Looking Back, Moving Forward

This semester, was the last semester of college for me. It is a tremendous relief to have it almost behind me, but it’s also bittersweet. I have come a long way and have worked extremely hard to succeed in my last two semesters at GVSU. The path to my degree has been rocky, a lot of stops and starts, taking time off, and not taking things seriously at all. One thing I can say is that coming back to school after a 4 year hiatus has been eye-opening, I came back with a completely different attitude. Never in my life I have been so worried about homework, what’s due, whats going to be on exams etc. For a long time, that’s just not how I operated. I never realized how important having a degree was to me, and what opportunities it would open up. When I made the decision to come back, I told myself I was going to succeed, focus and get done with my last 6 classes.  And that is what I did, I didn’t mess around, I got good grades and proved to myself that I could actually do it.  It was hard for me to come back at 29 years old and have to take freshman and sophomore level classes, some of my group mates and classmates couldn’t even drink legally! But, I have learned a lot, I have succeeded.  This was my mindset when I came back, I came with a get-it-done attitude, and I’m doing just that.

I have mentioned this before, but I think it is worth mentioning again: if you look at my transcripts I have this course CAP 220 Fundamentals of Public Relations, listed 3 times in the ‘courses not used’ section. I’m not sure if it speaks to my lackadaisical ways previously, or the level of difficulty of this class, but probably to both.

This course was not easy, I struggled with a lot of it, I had to go to class, I had to keep up with deadlines and churn out information on a client, that didn’t really know much about themselves when it came down to it. It was uncharted territory for me. The last couple times that I have taken this class, I never went to class, didn’t listen, and turned in junk.  I wanted to do the right thing this time. I’m proud of the work I have done in this class, and I have learned a lot. The course load in this class was a lot, but if you kept up with deadlines and actually did what you were supposed to do it was manageable. This definitely helped me hone my skills on multi-tasking, which I believe is an important skill in any aspect of life. I also feel more confident overall in my abilities. I have practiced professional writing (within my campaign book and in blogging), I have learned A LOT about social media and how to wrangle that beast, I have learned about client relations and client research, and working with a real client. I have learned about design, how to put together a finished product, how to work in Excel, how to keep up with editing/proofreading, and to how to work in a group. I have learned that your social media presence is extremely important, and that you can really use social media to your advantage.  Those are all things I will use in my professional life. This class smacked you in the face with real world situations and techniques, and showed me I need to get ready, this is what I will be doing out in there in the unknown.

It was one of the most challenging and rewarding classes I have ever taken, I am thankful I had the Professor I had, and that I came into this class ready to learn and do well. I know I will take this class with me wherever I go, especially while interning this summer, and will think back to this class and what it has taught me. Which was not just about PR, but about myself too. Seeing what good things can come from working hard, and showing up has really shown me what I want out of life, and that I will have to work hard to get there, it won’t just be handed to me.

The Development of My Definition of PR

Looking back to my first blog, rereading it and then thinking about it, my definition of Public Relations has definitely developed further. In my first blog I wrote: PR is a way for a company, person, or organization to mediate between themselves, their publics and of course the media, to put it simply. A way of creating open communication, a two-way street, so information can flow freely. Whether or not that information is good, bad or in between is the responsibility of the PR team within. I think that is a pretty good definition of what I think now, but it has expanded in my mind.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has had such trouble modernizing the definition of public relations, that it assigned it a task force. In a press release that PRSA sent out, it asked that PR Professionals go on their site and submit words and phrases they believe should comprise the modern definition of public relations. Submissions were then pulled into specially-built word clouds that formed common themes based on the following sentence structure:

Public relations [DOES WHAT] with/for [WHOM] to [DO WHAT] for [WHAT PURPOSE.] (PRSA, 2011).

If PRSA is having such a hard time modernizing the definition, I can understand why majority of the people I talk to don’t really understand what I will be doing when I get done with college. I have a hard time explaining to people what a PR professional actually does, without their eyes glazing over and losing their interest quick. I will attempt to define and hone what PR means to me here.

