The so-far mild swine flu outbreak has many people saying all the talk about a devastating global epidemic was just fear-mongering hype. But that’s not how public health officials see it, calling complacency the thing that keeps them up at night.

The World Health Organization added a scary-sounding warning Thursday, predicting up to 2 billion people could catch the new flu if the outbreak turns into a global epidemic. Many blame such alarms and the breathless media coverage for creating an overreaction that disrupted many people’s lives. Schools shut down, idling even healthy kids and forcing parents to stay home from work; face masks and hand sanitizers sold out – all because of an outbreak that seems no worse than a mild flu season.

Two weeks after news broke about the new flu strain, there have been 46 deaths – 44 in Mexico and two in the United States. More than 2,300 are sick in 26 countries, including about 900 U.S. cases. Eight patients under investigation in England have today been confirmed with swine flu, bringing the current total number of confirmed UK cases to 47.Those are much lower numbers than were feared at the start based on early reports of an aggressive and deadly flu in Mexico.

Despite the grim nature of these reports some have tried to raise awareness on this issue  in a fun way, using Youtube , as shown in the video below.

Public health authorities acknowledge their worst fears about the new virus have not materialized. But no one’s officially saying it’s time to relax. And experts worry that people will become too complacent and tune out the warnings if the virus returns in a more dangerous form in the fall.

Whether or not the current outbreak of swine flu translates into a world pandemic, we are already seeing information and and data spreading around the web at a staggering pace.

Many news organisations around the world today are linking to a Google map showing almost live data on reported cases. Whilst this may be a very useful tool, what few of the news organisations report is that it appears to have been created by Henry Niman, a biomedical researcher with a history of using the internet to forecast doom. Niman has claimed global pandemics were under way several times before.

The speed at which information travels brings opportunities and threats and we need to treat information we see on line with caution and respect.  The social web will deliver information on which we can rely and data which will sometimes deceive.

The world is a buzz talking about Britain’s Got Talent’s unexpected ‘diva,’ Susan Doyle. She has become such an internet hit that Hollywood star Demi Moore has been Twittering about her.

The incredible clip of her wowing a cynical audience and skeptical judging panel received astronomical hits on Youtube- a whopping 50 million views and counting by this morning. Doyle has not only been featured all over the UK press, but is causing international interest, particularly in the US- Oprah Winfrey has invited her to appear on her show. Yesterday, PR Week reported that Doyle hired DADA PR to handle the media frenzy.

Doyle gives new meaning to the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’ So does image really matter?  In my opinion- yes- in varying degrees. One may claim that it’s superficial and shallow, but let’s face it: humans are very visual beings. That’s the reason why the audience was so unreceptive to Doyle when she walked on stage. But her raw talent and down to earth, lovable personality won her a huge fan base- she created her own image and made a great first impression. So it does go beyond looks…

In the business world, if you walk in the door and don’t look your best, your client may not get past that, no matter how great your presentation is. Making a good first impression definitely gets your foot in the door. In the public relations industry, where one acts as a representative of a company or individual, image can not be stressed enough. Numerous companies have cropped up that help executives shape their image.  However, a line should be drawn- when the pursuit of a ‘perfect’ image becomes a detrimental obsession, something needs to give. The key to a healthy outlook is – confidence. It’s surprising how many people take it for granted. Without sounding like a self help article, without confidence you won’t be able to be an effective communicator. Again, another line must be drawn- there is a thin line between confidence and arrogance, so watch it. Here are a few tips on confidence from the Flacker PR blog:

- You have to always be “on.” You must always be ready to sell a client or the company you work for to a  key public or journalist. Anyone with a few months of PR experience has had that call from a journalist when you least expect it. If you’re confident, you can often seal the deal on a key mention or story.

- We have to be able to bounce back. PR pros get rejected a lot. Even worse we get ignored. It’s like the worst nightmare of every adolescent boy at his first school dance. If we don’t believe in ourselves and the companies we represent, we are dead in the water before we even start.

- We take a lot of risks. If you think about it, a journalist who passes on a story will likely find another story and not think twice about ignoring your e-mail or rejecting your phone pitch. I can’t think of a time when a reporter called after rejecting an idea and said, “I wish I would have written about that.”

