Titanic centenary – memorial or marketing?

The disaster of the Titanic’s sinking a centenary ago has been reported in crisis management texts such as Fearn-Banks to illustrate the need for planning and other advice the authors wish to highlight. However, reading Coombs it is clear that the key issues were operational, so the Titanic appears appropriated by public relations as a reason for criticism, even before there was an established occupation to critique.

Can’t get no PR satisfaction?

In PR one of our guiding principles ought to be:

You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

That would appear to be the case with the Susan G Koman vs Planned Parenthood crisis this past week.  Or the issue of bankers’ bonuses in the UK.  In fact we increasingly live in a world – fuelled by the ease of expression offered by social media – in which publics can be outraged about everything and anything at the click of a Tweet.

From the valley of despair to the slope of hope

Did you start 2012 with one or more resolutions?  Did you get up this morning with the intention to achieve particular tasks?  Have you leapt into February with new goals?  Or have you resolved to change your attitude or behaviour?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines resolution as a firmness of purpose, with intention reflecting the determination required to achieve this end goal.

Are you too smart to work in PR?

“For decades a stream of bright young men and women, most of them with college degrees ranging from B.S. to Ph.D., have been coming to my office to ask me and my wife how to enter the profession of public relations.”

These words were written by Edward Bernays in his 1961 publication: Your Future in Public Relations.

In 1943, a chapter in Averill Broughton’s book: The New Profession, asked ‘Do you belong in the public relations field?  Broughton noted:

Let us grant that any really intelligent man or woman of imagination and sensitivity, who also possesses good business judgment and a wide experience with people and the practical world we live in, can become a successful public relations executive.

PR predictions for 2011 reviewed and 2012 foretold

On 11.1.11 (or 1.11.11 depending on your dating preference) I wrote my 11 PR predictions for 2011.  I’ve added some thoughts on the past 12 months, and a new prediction for  what 2012 will bring.

Why public relations is great in theory

From my office window, I can see a large ball of mistletoe growing at the top of a very tall tree.  Until a couple of years ago I didn’t know where or how mistletoe grew, but as they say, you learn something new all the time.  As someone who likes to learn, I find it interesting to know more about a subject and an open, curious, investigative mind is something I feel is an asset to anyone working in public relations.

Why I don’t care about defining public relations

The PRSA has just concluded a crowd-sourcing attempt to modernise a definition of public relations.  Unsurprisingly, this initiative has generated discussion through PR blogs regarding the purpose and value of seeking a new definition.  PRSA reports receiving “more than 900 submissions, 70 comments and 16,000-plus page views” – so there’s clearly some interest in the exercise.

Personally, I don’t care about this search to define public relations.

Twitter-Who? 10 Steps to Creating a Better Professional Online Profile

Commpro.biz asked me (though @jgombita) to write a post regarding crafting a professional 140-character profile for a Twitter account.  The result is: Twitter Who? 10 steps to creating a better professional online profile. Please take a look at my advice on reviewing and researching what your “Twitter-who” statement says about you.  If you’ve any additional observations on the challenges of creating such a professional profile – or good/bad examples, please share them here or at Commpro.biz.

How many PR practitioners does it take to change a light bulb?

The answer: “I don’t know – I’ll get back to you on that”.  This joke is a reminder of the importance of having a solid understanding of your subject matter in PR practice.  This is the topic of my second post looking at the future of work in public relations.

Follow the green brick road for an ethical PR future

Last year I wrote three “Back to School” posts on Preparing to Study PR, Starting to Study, and Making the Most of Work Experience.   Each is still relevant for those starting their career in public relations, so this year I am writing a series of posts looking at the future of work in the field.

This first post offers a trip down the green brick road for an ethical PR future.