Quarterly newsletter, Volume 2 - July 2007

Thinkers’ Corner

“I’m just a soul whose intentions are good. Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood…”, pleaded the Animals back when R&B meant worlds more than ‘pimped rides’ and hyped divas.

I’ve often thought this lament should become an unofficial anthem for our much maligned profession. PR is so often the whipping boy, the scapegoat for a whole range of corporate, political and management ills. It has allowed itself to become synonymous with evasiveness and equivocation.

I cite an example from a book called Unspeak by Stephen Poole. Ostensibly Mr Poole’s work is an attempt to unmask that old deceiver, Language, and quite right too. However, his wholly laudable theory is too often shipwrecked by the sirens beckoning him to vilify the British Left. And being a journalist, Mr Poole can’t resist launching a kick at the prone body of PR too:

“Moreover”, he says, describing biotech food industries, “the term ‘genetically modified’ is usually shortened in PR and the media to ‘GM’, so that any potentially worrying implications of science in the term are compressed out of existence. After all, GM can also denote General Motors, or a Grand Master in chess.”

The book goes on to use PR liberally as an interchangeable term for various shades of untruth, all the while forgetting that the term, rather like GM, is just convenient shorthand that can also mean ‘Proportional Representation’. In the right context, people are very unlikely to confuse the two. But the point is made: PR is the enemy of truth. PR is a form of language devised with intent to deceive.

And so I come back to being misunderstood. PR, at least not in the terms I understand it, is not some form of encoded language aimed at deceiving the wider world. PR is what it says it is: relations with the public. Those relations are based not just on language, or indeed communications, but also on behaviour – and the sum of the two produces ‘reputation’, i.e. the way others think of you.

This, to me, encapsulates the innate value of PR. Not just as a means of communicating a message – be it personal, political or corporate – but also in shaping behaviour which ensures that message bears examination. So few people seem to grasp this.

In politics, take Jose Manuel Barosso, head of the European Commission. Having said that tackling climate change “must be a defining mission of the European Union for the future”, he went on to declare: “This is an opportunity for European leaders to match intentions with deeds, to turn words into actions.“

Indeed so, and the message is clear, but Mr Barosso’s ownership of a VW Touareg 4X4 suggests that his behaviour is unlikely to enhance his reputation. Worse still is his justification: “I never see myself as an example. A moralistic approach is not mine. We are setting public targets and should avoid giving certificates of good behaviour to individuals.”

So, having exhorted the public to alter their lifestyle in a way which will help the EU reach its carbon emission targets, what Mr Barosso apparently means is that we, the population of the EU, should do as he says and not as he does.

And here’s the point, surely. This is bad public relations not because it was conceived by an adviser as a deliberate attempt to deceive (as Stephen Poole might have it), but because the two sides of the behaviour and communication equation are unbalanced. The result being that his reputation for political leadership is torpedoed.

And here’s the point about PR: good PR – PR that adds value – is not, and never has been, about deceit. It is about solid, consultative advice that suggests reputation is contingent on two key factors that simply must stand up to scrutiny. It is about inspiring the right action as well as the right communication.

PR’s own behaviour has contributed to its reputation problems. Too often it has allowed itself to be used as a means simply to mouth what its master believes should be heard; irrespective of what that master has been doing. To have a future where its worth is recognised, PR needs to assert its true role.   

Patrick Barrow, Managing Director PRCA UK

Quarterly newsletter, Volume 2 - July 2007 

Industry Highlights

Farner PR of Switzerland and the Global Financial Communication Network (GFC/Net) conducted a survey of business journalists in ten different countries in order to determine how these influencers of public opinion really feel about the practice of international corporations taking control of companies in their home countries.

Not surprisingly, the study shows cultural and geographic proximity as key factors in the acceptance of multinational takeovers. American journalists, for example, are most tolerant of mergers and acquisitions originating in Britain and Australia, while European journalists have an extra degree of confidence in Western European investors, especially those from the UK. Both American and Western European members of the business press are wary of buyers hailing from the emerging markets, with Russian entrepreneurs accorded the least amount of trust.

For more information on the study, e-mail Urs Knapp at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

Quarterly newsletter, Volume 2 - July 2007 

Industry Highlights

The latest white paper published by the Council of Public Relations Firms of the U.S. examines the impact that so-called “social media” (blogs, wikis, podcasts, social-networking sites, and so on) have had on the practice of Public Relations. Given PR’s focus on building dialogues and relationships, the study argues that, with an enlightened approach to this changing world of communication, PR can play a crucial role in an organisation’s success. According to the author:

“The public relations industry finds itself at an historic juncture. It always has been about social influence – i.e., “relating to the public.” Now that the rules of social influence are gaining precedence over other approaches, public relations looms larger than ever. Working collectively, internal public relations departments and agencies can better serve their organisations while resetting the mandate and direction for an entire industry.”

To learn more about the survey findings and their implications, visit the CPRF website at www.prfirms.org.

Quarterly newsletter, Volume 2 - July 2007

What’s New @ ICCO

With the aid of graduate students at New York University, ICCO conducted a comprehensive audit during the first half of the year in order to guide the organisation’s planning and strategic direction. Primary research included interviews with board members and an internet survey of member firms, while secondary research focused on other PR associations and global professional services groups.

Findings from the external, “competitive” analysis show that ICCO fills a clear niche in the global communications industry. Its charter is consistent with that of other global professional services organisations, as are its challenges – including: communication with members, member involvement, the dues structure and resource / staffing constraints.

Meanwhile, interviews with the Board of Management reveal a universally positive outlook for the industry, with talent & staffing seen as the main issue. Our board members are highly committed to the organisation and see a clear role for ICCO. They are excited about the new Executive Director and encouraged by the activities they have seen so far this year. However, they do express concern on a number of issues, including: the dues structure; the focus and frequency of meetings; and the balance of interests between established and emerging markets.

For their part, individual member firms show a high level (96%) of awareness of the national affiliation with ICCO in their respective countries and value the global perspective, which is seen to be growing in importance. There is active engagement with the ICCO website, e-mails and events as well as strong agreement on what ICCO’s priorities should be, namely: collecting case studies of global campaigns and sharing best practice, providing templates for documents and contracts, and upholding a code of ethics.

Quarterly newsletter, Volume 2 - July 2007

What’s New @ ICCO

During the first half of 2007, ICCO and Richmond Events commissioned a benchmarking study on PR expenditure. Unlike previous studies that simply explore the PR management structure and money spent, this research poses the question of whether the amount of money being spent - and the number of jobs it supports - is actually appropriate to achieving the desired results.

Initial findings of the study were highlighted in the April 26 edition of PR Week's UK publication while more comprehensive results were presented at the Communication Directors' Forum held by Richmond Events May 7-10. Now the consultancy Gyroscope, enlisted to conduct the study, has published an interim report that is available to all ICCO-affiliated firms.

According to the authors:

"Given the seniority and professional maturity of the survey’s respondents, these findings are deeply worrying for the PR industry. There is little doubt that despite noisy proclamations of PR’s ability to generate ‘RoI’, the industry as a whole has a poor understanding of both the ‘R’ and the ‘I’.

When planned and delivered with skill and experience, the ability of PR and Corporate Communications to make a specific and measurable contribution to an organisation’s objectives is not in doubt. However, until the industry – on all sides and at every level – learns to adopt more rigorous planning of desired returns and required investments, its potential will, for most organisations, continue to be wasted."

To request a copy of the report, contact your local trade association or e-mail This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .