NEW YORK (May 9, 2011) — As part of its “Business Case for Public Relations™” industry advocacy campaign, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) today launched an exclusive video interview series hosted by former Porter Novelli CEO Helen Ostrowski, APR.
The videos feature senior industry professionals discussing the business value of employee communications, employee engagement and corporate culture, and the role of public relations professionals in creating and managing such programs. The series debuts with interviews of Bill Margaritis, corporate vice president of global communications and investor relations at FedEx Corporation, discussing how companies can build a strong corporate culture; and Maril MacDonald, CEO of the employee communications consulting firm Gagen MacDonald, offering insight on the power of employee engagement programs.
“Employee communications, once relegated to the backwater of public relations, is now a hot topic within corporate America,” said Ostrwoski. “It’s now on par with social media in terms of the interest it generates among executives, as organizations seek to harness the power of an engaged workforce.
“Increasingly, companies realize employees aren’t ‘just another audience;’ they are vital to the company’s success.”
New videos will be added every two weeks through the end of the year. Each video is available free to PRSA members and non-members on the PRSA website.
PRSA launched “The Business Case for Public Relations™”in October 2009. The advocacy campaign aims to increase industry recognition and growth by helping professionals in the field educate key stakeholders about public relations’ functions and outcomes, demonstrate its strategic value and enhance its reputation.
Business Case resources include suggested message points to help change entrenched attitudes and perceptions of public relations; articles on communicating with clients or senior management about the value and benefits of public relations; a database of measurement resources, categorized by industry and practice area; a database of Silver Anvil Award case histories organized by industry and business outcome; and a list of suggested ways that public relations professionals can utilize Business Case tools and resources.
About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
With more than 31,000 members, PRSA is the largest organization of public relations professionals and students. PRSA is comprised of 112 local Chapters organized into 10 geographic Districts; 14 Professional Interest Sections that focus on issues, trends and research relevant to specialized practice areas, such as technology, health care, financial communications, entertainment and sports, and travel tourism; and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which has more than 300 Chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. PRSA is headquartered in New York.