A Bit of PR Punditry

The further I wander into the maze of intellectual thought that is the MSc in Public Relations course…the more dazed and confused I am, each time I come back out and open an issue of PR Week.

‘In there’ the work we’re doing is related to the ‘new’ face of PR, which, I guess, is all about professionalisation; so we’re immersed in Content Analysis, measurement and evaluation, surveys and statistics, the extensive use of new technology, concepts of ethics and truth and a barrage of other stuff, which I suspect does not trouble a large number of practitioners.

Certainly, much of it will not easily fit into the standard how-to PR files marked ‘seat of the pants’ or ‘common sense’. These, as I recall, being the only two files regularly in use in public relations for the last thirty-odd years…and I was in publishing and dealing with PRs back in the days when Lynn Franks was a strip of a gal.

Now, struggling with concepts which definitely challenge some established PR practice, I’m aware there’s a much bigger tussle going on in the industry. One lot is basically saying about PR: ‘It ain’t broke, so don’t fix it’ while the other lot says: ‘Get a grip. Tomorrow has arrived. Change or die.’ Nowhere is this stand-off more apparent than in the pages of PR Week: the 13^th April issue proving no exception.

The CIPR Diploma can now be obtained through an online course (p4), which means all of the above knowledge stuff can be yours at the click of a mouse and the handing over of two thousand quid. And according to this article by Kate Magee, it’s ‘borne out of demand by those unable to attend the traditionally taught course’. So it seems some of you out there share the view that there may be more to PR than meets the eye, or the seat of the pants.

Miranda Lane (p16) draws attention to a ‘skills vacuum’ in financial and investor PR – a world in which being a smart party arranger just won’t cut it. Here, PRs are required to be regulations-savvy and clued in mathematically. Heather McGregor, MD of specialist communications headhunter, Taylor Bennett, says she’d like to see more accountants moving into communications. So much for professional jurisdiction…but you get her point: the average PR offering won’t wash around the money men.

For a short lesson in anything but average PR, turn to Hannah Marriott’s piece on ‘Rocket Man’ (p17) a profile of Gary Farrow, Chairman of PR outfit, The Corporation.

Described as ‘an old school publicist who relies on instinct’ (instinct being a mate of seat-of-the-pants and common sense), Gary has some interesting things to say.

Regarding ‘Off the record, in perpetuity’:

‘Perpetuity is when you die and even in heaven. And if there is a stage beyond that, you still shut the f***k up.’

Regarding education:

‘Listen – I come from Orpington. I’ve got two GCSEs or whatever the bollocks they’re called.’

Regarding measurement and evaluation:

‘F***k it no. Leave that to those f*****g ponytail twats. Evaluation and pie charts and bollocks.’

Gary, as you have probably figured, is the kind of PR the CIPR realise will never have an Epiphany – even though he likens himself to John the Baptist of PR. He lives and breathes ‘common sense’ and ‘seat of the pants’. Speaking of which, check out his moment of checking out with a client…which has to do with pants and getting jiggy with a penguin, in Trafalgar Square at four in the morning. It’s a testament to the black art of common sense.

I'd have given you a website address for The Corporation but it says everything that keying in his name, his company's name, its stated business - and permutations of all three - bring up no website url. Not for this lot, search engine optimisation. What does come up are thousands of references to Gary, which tells me this is one busy and successful dude, even if he does think evaluation is bollocks.

We appear to have the definitive guide to creating a unique campaign (p20). And it is, I guess, the nearest we’ll ever get to putting Colonel Sanders deep into orbit. Weber Shandwick really did strut their stuff with this global relaunch, no less, of Kentucky Fried Chicken. The notion of being able to view the face of the Colonel – from space – is a breathtaking PR idea.

But I couldn’t help noticing in the Measurement, Evaluation and Results section of this article that the ensuing coverage was measured in numbers of stories and the advertising equivalent value. At £23 million, this is not to be sniffed at. But the real question is…will seeing Colonel Sanders from space actually result in more terrestrials buying the product?

Finally, we have wise words from Claire Murphy, (p19) the deputy editor of PR Week. She supports the whole notion of training – a concept which she feels the PR industry hasn’t exactly embraced. Obviously I’m in agreement. It’s because I believe you’re dead in the water if you don’t stay current that I’m on this course. But I also think we should guard against losing our old skills in our efforts to become adept at the new. Old skills such as clean copy and thorough subbing, Claire: this issue boasts far too many literals.

The PR industry appears to be living in interesting times. Personally, I think there’s a lot to be said for the old ways: I bet Gary Farrow gets things done. But I also think PR has got to clean up its act. And if PR practitioners want to defend their professional turf against encroachment by journalists, marketers and accountants! they’ll have to prove to clients that they possess a unique skills set.

So forgive me for hedging my bets, but today I’m off to get down and dirty with the postmodern approach to PR research and practice, with the celebrated Derina Holthausen. There’s not a sniff of common sense in this tome, I betcha…and probably no mention of pants….