can become ethical. Codes of Conduct and Ethics are essential to establishing legitimate PR practice, better PR reputation and trustworthy relationships between any organization and its audience.
Openness and transparency are another issue on the way to ethical PR. In my opinion social media is today's key benefit: independent users who are now writers and publishers of their own unedited content advocate the truth and critique any lies, - so modern Internet users have the best opportunity to represent the voice of a company. Such people reveal the tales. Consequently it's in organization's interests not to disappoint its customers, to follow their expectations and respond to their moral values.
Actually its is more about the duty of PR practitioners to follow ethical regulations in PR. This is something that a child is explained by his parents, but has to be taught during all his life, as he grows up, according to life situations.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Cheese Obsession Viral Videos
This is a PRemier campaign pitch promoting healthy dogs’ eating to pets’ owners in the UK, raising awareness of dogs’ health issues and introducing FeeDog company’s new product ChedDog Light cheese for dogs.
Pitch
View more presentations from nougattiny.
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Social media crisis management
I've been recently thinking about my post on crisis management from the 19th of February and the role play crisis management exercise we had in class on February, 17th.
I came to the conclusion that it is a hard job to foresee a crisis, to know where it may come from and who can be involved in it and to plan ahead how to deal with it. However it is what a PR practitioner should be striving for.
There are hundreds of tips and instructions available on how to handle a crisis, an uncountable number of books and articles, though none of them can predict the situation you can face. On the one hand, as soon as these written pieces are released they are already out of date and, on the other hand, crisis one can get into is always unique in its details. Still all of such reading sources are important and very useful, but they can only help a general understanding of what a crisis is and how to manage it. Other issues are a matter of personal, situational and individual means of crisis management in real life.
Present time sees a dramatic rise of social media, what can affect any business reputation, equally. Therefore every organization must include in its crisis management plans the impact of social media and its influencers and the steps to be taken to deal with the crisis online. The
New Media Age magazine has published on the 25ht of March this year an article - Nestle's example of how to damage your reputation through wrong actions on the Net.
Right after this article I found a piece by Mike Johansson on crisis management in the "Twitter Age". It is worth reading if you care about you reputation and if you are present in any social networks on the Web.
Finally, it is definetely a must to respect your customers in any community in any place in the world through all possible means and tools, to be transparent and keep your followers up-to-date with all relevant information presented in an appropriate tone of voice.
I came to the conclusion that it is a hard job to foresee a crisis, to know where it may come from and who can be involved in it and to plan ahead how to deal with it. However it is what a PR practitioner should be striving for.
There are hundreds of tips and instructions available on how to handle a crisis, an uncountable number of books and articles, though none of them can predict the situation you can face. On the one hand, as soon as these written pieces are released they are already out of date and, on the other hand, crisis one can get into is always unique in its details. Still all of such reading sources are important and very useful, but they can only help a general understanding of what a crisis is and how to manage it. Other issues are a matter of personal, situational and individual means of crisis management in real life.
Present time sees a dramatic rise of social media, what can affect any business reputation, equally. Therefore every organization must include in its crisis management plans the impact of social media and its influencers and the steps to be taken to deal with the crisis online. The
New Media Age magazine has published on the 25ht of March this year an article - Nestle's example of how to damage your reputation through wrong actions on the Net.
Right after this article I found a piece by Mike Johansson on crisis management in the "Twitter Age". It is worth reading if you care about you reputation and if you are present in any social networks on the Web.
Finally, it is definetely a must to respect your customers in any community in any place in the world through all possible means and tools, to be transparent and keep your followers up-to-date with all relevant information presented in an appropriate tone of voice.
Monday, 8 March 2010
Women over exceed men in PR
During our last class we had a debate on the topic: “Women will always work in PR but will never run it”.
My position is the opposite - women will work in PR, will oust men and occupy top positions.
It is obvious that the PR industry once dominated by men is now outnumbered by women and the trend shows no signs of abating.
The mark of women’s presence in PR over the last 25 years is a major shortage of men coming into the profession, and that's official.
According to figures released by the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) in 2004 women outnumbered men by 60:40 - a massive swing since 1987, when figures highlighted the opposite at 20:80.
Over the last two decades, women have risen up the ranks to practice leaders and office leaders, but are still not appropriately represented in the senior positions. However, many of the up and coming independent firms are led by women entrepreneurs who create their own path to success.
Powerful women in PR, industry veterans who actually helped shape the more balanced public relations field we have today: Christine Barney (CEO, rbb Public Relations), Melissa Waggener Zorkin (CEO, President and Founder, Waggener Edstrom), Donna Imperato (CEO, Cohn & Wolfe), Margaret Booth (President, M Booth & Associates) and MaryLee Sachs (Chairman, US Hill & Knowlton).
There are more of great examples of women who made it to the top: Gail Heimann, for example, is a major player at Weber. And Margery Kraus (Chair, President and CEO, APCO Worldwide) is someone who built a $100 million business. Other brilliant women in PR include Aedhmar Hynes of Text 100. She is someone who has made a huge impact in the technology driven space, which is very male dominated. She is a real role model and has built a spectacular company around the globe.
It is a fact today that more women than men are enrolling in college. PR feminization is not simply coming, but is already the reality. The younger generation is much more open to female leadership.
Kathy Obert, Chairman and CEO, Edward Howard: As women become more comfortable – societally and financially – with being hunters and with taking personal financial risks as owners, we’ll see more women at the top. And by the way, our industry needs men and women, in both management and client service roles.
Expect that change will come slowly, but it will be more rapid in geographic areas that demonstrate higher tolerance for diversity generally. Expect to see faster parity on the coasts and in markets like New York, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco. Change will come more slowly in the Midwest and Bible Belt regions. That’s not a PR-specific issue, it is a societal issue.
Women tend to be more practical than theoretical, particularly when it comes to attention to detail, and are better than men at thinking on different levels all at the same time, which are critical success factors behind award-winning PR campaigns.
Gidon Freeman, editor of PR Week, noticed that in 2004 the gender readership split for the industry's magazine has moved in favor of women with a 65:35 ratio. According to his words "PR is all about developing relationships and bringing influence to bear, which historically women have always mastered better that men".
My position is the opposite - women will work in PR, will oust men and occupy top positions.
It is obvious that the PR industry once dominated by men is now outnumbered by women and the trend shows no signs of abating.
The mark of women’s presence in PR over the last 25 years is a major shortage of men coming into the profession, and that's official.
According to figures released by the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) in 2004 women outnumbered men by 60:40 - a massive swing since 1987, when figures highlighted the opposite at 20:80.
Over the last two decades, women have risen up the ranks to practice leaders and office leaders, but are still not appropriately represented in the senior positions. However, many of the up and coming independent firms are led by women entrepreneurs who create their own path to success.
Powerful women in PR, industry veterans who actually helped shape the more balanced public relations field we have today: Christine Barney (CEO, rbb Public Relations), Melissa Waggener Zorkin (CEO, President and Founder, Waggener Edstrom), Donna Imperato (CEO, Cohn & Wolfe), Margaret Booth (President, M Booth & Associates) and MaryLee Sachs (Chairman, US Hill & Knowlton).
There are more of great examples of women who made it to the top: Gail Heimann, for example, is a major player at Weber. And Margery Kraus (Chair, President and CEO, APCO Worldwide) is someone who built a $100 million business. Other brilliant women in PR include Aedhmar Hynes of Text 100. She is someone who has made a huge impact in the technology driven space, which is very male dominated. She is a real role model and has built a spectacular company around the globe.
It is a fact today that more women than men are enrolling in college. PR feminization is not simply coming, but is already the reality. The younger generation is much more open to female leadership.
Kathy Obert, Chairman and CEO, Edward Howard: As women become more comfortable – societally and financially – with being hunters and with taking personal financial risks as owners, we’ll see more women at the top. And by the way, our industry needs men and women, in both management and client service roles.
Expect that change will come slowly, but it will be more rapid in geographic areas that demonstrate higher tolerance for diversity generally. Expect to see faster parity on the coasts and in markets like New York, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco. Change will come more slowly in the Midwest and Bible Belt regions. That’s not a PR-specific issue, it is a societal issue.
Women tend to be more practical than theoretical, particularly when it comes to attention to detail, and are better than men at thinking on different levels all at the same time, which are critical success factors behind award-winning PR campaigns.
Gidon Freeman, editor of PR Week, noticed that in 2004 the gender readership split for the industry's magazine has moved in favor of women with a 65:35 ratio. According to his words "PR is all about developing relationships and bringing influence to bear, which historically women have always mastered better that men".
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