Heidi Cohen writing in Actionable Marketing 101, defines PR in 31 different definitions, she asked PR professionals to respond in 1-5 sentences and then incorporated them into different definitions. I think that PR is one the only professions out there with such ambiguity! A few definitions that stuck out were:
1. Public relations help an organization and its public’s adapt mutually to each other. Public Relations broadly applies to organizations as a collective group, not just a business; and publics encompass the variety of different stakeholders. PRSA (Public Relations Society of America)

2. Good PR tentacles out key messages in alignment with the business plan in a factual/creative way; communicating to audiences through appropriate channels. Sue R.E. Geramian – DMA

3. Public relations is the creation, distribution and dissemination of messaging and communications for the purpose of promoting and fostering positive awareness, associations, imagery, perception of a person, place or thing among a particular target audience to effect a desired behavior. Dan Gersten

I think that when looking at all these definitions, one begins to get a sense that there is not one specific definition of PR, and maybe that’s what makes it so special. When you work in a profession, that is not easily defined, you find that you are doing all sorts of jobs not just one. Day to day PR is always evolving, one day you might be an event coordinator, the next day a writer, the next day a journalist. In my original blog, I wrote about how this profession is extremely multi-faceted, and that continues to be true. This profession encompasses all types of qualities, and your job will never be the same on a day to day basis. After PRSA’s efforts to modernize the definition, this is what they released: “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” (PRSA, n.d.)

I don’t think that I will ever have a set in stone definition of what PR is, the definition changes from person to person, and since the job description is different for everyone, it will always be progressing. One of my biggest hopes is that one day; I can say what I do to someone and have them know what it is. I’m already tired of having to explain myself, and I’m not even done with school. Here’s to hopefully changing that in the course of my work!

 

 

 

 

References-
Cohen, H. (2011, Mar 8). 31 public relations definitions. Retrieved from: http://heidicohen.com/public-relations-definition/

PRSA launches global initiative to modernize definition of public relations. (2011, Nov 21). Targeted News Service. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/docview/905205145?accountid=39473

What is public relations. (N.d.) Retrieved from http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/PublicRelationsDefined/#.U0xonLG-2So

Communicating During a Crisis in PR

Recently, with the Winter Olympics going on in Sochi, the Advertising and PR industry has been busy. One example,  is the recent bad PR the brand Under Armour has gotten during the Winter Olympic Games. Speed Skaters at the Olympics have been complaining about the Under Armour uniforms they are wearing. The US team is blaming the uniforms for the poor showing, saying the new uniforms slowed them down. The team even voted to revert back to old uniforms, to improve performance, but still haven’t won a medal (Horovitz, 2014). This undercuts the company’s claim that it makes the best athletes even faster (Gloster, 2014). Although, other teams wearing the companies clothing have won medals, Under Armour was forced to defend its products while being careful not to criticize the athletes wearing the clothing (Gloster, 2014).  In a case like this, where you can not say for sure it is the company’s fault, it is important to keep what Robert Passikoff has to say about brand management in mind,

“Whether it’s an equipment or design fault or not, in this case perception is reality,” Robert Passikoff, founder and president of New York-based marketing firm Brand Keys Inc., said in an e-mail interview. “Particularly when they’re some of the best athletes in the world, having consumers question whether your products are meeting their expectations is never a good thing for a brand.” (Gloster, 2014).

What’s at stake:  the brand’s reputation for creating cool, techie duds that are worth the high price tags (Horovitz, 2014). Under Armour’s PR team has to do some damage control, and while it is being said they are doing mostly the right thing, they are doing a couple things wrong.

Communicating during a crisis is imperative, and it is important to take a stance on the current crisis going on.  Crisis communication has multiple steps that should be executed during the crisis. The first task is to identify crisis risks or to recognize a crisis when it breaks out. Next, you should also have created a crisis communication plan for your company, and also have tested it. Managing the crisis is imperative, if you want your company to come out with the least mud on their face as possible. Here are ten rules for managing a crisis according to David Wiener as written in the Ivey Business Journal:

1.  Respect the role of the media.
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
3. Take responsibility.
4. Centralize information.
5. Establish a crisis team.
6. “Plan for the worst; hope for the best.”
7. Communicate with employees.
8. Use Third parties.
9. Use research to determine responses.
10. Create a website

Under Armour is doing most of these things correctly, they are not blaming the skaters, they are staying helpful, keeping the CEO engaged but not overly so, and they are keeping it in context (speed skating being a lesser known sport). Two things that Under Armour should do as well, is go back to the lab after the spotlight is off them and have a third party review their suits to regain credibility. Also they should have bragged less, claiming they have the best suits in the world leaves them a small margin of error (Horovitz, 2014). Under Armour is a good example of how to keep your head up during a crisis and do damage control correctly and efficiently.