However, young PR pros are often perceived as arrogant, rather than confident because of their lack of experience.

While not completely avoidable, there are a few strategies to combat being perceived as arrogant:

- Ask Elders Questions. A good way to show humility is to ask questions. Even if you think you know the answer, asking elders will show them that you don’t think you know everything.

- Point out Tips. After you’ve gotten some advice from elders, remember to point out their advice when you use it and it works. For example, “Thanks John for those tips last week. When I was reaching out to that blogger I told you about, I framed that story idea like you suggested and it worked. Thanks for the help.” You did a good job for the client, the person that gave you the advice feels respected and you don’t look arrogant.

- Pay Attention. You should attend every professional development session, take notes when others are giving advice and ask for opportunities to observe others doing their work. Ask to sit-in when a senior account team member is pitching media or sit-in on a planning meeting, even if it is after normal work hours.

Two mentions of the dreaded ‘R’ word two posts in a row? I know, its practically a curse word but I feel that this topic requires a lot more space on this blog as it is obviously a huge concern for everyone at  large, but more so for the soon-to-be-graduates and job seekers reading this.

Economists predict that this coming year will be tougher than the last for this economy and others such as Australia. There has been debate about whether the vast Down Under has been affected. If the turn out at this weekend’s Ausi expo is anything to go by, many are contemplating fleeing southwards in search of greener pastures (or at least less arid ones). I say, fear not, for the key to survival is determination, being smart, creative and brave.

The job market doesn’t seem very welcoming for fresh grads as unemployment numbers soar. However, many of the agency cutbacks in the PR and marketing industry are higher up the corporate ladder. Having learned from past economic slumps, companies have not halted graduate recruitment, as they realize this will only create a talent/ human resource gap in the future. So don’t bid your ambitions farewell just yet.

Another silver lining in the financial dark cloud is the rapid growth of the digital industry. The government has plans to pump investment into the industry, which ensures that it shall continue to thrive. That ties in with the immense impact social marketing is having on the media landscape. Going digital is clearly the way to make it through the current fiscal droop.

If that doesn’t put a smile on your face, how about this- as Harvard Business School Professor John A. Quelch noted recently:

“It is well documented that brands that increase advertising during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share, and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.”

This rationale applies equally well to PR and money strategically spent on PR can have the result Quelch notes above. Your clients and potential clients still have their needs and will be looking to fulfil them. Maybe with a lesser budget, but they are still out there looking. This is a clear indication that PR is not perceived as a luxury in times like these. We just have to be more creative about how we go about it.

Since the recession hit (find the gloomy facts here), I’ve had more moths than money in my proverbial wallet. While it isn’t the best news for my finances, it could actually bode well for the PR industry.

The reinvention of PR

According to some well experienced PRs, this could be a great opportunity for the profession to reinvent itself. Over the past few years there has been ever increasing pressure on PR to wake up and smell the coffee as far as the social media evolution is concerned. In short, we obviously need to adapt to these changes. Some have been quicker to respond than others. However, this is not the trend across the entire PR industry. The hook eyed critics and observers have noted that many traditional agencies ignore this, mainly due to fear of the unknown. A recession will compel agencies to get their houses in order, and adapt or die! So in reality, the recession would be of benefit to the industry, extricating the quality, digitally savvy from the second-rates.

Increasing importance of personalised relations

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, PR has always been about engaging with people. It has not always been so, and observers feel that the rise of social media has finally put the public back into PR. However, within this ‘public’ a personal touch is more important than ever. Owyang, senior analyst at Forrester, in his blog talks about PR folks becoming their own hubs, where “they’ve developed real relationships with influencers regardless of who their client list is”. An excellent example of this in practice is Micro PR which is one of the blogging platforms that makes it simple for PRs to  personalize their services If you’re looking to hire a PR who ‘gets’ online PR, it’s becoming easier and easier to spot them. It clearly shines a light on who is active in social media and who is just talking about it.

