Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Sense

Who talks to (and about) colleagues like that?

What qualities do you most dislike in a PR practitioner? “Being absorbed with ‘The Message’ and forgetting all about the specific context of the communication that is needed.” Gregor Halff’s response to Q8 of the PRoust Questionnaire I have long been a believer that “language shapes consciousness,” primarily in regards to deliberate words chosen, particularly when reasonable, more-inclusive and dynamic terms exist. For example, mindfully using gender-neutral titles, such as chair rather than chairman or firefighter...

Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Sphere PRoust Questionnaire

PRoust Questionnaire: Gregor Halff

The PRoust Questionnaire provides a quick insight into a public relations practitioner’s interests and point of view, as well as her or his professional beliefs and values. If you are not familiar with the original 19th-century Proust Questionnaire, please see details at the end of this post. PRoust Questionnaire answers from Gregor Halff: 1. What are your most striking characteristics as a PR practitioner? I like to shut up and just observe; one learns so much about...

Posted on Classic PR Conversations Current PR Conversations PR Axis

How to Reach Special Publics – The Woman Publics

Late last year I received an email from Dr. Beverley Wood in Victoria, Australia about Mabel Gertrude Flanley in respect of reference to Mabel in a comment I’d made on a blog post in May 2014. Beverley was researching Mabel for an historical presentation at the Annual Conference of the Dietitians Association of Australia in May, and had a gap in her knowledge after Mabel’s return to the US in 1932. Beverley told me “There...

Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Techster

Paying for the destruction of public relations

In 2001, a British installation artist, Michael Landy, won a commission for his work, Break Down, that involved the destruction of all his possessions as a reaction to the consumerist society. Fifteen years later, as Davis has noted, promotional practice has become ubiquitous. It’s become the default activity of public communications reflecting a consumerist mindset even around serious issues. Consider three examples: The best quotes from Davos 2016  (the 46th meeting of the World Economic Forum)...

Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Sphere

Diversity and PR – a do-si-do of two steps forward and one back

In many ways 2015 has been a year of diversity, something we at PR Conversations champion in our vision to reflect a wide variety of voices, shine a light on lesser-known people and new experiences, offer a platform for informed discussions and take a fresh approach to looking at public relations in a global-local context. Over the years we have published many articles that relate to diversity in the occupation – most recently with Enrica Orecchia‘s...

Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Nexus

A bizarre visit to the PeRsian conference bazaar

Toni Muzi Falconi details his equal parts fascinating and frustrating visit to Tehran to participate in the International Conference on Public Relations He also reviews Imam Fesial Abdul Rauf’s recent book, Defining Islamic Statehood I took a few days to round up my thoughts in order to describe to PR Conversations readers the experience of attending the 11th International Conference on Public Relations, held in Tehran in November 2015. My contact and meetings with various Iranian...

Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Axis

How to use opinion surveys in public relations

Research and evaluation are considered by many to be relatively recent concerns of public relations practitioners. Developments include the (recently updated) Barcelona Principles, ‘workflow‘ tools enabling monitoring and analysis of data generated through digital communications, numerous academic research papers and the insight of research firms. Several chapters in the new Future PRoof book, including my own on sustainable professional development, discuss measurement matters such as return on investment. The lack of standardised industry measures is...

Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Axis

Winding down or winding up a career in public relations

Most of the discussion around working in public relations concerns starting out in the occupation. We may sometimes look at mid-career developments and moving into management positions. But very rarely is attention given to decisions made later in a career, and what opportunities and considerations apply to public relations practitioners faced with winding down or winding up their working lives. When Jane Crofts wrote (at BehindtheSpin) about the last few days of her official employment at the University of Lincoln,...

Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Sphere PRoust Questionnaire

PRoust Questionnaire: Tina McCorkindale

The PRoust Questionnaire provides a quick insight into a public relations practitioner’s interests and point of view, as well as her or his professional beliefs and values. If you are not familiar with the original 19th-century Proust Questionnaire, please see details at the end of this post. PRoust Questionnaire answers from Tina McCorkindale: 1. What are your most striking characteristics as a PR practitioner? I’m a total and complete nerd—I love statistics and research. 2. What is...

Posted on Current PR Conversations PR Vision

From classroom to boardroom – crisis management lessons from the auto industry

Aaron Shardey gained a first class honours degree in public relations at London College of Communications this Summer with his undergraduate dissertation offering case study research into crisis management in the automotive industry. Given the topicality of the VW crisis, PR Conversations asked Aaron about his research and the lessons he would take from the classroom to the boardroom: One of the things you quickly realise when you study crisis management is that there are...