PR - The pivotal player

With the promise of thought leadership from the PRCA, I’m pleased to announce the first in a series of guest posts from the PR Industry’s finest. First up Mark Stringer, Founder of Pretty Green.

Being asked to write on someone else's blog, is a bit like staying at someone else’s house; it's nice to be asked round, but once you get there you realize you prefer the comfort and security of your own home where there's a lock on all the toilet doors - There's nothing more embarrassing than walking in on your best mate’s wife and trying to explain that you didn't realise she was on the toilet.

Anyway, here I am, sitting in Francis’ front room, having a good snoop around. First impressions: It's obvious that he is passionate about the industry, what it stands for and what it can achieve. I think we might get along, as long as I don’t overstay my welcome…

I share his views, but, having not come from a public affairs background, I'm less ‘Minister’ and more ‘Court Jester’, whose perspective is that our role as PR Professionals is to create and harness content to drive positive brand reputation through the way we behave.

I've a great respect for public affairs, stakeholder management, NGOs; the hard-nosed, behind-the-scenes aspect of the industry. But, I still believe that PR can sit on the top table, without having to be a Corporate Agency. It just means we have to be more strategic and more creative.

Undoubtedly the pet hate for every agency-person is being perceived as the agency that simply promotes what someone else has created. "We've got this (insert Advert, promotion, new bottle etc), can you just get some coverage". A frustrating but popular misconception of what PR is all about.

In today's combusted landscape the beauty is that creating and distributing content is easier than ever before and the PR industry now has a great opportunity to become not only a seat warmer at the top table, but the pivotal player.

We're better placed to lead Digital than the media agencies or the Ad agencies because we know how to integrate it into the editorial mix rather than looking at it as an isolated entity. We are skilled in creating experiences that not only bring brands to life but also deliver editorial and we know how to build strong brand reputations.

But the magic happens when we are able to create as well as distribute. What's interesting is you're often a minority if you talk about your creative director, or creative team, something I've never understood.

Yes PR people are generally more creative than a lot of other disciplines, due to the need to write and create stories on a daily basis, but true ‘creatives’ will always be an essential part of the mix; people who stretch the boundaries and make us feel uncomfortable. The big thinkers, whose ides continue to push us and excite us (and initially leave us dumbfounded).

Anyway, now's the time for us all to believe we belong round the top table, and that we can drive the full marketing agenda, not just the news agenda, and organisations like the PRCA can help us achieve that.

But, as I said before, I feel like I'm sat in someone else's front room and I shouldn't really be ranting too much or I might not be invited round again. Besides, we've got Beyonce in town, so I'm off to find some buskers as we've got some content to create and distribute for Trident and given that as of Friday we've got one less paper to sell-in to, we're going to have to work that little bit harder.

And as one person asked in the office, does the decline of London Lite mean that we'll return to the halcyon days of hearing "Standard, Standard! Read all about it"? We do hope so.

Thanks for having me... I’ll make sure I shut the door behind me.

PRCA in strong financial position

Following the CIPR's announcement regarding its finances, a number of members have asked me to reassure them as to our position.

It's a reassurance I'm delighted to give, because we are in an extremely healthy position.

Our reserves are very significant because of sound financial management over a number of years. The Association has produced a surplus in each of the previous four years, and confidently expects to produce one in 2009/10 too.

Our agency membership has grown by 50% over the past two years, and we recently announced in-house and international membership programmes too, further diversifying our revenue streams. Income from our business partners, training and events has significantly increased over the past two years. As a result of strong performance in all of these areas, turnover is up by around 50% compared with two years ago.

So, we entered this recession in a strong position, and we will exit it in an even stronger one.

A week of celebrating PR

PR all too often gets slagged off by its detractors, and all too often is poor at coming to its own defence. So the awards season is always a good time to remember the good work that PR professionals do.

The PRCA are national sponsors of the CIPR's PRide awards, so the next few weeks will see us at their dozen or so ceremonies, meeting members, handing over trophies. But of course it's not just those guys who run awards - our own take place on November 3rd, and are on track to be an even bigger success than last year's. Corp Comms' are up soon, ditto AMEC's, ditto the second outing of the Fresh PR awards.

The most enjoyable element of awards of course is seeing your friends and colleagues win. So last week's awards in Cardiff were especially good, as Golley Slater and its eminence grise Martin Long won Welsh agency of the year. For those of you who know Martin, you'll realise that it was entirely appropriate the evening ended in a cocktail bar named Ten Foot Tall.

PR Week's event was a storming success too (though not quite so storming for the protesters who were escorted out I guess...). It was a pleasure seeing two titans of the industry presenting and receiving the UK agency of the year award -Colin Byrne handing it over to Robert Phillips. And seeing Alex Aiken beam with pride at winning in-house team of the year. Long overdue.

A good night was had by all -a sore head the morning too I'm sure.

One final thought amid the celebratory stuff. Tamsin Cave of the self-styled 'Alliance for Lobbying Transparency' took exception to my recent post in favour of self-regulation. She called it 'sanctimonious', but decided to reply to it elsewhere. Let me put aside the intense irony of the ALT chief calling anyone sanctimonious (pot kettle comparisons rather spring to mind...), and just say this -if you don't like what I say, then post a comment, and let's debate. But if you want to take issue, don't post a comment on your own blog -a blog which deliberately stops anyone commenting. Seems a little chicken to me.....

