I always love thought-provoking conversations with Anne Gregory. She's a bit of a luminary in the field of Public Relations and Marketing. Anne, with her extensive background as a former chair of the Global Alliance, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, and a professor Emeritus from Huddersfield Business School.
The crux of our discussion centered around a workshop Anne recently conducted for PR Week in the UK. The workshop, which drew in a diverse crowd from evaluation companies to individuals keen on learning about PR evaluation, sparked some controversy. The debate was rooted in what I'll call traditional approaches to PR, where objectives are aligned with organizational business goals, be it in profit, non-profit, or public sectors.
Anne is challenging this conventional wisdom, arguing this alignment is not only ethically questionable but may not effectively fulfill the true essence of public relations. She emphasizes the need to move beyond practices developed in the 1980s and 90s, advocating for a modern approach that takes into account the complexities and evolving nature of public relations today. "We can't start going round this track over and over again and not moving forward," Anne remarks, highlighting the need for progress in the field.
Our conversation took a historical turn, examining the roots of PR traced back to Basil Clarke and Edward Bernays. These pioneers framed PR as a tool for persuasion, a concept Anne believes needs reevaluation. She points out that while persuasion to buy products or comply with government requests is understandable, PR's purpose extends beyond mere persuasion. It's about building legitimate, meaningful relationships with audiences and not just pushing organizational goals.
Anne's critique extends to the metrics used in PR evaluation. She's disappointed over the lack of progress in the field, where CEOs and PR leaders still rely on superficial metrics like media placements and impressions. This, according to Anne, reflects a failure on the part of PR professionals to demonstrate the true value of public relations to the C-suite.
One of the key takeaways from our conversation was the need for PR to align more with stakeholder values and societal contributions. Anne stressed the importance of evaluating organizations based on their purpose, leadership behavior, stakeholder treatment, and the nature of their communication. These factors, she argues, are more indicative of an organization's legitimacy and effectiveness in PR than traditional metrics.
Anne's insights urge us as PR professionals to reevaluate our strategies and approaches. We need to focus on creating genuine stakeholder engagement, aligning our actions with societal values, and demonstrating the real impact of PR beyond just organizational benefits. It's about evolving our practices to meet the demands of a modern, sophisticated audience and ensuring the sustainability of the public relations profession.
Anne's understanding and critique of the current state of PR offer a roadmap for the future of the field. It's a call to action for all of us in Public Relations and Marketing to rethink, reevaluate, and realign our strategies for a more effective and ethically sound practice.
Doug
