Miss World and public relations - hit or miss? Getting PR to the boardroom remains a goal for many - but one of the rare PR executives who revitalised a company and became chairman is pretty much ignored or vilified in the UK. Eric Morley started at Mecca - then a small catering and dance company - in 1946 as a £15-a-week PR man. Seeking to promote dancing, he originated the BBC ‘Come Dancing’ series, which became the longest running television series in history and is currently a mega-hit in the new celebrity format (and about to launch in UK in its 4th series).
The reason for ignoring his achievements as a “PR man made good” relate more to his other creation - in 1951 he launched the Miss World competition. Over 55 years later, we might think this competition is a sign of less enlightened times regarding women’s rights - but the Miss World final final in Poland on 30 September is expected to attract a global audience of 2 million - and annually achieves an estimated £5 million in licensing rights. This popularity is largely based in Asia and Africa - and again, we might dismiss this enthusiasm as indicating lack of development of feminist perspectives.
But listening to the views of former Miss Tanzania, who was a Miss World finalist in 1999, you might think differently. It seems this competition offers Hoyce Temu an opportunity to make a difference around some big issues - including women’s rights.
Interesting that Miss Temu is currently completing a degree at Wartburg College in Iowa, US in public relations and mass communications. Which raises another question - is being a beauty queen an issue in being taken seriously. Clearly not from the opportunities that Hoyce has used to promote the Outreach Africa project - but her PR professor seems less convinced. She was apparently surprised to find out Hoyce was a beauty queen: “While graceful and poised, she is equally private and humble, an interesting and somewhat unusual combination for a beauty queen.” Some might feel such qualities are even rarer in those working in public relations.
So Miss World and public relations - from a founder with an eye for a strategic initiative to current contestents’ influence on world politics. Hit or miss?
What a world!!!! She can do it, she got passion love for this PR thing. I feel like its time to make women revolution towards all the pain we have been goin trough. I just wat to say keep it sister, am behind you and I wont let you down at all.