References

Gloster, R., (2014, February 18). http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-17/under-armour-goes-for-damage-control-instead-of-gold-at-olympics.html

Horovitz, B., (2014, February 17.)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/02/17/under-armour-us-speedskating-winter-olympics-sochi-games/5552305/ 

Wiener, D., (2006, April) CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS: MANAGING CORPORATE REPUTATION IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION. Ivey Business Journal.  http://iveybusinessjournal.com/topics/the-workplace/crisis-communications-managing-corporate-reputation-in-the-court-of-public-opinion#.UwObQPldWSo

Advocacy in PR

Advocacy is an important topic in the PR world, because the PR practitioner IS an advocate for the company, person, or organization they represent. They also, however,  have a duty to serve the interests of society. Ethically, this could come into conflict with each other, depending on who or what you are representing. The PR practitioner has large impact on shaping the way the public thinks about the brand they represent. Thomas Bivins suggests four paradigms for public relations practitioners to consider when keeping both interests in mind.

• If every PR practitioner acts in the best interest of their client, then the public interest will be served.
• If in addition to serving individual interests the practitioner serves public interest causes, the public interest will be served.
• If practitioner assures that every individual in need of or desiring their services receives their services, then the public interest will be served.
• If public relations as a practice improves the quality of debase over issues important to the public, then the public interest will be served

So the PR practitioner, along with all the other roles they play, also has the issue of public interest and advocacy to consider. Lets just pile it on. Advocacy is important because, as a PR practitioner, we are actually sending out the message, that will actually shape the way the public views what we are representing. This is so important that PRSA has a whole section devoted specifically to this. On their website they state: Advocacy helps PRSA carry out its larger mission of advancing the profession and the professional by establishing the Society as the leading authority on best practices and professional standard. This means that PR professionals have the duty to act ethically and also advocate for their company, which could be a double-edged sword. I can see how the rest of the world might get confused as to how PR and advocacy relate. Commonly, people have the idea that PR is a manipulation tactic, a a way to put the best ‘spin’ on things (which PR professionals HATE, by the way, no we ARE NOT  ‘spin doctors’, that’s a band), and interestingly, the public typically views public affairs in the same light, focused on self-interests and manipulative (Ashe, n.d, ch. 8).

This is something that the PR world has been trying to change for years, the general notion that we do not act in an ethical matter, only to serve self-interest or the companies interest. These are untrue thoughts, you may come across here and there the unethical practices of a PR professional, but as whole, we are united in our vision that we are ethical people. Furthermore, with the ethical practice of advocacy in PR, we can change the way PR is viewed as a whole.

References

Bivins, T. (1993). Public relations, professionalism and the public interest. Journal of Business Ethics, 12(2), 117-126.

http://www.ashe.org/about/chapters/pdfs/handbook/08_public_outreach.pdf‎

https://www.prsa.org/advocacy/‎

Researching: Why It Is Important in PR

Most people would agree that research is boring, not important, and they generally dread having to do it. Sometimes, having to do research and actually gleaning information from the material is tedious, and headache inducing. As much as everyone wants to hate it or thinks that it’s useless, it is extremely important in every field. For the purpose of this blog, the information will be targeted at PR and the Communications industry.

Researching a topic or area before starting on the project is giving yourself a head start. It provides background information on a multitude of things. Finding out what research has been done, the information that was gathered and how it relates to the topic is imperative. This gives you an opportunity to more clearly focus your research, and avoid costly mistakes. Frank Lang writes in The Role of Research in Public Relations,

“In a public relations effort, research plays a vital part in the determination and classification of the specific groups to which the program is directed. A public relations effort increases in effectiveness in proportion to the specificity with which it is directed to a group.”

When research is done correctly and effectively, it can help the outcome of your plan. Clearly defined target markets, goals, objectives and tactics all ensure a positive end result. It is more cost-effective for you and the client if you first, find out what research has already been done, if you can use it for your current goals, or if more research needs to be done and/or updated. Using research that has already been produced, can open up the budget for use in different areas where it is needed more. Time is money, spending time doing research that has already been done is regressing, when efforts could be placed elsewhere. Chryst’l Sanchez of Weber Shandwick Seattle writes,

“Putting thorough research into any strategic plan helps you establish realistic goals, meet communications objectives and increase your campaigns’ chances for success. In PR, strategy is key in order to maximize efficiency and minimize costs across the board. In terms of developing solid communications plans, extensive research can help you target the appropriate audiences, find the right influencers and even determine the most cost-effective budget.”

