A reality check

Now undeniably I have a small obsession with aesthetic and therefore I am completely biased towards design playing a key role in PR. Freelancing for PR agencies as a designer can be a bit of a nightmare sometimes. Their ideas of turnaround are completely unrealistic and what takes 3 minutes for a wordsmith can take 3 hours for a designer to visually convey the same thing. The first thing I learnt on the MA programme at Westminster was that "Brevity is key".

Reactive PR cannot afford to take hours thinking of what to say, and this is where design loses its placement on the PR podium. Brands have to react to information hitting the headlines in moments, and this is where design is immaterial. The appliance of pressure to a designer generally leads to bad & ineffective design and yet the PR industry is constantly pressured. The expectations of designers in this industry are completely unrealistic and usually something has to be compromised. This infographic demonstrates it perfectly.

DID YOU KNOW... Information really is beautiful

Now a key tool in every PR practitioners tool kit is the survey. Engaging audiences through fascinating statistics such as "did you know ......" is a guaranteed audience puller. The "did you know" idea fascinates and attracts us. So how can an agency representing a road side food chain for example, engage their audience without boring them to death with really uninteresting facts? A solution would be to focus on a common problem, say for example congestion. For those drivers amongst us, congestion drives us CRAZY, but how can you convey boring data, engage your audience and promote your brand? Utilising design and statistics, Traffic Planners in the USA came up with this:



They took something so boring and made it interesting. Ok, it's not the most inspiring thing I've ever seen, but it's definitely something that is engaging and insightful, and could actually prevent an obstacle that has effected travel for decades. Taking data and displaying it 'outside the box' is the new dimension for the standard survey effect.

Does design dictate successful PR?

An article in CNN Money this month told of how Silicon Valley is paying top dollar for designers. There is no denying that social media is the forefront thought of any PR campaign, and Facebook is the ultimate in social engagement. Facebook has made considerable investments into individual designers and design agencies over the last few years, but Instagram at $1billion was the biggest. The focus on the visual for social application is undeniable, design walks hand in hand with engagement. The world's most famous companies (apple & facebook) have spent billions on this theory, and because of this, consumers and online audiences have become art critics. PR practitioners are being confronted with the notion that no matter how good the wordsmith, you won't have an audience if you can't attract them in the first place.

Veteran entrepreneur Rocky Agrawal cites Mint and recent phenom Pinterest as examples of companies that took off because of their visual flair.

The first 50 or 500 people that come to your site, the biggest thing that's going to impact them is the design," he says. "If you have great design, you can acquire the audience you need.
Rocky Agrawal

http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/05/technology/startups/designers/index.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_latest+%28Latest+News%29

Less text.. more typo(graphy)

In communicating a message, a balance has to be achieved between the visual and the verbal aspects of a design.

Carolyn Knight


The visual language established when designing with type can bring into play not only emotions, but also physical responses. Now let's add a PR/NGO angle to this.



In the ad below, the viewer is connected to every aesthetic that makes the brand KitKat, you could even forgive the reader for actually believing it to be aa advertisement for the brand - it pulls in the reader through visual association, but then you realise the actually written message is completely different. Greenpeace have not only managed to communicate their message through simple typography but also educated the audience in the psychological dominance of brand association to the consumer. The lack of context makes this campaign brilliant.

You have all you need

Part of the module for new media focused on delivering a viral campaign. I picked a concept idea from the PR agency i freelance at (Splendid Communications) and gave it an Innocent makeover. I made a short 30 second video to support the campaign, The idea focused on the idea that "you have all you need".

Stats from Aviva 2011 declared that 26% of 18-25 year olds consumer 2 or more of the recommended 5 a day, saying they don't have time, money or tools. 78% of the same respondents say they feel they haven't achieved their ambition because of the same restraints. Using Innocent, I paralleled this "you have all you need" concept to their INNOCENT and simple belief. The idea being an innocent smoothie provides your 5 a day without breaking the bank and is served in a fraction of the time. A social extension to the campaign focused on the product, "You have all the ingredients you need".

Here is the video.. Hope you like it!

But is it right?

Is There Such a Thing as Public Relations Ethics?

Current research supports a historical trend of associating public relations with all things unethical – lying and spin-doctoring. Many critics argue that there can be no ethical public relations because the practice itself is promotes manipulation and propaganda. An unfortunate belief among many journalists and policy makers, is the belief that the term ‘public relations’ is just 'smoke and mirrors' to hide deception.

Certain groups criticise the public relations industry for a lack of ethics, counting the influence of public relations and lobbying as one of the primary threats to 'truthful journalism'. The industry professionals and fathers of PR haven't really helped disparage these rumours, with Hill & Knowlton notoriously saying

“We’d represent Satan if he paid” (http://backissues.cjrarchives.org/year/92/5/pr.asp).

Is ethical public relations even possible? Are public relations professionals really the ‘invisible professionals’ who influence. Apparent in every posting on this blog lies a continuity - transparency. Social media is the greatest asset and biggest woe to the pr practitioner. It can make a campaign, individual or brand in seconds and yet ruin it in the same moment.

Social media has become the new guardian of responsible communication, it holds value to every brand, consumer, politician and belief seeking a voice. This tool doesn't criticise individual ethics or belief, but in order to maximise its potential, it commands honesty.

An MA in PR? Don't be stupid

It's simple, a degree is not important in this media landscape! To enter above a junior level in this industry you need experience, a good attitude and a great network of contacts. No matter how hard you study on your degree, it will go unnoticed. Does this make it a complete waste of time?

The cost of university fees has escalated dramatically in the last year. Is it financially worth it? Students are in debt before they even put a foot on the career ladder, what have they gained from an education that an internship can't provide? Research published in PR WEEK 2011 suggests that employers aren't impressed by a PR degree. There is no question that PR is a recent addition to the academic agenda, and those employing didn't have the option to study when they were starting their careers. As graduating students begin to scatter over the PR landscape and rise up the career ladder, The PR Week survey could see a shift in behaviours regarding this attitude. Maybe (and if the profession becomes licensed) it will become a necessity. What is clear is from the MA programme at Westminster, is that the profession isn't just about being a good wordsmith, but about having a range of key skills. It's not just about persuasion or placement anymore, the practitioner needs to develop their 'dexterity' to be able to engage with their audience on a multitude of platforms.

Now looking at my own degree programme, I must confess I find the grading criteria subjective. What was considered an Oscar worthy piece of viral campaigning from a colleague wouldn't rank highly in the real world at all. Their beliefs of what would make a good viral video borders on silly, and the grade was (yes, I'll say it) unfounded. With such a subjective assessment on assignments, does it void PR academia? Now some would say I was suffering from sour grapes, but here is my point. This is exactly what it is like in the real world, opinions clash all the time, not everyone is going to like or agree with your idea no matter how brilliant it may be. It's not just about educating yourself in the profession, it's about harnessing your beliefs and learning how to co-exist in a work environment.

What education provides is a confidence that allows you to see insight into your work ethic, whether it be: your potential, your ability to stand out from the crowd, your creativity, your social skills or your ability to work under pressure. It allows you to know your limits, and there is a quiet confidence in this. With knowledge comes confidence, with confidence comes determination, and determination usually walks hand in hand with success. Knowing exactly who you are and what you can offer a company is key. Afterall, if you can't promote yourself in the interview process, how on earth are you going to promote a client?

Yes, you are at your most creative in this space. If you fail to shine creatively at university, then that's a pretty good indication of where you will stand in the industry.