A few weeks ago I was visiting family after the unfortunate passing of my uncle in New York. It was the first time I'd seen them since I started my new job in September as Director of Public Relations for MARC USA, a leading independent, integrated marketing firm.
Invariably the polite small talk would lead to questions about my new position. And once again I encountered glazed looks in the eyes of people when I tried to explain what the heck I do for a living.
It's been that way throughout my 21-year PR career, though it was a little easier in the early days. Back in the late '80s and early '90s, when Al Gore was still perfecting the Internet, I could simply say my job was to get clients free coverage in the news media. An overly simplistic explanation, to be sure, but one that would at least be met with an accepting head nod.
These days there's no such simple answer. While Webster's definition of PR as "building understanding and goodwill" remains timeless, the methods by which PR pros accomplish that goal, and the challenges they face in doing so, are more varied than ever.
This blog hopes to chronicle the evolving role of the PR profession in the increasingly complex world of integrated communications. Expect to see firsthand accounts, secondhand observations and, hopefully, third-party commentary on the good, the bad and the "decide for yourself" in PR and its sibling disciplines.
I'll try to be thorough and accurate in what I report, but I expect many of my posts to be opinions and you might not always agree. That's good, and I hope you'll feel obliged to post a response with your point of view. Because, after all, it's about building understanding and goodwill, right?
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