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Mark twain once said,” The public is the only critic whose opinion is worth anything at all.” This is true. The field of public relations is built upon this principle. It thrives on what people think, feel and hope for. It is an industry that relies on the public to determine its success or failure. The public is to public relations what the brain is to the human body, its controlling force. Public relations is all about reaching people through people for people. It is about the power of community.
It is true that the public has labeled PR as an industry of “spin.” It has been considered on more than one occasion, an unethical practice dedicated to transforming the “ugly truth” into something more palatable, more accepting for the benefit of the corporation or profit. It has received a plethora of criticisms, but has failed to receive the same level of recognition for all of its positive contributions. They are countless.
To start, PR offers start-up companies a cost-effective way to boost their public presence. For an emerging company, raising public profile can be challenging, especially with so much out there. But if you can grab the interest of a reputable journalist or blogger that wants to promote you, your reach is as far as the thousands of papers delivered each day or the number of times a Google search is done – with next to no cost. This reach goes beyond the billboard or the brochure because it uses trust as fuel. This is public relations. People talking with people.
What else does good PR do? Good PR listens. It listens to the needs of people and helps bridge and communicate those needs to major stakeholders. It chooses communication vehicles that resonate with different publics so that the message is clear and delivered effectively. This is vital in any workplace. Employee communications is the circulatory system of an organization. If communications is done effectively, respect between employee and employer is built and business flows. PR builds and nurtures healthy relationships in the workplace, making going to work much easier, even enjoyable.
Finally, PR helps promote global awareness. PR is the key to change. It generates power for not-for-profit organizations that stand for better health and a healthier environment. PR helps raise money for research such as cancer and global hunger. Earth Hour is a great example of what PR can do. During the hour the lights went out, in Toronto alone there was a 10 per cent decrease in energy use. The message to turn off the lights reached a lot of people and because of this we were able to create these results.
PR is about you and me. It is about community and what we believe in. The next time you hear someone talk negatively about PR, think about how PR really changes the world. Think about the message behind the messenger.
