The art of public relations is a finely tuned craft—one that can only be described by a handful of words.
Literally.
In fact, public relations was last formally defined in 1982 by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) like so: “public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other.” But with the advent of the Internet, and more recently social media, this definition has quickly outdated itself.
You may be surprised that as public relations specialists, we don’t have the most clear and concise definition of our profession. The truth is, the industry changes so quickly that it’s become increasingly harder to pin down a single job description that encompasses all that public relations specialists do.
So, PRSA, acting in true public relations style, set out on a quest to find the perfect twenty-first-century-appropriate definition of public relations. It’s a bold task that’s been 30-years in the making, but the organization isn’t doing it alone. It has embarked on a nationwide campaign that includes the public’s help.
Marketing associates, communication specialists and public relations professionals are adding to the definition on a daily basis via PRSA’s campaign, “PR Defined.” The campaign is headed up by PRSA’s Definition of Public Relations Task Force, a team made up of industry professionals. After assessing all of the proposals (there were more than 1,000 entries), and compiling the 20 most popular words submitted, the task force will objectively develop three definitions based on the data. The potential definitions will go up for a public vote for a period of 10 days on the PRSA website.
Thus far, the most frequent words include: organization, public, communication and relationship. Other marketing professionals who’ve also chimed in have described public relations pros as conversation facilitators, brand representatives, storytellers and content influencers.
While public relations pros fit all of these descriptions, I like to think of public relations specialists as engagers. Yes, we work with corporations and brands, but we give them a voice. Sometimes this voice is developed in the press; other times, it’s cultivated online through social media outlets. We put out fires and shed light on untold stories. We may even throw in a creative idea or two. Most importantly, we talk with the public. We carry on conversations and ask questions, which increases a client’s brand recognition.
As an agency, M/C/C represents multiple industries including automotive, energy, family entertainment, mobile technology and telecommunications. Other public relations practitioners may work in-house, where they focus on a single brand. Either way, public relations experts are trained to handle any situation.
Just as ER doctors treat patients with various aliments, public relations specialists handle all types of communications, not just traditional media relations or social media. Most in the industry are even trained in graphic design, news reporting, photography, video production and Web development.
As a young Girl Scout, I was taught to be prepared for any situation. In order to do this my troop trained for business tasks (selling cookies is hard work!), hiked the hills of southern California (also a very grueling task) and cultivated friendships with girls from different faiths, cultures and ethnicities. These lessons guide my practice as a public relations coordinator on a daily basis.
Of course, if you think about it, public relations specialists are just like scouts—always prepared for any situation.
M/C/C's Jenn Reeves pictured as a Daisy Girl Scout (top right).