Industry changes affect public relations employment

Industry changes affect public relations employment

Katlin Francis

April 12, 2010

Public relations is not an isolated field encapsulated in a bubble. Even the slightest market trends and changes can drastically affect a PR campaign. For instance, the current fad is corporate responsibility and going green. If a small change can alter strategies and tactics think of the larger changes. Current legislature is making big changes and deserves watchful public relations attention. The new health care reforms will result in an influx of stimulus dollars. This one example can spell the end of one public relation's practitioner's job and the beginning of a new job opening.

In the economic downturn every one wants job security, this is no different in public relations and a developing trend is fluid employment changes. While reading the news is already a PR necessity, keeping tabs on changes coming from the White House will give a prepared practitioner a much needed edge in the marketplace. By surveying the political scene a well informed practitioner will be ready if their job is about to be dissolved or the opportunity for new and better employment arises.

Public relations industries need to follow the money in order to avoid becoming extinct and continue evolving. Technology plays and important factor in keeping up on industry trends. The growth and development of social media is heralded as the newest public relations and advertising necessity. Clients want to stay fresh in the minds of their target audiences and need public relation practitioners familiar with the newest technological trends and techniques such as viral videos which are impossible to promise.

image created in Photoshop by Katlin Francis

PR in the Healthcare Field

by: Kristin Bussell

Since my first introduction to Public Relations, I have always held an interest in the field of Health Communications.

Many hospitals and healthcare related offices, in fact, include a department of communications, marketing or public relations. For example, St. Peter’s Hospital of Helena, Montana has an office specifically for marketing and public relations. As described on the website, this office is responsible for the hospital’s external and internal communication, patient satisfaction monitoring, advertising, graphics, volunteer services, community education and wellness.

As I continued to research the field of healthcare public relations, I found a Public Relations Firm, known as Allhealth Public Relations, which specializes in health communications. This PR firm is located in Kensington, Maryland so unfortunately I won’t be able to pursue a career with this firm simply because of it’s location. I am certain, however, that there are other PR firms out there that are also focused in on the field of healthcare.

What I saw online about Allhealth that most intrigued me was an insight into some of their campaigns.

Clients include the National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Red Cross, American Public Health Association and Random House Books.

In conjunction with their extensive campaigns, Allhealth recruits celebrities such as David Hasselhoff and Paul Shaffer, band leader of "Late Night with David Letterman”, for various, health related campaigns.

Finally, one last element of Allhealth’s Web site that sparked my interest was the list of services they offer. This list includes everything from press kits to TV talk shows, Special Events and Website Design.

Due to the curriculum of the public relations courses I have taken here at OU, I feel that I could contribute in a great way to a PR firm similar to Allhealth, that specializes in health communications. Not only would my educational background afford me success as a PR professional, but my passion for the field of healthcare would allow me a rewarding career in health communications.