THE REBIRTH OF PUBLIC RELATIONS!

We in the public relations profession have the chance to change the world…at least, the world of public relations.

There are some - from our profession and others - who post online about the "death of PR." Or, "the death of PR as we know it."

But I believe differently. Yes...PR is changing. And we have to change with it. But, really, the way I think about our profession is that...it's the re-birth of PR! We have a golden opportunity. We have the opportunity to dispel the old myths - and the old ways of practicing PR. We have the opportunity to ease the release-tossers (throw mud against the wall, and see how much of it sticks) and the "shills" out of our industry, once and for all. The way we can do this is simple: Practice public relations the way it's supposed to be practiced. With honesty. Ethics. Candor to our clients - and our potential clients - about what works and what doesn't, and about whether we actually have a snowball's chance in hell, or not, to really generate positive buzz about their products or services.

We have a chance to dispel all the old myths...I still occasionally meet people who think that my job entails attending a lot of cocktail parties on fancy yachts.

We have a chance to take our profession to new levels...by approaching journalists as of they are real, thinking, human beings. We have a chance to understand that, no matter how wonderful our client thinks his product is, unless it can actually help the journalist's readers improve their professional or personal lives, it's not going to generate publicity. We have a chance to talk about the BENEFITS (to real human beings) about our client's products or services, rather than just the features.

We have the opportunity to "take our case to the people," by learning and engaging in new ways to communicate, whether it be by social media, video, etc.

We have the opportunity, because of the multiple avenues available to us, to learn more about the art of effective communication than ever before. We have the opportunity to learn more than ever before about "win/win" situations, with our clients, the media, and lour clients' stakeholders. We have the opportunity to really learn from people who "get it"...now, more than ever, in online forums and webinars. And we have the opportunity - if we choose it - to learn more about the craft of effective writing, which, I believe, is still one of the core competencies required of an effective PR practitioner.

I could go on and on. But my bottom line is this: for those of us who are honest, who are persistent, who are good writers and good relationship-builders, who are open to new forms of communication, and who are dedicated to constantly improving at their craft - this can be THE RE-BIRTH OF PUBLIC RELATIONS!

And hopefully this group can serve as a catalyst to usher in this new era.

Steve Winston
President, WINSTON COMMUNICATIONS
(954) 575-4089
steve@winstoncommunications.com
www.winstoncommunications.com