Public relations could do with some good PR

pub·lic re·la·tions Noun

1. The professional maintenance of a favorable public image by an organization or a famous person.
2. The state of the relationship between the public and a company or other organization or a famous person.

When I first found myself in the PR industry, I had very little understanding of what PR actually even is. I understood the basics of what a public relations company’s function is, but I didn’t understand its place within a South African context.

Africa is a continent hardly resplendent in Beckhams and Ga Gas. Of course I knew I wasn’t getting involved in spin doctoring, after all none of our clients are government organisations, but it wasn’t long before it became apparent to me that other industries generally view PR as being at the very bottom of the media food chain (much the same way PR companies are generally depicted in popular culture) despite our clients generally being reputable organisations. I wandered onto Facebook a while back to see a rather well-known journalist acquaintance of mine (no one is really friends with journos) having status updated “PR agencies, know your place.” Which in my opinion rather sums up the masses’ view of PR.

“So, we write articles for journalists and clients (generally businesses), provide them with all the info that they need, arrange interviews, throw events - and get none of the credit? AND still get treated like they’re doing us a big favour? Sign me up!”

In 2008, Neil Dorman, in an article in the New Statesman titled PR scum are human, too, said ‘“I have no idea what publicists call journalists in private, but I can reveal that we hacks refer to our promotional colleagues as "PR scum’.”

PR companies need better PR. Frankly before I started working in the industry, I couldn’t name even one PR company active in South Africa. When I pictured a PR agent, I pictured someone not unlike Vincent Chase’s PR agent in ‘Entourage’. All swear words; spin doctoring and making sure that their client’s life in the fast lane appeared to be life in the puritan’s unpaved road.

This is not however what we do at all. It’s certainly not what my company does, I can’t speak for Steve Hoffmeyr’s publicist, whoever that poor soul may be. We write genuinely truthful, honest material about our client’s activities, and try to get them published, to make people positively aware of our brands. You might call it marketing, and I agree the lines are blurry.

Which I like to think we do quite well. Sure, we sometimes inundate your inboxes with press releases and invitations, but don’t think I haven’t noticed that as soon as there’s free wine then all the journalists are there in force.

I’ve also noticed that PR agencies across the globe are hoping that the perception of PR is changing; that PR may finally be seen to hold a more important place in the marketing / media campaign of capitalism. The rise of the role and importance of digital communication processes has certainly changed the game, and most media seem to think for the better, but in my opinion the change is perhaps just that, a change, not necessarily for better or worse. Simply a new medium.

PR seems to be looking at social and digital media and saying “These tools are amazing, they’re just an extension of what we’ve been doing all along; an additional method for us to get our point across.” But this is a double-edged sword.

Now everyone can write, comment, attack, give their opinion, and be heard by all. Which means that: for one, public relations and brand management is constantly taking place, and for two: good PR is needed now more than ever. Anyone can now voice their opinion in a public forum, and often anyone and everyone does. Soon everyone with an ADSL line is going to need their own PR agency.

A research study by Vocus in 2010 shows that PR as an industry is optimistic about perceptions of PR in the future; with 64 percent of respondents saying that “Pr will become increasingly important in the marketing mix.”

I happen to think that we’re already important, the average executive or journalist just doesn’t have any clue what it is that we actually do. Are we selling? Well yes of course, but every single profession is the world is selling something. We’re just working too hard at selling other people to have time to sell ourselves very well.