Mr. Kluger:I’m afraid you have a cavity in your press release!

By on June 14th, 2010 In Advice

Someone sent me a solicitation letter recently for a dental care company. It began: “My name is Misti and I am a Dental Assistant and Public Relations Specialist.” Wait a second here! An expert at tooth decay AND pr? What are the odds two totally diverse occupations could come together, all in the name of crisis management and good hygiene? Not many, I suspect and hopefully, not any on the horizon.

Today’s business leaders have spent years in pursuing a career, putting in the time, not to mention blood, sweat and tears to achieve a level of respect and professionalism. One would not take the profession of a sales executive, a school administrator, a firefighter, a clergyman(or woman), a business entrepreneur or an engineer with a grain of salt and I would encourage those companies out there, not to look at the profession of pr with the same lack of understanding and yes, admiration.

PR ‘specialists’ today guide companies through crisis, growth, turmoil, brand extension and the basic efforts, press and publicity, with a high level of understanding and experience and it is NOT a field that can be lumped together with another, assuming those ‘perpetrators’ believe pr is a profession anyone can do. Anyone can’t. Arizona has a multitude of pr agencies, consultants and staff/corporate public relations professionals who combine years of being in the trenches,along with day to day practical application of their craft.

If anyone is so removed to think pr is writing press releases or sending well-written solicitation letters, then they probably deserve what they get. I wonder if BP relied on PR Specialist/Manicurists to deal with the media and the thousands of people affected by the Gulf oil spill. I question whether politicians pushing legislation relied on their PR Specialist/Landscapers to inform and educate the American public on serious issues affecting their lives. And I wonder if a company in Arizona that was looking to create jobs and stimulate the economy consulted their PR Specialist/Upholsterers to talk about the promise of better times. I would guess they did not.

Now, manicurists, landscapers, upholsterers and yes, dental assistants are jobs that require training, education, creative instincts and dedication and I would never assume I could do their job, just as I am sure they believe they could not do mine. Maybe the real problem are companies that don’t understand that the best assets of the business are those who get on the elevator at 5:30 pm every day or get into their service trucks, carrying with them a pride in what they do and a feeling they are ‘special,’ because they have a job,regardless of what it is or what it pays. Maybe they don’t understand that one can’t ‘requisition’ a profession or ‘assign it’ to someone, especially pr where if I hear one more person who thinks they can do the job say:”well, I’m a people person,” I’m gonna scream.

We all are professionals. I am sure of that. But maybe I should have called my lawyer/dry cleaner to check this before I submitted it.

Comments

Paula Hubbs Cohen Says:
June 14th, 2010 at 2:31 pm

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

Oy vey – thanks I needed the laugh.

Marketing Sociologist Says:
June 14th, 2010 at 3:03 pm

Mr. Kluger:

Love your soapbox. Missed your posting here. It’s been a long time. Yet, have you seen the positions advertised on places like Ad2Phoenix, IABC or Indeed and who fills those positions? Check that out before you call the field dominated by “professionals.” That’s why I became a Marketing Sociologist, to differentiate myself from the dental assistants taking public relations positions throughout Phoenix.

Add to the fact PRSA does not DEMAND accreditation after a certain amount of time in the “club.” Only 1 in 5 members are accredited. When I hire accountants, I want a CPA. When I hire a lawyer, I want someone who is a member of a state bar. When I need my teeth filled (which I do), I never check the dental assistant’s credentials. I believe that’s how employers in Phoenix fill public relations positions – without checking or even caring about credentials.

As for BP, I don’t know, but I have been following the American Petroleum Institute since the Gulf environmental disaster. Worst public relations I’ve seen this side of the way Arizona handled publicity for SB 1070 (Loved seeing Jan Brewer on Face the Nation, This week, etc. What, she has yet to be on any of those shows?) Check API’s spokesperson, Rayola Dougher in action here, http://bit.ly/bPYhy9. Haven’t seen anything this bad since Metrolink’s Denise Tyrell reason for the 2008 Chatsworth rail tragedy, “They were on the same track. Wah, wah, wah (she cried on camera).”

Here’s how Metrolink handled her dismissal, “Ron Roberts, chairman of the Metrolink board, said Sunday: ‘What was said by one of our public-relations employees needs to be followed up on by the board and myself.’

“Mr. Roberts said Metrolink’s board had not been informed that spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell was planning to say Metrolink was at fault for the accident.”

That’s how public relations “professionals” are hired, I believe.

Barry Kluger Says:
June 14th, 2010 at 3:08 pm

mr.sociologist:

too cheap to get a first name?!

If they just took out the word “professional” before pr practitioner, we’d be better off.

I do disagree, however on one point. PRSA is a wonderful organization. As a 30+ year corporate veteran, I did not join during my career not for any reason other than I often found myself in the company of associates and those I could learn from my daily business. And there is so much a pr person can learn.

I Do think though, if there is a professional organization like PRSA, yes..they should demand certain standards.

That said, I am sure I will get an email asking me to join.And I shall!

Pat Elliott Says:
June 14th, 2010 at 3:17 pm

Well said Barry, thank you!!

I recently worked with the “PR Director” of a fairly large local company. I asked to be on their news release list, and got on a spammy list that shoots out advertisements and “deals” to customers. I asked for company backgrounders and she said she would send them right away. That was more than a month ago.

The company would have gotten exposure on a site with 1.25 million unique visitors a month and exceptional SEO rankings in their business category. Instead they will get nothing.

The company probably things she’s doing a great job. Her bosses need to have her join PRSA and learn the profession.

Marketing Sociologist Says:
June 14th, 2010 at 3:32 pm

Thanks for the response, Mr. Kluger. As for PRSA, I have been a member. It facilitated me meeting one of PR’s deans, Chester Burger (prmuseum.com) right here in Phoenix. We’ve corresponded for more than a quarter of a century.

As for groups like PRSA, IABC, American Marketing Association and Toastmasters, since they are volunteer organization, they are only as good as the people who volunteer to advance the field. At Toastmasters, I was REQUIRED to become ATM within one year. Don’t know if that is still true of that organization. As I said, professional organizations are only as good as its volunteers.

Speaking of volunteer organizations, I love this blog. Ms. Shaff exposed me – via this terrific piece of volunteering called ValleyPRblog – to a post by San Diego’s PRSA. Helps further my education.

Margie Wojciechowski Says:
June 14th, 2010 at 6:12 pm

Well said…ha ha ha.

Beth Cochran Says:
June 15th, 2010 at 9:47 am

Bravo! Very well said.

Sure there are those who can have success without any formal training in PR, but they often won’t come with skill and strategy necessary to a solid, effective, and sustainable PR/communications plan.

Bart Butler Says:
June 15th, 2010 at 10:15 am

So, here’s one of the problems:
When PR pros do their jobs perfectly, they’re invisible to the general public (including the dentist in question).
When PR people ARE the center of attention, they’re frequently seen prettying-up a crisis that’s been mis-managed, or trying to pump up some inane publicity-stunt as if it were real news.
So I think the general public often sees PR people in the least-inspiring light, giving them the impression that, sure, my hygientist can do that, and in her spare time.
Hey, PR itself may need better PR.
Just my perspective.

Linda VandeVrede Says:
June 16th, 2010 at 11:30 am

Bart, I think you nailed it on the head. When PR is done well, it can often be invisible. I’ve long felt that PR is in need of its own PR, just as the cobbler’s children are in need of shoes.

Barry – you’re receiving some weird mail, that’s for sure!

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