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PRSA to The Economist: PR Pros Are More than Merely 'Image Men'
By Gary McCormick
CommPro.biz
Published: Dec. 22, 2010
The Economist is many things: A world-class business and political affairs newsweekly. High-brow journalism. A publication offering thorough perspectives on relevant issues. Well, most of the time ...
In a lengthy article for its year-end issue examining issues of global concern, The Economist smartly listed public relations as an industry that will continue to play a big role within the global business community. Unfortunately, the publication chose a rather perplexing and contumelious approach to analyzing public relations’ value.
Derisively titled, “Rise of the image men,” the article attempts to paint the profession in the unflattering light of being the selfish younger brother of advertising and marketing; desperately grasping at those industries’ long-held fame and fortune.
Fortunately, for the well-informed, The Economist’s pessimistic assessment couldn’t be further from the truth. Reality tells us that PR is far more sophisticated, and delivers considerably more value, than it is often given credit for.