Insider's View of Today's P.R. Industry

by Rashida Douglas

Susan Grossman is the assistant director of marketing and communications for University of Oklahoma Outreach. As the Assistant Director, Susan is responsible for daily operations and supervision of the marketing and communication staff, reporting to her director on issues related to the organization’s goals and mission, writing for publication, as well as editing three Outreach periodicals, including, Forum, Outreach and Vantage Point. Each of these publications is directed at various OU publics including alumni, faculty/staff and students of the College of Continuing Education and College of Liberal Studies. I asked Susan a few questions related to her role with marketing and communications and the current state of our industry.

What do you see as the primary responsibilities of a P.R. professional in relation to their employers needs?
Articulating the mission of the organization and using all avenues possible to reach key stakeholders in order to accomplish organizational goals. Building, and keeping, relationships with constituents and audiences important to your company is essential. This is your job. Understanding and tuning in to the world around you and how it affects your employees and your organization.

What do you see as the outlook of the P.R. industry in the face of globalization? Technological advances?
Opportunities for PR will continue to grow in the face of globalization and technological advances. There will be more need for understanding and relationship-building and technology helps to do that. Understanding how, and whether to use these advances is a job for the public relations community.

What sources do you consult for news related to the industry?
Blogs, PR News, PR Week and PRSA.

What readings do you recommend for new professionals?
Bulldog Reporter (media relations), Institute for Public Relations (best practices and white papers), PR Week and PR News, your local newspaper and at least one national news periodical every day.

What are the positives/negatives of working in this industry?The variety of projects PR professionals work on during a given workday are varied and exciting. The morning may be spent writing a story for Web site or print publication, you have lunch with a reporter ... and you attend a strategy meeting with your VP in the afternoon. On the negative side, many people think PR is a matter of blasting out a press release and that anyone can do it. This makes for a lot of "help" from people who empower themselves to do your job.

What skills are paramount to the success of a P.R. professional?
Writing, writing, writing. Being a skilled writer is absolutely essential. You are responsible for all written communication, whether it is speaking for your senior vice president, posting on the company Web site, or creating content for the annual report, the written word is essential to this profession. And recognizing opportunities to communicate your message.

What skills do you have now that you wish had been emphasized when you were a student?
Business and administrative skills. As you move up the ranks, your responsibilities will include budgeting and employee supervision. Often, training in these areas can be on-the-job. If you are trying to manage a department of creative people and have to learn how to read a financial statement, develop a budget and perform employee evaluations, you are in for a rocky road.

How important, if at all, is an understanding of marketing and advertising functions?
While marketing and advertising are separate from the art of public relations, it is helpful to know how your company is being positioned and branded in the marketplace in order for the pr department to effectively articulate and formulate messages. As a skilled writer, you can offer to help craft advertising copy and marketing messages.

Should P.R. professionals have to participate in ethical certification?
Absolutely. PR can often be reduced to stunts and spin.

How important is an emphasis on diversity and diverse representations in your position?
Very. We are an academic unit for working adults and nontraditional students around the world.