Noah Hansen Creative Solutions

At the beginning of 2023, I barely had any idea what Public Relations was. I knew that there were teams of people out there in the big, scary corporate world that manages the names and faces of all the popular brands we know and love from the inevitable hiccup or even borderline crimes against humanity. To me the PR team was the cleanup crew: they are in charge of fixing mistakes made by the company or its associates that lead to an inaccurate or negative depiction of the company and its values.

My understanding of Public Relations and how vital it is to the overall success of a brand, not just in crises, blossomed this year after taking CAP 220. Professor Adrienne Wallace put it best: PR is a relationship between the company and its publics. A relationship that requires effort, attention, respect, and care; just as if it were a one-on-one relationship between me and another individual. These relationships are personal as they truly value what the wants and needs are of those engaged in the relationship. A weak relationship doesn’t last long, but strong relationships are amazing gifts that lead to even greater blessings. While the PR professional is still in charge during crises of even the most devastating caliber, ultimately if maintained properly it is the relationship itself that manages brand perception.

Rather than looking at Public Relations as a solution, looking at PR through the lens of fostering a relationship provides incredible insight into the possibilities of PR and the effects it can have on a company or organization. The stronger a relationship an organization has with those surrounding it, the more opportunity there will be to allow the organization to flourish. Utilizing PR to get to know your audience better, to communicate with entire communities and other organizations, to tell narratives that align with brand values and customer wants, and so much more allows the PR professional to become a multi-tool of company prosperity.

Many of the campaigns we see today, especially those on social media channels, rely more on the skills of the Public Relations professional than it does any sort of product-selling or promotional offers. Understanding trends and preferences via relationship-building with your publics allows the PR professional to make educated decisions in regard to effective and engaging campaigns. Consumers value direct engagement more and more everyday in a constantly-shifting and attention-demanding digital social landscape. Public Relations is the means in which an organization can effectively engage with these consumers while remaining interesting, on-brand, and sustainable.

Moving forward into the next phase of my Ad/PR career, I will most-definitely utilize this new perspective in my never-ending pursuit of professional mastery. Ideas such as SMART objectives (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) will help me with all aspects of my professional career as my goals will be based on effective principles, and concepts such as the PESO model (Paid, Earned, Shared, Organic) allows me to better understand how to utilize various publics and various channels to successfully implement strategies into a campaign.

PR allows brands the opportunity to build relationships that blossom into beautiful opportunities. Never again will I label the PR team “the cleanup crew”.

Instead I feel that PR professionals are perfect relationship-makers.

The biggest question lingering in my mind is this:

What is the next big thing for the PR professional?

If anything, this course has taught me that the PR industry is constantly adapting to new changes in societal preferences, regulations, and technology. With the prominent rise of AI such as ChatGPT and numerous companies receiving backlash for utilizing this technology without proper credit or care, it makes me wonder what is in store for the Public Relations professional in the coming years. Regardless of the changes that happen, it is up to us to adapt with it. As for what happens next: only time will tell.