Public Relations, needed or not?

By Ana Rees

Public relations specialists are sometimes labeled deceptive and unethical, but are they doing more good than they are harm? 

According to an article in Forbes magazine, there has been a decline in the necessity of public relations professionals in recent years, because many companies are beginning to manage their own public affairs through utilizing the skills of already existing employees. For example, the job responsibilities of a public relations specialist align closely with that of a marketer and/or advertiser.

Not only do we see this reduction due to the thought of unencessity, but there have also been others who have questioned the ethics of public relations specialists, and therefore, question why we would we would need people in the workplace in whom we can’t fully trust. We will address the arguments of why some people do feel this way, because if looking in from the outside, it does raise questions when you see someone working for a campaign or business they don’t actually support. Although these arguments do exist and public relations specialists have been seen as deceptive or unethical for this reason and others, they are doing much more good than they are harm, and therefore are necessary in the workplace.

Brands in Politics: Why The Risk is Worth it

By Lily Bridgewater

Should brands use their voices to get involved in the political realm? Or should they stay out of it all together?

Nike's trademarked logo and slogan make
their products easy to identify

In my experience, when people with opposing political views have a discussion it rarely ends well. More often than not it turns into a volume match. Who can speak the loudest? Who has more stamina?

Today some of the loudest voices that exist come in the form of big brands. People follow brands like Nike, Apple, Stance and Google like they follow religion. There are people who live eat and breathe specific brands because the brand lifestyle and values resonate with them. 

So what about when the brand has something to say that isn't necessarily about the way you play the game or the product? Should they risk losing loyalty and sales or should they keep quiet and stay in their lane? 

Although brands will likely suffer a loss of some from when they make political statements, I believe it's better and more beneficial for them to use their platforms to make statements than to stay silent in today's political climate. 

Advertising and Social Issues

Advertising has developed a great deal since it first began. Originally ads were were informative and focused on the product. There wasn't competition, strategy or big agencies hired to create campaigns. It was just a paper with what was being sold. Then advertisements began to be more emotional. The product had an emotional benefit and companies and agencies strove to sell that emotion to the consumer. As communication channels developed, advertising developed. Advertising began to be more focused on the brand and the brand voice. It became more about what the company represents and what they stand for. People choose brands that align with their values because it's a way of identifying yourself. Good branding means you are consistent in what you stay you stand for. People can identify your brand and they know what it means to buy something from Nike versus Adidas, and believe it or not there are political implications based on what kind of basketball shoes you buy. A couple of my favorite campaigns that have focused on social issues that have gone viral are:

Always 'Fight Like A Girl'

Dove 'True Beauty'

Both of these campaigns are similar in the studio setting and the setup, female empowerment and social expectations. Both of these campaigns are very powerful because the brands are aligning themselves with values shared by their viewers. In both ads there is no talk about soaps or face wash or tampons. But knowing that the brands both stand for female empowerment shot sales and google searches through the roof. It's an interesting concept that the most effective form of advertising, isn't really even advertising at all.

Hot Spots in Public Relations

Are public relations specialists even necessary?

• Many companies are beginning to mange their own public affairs by utilizing the skills of already existing employees rather than hiring a PR firm.  In doing this, a company can save $10k+ a month, so in some instances, it does make sense.  There has been a decline in the necessity of public relations professionals in the workplace in the last few years, because the job responsibilities of a PR specialist align closely with that of a marketer or advertiser. https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilstclair/2015/03/05/why-you-should-almost-never-pay-for-pr/#64e8e8fe1c35 

Do I really need a degree in public relations to work in the field?

• With how closely public relations is related to marketing, advertising, communications, etc. is it really even necessary to get a degree in public relations to work in the field?  Or could a degree in one of these neighboring fields be enough to get your foot in the door?  Not to mention, the future of public relations is in social media, so who is to say that someone who is extremely business smart and savvy with social media couldn't do just as good of a job as a college graduate with a public relations degree?                https://www.thebalancecareers.com/media-industry-jobs-you-can-get-without-a-degree-4023960

Greater varieties of communication platforms

• The increase in communication platforms can be seen as a way to get more information out to the public and reach more specific audiences, but when it comes to PR, it can be extremely difficult to determine which platform to use.  As the platforms increase in number, so does the research and time into making sure it is the correct medium for the correct audience. 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-problems-facing-public-relations-practice-world-dr-ajihson

Of these controversies in public relations, the one that has me feeling the most passionate, is the first one regarding the necessity of specialists in general.  I will be graduating with a public relations degree next spring, so understanding the likelihood of me getting placed in the workplace is foremost on my mind.