One of the most challenging, fascinating things about being a public relations practitioner is delivering messages on behalf of unpopular causes. It’s also something that’s very unique about our role.

Finding a balancing act is a great challenge. Yes, it’s our duty to influence the public, and perhaps at the very least make your audience think critically, or think about an issue they wouldn’t normally have discussed. But what if the story we need to communicate is for an unpopular cause? What if the public knows that our product is harmful– how do we overcome that messaging challenge?

In a recent class lecture, my professor stated: “The burden of responsibility for connecting inevitably falls on us, for we are the ones attempting to communicate.” This quote has stuck with me, and as long as I’m in public relations, it’s a quote I will remember.

So how do we overcome messaging challenges? In some cases, the solution can mean pushing our own pride and beliefs aside in order to best convey the message of the client. In some cases, yes, that may make the PR practitioner the “bad guy,” but it’s the nature of the business. Sometimes it’s about setting aside your own opinion in order to deliver the best possible message for your client (or your brand), and sometimes using different strategies to achieve it.

That raises the question of responsibility. While communicators have an obligation to represent the best interest of our clients, communicators also have a responsibility to serve the greater public good, as well as the interests of all stakeholders. Like any profession, communications can become problematic when practitioners push moral and ethical concerns aside in order to accomplish objectives. Maybe a reasonable M.O. for communicators is to avoid any actions or messages that could border into grey area.

Food for thought here. This is something I’ve questioned in the past on this blog, but with all of the personal blogs professional communicators have, should we be sharing our opinions? Or is it up to us to remain neutral in a world of opinions so as to make yourself a more appealing communicator for a potential client?

Image: Thanks gillespinault

Narrowcasting.

This idea is nothing new. It’s the opposite approach of broadcasting. How would you define it? I see narrowcasting as aiming media messages at specific segments of the public defined by values, preferences, or demographic attributes. You’ve probably also heard it referred to as niche marketing or targeting marketing. The names are different, but the ideas are the same. It’s all based around the idea that mass audiences no longer exist.

Take our televisions, for example. You can subscribe to hundreds of channels, based on your own interests. Like Golf? Watch the Golf Channel. Are cartoons more your style? Get Cartoon Network. The same goes with satellite radio—entire stations exist based on the idea of a targeted, segment audience.

New technology makes it easier to reach niche markets and targeted audiences. Undoubtedly, we have all experienced narrowcasting firsthand as we access blogs, social networking sites, and online journals/news sites daily. But even for those who do not use computers—magazines, radio stations, and newspapers are narrowing their focus on particular groups of people. Communication today is not what it has been previously. In the past, people were more inclined to read the same information or watch the same channels on television. Today, people have the ability to choose what sources they’d like to depend on and learn from, according to their particular interests.

It’s showing how our society has evolved and become “demassified.” These audience segments signal a change in values and opinions, and a change in the use and interest of media. How are we, as professional communicators and marketers, supposed to keep up with the shift? And what’s next? How will the media evolve?

Image: Thanks ganatronic

What piece of advice would you give someone starting a new journey?

I went to a bridal shower this weekend for a good friend/former roommate from college, and I just couldn’t be more excited for her upcoming nuptials. I’m lucky to have formed such strong bonds with the people I met in college, and even luckier that we’ve been able to maintain our friendships over the past few years, as we’ve all gone our separate ways and pursued our individual passions.

In June, my friend will embark on a new journey with her husband. They’ll not only share the same last name, but they’ll have a new life together, with new experiences and challenges they’ll face together. All this reflection on challenges got me in a little Sunday-evening thinking mode… what would I tell anyone beginning a new journey? For someone starting a new life with someone else like my friend, or someone starting a new job, or someone facing a difficult decision? I put together a short list below, and I think these can be applied to anyone starting a new chapter in their life. Maybe this is common sense, maybe this comes naturally, but a little reminder never hurt anyone.

Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Whether you’re having an argument with your significant other, trying to compromise with a coworker, or you’re just having one of those days where the little things seem to bug you, it’s important to see the other side of the issue. Understanding and accepting the other side of the story is the first step in resolving issues.

Stand up for what you believe in. This might seem a little contradictory to the previous one, but you have your opinion, and even if it differs from another person’s, it’s yours. Own it and respect it.

Mind your manners. Say please and thank you. Be polite. Be respectful.

Apologize—and mean it. Apologize when you need to, and when you apologize—mean it.

Accept. Accept others for who they are. Appreciate their strengths, and love their weaknesses. Life is a journey, and everyone’s growing. You can learn from not only accepting the faults and strengths of others, but also from accepting your own.

Always remember to smile. A smile can change the course of your day. I know when I’m feeling a little down, or when I feel the weight of a challenge on my shoulders, it can really help to see someone smiling and just happy to be alive. Smiles are contagious. Your smile can truly turn your day around.

This is just a brief list, and it’s pretty broad. What would your advice be for a newlywed? What about a new coworker, or a new student? What would you add to this broad list?

Photo: Thanks worldwidewandering