Show me the money? A challenge for PR

For the last 50 or so years, advertising money has made the world go round.  Despite the fact that Viscount Leverhulme (or was it John Wanamaker – either way, both were early pioneers of advertising for their companies) is quoted as having said: I know that half of my advertising budget is wasted, but I’m not sure which half The fact that half of the spend was considered to be worthwhile was enough to compensate...

On the current crisis, institutionalization and regulation…

Would a more ‘institutionalized’ PR function have performed a more useful function of warning and advising financial institutions over the last few years? I suspect not – because the process of institutionalization would have removed detachment from the PR function. This comment from Richard Bailey in a recent criticism of the Euprera Congress theme on its website, and even more so if you look at another post by Richard on the same issue on his...

Where next for professional associations?

Drifting round the social networking sites, I couldn’t help wondering where next for our professional associations. Not just in public relations, but across all sectors. What will professional associations have to offer in order to retain their paid members – when many of the ‘benefits’ historically gained from paid membership can be had elsewhere for free?

Fires in Greece, Crisis Communication and a serious example from Portugal on synergistic communication and the power of networks

In recent debates on PRConversations about the level of strategic practice of PR, the value of licensing, the role of active professional associations or even the misguided conceptions about lobby, I must confess I couldn’t bring much positive experience from Portugal unless that great advantage that lies in the fact that we can still do things from scratch and try to learn from the best examples all over the world. So now I want to...

Professional Associations caught in a vicious circle? A follow up note..

A recent post on whether our license to operate should be renewed to professional associations has attracted some very interesting and authoritative comments which, I believe, allow us to make a step forward. I sincerely hope that others, who have not yet expressed opinions, might be encouraged to do so by realising that some added value was gained in the first round.

Is it public or publics? Is it communication or relationships? Is it media relations or is it stakeholder relationships? A candid confrontation with Jack O’Dwyer

In these days I have been exchanging some interesting views with Jack O’Dwyer. We respect each other but have different opinions. I asked Jack if he authorized me to post a part of out debate in order to stimulate other visitors from around the world to comment and/or criticize.