James Vella Clark is Media and Communications Manager at Corporate Identities and has been in the sector for the past 24 years.
The more I think about my work as a public relations person, the more I realise how being in this job has increasingly kept me in touch with the need to be socially interactive and conscious of what it means to relate to others on human and social levels.
‘Public Relations’ – ‘Public’ because we communicate with people – all sorts of audiences and ‘Relations’, because, through the way we craft messages, we want these audiences to ‘RELATE’ to our messages which in this case, I would define as “our clients’ realities’.
As with many jobs, being a public relations person is a journey of constant learning. Personally, my constant learning journey is on how to make people relate to the messages that I am trying to communicate.
In PR, the first step in being human requires me to relate to my client’s message by finding the reasons why I should believe in the well-intentioned message that my client would want to communicate.
The second step is acknowledging that this message will need to pass the first test – making it relatable to the journalist or editor to whom I am pitching the article. That journalist or editor is also a human being – and perhaps even ‘representative’ of the audience I ultimately want to reach. If I fail to make them understand why my message is important, that message is never going to be relayed and will remain uncommunicated.
Consequently, every time I manage to make the journalist relate to the message by making them understand the importance of it being communicated, then, I would have probably made my message relatable to my audience.
Moving beyond the initial steps of understanding and making the message relatable to the journalist or editor, the journey in public relations takes a fascinating turn as it delves deeper into the intricacies of human connection. It’s not merely about convincing someone to write a story or publish an article but about fostering genuine connections that resonate with diverse audiences.
It is where communication becomes an art form with messages crafted into narratives that engage, provoke thought, and, most importantly, establish a connection between brands and audiences.
As I type, I frequently find myself thinking of this intrinsic human element in my work where I’m not just passing information but telling stories that evoke emotions that connect people to my clients’ realities.
Understanding the audience is important. But what’s crucial is the understanding that media and communication channels are evolving and this is also changing how people respond to messages.
This, I believe, is the reason why the true essence of public relations lies in building and maintaining relationships not only with journalists but with all stakeholders. This is what nurtures the trust and credibility upon which communication remains successful.
Social media, in particular, has transformed the PR landscape where a story can spark conversations, shape perceptions, and influence public opinion. Understanding the underlying human dynamics at play is key.
As a public relations person, I find myself at the intersection of strategic communication which is also empathic. I am constantly in the pursuit of understanding, connecting, and influencing an intricate tapestry of audiences.
All those of you who work in public relations and corporate communications, do allow each day to offer new insights, challenges, and opportunities for growth, keeping in mind that, at its heart, public relations is about people – their stories, aspirations, and the shared narratives that bind us all together.
James Vella Clark is Media and Communications Manager at Corporate Identities and has been in the sector for the past 24 years.
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