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Who cares about PR?

Guest post by: Justin McKeown

Article Overview: The public relations industry is coming of age in a global economy where it is ideally placed to take advantage. Maybe we should look at what the PR industry offers, rather than how the industry has been characterised. Here are five key messages to consider.

Who cares about PR?

In 1992, I was trying to decide which degree I should study. I'd just moved back to England, UK after spending two years as a volunteer missionary overseas and had developed a real interest in communications at all levels. I considered journalism but I was fascinated by the concept of dialogue or two-way communications that could influence peoples from all sorts of backgrounds. And then I found a relatively new degree being offered at Leeds Metropolitan University: BA (Hons) Public Relations Studies. Could I consider PR as a career? Wasn't PR about ‘spin', perpetrated by journalists who had sold their souls or publicists?

Fortunately, I went to meet the course leader, Anne Gregory, who convinced me that PR ought to be about effective and truthful communication, regardless of the reputation of the industry at the time.

Anne went on to become the UK's first Professor of Public Relations and served as President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). In other words, she knows a thing or two about PR!

The public relations industry is coming of age in a global economy where it is ideally placed to take advantage.

Maybe we should all take a step back and look at what the PR industry offers, rather than how the industry has been characterised. So here are five key messages to consider:

1. PR is good for the economy

According to recent research, the PR industry in the UK has a turnover of £6.5 billion, and contributes £3.4 billion to national economic activity and £1.1 billion to corporate profits. PR helps businesses achieve their goals, manage their reputation and build good relationships with all their different audiences. In the US and other parts of the world, PR is having similar success.

2. Public Relations is key to organisational success

Strategic PR can help an organisation achieve its goals. As reputation and communications have become more important to business success, PR has risen up the corporate agenda. Most business leaders recognise PR as a strategic function that is vital to business success. PR practitioners help their organisations understand and communicate with stakeholders. They help their organisations make good decisions. They help their organisations manage issues and deal with crises. PR practitioners can operate most effectively and have the biggest impact when they are at the heart of the organisation, involved in developing corporate strategy.

3. Public Relations is about managing reputation

Reputation is crucial to business success and PR practitioners, as experts in communications and stakeholder relationships, are ideally placed to manage reputation. In the current competitive business climate, customers and employees increasingly use reputation as a factor in deciding on the companies, brands and products with which they want to be associated. Reputation is a key factor in differentiating and positioning a company, product or service.

4. Industry standards are rising

We are raising standards through education and training, Developing Excellence (CPD programme); the CIPR Diploma and Advanced Certificate; workshops and seminars. We promote best practice through our award programmes such as the Excellence Awards and the PRide Awards and through our work on evaluation and policy issues.

5. CIPR members are accountable

All members of the CIPR must sign our code of conduct, which is enforced by the Institute, binding them to the highest levels of professionalism and ethical integrity. This clearly differentiates members from non-members who are not prepared to be accountable by signing the code of conduct. The CIPR's bylaws state members must act in the public interest. Chartered status also provides a certain amount of government regulation as by-laws can't be changed without government approval.

Conclusion

Our industry is ideally placed to take advantage of the digital economy. We have the educational institutions, well-established agencies and powerful brands. Maybe now is the time you should get to know the PR industry a little better.

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Article Tags: coming of age, communications, global economy, marketing, pr industry, public relations, public relations industry



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