Back to the Purpose

Though my years as a professional in public relations exceeds 40, I continue to wrestle with the fundamental question: What is the ultimate purpose of public relations? After all this time, one would think I would have settled this question years ago and moved onto to such others as the most effective PR tool or my most interesting PR challenge. Not me. I still have not left step one. At times, I think I have yet consistently I keep coming back to that basic question. Is the primary purpose of public relations to be heard or is it to build relations? Messaging or bridge building? One-way or two-way communication?

This question is vital to any public relations practitioner because the answer dictates the direction of the practioner's efforts as well as the future behavior of their client when it comes to interacting with others. Further, what makes the question complicated is that one can make a good argument for either possibility. This is primarily due to the reality both are and should be key factors in any PR effort or campaign. Am I making all this as clear as mud? Or, to some, am I taking a straightforward enough question and making it more complicated than is either needed or necessary? Perhaps the answer to both questions is "yes."

Nevertheless, the question remains vital. While I confess to going back and forth to each answer, I confess these days I learn toward relationship building - establishing and strengthening ties - as PR's number one purpose. It represents the need for professionals to work toward a greater good rather the needs of a singular client. Yes, we all want to be heard and understood. But the fact is any message is only as memorable as the effort made to impart it. For it to be truly effective, then recipients of the communique must be open to it. For that to occur, they need some type of emotional investment with the sender. This, then, takes me back to embracing the concept of PR as being about relationship building. PR as a practice and area of study must be packaged as such.