Today, the world celebrates World PR Day; a day set aside to shine the light on a profession that amplifies the impact and successes of businesses, social impact organisations and governments across the world, while providing insightful strategies to navigate crisis, deepen relations with stakeholders and foster long term loyalty to a cause, individual, brand or government.
Various cultures across the world have historical evidence of the use of public relations practices from time immemorial.
However, many attribute the establishment of modern-day public relations to Ivy Lee when, in 1903, he was engaged as the image maker and corporate advisor for John D. Rockefeller. In 1924, Basil Clarke established Editorial services and is recognised as the founder of PR in Britain.
The profession has expanded beyond the shores of the developed countries where modern-day public relations started. For instance, World PR Day being celebrated today is the brainchild of Ayeni Adekunle, a public relations professional from Nigeria.
While this is a testament to the globalisation of the public relations industry, the domestication of practices in developing countries is yet to be fully recognised and accepted. But the sustainability of the public relations profession in these climes depends on understanding the value of the profession by businesses, government and non-profit organisations – as well as the adoption of a practice model that brings industry professionals closer to decision-makers across all segments of society.
Public Relations in Developing Economies
Over the years, public relations in developing economies have primarily adopted an agency-style, delivery-focused engagement. PR agencies typically handle the execution of PR campaigns, including media relations, event management, social media management, and content creation, based on the discretion of their clients.
They implement strategies, manage day-to-day operations, and ensure that deliverables are met promptly, with their core strength lying in executing PR tactics.
However, the future of public relations in developing economies must shift to a consultancy business model, where PR becomes an integral part of business strategy rather than an afterthought.
Interestingly, Alpha Sense says there is a growing trend toward industry specialisation in consulting. Clients are looking for consultants who not only understand the nuances of their industries but can also offer bespoke solutions tailored to their specific challenges and opportunities. EY emphasised that C-suite decision-makers need help in ideating, experimenting and assessing the suitability of adoption of digital communication technology.
The Consultancy Model
The consultancy approach to public relations service delivery advocates for an advisory role where PR consultants and communication strategists are considered at every stage of the business. PR consultants analyse clients’ needs, provide strategic advice, and develop tailored communication plans. They act as trusted advisors, guiding clients on navigating public perception, managing crises, and building a robust public image just like the Big 4 accounting consultancy.
In a changing world, a consultancy approach to public relations service delivery offers strategic, adaptable, and comprehensive solutions that are essential for navigating complexity and uncertainty. This approach not only addresses immediate PR needs but also positions businesses for maximum growth and prepares organisations for future challenges and opportunities.
…In Developing Economies
While PR services have gained wide acceptability and adoption in developed economies, the same cannot be said of developing economies like Africa and Asia. The most recurrent challenges to the adoption of PR in businesses and government have been a low client understanding of PR value, the distinction between the marketing and communication function and how PR ties to overall business objectives.
Government bodies that have a shallow understanding of the concept often create a ‘PR team’ filled with sycophants and party faithful who have a limited understanding of the principles and process of ensuring mutual understanding between the business, government and its stakeholders.
For developing economies in Africa and Asia, PR practice faces significant challenges that hinder their effectiveness and professionalism. These issues include a culture of autocratic communication style, reliance on personal connections to secure new clients, inadequate training of PR professionals, insufficient use of technology, limited independent media platforms, crisis management deficiencies, ethical challenges, resource constraints, and regulatory and political issues.
According to industry experts, these challenges often lead to a fragmented and inefficient PR landscape, affecting the overall growth and sustainability of PR firms.
In Nigeria, the long years of military rule have resulted in an autocratic approach to communication and information dissemination by the government. Addressing public concerns is at best dismissive, or projected as a conspiracy, demonstrating little to no accountability to citizens. There have been records of presidential spokespersons having conflicting information about national events that reflect poorly on the reputation of the President and the nation.
In developed economies, PR professionals act as counsellors, serving on the various management teams of different institutions, arms and agencies of the government and in the private sector helping these entities develop sound policies that are in the best interests of the public as well as the institutions/organisations. For instance, the White House Press Secretary has clearly spelled out responsibilities including daily briefings for the media on the President’s activities and agenda.
Would there be a significant change in communication outcomes if governments engage professional PR consultants with the depth of experience and clearly defined responsibilities to serve as advisors, to ultimately improve the goodwill of the people towards leaders?
This is likely so, given the examples from Western developed countries. The current model of engaging PR professionals as implementation agents has failed abysmally in developing countries.
A government’s approach to managing communication often cascades down to privately-owned businesses. Consequently, large corporations with their operations in developed and developing economies do not fall far from the tree.
In 2019, KFC ran out of chicken for their recipes due to supplier issues which were outside their control. Instead of radio silence or playing the blame game, the brand went on a crisis management campaign taking accountability for the situation and apologising to customers for the shutdown across restaurants. This transparent approach soothed the emotions of customers, endearing the brand further to many hearts.
Similarly, the 1982 Johnson & Johnson Tylenol crisis was another case where a company lost millions but evidently placed customers above profit to redeem its brand image. Pepsi’s proactive approach to managing a crisis caused by its Kendall Jenner advert also reflects a brand that prioritises public perception of its brand.
This is a huge contrast to how Erisco in Nigeria continues to handle the negative product review they received from a customer in 2023. Not only is the issue unresolved months later, it has generated bad press for their brand which is likely to last long after the issue is resolved. La Casera’s poor approach to a bleaching rumour about its product continues to affect its market share today.
Rather than proactively addressing the fake video about their product containing corrosive chemicals like bleach, the company launched a counterproductive marketing campaign that only plunged its brand image further. This gap was leveraged by their competitors and the brand is yet to regain its market share over a decade after.
Even less popular brands are not left out in poor communication approaches to crises. Freedom Synergy Pro’s choice to disappear rather than address investors is not an uncommon approach to communication in developing economies.
In Conclusion
How can public relations consultants and firms established in developing economies maintain relevance in their countries, expand operations within their continent and export their services to other nations? We recommend drawing inspiration from the business model of accounting’s Big 4: Deloitte LLP, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and KPMG.
The consultancy model, in use by the Big 4, is entrenched in the core definition of Public Relations by the British Institute of Public Relations which highlights that Public Relations efforts have to be planned and sustained. PR is not only about campaigns that are short-lived or the implementation of the client’s activities that are based on ill-informed strategies. Great communication results must necessarily start with the engagement of expert public relations consultants as advisors and counsellors at the commencement of a new administration in government, business expansion in new locations or nations, establishment of new businesses, and creation of impact organisations looking to ensure sustained impact in the lives of people and communities.
With this proposed new shift in the model for public relations businesses, what are the implications for public relations professionals to meet up with the expected level of service delivery? Here’s some inspiration again from accounting’s Big 4:
- Investment in continuous professional development that improves quality services and keeps PR professionals up-to-date with global best practices and trends.
- Collaboration and networking within the PR industry to facilitate knowledge sharing and resource pooling that promotes a more inclusive and innovative industry.
- Adoption of advanced PR tools and technologies will significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of PR programs to maintain a competitive edge.
- Establishment of clear ethical guidelines for practice, adaptability that reflects the local realities, as well as transparency and accountability in all activities.
The consultancy model in public relations service delivery, particularly in developing economies, has the potential to increase the value and size of the PR industry which will drive success and sustainability for PR businesses in these regions.
About Mosron Communications
Mosron Communications is a public relations consultancy and advisory firm serving B2B organisations and social impact brands operating in, and expanding to, sub-Saharan Africa.