Do not discount research, it is most important when first starting to strategize and all throughout the whole process. Steven Symes of Demand Media writes for the Houston Chronicle, four reasons why research is important: it provides unbiased information, organizational strengths and weaknesses, public relations messaging, and gaining feedback. When research is done correctly it can provide all types of vital information. Research is needed and important in PR plans, and should be taken seriously. It may be demanding, but it will pay off in the end results of your campaign.

References

Lang, Frank. (1951, Spring). The Role of Research in Public Relations. The Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. (54-64)Published by: Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Association for Public Opinion Research. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2745751.Accessed: 27/01/2014

Sanchez, Chryst’l. (2013, September 13). http://www.webershandwickseattle.com/2013/09/3-reasons-why-research-is-crucial-to-effective-public-relations/

Symes, Steven. (nd.) Demand Media.http://smallbusiness.chron.com/research-important-strategic-public-relations-plans-15586.html

 

Diversity in PR

I’m an AD/PR major and I’m shocked that I wasn’t aware that diversity was such a hot button issue in PR. After conducting some research,  I became quickly  aware of how these considerations were changing the industry. A lot of information can be found by simply googling “Diversity in Public Relations”. After considerable reading, I’ve developed a few thoughts of my own on the issue.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of  progress to be made to further diversify the communications industry. Having a more diverse staff can only help organizations in the long run. First, it is illegal to not hire someone based on race, ethnicity, religious beliefs or gender. Additionally, the majority of the companies in America have adopted an equal opportunity policy. Lee Hayes, Senior Vice President/Chief Client Officer of Lagrent Communications writes,

“According to US Census Bureau, African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans will make up 36.5 percent of the US population and have an estimated combined spending power of $3.6 trillion by 2020. Therefore, it is inconceivable to me how an all-white advertising, marketing or PR firm can, in good faith, believe it is adequately staffed to service global brands whose consumers are increasingly diverse with their own distinct cultural nuances.”

How can public relation firms not only diversify their clientele, but their workforce?  Only 8.7 percent of African-Americans, 7.3 percent of Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders and 15.3 percent of Hispanics/Latinos have jobs in the field (Coffee, 2013). That statistic was published just this past November. That is surprisingly low. In the future, I want to work with a diverse staff so as to learn new things from people who are different than me.

However, there are some positive things happening in the industry. There are scholarships being offered to create more diversity, as well as other tactics. Tiffany Gallicano writes in a report for the University of Oregon,

“Fleishman-Hillard (2012) has a paid six- to 12-month fellowship program for college seniors and recent graduates who are ethnically/racially diverse. Meanwhile, Edelman (2005) developed a program to recruit employees from historically black colleges and universities, and it launched a pilot mentoring program. Porter Novelli partnered with Together Our Resources Can Help (TORCH), a nonprofit that provides opportunities to underserved students in New York City public high schools (PR Week, 2011b). Porter Novelli gave an eight-week PR101 course to more than 40 TORCH students, raised $100,000 for the nonprofit organization, hired TORCH interns, and assigned TORCH students to Porter Novelli mentors (PR Week, 2011b).”

She further summarizes this point by saying,  “a key strategy by agencies is to build a pipeline of diverse practitioners.” (Gallicano, 2013). The goal is to create a field that gains the interest of the diverse group that is needed to make the industry evolve. This is something that can work, more companies and organizations should be on this same road to being more diverse within. Creating practices like the examples above to have an ideal well-rounded company.  The world is changing, and the communications world should be changing right along with  it.

References

Coffee, Patrick. (2013, November 18).  Meet PR’s Diversity Problem. Retrieved from http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/meet-prs-diversity-problem_b77958

Gallicano, Tiffany., (2013).  Millennials’ Perceptions About Diversity in Their PR Agencies. Public Relations Journal Vol. 7, (No. 2), 37-70. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/PRJOURNALARTICLE

Hayes, Lee. (2013, February 25). Lack Of Diversity Is PR Industry’s Dirty Little Secret. Retrieved from http://www.holmesreport.com/opinion-info/13071/Lack-Of-Diversity-Is-PR-Industrys-Dirty-Little-Secret.aspx#sthash.Z71SwRYu.dpuf