FPRA - Florida Public Relations Association Blog

Prologue: FPRA at 70
Very impressed with FPRA’s efforts in professional development.

“A Valedictory and a Vision”
Valedictory: I come not to comfort you but to challenge you.
The vision: to take a look at the future.

The future of public relations is a challenging undertaking.

Drivers of public relations growth.
1. Many more kinds of organizations are adopting public relations as integral to their success. Not just big corporations any more. Non-profits, smaller companies, even the media, are now using public relations.
2. Public relations professionals are now delivering a plethora of communications services.
3. Public relations is now becoming a global profession (more and more the reality). Ketchum now has seven offices in China.

Why is there more emphasis on public relations in the world? The new world needs more mutual understanding and cooperation.

Five Macro Global Developments -- and how it impacts the role of public relations

(This is only a shorthand check list)

1. There is a new world order evolving and America must adjust accordingly.
“Let us make the world so economically-interdependent first war will go out of stile.”

2. New Media: Strike the phrase “New Media” from our vocabulary.
Twitter, social networking, etc

2. Partnering “Strange bedfellows” in win-win scenarios will proliferate.

3. And, closest to ‘home’, there is increasing demand for transparency, accountability and integrity from institutions, and individuals.

Example Headlines:
Steelworkers Merge with British Union, G.E. and Abu Dhabi Fund Form Financial Partnership.
Prominent Green Group Buys Out Firm.

One more challenge: The professional and the Personal:

What do these changes mean to us as practitioners. There is now a pressing need for PR people to be active and visible in the market place of ideas as individuals.. not just representing our employers. After all, we are some of the most informed individuals in society just from the requirements of our work.

“Second Acts n American Life” - Encore Careers. Provide expertise to advance the public dialogue. Volunteer your talents for good social projects and causes. Consider public service as an encore career.

Palusek says the future of public relations is so challenging and exciting that he wishes he was starting his career all over again.

Q and A:

Community partnering with strange bedfellows: more and more companies are realizing that in order to operate, they have to reach out to, not just government, but those in the community who may initially be viewed as opponents to the goal of the corporation. There is wisdom to be gained from those who are outside the company. This goes beyond philanthropy. Today, strategic philanthropy is taking place to see how contributing to local organizations that have a nexus to the companies mission can improve the company and its position in the marketplace and community.

What is the role of PR in an communications world which is fragmented and individual but global? There is a bilevel kind of communications universe. Shared opinions from all over the world both locally and global can be mutually supported.

Trends being discussed are in a business sense, but the political reality seems to be fighting it. Please comment:

It goes to the reality of our system of democracy. Political leaders cannot move as quickly as private enterprise due to the need to be responsive to many constituency. The closer to the people the political entity the more crisp and responsive it must be. Local government vs. state, vs. federal, vs the United Nations (global).

Do you feel this International partnering is contributing to greater ethics?
Ethics is governed by cultural and societal norms. The globalization can move us toward a more unified norm. However, this a work in progress. (We are on the road to gradually understand human rights and labor rights.) Ethics is gray area and requires a lot of consideration and debate.

What can PR practitioners do to help evolve the profession in the academic areas (colleges and universities)? Guest lecturing. Practitioners retiring and moving into the an education career. More and more practitioners are coming to campus to contribute “real world” knowledge. Sharing of new priorities ad interaction with PR educators.

Are blogs influencing journalists? Responsible journalists look at blogs in their beats and develop a respect for those who are authoritatively reporting. One of the obligations for a responsible journalist is to look at the track record and credibility of the blogger.

What is the biggest public relations success? Blunder?
Success: The U.S. Information Agency during the cold war. Also, the civil rights movement’s progress and how it was communicated.
Blunders: Coca-Cola introduction of New Coke.

Relationship of what we do on the polices and performance of the clients we represent should be integral.