The power of PR
I've long been a believer in the importance of public relations for associations. For trades, it would seem to be a major reason for their existence, especially as it is tied to government relations (the more important your industry is perceived by the public, the more important it will be perceived by government officials). Member education likely trumps PR in most professional societies, but in so far as the missions of these organizations usually point to the profession as a whole, PR is important. For both, it has the potential to increase membership roles, increase clout, and increase the sale of all products and services offered by the association.
I’m often surprised at the lack of attention PR gets in associations. There are many exceptions to this, of course; many of the food industry associations have really strong efforts, and the American Chemical Society comes to mind. But even for associations with large staffs, PR is often relegated to a single staff position and a measly budget.
I have a theory that I’d love to test out, but when I think about the sheer amount of research needed to pull it off I push the idea pretty far down on the old article list. The theory is this: If a CEO truly embraces the importance of PR, then the organizations he or she leads will be more successful. To research it would mean looking at CEOs who have led at least 2 or 3 different organizations. Develop criteria to measure “truly embracing the importance of PR,” such as increased PR budgets/staff, increased PR activities, and the organizational mindset and culture about the industries or professions they serve. Then, see how the organization has fared overall across some quantitative and qualitative objectives, such as membership numbers, budget, government relations goals met and the ambitiousness of those goals. Finally, look for possible explanations other than the PR focus.
Fortunately, I’m not an academic, so my research could end there. I’d think academics would want to look at a control group of CEOs and see how they have fared on the same metrics. In any event, while I think the research would be fascinating, and you should never say never, I can’t imagine ever going to that length. I’m afraid it will have to remain a hunch and, whenever in the appropriate discussions, I’ll push for the increase of PR activity.
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Comments
Personally, I think traditional PR is becoming less important in light of social media and other shifts in our culture. I can't help but think of this quote from the Private Relations section of the Cluetrain Manfiesto: "Ironically, public relations has a huge PR problem: people use it as a synonym for BS." The true power now is the ability to independently communicate with your constituents, rather than using the press as an intermediary.
Posted by: Ben Martin | November 16, 2006 2:38 PM
No, Ben, I think just the opposite. PR is more important than ever -- it's just that the tools have changed. And the rules, too. I think it's harder to BS now, which is a good thing. You need to more than back up your claims.
Posted by: Scott Briscoe | November 16, 2006 11:13 PM
I would argue that you’re both right: PR is still critical, but social media and the overall breakdown of the biggest communications channels is changing how PR will need to be done. Favorable coverage on the 6 o’clock news or in a major newspaper doesn’t get you nearly as much reach as it used to; and as people continue to move in the direction of the “hyperniche” the big markets will continue to lose circulation and ratings.
This is good and bad for associations. Good, because there are all kinds of very targeted arenas where good (non-BS) PR can be very successful; but bad because a lot of associations still yearn for the cachet of those big placements even as they lose their power.
If associations retarget their PR efforts and focus on the niches that reach audiences of greatest importance to them, using smart, effective PR and not boilerplate press releases, I think they’ll be pleased with the results.
Posted by: Lisa Junker | November 17, 2006 10:44 AM
Not to go all Seth Godin on you, but I think PR is being turned inside out these days--instead of an association pushing its news out to members and the world, members are starting to do the heavy lifting. The trick is to do something remarkable enough that it generates a buzz without the association having to force-feed it to the press or its members. The transparency post above ties into this, too. The more transparency and trust that's built up between the association and its members (remember, it goes both ways, especially if the association has to trust its members to speak on its behalf), the better word of mouth you're going to get.
Traditional PR isn't dead yet, but I can envision a day when communications is less from the top down, and more from the outside in, if that makes any sense.
Posted by: Sue Pelletier | November 17, 2006 12:24 PM