On August 15th my quarterly copy of The Public Relations Strategist (published by the Public Relations Society of America) arrived. The Summer 2008 edition’s cover highlighted the feature article, “Where PR Belongs: A Move at Chrysler Spurs Debate.” The provocative title drew me in, so I literally dropped everything (but the magazine) to have a read. Although Chris Cobb’s article focuses on changes to the reporting structure at the US-based auto giant (a company that is now private), it struck me how many of the issues were similar to the “ Institutionalization of PR” focus and discussions covered in PRC colleagues’ posts (in preparation for the upcoming Euprera conference). That same afternoon I sent a message of query to The Strategist’s editor, John Elsasser, asking whether the article would (or could) be made available to a non-PRSA (and non-subscriber to The Strategist) audience. On Monday morning a gracious affirmative from John arrived in my in-box. (more…)

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In a manual written for his students in 2005, Emanuele Invernizzi (Professor of Corporate Communication at IULM University in Milan and co-organiser of the 2008 Euprera Conference to take place in Milan) distinguished between the concepts of ‘core’ and ‘extended’ public relations competencies. He regards ‘core’ competencies as media relations, public affairs, organisation of corporate events and ceremonials while ‘extended’ competencies, in addition to the above, includes planned support to other functions (e.g. human resources, finance, marketing, and procurement). (more…)

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In 2004, the Dutch scholar Prof Betteke Van Ruler referred to PR professionals as being ‘from Venus’ while PR scholars are ‘from Mars.’ UK academics Fawkes and Tench found traces of anti-intellectualism amongst PR practitioners/employers in their recent research study. An editorial by Wood in a leading academic publication in the UK, ‘Journal of Communication Management’, challenges academics to communicate their research more effectively rather than “languishing comfortably in an ivory tower.” (more…)

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As suggested by Prof Emanuele Invernizzi, co-organizer of the Euprera Congress taking place in Milan 16-18 October, I listened to his interviews with a number of academics and practitioners on the Congress website on the topic of the ‘ Institutionalisation of Public Relations’. Both Prof Betteke van Ruler from the Netherlands and Prof Anne Gregory from the UK emphasised the importance of the educational role of PR. This was one of the four PR roles/dimensions identified in the European Body of Knowledge Project (EBOK) in 2000, described as: ‘To assist organisational members to become communicatively competent in order to respond to societal demands. This has to do with the mentality/behaviour of employees’. (more…)

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In not many weeks some of us (scholars and professionals) will be in Milano participating at the Euprera annual Congress, which this year (October 16/17) is dedicated to the institutionalization of public relations.
Although there will be a relevant but small segment of participants from other areas of the world, it is reasonable to expect that most will be European, and therefore are likely to transfer European perspectives.
This is one good reason to review now and in this blog some recent relevant thinking and discussion originated in the United States, to support a framework for a debate which, although focussed on Europe, will also take into consideration other parts of the world.
And this is clearly an open invitation to visitors from Asia, Australasia, Africa, Latin America, Canada to actively contribute to this discussion now, before the beginning of the Congress. (more…)

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In a comment to my last post, PRC reader and frequent commenter, Brandon Carlos, indicated his frustration at the apparent dearth of Canadian resources, “Another lagging area in Canadian PR, Judy, is in the educational text arena. As a recent grad, I can attest to the atrocious selection of Canadian-focused PR texts. In a country with a population base spread across such a vast land area, you would think that nowhere other than Canada would PR be such a necessity.” In a follow-up comment, I put out a call to Canadian academics to share resources with Brandon and others. So far Elizabeth Hirst (Montreal) and Fraser Likely (Ottawa) have graciously weighed in. (Thank you!) Fraser’s contributions are so extensive, that I thought this area deserved its own space. And I continue to encourage others (academic or practitioner, Canadian or “non”) to add to this list of targeted and relevant resources. (more…)

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I am not an advertising agent, but a storyteller. This statement concludes a splendid article by Gugliemo Emanuel, correspondent from London of the Italian daily Corriere della Sera…dated December 1 1909 (yes! one hundred years ago..), significantly titled BUM!(more…)

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I got a bit over-excited with all the talk of spaces and what we do with them, so I have created a virtual world for PR Conversations if you want to grab your avatar and come on over to play. (more…)

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In Torino, early July, at the World Architects Conference -in the context of a workshop organised by Ferpi, Assorel (the Italian agency association) and the Global Alliance on how public relators and architects might better work together to reduce the more negative effects on society of the nimby (not in my back yard) and banana (build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone) syndromes- (more…)

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I was fascinated to read Toni Muzi Falconi’s reflection on the London World Public Relations Festival on the 28th June 2008 and the subsequent comments.

Oh what lather we get ourselves into, on both sides!

Critical comment on one side and hurt pride and righteous indignation from the other. (more…)

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