How frequent, honest communication translates to trust in corporations and leadership

2009 Edelman Trust Barometer Executive Summary “An adherence to transparency is at the core of each of Public Engagement’s pillars. Organizations must be forthright and honest in their actions and communications. When problems arise within companies, stakeholders need to see senior executives take a visible lead in acknowledging errors, correcting mistakes, and working with employees to avoid similar problems going forward. The essence of Public Engagement is the commitment of companies to say—and do as...

A peep through the Vatican’s public relations efforts. A major speech by Father Lombardi on social media

The relationship between the Vatican and Public Relations is, at the very least, as old as the Propaganda Fide (1622)… More recently…the first Masters program in Public Relations ever held in Italy was in 1960/61, organized for the Vatican by the Dominican Father Felix Morlion, head of the then Pro Deo University of Rome. (Today it is LUISS, a reputed Business School owned by the National Confederation of Industry.) Joaquim Navarro Vals, the Spanish lay...

A RESET of our profession? Takeaways from Global PR directors of General Electric, Pfizer, Mastercard, Kodak, Bausch and Lomb, Swiss RE, Viacom

The day after Pfizer announced it would ensure free medicines to laid-off and non insured workers for one year, Ray Kerins, head of global pr for the big pharma company (‘we are 50 bl. dollar start up company’ he says…) told an attentive audience of colleagues representing agencies from all over the world, that the idea had not come from top management nor from him, but directly from employees who gathered around internal social networks.

This is a call for help. What do we mean by Global Public Relations? And why is it important?

John Doorley is my academic director at NYU’s Master in Public Relations and Corporate Communication where I teach Global Relations and Intercultural Communication, and Helio Fred Garcia is one of that program’s most respected and cherished instructors teaching two courses: ethics and strategy. These two elightened scholars, but also and mostly, highly experienced professionals, edited and co-authored in 2006 with Routledge a Reputation Management book which has done very well, and is now being entirely...

Sixteen Edelbytes from Richard

His early goal was to make Edelman’s New York office profitable and even larger than its Chicago headquarters. Over the years he determined to carve out a distinct, professional identity, which included: playing a role in the professional community, further developing the company internationally (particularly in Asian markets), taking many risks (and assuming full accountability for them) while exploring new ideas, concepts and tools.

Not a bad wake-up, this morning. Take a look.

1. The New York Times today publishes a highly interesting article (a quick Google visit indicates that this is not an exclusive..) relevaling that, in the summer of 1920, Boston public relations professional William McMasters publicly denounced his then client Charles Ponzi. In an article on the Boston Post he wrote ‘as a publicity man my first duty is to the public’. Mr. McMasters was a pre-eminent public relations man when he took on Ponzi...

Dispatch from Oz: Think privacy isn’t important? Aren’t you glad this loo isn’t made of glass?

In 2003, Privacy Victoria launched a sponsorship of the Platypus House at the Royal Melbourne Zoo. At the time the then-Privacy Commissioner, Walkley Award winner, and ex-journalist, Paul Chadwick, indicated, “Privacy Victoria sponsors the platypus at the Melbourne Zoo because these fascinating monotremes are a natural symbol for the idea of privacy. Platypuses are shy, discreet and wary, innately valuing their privacy. The sponsorship aimed at helping people think about privacy in a new and engaging way.”

‘Enough is Enough’ – an economic model for Net-Work and Net-Worth?

With its roots in 1546, the wisdom underlying the John Heywood proverb ‘enough is enough‘ has been recognised by many. But when is enough truly enough? The churning over the recessionary pressures – real or otherwise – have, more so in recent months, led many to question the economic models we have used for so long. Unsurprising really, as they are models which, as I have mentioned here before, were created for another space and...

What are best practices in public relations research, really?

There’s a discussion getting underway on the Institute for Public Relations website and among members of our Commission on PR Measurement & Evaluation. I’d invite your contributions as well. Dr. David Michaelson chairs the Institute for Public Relations Research Fellows, a body established by the Board of Trustees to provide overall guidance for our research program. Michaelson, President of Echo Research, also keynoted the 2009 International Public Relations Research Conference with the topic, “Setting Best...