In recent years, Richard Edelman, the CEO of the world’s largest public relations (PR) firm, has called on the PR industry to embrace public engagement. He suggests there is an enormous opportunity for PR professionals who move “from a push to pull” type of mentality, which means shifting “from pitching to informing, from control to credibility, from one-off stories to continuing conversations, from influencing elites to engaging a new cadre of influencers” (you can see a full presentation from 2009 here). So is it possible that public engagement holds the key to PR’s future?
The relationship between public relations and public engagement is interesting. The most obvious question is: how does one distinguish between the two? General thinking in the field says that these two activities can be placed on the same continuum – the only difference is that public engagement is usually more interactive than PR (note: this is not to say that one is necessarily “better” than the other, as there are different rationales involved). So maybe a more focused question is: how and when does the shift from practicing PR to public engagement occur? As I’ve discovered in my current state of thesis writing, this type of discussion requires a little more of an explanation, as it can lead you down a semantic rabbit hole if you’re not careful…
So what’s the issue? According to Edelman, the isolated nature of policymaking needs to be addressed, as “communications and policy cannot be separated… both are tied to operating reality. Unfortunately, many organizations still determine policy and operating approach in a vacuum, then hand it to PR folks to explain.” So how does this issue relate to public engagement? Think about how you’re talking to your audience. PR is often about “selling” something – a good, service and/or idea – to the public and building a process to show them why. In contrast, public engagement takes it a step further – it is about asking for input on something and building a process that allows you to do so. However, it’s important to remember that the two aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, you could make progress on your PR goals by using public engagement effectively, as sustained dialogue is often inherent to the process. That being said, the shift from PR to public engagement can occur when communication and policy are brought together in a complementary manner.
So are there major companies that have integrated public engagement into their overall PR strategy? Definitely! Check out IBM’s “Smarter Cities Challenge,” which is providing $50 million worth of IBM expertise to help cities around the world address their key challenges at the local level. In response to the city’s high collision rates, the city of Edmonton – the only Canadian finalist – sought to become a “global leader in traffic” and tasked IBM experts to analyze key transportation data within the city. In this way, IBM is evolving its stakeholder relationships in a manner that represents Edelman’s notion of “the change from impression-based interactions to long-term relationships.” These kind of shifts are solid evidence of an evolving PR industry, where passive consumers are becoming empowered influencers, and where public engagement is paramount.
-Tristan Eclarin-
Public Engagement in small-town Alberta
Friday, November 25th, 2011
While public engagement continues to take place on a number of large-scale provincial and federal initiatives across Canada, it is also happening at the local level, as Canadian towns are finding ways to engage their communities in issues that affect them the most.
In the town of Hinton, Alberta, Council recently gave reading to a bylaw that will consolidate current committees into one advisory committee called the Community Engagement and Accountability Committee. This will bring together residents from Hinton and the surrounding area to provide direction to Council’s strategic planning, monitor the sustainability plan and receive feedback from residents on community issues. The committee will be expected to act as Council’s eyes and ears on matters of culture, recreation, education, wellness, local economy and environments.
“This must be achieved”, according to Hinton Mayor Glenn Taylor, “through public engagement and dialogue.” He continued, “Efficient and effective use of a committee member’s time was also an important consideration as was a structure that motivates volunteer interest. We have come to learn that volunteers prefer to commit to specific projects for specific time frames. This new model will encourage that to happen and I think that we will actually end up with more volunteers and more satisfied volunteers who will help advance our community.”
I found it inspiring that a small Canadian town has not only made the move to empower its citizens, but that the town mayor has recognized the importance of dialogue. To me, this is one of those examples of great community engagement, where although it takes form in small pockets, it can still have tremendous impact.
Also intriguing is that this town’s mayor understands the importance of targeting the right volunteer for the right task. The reality is that most people want to do their part, but will of course seek activities that suit their own personal needs as well. On a lot of our project work, Ascentum tries to maintain this mentality when reaching out to participants for dialogue sessions. The key is approaching the right audience; only then will you get the best result.
-Holly Clark-
Tags: Alberta, Hinton, municipal government, public engagement
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