Living in an age dominated by the media, we often shape our perceptions of the world based on what popular TV series show us on screen. The media today has a stereotyped portrayal of PR pros. As a long-standing agency in this industry, check out what insight Gotham PR has about this issue here on PRNewser. 
Creative Leadership in PR Is More Important Than Ever
July 15, 2015 PR NEWSER via ADWEEK
This is a guest post by Courtney Lukitsch, founder and principal of Gotham Public Relations
A timely topic in the realm of both marketing and media relations is the increasingly dominant role of creative leadership in PR. At a moment where the public relations industry as a whole continues to expand and our collective purview increases to include active brand reputation building on an hourly basis, we now manage visual print, digital, social and broadcast media within a 24/7 culture always hungry for new creative content.
The possibilities are limitless, but how can one best harness creative assets and talent to achieve optimal results within this new climate as a PR leader? Much has been written (and promoted) of late on the topic of leadership.
The New York Times’ recent piece about cultivating leaders of consequence, titled Can You Learn to Lead? illustrates that this is now being taught at top universities and business schools.
Are leaders made or born? The answer to that question may only be answered through successful examples of brands that uniquely embrace the tools that new media has to offer their PR practitioners.
But have PR firms taken full advantage of this creative leadership opportunity? It’s a matter of debate. The question most clients will ask at an initial meeting is how creativity can be leveraged to drive their business. The next question invariably concerns how to measure and harness that business success.
PR practitioners have been trusted to take the “4 Ps” of leadership–purpose, principles, people and process–and run with the opportunity to utilize a uniquely complex, creative set of skills.
These include (but are not limited) to hourly client-side services such as visual and written brand building, reputation management, media relations across thousands of platforms, event planning and production, internal communications and meeting coordination, troubleshooting/problem solving and community relations.
Is that all, you might ask? No, it is not. Business development, creative partnership building and strategic industry relations all fall under the PR leadership umbrella as well.
In 2014, the Harvard Business Review studied this polemic within multiple companies to determine the skills needed at every level within an organization looking to reach this creative nadir with an agency rather than outsourcing it altogether (as is too often be the case) in a piece titled The Skills Leaders Need at Every Level.
PR is no exception to the rule that organizations need creative leadership. The industry as a whole arguably requires this leadership style more than others, considering the varied needs of clients and constantly shifting media landscape.
With analytics, behavioral insights, experiential and social all moving in on traditionally earned media in the realms of print and broadcast, the PR leader becomes a galvanizing resource. But in order to bring this discussion to the forefront, PR firms must also evolve as quickly as possible.
As strong media relations and brand outreach become increasingly relevant in the business world, PR professionals will continue to pursue the highest standards in creative leadership, while adapting to the pressing new needs and related skill sets in global business.
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Consumer, Technology
By Tonya Garcia for PR Newser
Over the past year or so, there’s been a lot of back and forth about QR codes. Are they a fad? Have we already moved on to the next thing? There answer to both is no.
Marketers are still learning about QR codes and see a great deal of value in using them. In fact, the thinking seems to go these days that if we spice up and bedazzle our QR codes, it makes the branding opportunity even better.
With the holidays upon us, two brands have just rolled out QR code programs.
Coca-Cola has partnered with the World Wildlife Fund for a QR code program that will last through March and include the polar bear holiday mascot. Coke cups will feature a QR code that will take drinkers to an app for a game and a place to donate to the WWF organization.
Of course, they could also just post a website, Facebook page, or Twitter handle on the cups and tell people to head over and make a difference. Coke has nearly 37 million Facebook likes and more than 400,000 Twitter followers. As one of the biggest brands in the world, it doesn’t need a QR code to reach consumers.
And JCPenney, also in the holiday spirit if not in the philanthropic one, is offering gift givers the chance to attach voice messages to their presents using QR codes. The video above demonstrates and while it looks kind of clumsy to us, you get the picture — personalization is the name of the game.
