global discussion. local perspectives.
The world’s eyes were on the British Royal Wedding on Friday with a million people on the streets of London, two billion watching live with 24:7 television coverage, tens of thousands engaged through social media or catching up via on demand after the event. This was a world event where the opportunity for public relations was evident at every turn – not least to showcase British pageantry, with a contemporary twist. Perhaps the sight of...
The PRoust Questionnaire provides a quick insight into a public relations practitioner’s interests and point of view, as well as their professional beliefs and values. If you are not familiar with the original 19th-century Proust Questionnaire, please see details at the end of this post. 1. What is your most striking characteristic as a PR practitioner? Passionate, energetic and excellent strategist, excelling in high-stake situations. 2. What is your principal fault as a PR practitioner?...
Guest post by Bob Geller As a veteran of the tech industry – in the PR agency world for the past 14 years and on the industry/client side before that – I have worked with many startups. I am often asked, “When is the right time for a young company to bring an agency on, or otherwise kick PR into high gear?” The answer is not an easy one. While it might seem obvious that...
Everywhere you look, those starting out on a career in public relations are urged to focus on developing skills in digital PR. But as such competencies shortly will be little more than a commodity possessed by most young graduates and practitioners in the field (as well as many with years of experience), future leaders will need much more than an ability to craft a Tweet or build a network of Facebook friends. Looking at the...
The PRoust Questionnaire provides a quick insight into a public relations practitioner’s interests and point of view, as well as their professional beliefs and values. If you are not familiar with the original 19th-century Proust Questionnaire, please see details at the end of this post. 1. What is your most striking characteristic as a PR practitioner? Being able to gather the real picture of the situation even when the facts tell me the opposite. 2....
By Toni Muzi Falconi Idea genesis Public relations practice seeks to identify and convince potential influencers in advocating ideas, arguments, products and services in line with client or employer objectives, thus attempting to overcome the limitations of outreach and credibility. The issue of relationships with stakeholders – powered by the increasing pressure of expectations on organizational decision processes – has become a vital concern for the licence to operate of every organization. Today this...
New e-report: Public relations 2011: issues, insights and ideas In December 2010 an email arrived in my inbox originating from the other side of the world, inviting participation in an intriguing project initiated by Australian (online) colleague, Craig Pearce: a planned (free) e-report comprising a variety of contributions from PR practitioners and academics located in different parts of the world. Besides being persuaded by Craig to contribute (two submissions!), I was intrigued to find out...
This second part of a conversation about the role of social media in PR moves on to reflect on the practices of organisations and their representatives in this ever changing terrain. Heather Yaxley and Judy Gombita share their views and offer some cautionary advice. Judy Gombita The previous post referenced the Pew Internet “Generations Online” report; this time let’s look at the Edelman Trust Barometer 2011. From the Edelman January 25, 2011, news release, “Skepticism...
With Twitter recently turning five years old, PR Conversations feels it’s time to consider whether it – and other social media platforms – are now serious channels for public relations. Judy Gombita and Heather Yaxley share their views in a two-part blog post. We’re in agreement that 2011 is definitely the year when there will be a tipping point with organizations taking a more serious look at social media, across the generations. This view appears...
It is nearly 25 years since the publication of Cline’s ‘Velvet Ghetto’ study of women in public relations which responded to the increasing feminisation of the occupation. Undeniably today, the field is one dominated by women – indeed, based on my UK experience, 90% of the students on undergraduate PR degree courses and studying for professional qualifications are female. Both professional bodies here have women in senior positions: Sally Costerton (chairman and CEO of Hill...