So what is Designer PR? Being in industry for almost 3 years this term doesn’t ring a bell. Should I feel stupid? Okay, let me talk about what I think Designer PR means and what it stands for.
Already the industry that im in, is one that constantly needs to be proven, and why it should be respected and appreciated. Some might query why the Public Relations course was a course in the Commerce Faculty, as it not seen by many as a valid business function and is seen as a light weight function. Now we’ve moved to the Informatics and Design Faculty. Was this a good move? I think not. Informatics and Design shouts “yappie”, go with the flow and “artsy fartsy” individuals. So you tell me…was this a good move?
Since entering the world of PR, I’ve always felt that people misunderstood the field of PR and what exactly it is we do, from event organizers to littlie “PR poppies” walking around with clip boards. It’s very frustrating being a PR professional and constantly trying to validate the sweat, tears, stress and hard work one has to go through on a daily basis.
The reality of it is, we don’t just organise events and walk around with clipboards, I didn’t study for 5 years to walk around with a clipboard in my hand to feel important! What goes down in a normal day for me is challenging and demanding. Some of my tasks include relationship building, media liaison, internal and external communication, publicity, strategy’s in terms of the various brands I work on, publicity, advertorials, (and NO, this is not an advertisement, as said before consumers are more receptive to editorial than what they are to advertisements so this in itself proves that the PR function is powerful when put up against the likes of Marketing and Advertising. Yet, you still find that the PR function still falls under the Marketing and Advertising departments in many large companies. Public Relations is becoming such an important tool as our function thrives on communication, relationships and networking. These tools are critical in building perception, trust and relationships with the public/consumers and as we know, perception controls the consumer and what the consumer thinks cannot be changed by advertising or marketing.
It’s high time that people start to realise that PR professionals belong on the board of directors in terms of decision making and strategy in terms of the way forward for the business and this diverse function is here to stay!
