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August 19, 2005
Observations from Vacation
I have been on vacation for the past five days. While puttering around my house, I found a dog-eared copy of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh." One of his characters, Larry, observes early in the play, "You asked me why I quit the Movement. For myself, I was forced to admit, at the end of thirty years' devotion to the Cause, that I was never made for it. I was born condemned to be one of those who has to see all sides of a question. When you're damned like that, the questions multiply for you until in the end it's all questions and no answer. As history proves, to be a worldly success at anything, especially revolution, you have to wear blinders like a horse and see only straight in front of you. You have to see, too, that this is all black and that is all white...The material the ideal free society must be constructed from is men themselves and you can't build a marble temple out of a mixture of mud and manure." A small historical note: O'Neill's play is set in 1912 as the Socialist Party is at its zenith in the US.
So what does this quote have to do with public relations, you ask? I got a call this morning from a reporter at the NY Times doing research for William Safire's weekly Sunday Magazine article "On Language." The phrase he wanted to discuss was "talking points." He was interested in the origins of the phrase, whether it was still in frequent use in the PR business, and how one arrives at these messages.
I told him that like many phrases, "talking points" had its earliest incarnation in politics. I suggested that these were not simply debating tactics, but were usually based on research with focus groups or broader survey audiences. I then described the process of creating a message triangle, with key headlines and supporting facts.
It then occurred to me that in fact we are trying to create a different dynamic in our business, enabling conversations to forge relationships. We have the ability to put forth a viewpoint but as a question, not a simple answer. We can go beyond a single audience (like Wall Street) and seek input continuously from multiple stakeholders. We can take off the blinders that are control mechanisms (read talking points) and facilitate discussions that enhance credibility.
What are some concrete steps toward building a more credible profession and achieving higher trust for companies, in fact a "marble temple out of mud and manure?"
1) Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom--Allow more people in your company to speak. Let the marketers chat about marketing, the product geeks about technology.
2) Don't Script the Play--Help it to unfold. based on a plot line but give the characters room to improvise.
3) Ask for Help--I learned this from Dan Gillmor, who posted chapters of his book and gave his readers a chance to contribute content.
4) A Higher Purpose--The best PR has at its core a fundamental truth. A good example is our current campaign for Dove on real beauty.
Now it's back to my bike and then to the beach. Enjoy the rest of your summer. If you are bored, let me hear from you.
I wanted to share an article written by Toni Muzi Falconi with you.
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Posted by Edelman at August 19, 2005 12:56 PM
Comments
Dear Richard
It's reassuring that you were so eloquently stimulated by the old Irish master in your recent blog.
The "higher purpose" of PR particularly resonated with me. Anyone with an ounce of moral purpose seeks to improve the world and there is no reason why that should be incompatible with enlightened capitalism. There are good examples of this from the UN Global Compact to the growth of CSR. I remember how Heinz, with your help, caught the imagination of the public with our dolphin safe campaign in 1990 . Not only does Heinz support good nutrition and ethical practices around the world, but our Foundation, with enthusiastic employee volunteer support, is the keystone of a global micronutrient project to alleviate the scourge of anemia which affects two billion people (a problem highlighted by Unicef and WHO last week).
The point is we shouldn't have to give up our idealism when we leave college and enter business. In the same vein, how did Life Sciences companies suddenly come to be so widely regarded by the public as life threatening?
Now, I'll get back on my bike,
Cheers,
Ted
Posted by: ted smyth at August 23, 2005 2:58 PM
Richard: You should be aware that I have just posted an essay at the following URL - http://www.online-pr.com/Holding/Staying_on_Message.pdf - which quotes you extensively. There is no criticism of your views but an extensive analysis, which may or may not be correct.
Thanks again for the leadership that you are showing by speaking out.
Jim Horton
online-pr.com
Posted by: James Horton at August 23, 2005 9:00 PM
Mr. Edelman,
This idea of moving beyond "talking points" is a lot similar to the points you made in your July 25 post talking to David Weinberger about changing the vocabulary used in PR. I think there is a big need to move beyond "talking points" and "messaging" and towards as you say, "enabling conversations to forge relationships."
However, I think it is just as important to rethink the idea of "target audiences" in PR. This is a term borrowed from the marketing/advertising world, and is designed for a one-way linear form of communication. PR should strive to "engage communities" and facilitate discussions.
After all:
- Audiences listen, communities talk
- Audiences are passive, communities take action
- Audiences follow set rules; communities create their own rules
- Audiences are bound by time and location; communities are fluid
- Audiences listen to opinion makers, communities cultivate opinions
In the end, much of this discussion is semantics, but it is indicative of a neccessary paradigm shift among PR professionals. In a world where information is available to anyone at anytime, the role of the PR professional shifts from content provider to facilitator, aggregator and distributor.
Keep up the great work on the blog, these are very important conversations to be having. Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Treem
Posted by: Jeffrey Treem at August 24, 2005 5:19 PM
Jeffrey,
I stand corrected
I will move away from target audiences
And will begin to socialize this concept of communities Thanks...this is very helpful Semantics matter
Posted by: Richard Edelman at August 29, 2005 10:23 AM
Ted
Sorry to have missed you last week in NYC We have a real job to do on image of our industry Most recent example Roger Federer's interview in the NY Times on Saturday when asked about how he prepares for public appearances I quote, "I do think about what I'm doing and why am I doing it. If it makes no sense or if it is only P.R. or whatever, if it's not credible, then I think that's very important to know. I don't want to be seen like that."
I hate all of these modifiers for PR
Like PR Move or only PR or whatever
We can be incredibly important motivators of behavior--as you were on dolphin safe tuna
This is our real role bridging among communities creating programs that work for all stakeholders
Thanks for reading my blog
Posted by: Richard Edelman at August 29, 2005 10:25 AM
Jim, thanks for taking off on my blog
You have made a very valuable contribution to the profession We must move away from control..in our language and in our behavior We cannot appear to be manipulators We should be communicators and to do so in an effective way means we must listen I am a bit more optimistic about our ability to develop this capacity Hope you are well
Posted by: Richard Edelman at August 29, 2005 10:35 AM
Mr. Edelman,
I was very excited to read your steps for a more credible profession. I am a senior in public relations at Auburn University and worry about the negative views regarding PR's credibility. It is encouraging to see leaders in PR applying their knowledge to current situations.
As an incoming freshman to the work world, I am hoping that the majority of management practices are similar to your theories of "Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom" and "Don't Script the Play." When working together on group projects that everyone is excited about, it is amazing what new ideas are generated! Allowing creativity within boundaries produces results that our professors never even imagined.
"A Higher Purpose" was my favorite of your concepts. When discussing PR cases and situations, I sometimes debate whether my conscience will allow me to always do my best work. We are not defense attornies; we are communicators. I read the article about your Dove campaign in USA TODAY this week. It was interesting to read Sarah Jensen's comment about the "outstanding" PR buzz "Real Beauty" has created. The fundamental truth is obviously there.
Posted by: Jami at August 30, 2005 6:00 PM
Jami,
The higher aspiration always works
Example our work for Heinz in early 90s on dolphin safe tuna
We saw this idea through partnership with government NGO entertainment community
Sales rose fifteen percent over 6 months
Did right thing communicated it well consumer bought the concept
Thanks for reading my blog
And apply for a job with us!!
Richard
Posted by: Richard Edelman at August 31, 2005 10:47 AM