The PR industry is struggling with some of the key issues that a sustainable business world brings

London 14/09/11

Of the many social and political pressures that impinge on business today; transparency and sustainability are the two trends that are causing some of the biggest problems for both the PR industry and their clients.

The 12-page management briefing, published in the September issue of the Ethical Corporation magazine, highlights that in the past PR companies used to take the latest product or service, spin it as creatively as possible and then pitch it through various media outlets.

The problem the PR industry faces now is that today people can research and delve into a company, its products and the messages it sends. If what they discover is in contrast to what either the PR company or client is saying, there are many new and effective mediums to publicise the negative findings.

“Social media gives a whole level of consumer power that didn’t exist previously,” states Flic Howard-Allen, UK lead counsel for sustainability at Hill and Knowlton, in the briefing.

“Some of it you can predict, some of it you can’t,” says Howard-Allen.

Today, PR companies need to ensure that the clients they work for are as responsible and sustainable as they like to portray. If a PR company issues messages about a client that are deemed to be unfounded and labelled as ‘greenwash’, there is a good chance that they’ll be ‘found out’.

Alex Wilks, Campaign director at campaign website Avaaz.org sites the recent Formula 1 racing case in Bahrain. “Sometimes PR companies try to defend the indefensible,” says Wilks.

The Bahrain government and its PR agency, Bell Pottinger, were trying to show racing officials all was well in Bahrain.

Avaaz “managed to expose the lie…our members sent messages to Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferarri and others saying that they should make sure their teams stay out of Bahrain,” explains Wilks.
PR companies need to evolve and change with the new challenges that they face. The briefing highlights that PR companies need to get involved in the business of managing reputational risk by making sure their clients having nothing to hide.

Walter Gelens, a partner at the Belgian independent communications consultancies Akkanto, says ‘the best defence for a corporation in a tight corner is not to try to spin its way out, but to have nothing to hide in the first place.’

Some PR firms recognise the change and are evolving with it to the advantage of both the client and PR company. The briefing highlights how the recent ‘Turn to 30’ campaign by Hill & Knowlton for Ariel had a positive affect for the client and also brought about behavioural change amongst its consumers.

As part of the briefing, Ethical Corporation sent 103 surveys to people at the top PR firms in the world to answer questions about their CR practices and policies. Ethical Corporation only received one response, which the briefing highlights as an indication of the many shortfalls that exist in the industry when it comes to sustainability and responsibility.

The briefing states that for the PR companies to recognise the new challenges and opportunities that they face, first the industry itself has to change.

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Ethical Corporation was established in 2001 and provides business intelligence for sustainability to more than 3,000 multinational companies every year. Ethical Corporation publishes the leading responsible business magazine, website, and research reports. 

For more information on this briefing or Ethical Corporation contact:

Liam Dowd
Marketing Manager
Ethical Corporation: Business Intelligence for Sustainability
+44 (0)207 375 7238

 



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