What was thought about the future of international PR back in 2001

     While browsing through my PR "stash", I came across an old piece of material that was given to me some three years ago during my B.S. degree. It's called "Public Relations in the context of globalization".
Basically, a rather big abstract of a Romanian book. Not much of it is related to what I am studying at the moment at the uni, as it is based on diplomacy. But what was truly interesting was the final part of it, consisting of what the authors (Simona Mirela Miculescu and Mircea Constantinescu) imagined the domain of Public Relations to be like in the future (the book being written in 2001). This is the piece, as I will try to translate as accurately as possible:

     "In the close future, the attention will be more and more frequently concentrated upon the integrated communication, which will travel through all the channels of dissemination and audiences with even greater speed and efficacy in reaching its scopes. The role of international public relations will amplify and will benefit by a larger and larger accreditation of its importance in terms of development and management strategies. The PR industry will evolve dynamically and consistently, including (and especially in) countries where it is in an incipient form.
     Technology, the epicenter of public relations, will consecrate, amongst others, the concept of "virtual teams" of public relations practitioners, which will no more have to travel from one country to another, choosing  the Internet navigation. The "dotcom" era, that has revolutionized the public relations field inclusively, will help identify new instruments and communicational means. The globalization of PR, which has already started strengthfully, will be in the pipeline in the third millennium. (...).
     What is obvious is that public relations practitioners are working in one of the most interesting and stimulative fields. Its future is limitless."


I think that the prophecy turned out to be very accurate. What do you think?

Revelation - Creative department

"May you be healthy, wealthy and LUCKY! - because, you know, the passengers on the Titanic were also healthy and wealthy..."

 Indeed, luck is of high importance in some cases. 

And this is the story of how a little bit of luck can matter so much. Yesterday, as I was searching for some PR websites, I came across the PRVision, a very nice video-based website, launched by PRWeek. I accessed the  "Creative ideas that really work" channel and began watching the video. And, beside two other specialists in creative PR, there he was, the one that was very soon to become the inspiration that made me decide what career I want to pursue - Dan Germain, head of creative at "innocent". 

 "Dan Germain works at a company called innocent, a nice little place where they make smoothies and other healthy drinks. He tells the story of how they came to be one of the top three fastest growing companies in the UK. It’s a story that involves entrepreneurial ability, innovation, creativity, original marketing and fruit by the bucketload!". (Source: www.speakerscorner.co.uk)

I was blown away! Firstly, I had no idea that there is such a department in a company - "Creative" . The simple title was all I needed to make up my mind. I thought it was too good to be true. I quickly searched the job description on Google.. and found it: "The creative department is where advertisements are conceived, developed, and produced." A little incomplete, but basically it is all about the people with the ideas. That's me! That's what I love doing and.. there's a job for it! Related to PR, because it involves communication, strategies and tactics according to consumer's behavior, as well as my invariable principle that it's all about image.

I spent almost 3 hours watching Dan Germain's speeches about creative brand building, business ideas and visual and qualitative importance. Simply amazing!
Finally, I have a subject for my dissertation - "Creativity in PR"

This is how a little luck can do so much! My advice? Take advantage of every single piece of luck you get, don't let it pass unnoticed! It might bring the chance of a lifetime!

Persuation on .. Gumtree?

     For the past two days, I have been searching the Gumtree for a second-hand electric guitar and amplifier. It didn't take long before I found a really good deal from a very nice guy in North London that was selling his Fender Stratocaster copy for a more-than-reasonable sum.

     How was I able to squeeze some extras from him, for the same amount? And by "some extras".. I don't mean a couple of guitar picks.. I mean a gig bag, one strap, picks, fine adjustment Allen wrench.. as well as him coming to the nearest DLR station from my home, instead of the other way around.
     Well, to be honest, it wasn't too hard for me, nor something learned in school, more than just common sense.
Firstly, being polite and respectful are key facts. "Thank you in advance and keep in touch"  for instance may seem like nothing, but you can totally make a difference by using such words.

     As a personal (..let's call it) "strategy", your interest in any types of communication has to be very well "dressed": using an introductory phrase is mandatory and, as I do it, the longer the better, because you distract the receiver from the main subject of discussion, you get to know him a little more and if you do it well enough (and why not, if luck is on your side) you can manage getting beneath his skin and to the soft spot. Moreover, continuing to inject side stories from time to time in the content of the actual  "mission" is welcome and has the same effect.

"Do you think you could slip a mains and some picks in the price? Maybe you have a gig bag as well? I don't want to be too pushy! But if you accept, I would be more than happy to purchase the gear" . By that I actually meant that I'm not happy with just the guitar for the money, and he should actually add some more stuff to the price. Of course, I bluffed.. the price was more than sufficient, but once I've got to know the person a little more, I could afford doing it.

     Being open, sincere and not being afraid to say you're sorry for something that you might do or have already done has a great impact to the receiver, because it shows that you are human, that mistaking is natural and you're not talking down on him. That is power, because it inflicts trust, and therefore, it enables you to start molding his judgement towards your interest. I did that, and I even got more than I asked for.

     Finally, a little bit of "improvising" doesn't hurt at all, as long as you know the limits of course, according to the people you are talking to. " I've been here for only a few weeks, so my knowledge about public transportation is little, so do you think we could meet in Greenwich somewhere for the deal? It would mean a lot to me."   =   "I'm lazy, and I don't intend paying for the transport, so why won't you do that?". However,  never push it too much, and if you do, be sure you know the person enough for you to indulge in doing that.
You could call me profiteer, or thick-skinned for doing that... but hey, it worked!

