Celebrating World PR Day In Truth, Trust and Transparency

By Kafilat Salisu

As we celebrate World PR Day, the opportunities for public relations and marketing communications practitioners across the globe to unite and stake a claim for the practice as it has grown to become a critical and essential part of any person, brand, country, and entity as a whole.

In a country like Nigeria, where the Public Relations industry is facing an identity crisis due to the advent of technology, social media, and citizen journalism, the core of public relations which is communication, perception, and reputation management cannot be overemphasized in 2022.

Therefore the PR experience of all stakeholders relies on the 3 elements of Truth, Trust, and Transparency

The media space in Nigeria today has been dishonestly monetized and the ability for publicists to amplify truth has been frowned upon in the pay-for-play world, but it is important to know that the element of truth is what sets an amazing publicist apart and the creativity of its approach makes all the difference

Trust is required to build and maintain a healthy relationship when the publicist has a track record of trustworthy behavior that has led to results. Considered before any form of communication, as an expert, it is important to know that your clients are trusting you pay critical attention to their brand and what it communicates to their audience and the general public

PR is not a one size fits and is sometimes known as a “black box.” When you pull back the curtain and both parties have visibility, everybody wins.

Transparency is achieved when both sides are given the opportunity to put every misconception and fear on the table throughout the process. As alluded to above, if the PR campaign or approach isn’t working, if the media aren’t responding, the PR pro should be open and honest and have the confidence to tell the client, that this isn’t working. Let’s regroup, collaborate, get creative and figure out how to approach this differently.”

Whether you are a first-time entrepreneur looking to launch your company, or a seasoned business person trying to raise the visibility of your brand, or a PR practitioner the PR goal is the same: to drive business objectives you have decided are fundamental to the success of your company. PR is largely a creative endeavor, so to make it work, all parties must have truth, trust, and transparency.

• Salisu is the Head Hucho Reign Digital