Unhorsing the free riders....

The news that Tory Shadow Cabinet member Francis Maude has pulled out of an APCO reception (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6859374.ece ) should give us all pause for thought. He’s done it in order to avoid being associated with a lobby company. And that’s something that affects us all, and should worry us all.

It follows his recent announcement that a future Conservative Government would impose statutory regulation should the industry as a whole not sign up to self-regulation.

I used to work at the Tory Party, and from what I can judge, this is no idle threat.

Too many public affairs agencies out there still choose not to be regulated. They provide various –frequently transparent- excuses for this. They say that their internal codes of conduct are than independent ones; that it wouldn’t be fair to their clients to reveal who they work with. Etc, etc, etc. What they really mean is that they’re free riders on the ethicality of their peers. That they are ashamed of who they work for. That they are incapable of adhering to proper codes of conduct.

Well, they now have a choice. If they continue to remain outside the pale of decent practice, then they will bring statutory regulation down upon not only themselves, but upon the public affairs industry as a whole. Their intransigence and obstinacy will inflict personal professional damage upon us all.

We’ll be working over the next few months to extend our coverage of the industry, and to increase the already forty-plus public affairs agencies that are today members of the PRCA and already embrace self-regulation. And we’ll also be naming and shaming those companies –and their chiefs- that are putting our industry’s future at risk. Because it’s time they realised the threat they pose to the industry that they purport to love.

The power of personal endorsement

A slightly unusual post today –though I hope with a vague professional purpose.

Yesterday was pretty memorable, though it began ordinarily enough. Having spent last week at home waiting (unsuccessfully) for the supposedly imminent arrival of our second child, I returned to work, albeit with an intentionally light diary. Ahead of evening drinks for financial PR agencies hosted at College Hill, I had lunch with the effervescent Don Clark, until recently Sales Director at Vocus. Our discussion of his big plans for the future was proceeding nicely until I received the message that my son’s entry into the world was imminent.

Cue urgent phone calls to arrive a speedy return home. Cue also extraordinary enthusiasm from the restaurant staff. With a Mediterranean flourish, they produced a bottle of spirits while I waited for a cab, and toasts began –at the restaurant’s expense.

Result? A nervous ten-minutes made much less tense, and an extremely satisfied customer. Result also, this ringing endorsement –About Thyme is an excellent restaurant, with good, unfussy food, a decent wine list, and –most of all- friendly and welcoming staff. It’s also a great place to have lunch if you’re wife’s about to give birth! Professional point? Your customers can be great builders of your corporate reputation. I certainly intend singing About Thyme’s praises.

And for those of you who might be interested to know, I made it home in time (just) to see the birth of my 10lb 0oz son!

In defence of public sector comms

With public expenditure clearly set to be the defining issue of the next general election, it now seems inevitable that there must be a serious debate about the use of taxpayers’ money to fund comms work. And by that, I mean not just public sector bodies using agencies, but also public sector bodies directly employing comms professionals too.

There are simple –and simplistic- headlines to be won by comms’ bashing, and the Mail does seem to reserve a page a day for just that. But it is surely ironic that the very mouthpieces which call for public service reform, and for organisations to talk better with the public they serve, are so ready to bash the people who would help to deliver that reform and facilitate that dialogue.

Equally, with all the main political parties talking of the need for tax rises and spending cuts, the days of public largesse are obviously over, and each area of public expenditure needs to justify itself.

That’s why we need a serious debate about this. One that doesn’t try to frame the choice as being between nurses and spin doctors; police on the beat and fat cats.

To that end, we’ve challenged the Tax Payers’ Alliance to debate just this issue. Much of their language on it’s plain stupid. And their ‘research’ wouldn’t stand up as a school project, let alone as the basis on which to legislate.

I’m delighted to say they’ve accepted, and the English Speaking Union have kindly agreed to play host. It’s on November 16th, in the evening. We’ll circulate details in due course. But it promises to be an interesting night, and I’m determined to bring a bit of sanity to this debate. Hopefully the TPA’s own comms people will publicise it too –ah, the irony....

Making the most of opportunities

Today’s unemployment figures make a sobering read for anyone –but if you’re looking to take the first step in your working life, they’re particularly unwelcome.

As in any downturn, new graduates face a tough time, with a wearisome hard slog of applications, interviews and ‘on this occasion you were unsuccessful in your application….best wishes for your future career’ letters.

Last week’s PR Week carried a pretty good analysis of what that means for our industry. Some agencies are recruiting graduates in similar numbers as over the last few years, but most have been forced to cut back. That’s hardly surprising –our industry can’t expect to be immune from what’s happening elsewhere in the economy.

So it’s more important than ever that if you’re offered the opportunity to prove your value to a potential employer, you grab it with both hands.

I say this because the PR Week piece happened to coincide with a brilliant example of how not to forge a career in PR. A PRCA member (no, I won’t name them) had awarded a highly-prized work placement to someone in her final year at university, looking for a future in PR. Did she make the most of it? Did she make a fantastic impression and smooth her way into the PR world? Well, she certainly made an impression, but maybe not a career-enhancing one.

After two days, she decided not to come back in. Apparently, she hadn’t been given enough responsibility; enough management opportunities; enough face-time with the MD. Naturally, she’d still like a career in PR though. A piece of advice –it’s probably not the career for you…..