Consumer Reports suggests that QR codes will be valuable resources for holiday shopping, which sounds about right to us. Marketers are still figuring out other creative uses for QR codes, but so far, they’ve proved to be good shopping resources
U.S. News and World Report has placed PR specialist among the top 50 careers of 2011.
The publication says the industry is expected to add 66,000 jobs, or grow by 24 percent, between 2008 and 2018.
By Karen Schwartz via PRNewser
Contrary to popular belief, silence may still sometimes be golden when it comes to image management. Portfolio.com writes about the choices celebrities are making in addressing public issues that have the potential to rattle their brands. It points to Lady Gaga, who shut down the fan forum section of her site and didn’t Tweet in response to accusations last week, and to Tiki Barber, who rose and fell, the piece says, as his “escapades” negatively affected business.
It contrasts their “lay low” approach with the well-known public apology, quoting Shawn McBride, vice president and director of client service of Ketchum Sports & Entertainment Public Relations, on the option. “A public apology tour is often what tarnished celebrities do when they’re ready to reenter the public eye and reclaim their marketability potential.”
And it doesn’t rule out comebacks, pointing to the charges against Britney Spears and how they have been handled to give her a chance at reclaiming positive public opinion.
By Karen Schwartz via PRNewser
The Wall Street Journal’s got a career write-up of the PR/Communications gig today. It pushes the need for proficiency with cutting edge technologies and strong writing skills as key to success. Here’s what it says about the “personality fit” for the field. Sound like you?
You should be social and comfortable multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment. If your work entails working with celebrities, “you have to have a composure about yourself,” said Allison Pinter, a recruiter at Euro RSCG Worldwide.
The write-up highlights the increasing value of social media as a “necessity” in the field, quoting Gustavo Llamas, the U.S. recruitment manager at Burson-Marsteller, as pointing to the need to “be able to use [social media applications] beyond a personal level and think strategically to get a message across.”
In case you didn’t know, it’s Fashion Week. While the runways are busy showcasing the latest in style and glamour, reality TV shows are increasingly on the sidelines, tripping over each other to capture footage. In one episode of The Real Housewives of New York, an argument broke out between two of the show’s stars during a Pamella Roland show.
According to the label’s designer, Pamella DeVos, the fight didn’t bother her. For her and others, the promise of publicity is worth granting the TV programs access. Other designers that the Wall Street Journal spoke with prefer to keep their distance.
“I’d be hard-pressed to have someone explain to me why it’s meaningful to us to have them pictured at our show,” Daniel Silver, co-designer with Duckie Brown told the newspaper.
Whether it’s good for a fashion brand to have a reality TV shoot happening during their runway show seems to be determined by whether the label is trying to reach a mass market. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
The New York Times has named Robert Christie SVP of corporate communications, filling a role that had been vacant since August 2009 when Catherine Mathis left for Standard & Poor’s. Christie said he is “very excited about the opportunity” and that he “looks forward to doing good work for the Times.”
PR Firm Runs for Congress, Pokes at Supreme Court Decision
By Jason Chupick for PRNEWSER
PR firm Murray Hill, Inc. is running for Congress in the D.C. suburb of Maryland’s 8th district. Not the agency’s President Eric Hansell, but the company itself. Hansell is merely the “designated human” behind the message.
Murry Hill, a firm specializing in pro-labor organizations, is running to make a statement about the recent Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Accord to its quote in the press release, “until now, corporate interests had to rely on campaign contributions and influence peddling to achieve their goals in Washington. But thanks to an enlightened Supreme Court, now we can eliminate the middle-man and run for office ourselves.”
Hansell and campaign manager William Klein plan to run a historic campaign that puts people second, or even third, and promises the aggressive use of automated robo-calls, astroturf lobbying and computer-generated avatars to get out the vote.
Murray Hill, Inc.’s campaign ad can be found on YouTube.
[via HuffingtonPost]
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