     "Oh and, I could bring you the guitar to Greenwich" - was the guy's response.
"Hey.. okay I think I will be able to make it at that time.. do you know where the xxxxxx, xxxxx and xxxxx shops are, just as you exit the Cutty Sark station? should I come there? or where else would you want me to wait for you? and, can you give me your phone number, so I could contact you when I get there? mine is 07XXXXXXXXX.. thanks.. " - he added.  So I guess my method DID work !

To sum up, tomorrow I'm getting all this stuff... the way I wanted to get it!
Next step: an amplifier for the guitar. Who knows, maybe I'll get the same results...

In Public Relations, persuasion is a primordial factor  and it should be gained, perfected and used wisely, because, in many cases, it could mean walking on thin ice, so the ability must be undertaken in the most serious and cautious ways.

It's all about the image!

iPod Touch, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle... It rings everybody's bell. But how many have heard about Cowon? Cowon S9 to be precise. 
I'm guessing.. not too many, right?

Well, it is considered to be the best Portable Media Player (PMP) in the world. Released almost 3 years ago, it still stays in top with its superb sound quality and outstanding features. Let's take a look at them:

- Up  to 55 hours of battery life span for music playback or up to 11 hours for video playback\
- 16-million-colours AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) capacitive touchscreen, loaded with Gorilla Glass technology (scratch and shock resistant)
- 35 equalizer presets, including the state-of-the-art “BBE+” sound effect, designed by Cowon’s president himself, Mr. Park Nam Gyu  aka “Golden Years”, former sound engineer,  renowned  for his exceptional hearing
- Audio and video support for a range of formats so big that can easily blow out all of the competition.

But probably the biggest surprise comes from the price tag: £120. No other device that can even try to get close to the S9’s quality can beat its cost.



"OK, what are you trying to prove here?" 


With all these specs... allow me to ask you a question:

Which one would you choose?

You would choose the iPod, am I right? Your thoughts haven't changed a bit while you were reading the specs of the Cowon S9. Why? It's because of THE IMAGE of Apple. This is PR!

You don't care if the iPod's battery doesn't last that long, or if the sound quality isn't that good. It's an iPod, and as long as you have it, you'll be amongst the good people, the popular, not outfashioned by some cheap Korean "what's-its-name" gadget.
       
         As the latins used to say, "Quod Erat Demonstrandum", "Which was to be demonstrated".
Public Relations has the responsability to concentrate on the image of what it's representing. In our case, Apple's PR practitioners have done an exceptional work throughout all these years in promoting the company's undeniable fame.

        

And we should learn from that!    Do it ... like it's an iPod!

A rookie's impressions upon Public Relations

     So, finally, I've begun following my dream in studying for a career in PR. How is it? Exactly as I expected it to be! What does it consist of? Well, let me try to explain it (as I understood it to date) in a little more plastic way:

     Yes, and that is because (to my mind).. in order for you to promote something.. you have to work mostly upon the eyes and ears. Because what you have to provide to your stakeholders is good image and words of praise about the object, service or business you're representing. So, yes, you have to impress.

     OK, how do you do that? This is my favourite part, because I've remembered some morals that go perfectly with it. Let's see if it works!

     "It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.". 
     The quote belongs to Sun Tzu, a famous Chinese General and military strategist of the 6th century BC. His book, named "The art of war" has been an immensely influential Chinese book on military strategy. Extrapolating into the world of PR, the meaning is that information is the crucial factor of this practice. Of course, we're not talking about enemies, but stakeholders and/or competition. Self-knowldege is another key factor, because you have to verify your own capabilities, your company's, and the third party factors that influence your work. Hence, since the 6th century BC until today, the people have changed (or so we like to believe), but some of the ideas are mainly of the same importance.

     The next quote is a rather anonymous at origin ( I for one haven't been able to find the rivers of it) : "There is no failure, only feedback". This is one of my personal favourites. And it is quite simple: everything that happens is a result of your actions. So, the catch? The repercussions of what you do are lessons in life. Don't pass over them unconsciously, but improve yourself! In Public Relations, it can be applied just as well, because, let's face it, it's not going to be peachy and perfect constantly, right? We're only human. The list of other morals related to this one is rather long, but I personally think that the idea has been understood more than enough.

     "Every complaint is a gift/opportunity". This is at first glance a "to be avoided" fact, but in most cases, we have to admit that it is eventually a good and important factor. Having complaints means at first that people are interested in your services. It would have been very peculiar and also tragic if nobody would have given you any kind of feedback, it would have meant that you're not sought after. Secondly, complaints can be used as a strategic tool for you to improve your customer's loyalty, your image and therefore, you only have to gain from that. So let's get to my next and, I promise, last one (for this post at least).

     When a secretary of  George Washington, excusing himself for being late, said that his watch was too slow, the reply of Washington was, "You must get a new watch, or I must get a new secretary". Obviously, punctuality is critical. It defines one's character and, why not, it can be a conclusive factor for other people sometimes. It can make the difference between a trustworthy person and a sloppy and careless one.

      I think that it's quite enough for today's post, I hate being boring! Before I finish, I really feel the need of thanking Prof. Alexandru Lucinescu once again for introducing me to this domain of activity. I owe this man my future career. So, I guess that's it. Thank you for reading this!