The death of the traditional pitch

Its official- the pitch is dead. PR practitioners have mastered this now dead pitch process. They take the time to thoroughly prepare and rehearse a perfect delivery weeks in advance. However, numerous brands will have realized that this long-established method is not always the best way to select a suitable PR representative. More often than not, the team that presents is not even the team you end up working with. Once they bag the clients, enthusiasm for the project shifts to the next exciting pitch coming round the corner.

With increasing budgets cutbacks, and return on investment being vital, platforms like word of moth and networking will become a more extensively used to route to win over business. Additionally, with the convergence of all elements of digital media, new business shall be won through collaboration with partner agencies. United we stand, divide we fall will take on new meaning! Riding solo is no longer an option for agencies who strive for success.

Finally….CEOs need to set PR higher on their agenda

Referring my previous post on the changing role of communications professional in a globalised world, CEOs need to tap into the true power of their PR resources. Additionally, in order to make the most of their PRs they need to make it a two-way relationship, with PRs playing an integral part in managerial decision making. In a recession, brands who continue to see the importance in PR will need to make sure their investment is working harder for them, which means CEOs devoting more time to it. PRs cannot pretend to be the CEO – and so they will need to make more time to engage in these conversations around their brand.

**This is in no way an exhaustive list on the future of the industry, but a few humble observations made through research and consultation. Please feel free to add to it..

Yesterday, I was given new hope. PRs will not only make it through these dark times, we shall come out on top too!

Arguably, THE pinnacle authority on Public Relations, Prof. Anne Gregory, gave a guest lecture (on the title of this blog entry) in one of my Masters modules. Our regular instructor gave her a generous introduction, listing her many accolades and accomplishments. Boy, did she live up to her reputation!

In today’s increasingly globalised world, where consumerism and individualism rule, public relations practitioners are expected to deliver instant, personalised services. Organisations are under heavy scrutiny, with accountability and social responsibility at the fore. With technological advancement has come interdependence, facilitated by our ever reaching networks. Detachment is an archaic concept as our connections are amalgamated. Then, a recession in America would have sent ripples through the developed world; now, it has sent tidal waves across the globe.

The linkages spawned by the internet have totally altered the world of communications. Print journalism is being replaced by transitory citizen journalism and 24/7 reporting. In our pluralist society, a handful of global opinion leaders have multiplied beyond previous comprehension, with regular debate on a myriad of issues in an international arena.

This is the world in which, we, the new generation of Public Relations practitioners are to operate. In Gregory’s own words: “I’m jealous!” – and with good reason! In this brave new world, PR is finally gaining the recognition it duly deserves, as a legitimate and crucial management function.

To ensure an organisation’s survival and authenticity in this novel environment, communications will need to be at its heart. PRs are needed to sift through the clutter and communicate true meaning and clarity- transforming misinformation into information. In this tumultuous ocean of data, where many are drowning, PRs are steering the lifeboats.

Getting excited yet? Hold on- not ALL PRs are destined to be at the helm. Many are limited in skill and will only hoist the sails and swab the deck.

What I’m talking about is the difference between a communications manager and a communications technician. The distinction is quite clear. Despite the so-called saturation in the industry, very few PRs actually have the talent to professionally handle such a demanding directorial role. A communications technician performs all the run-of-the mill undertakings associated with PR, while a manager goes over and above this.

Forward thinking, successful organisations want more than the normative narrative offered by a PR technician. Here, a manager demonstrates their true worth by acting as the alternative voice in an organisation- an activist. A manager must see the organisation objectively in order to better advise the management on the best way to behave and gain public approval. This is not always the perspective the executive want to hear. Thus, in the words of R. Pearson real ‘PR practice is situated at precisely the point where competing issues collide.’

The fascinating and exhilarating news is that CEOs now recognise that this is essential for their organisations’ success. PR managers play an advisory role to the management where stakeholders, risks and issues are concerned, thus strategically shaping the CEO’s vision. The manager then compellingly communicates this vision to the relevant publics, significantly contributing to the company’s overall success.

One cannot deny the vital role PR plays in the formulation and realisation of an organisation’s goals. I daresay a communications manager comes second to the CEO in the effective running of an organisation.

For reasons foreign to most journalists, young graduates still flock to PR. It is among their top three favourite professions, according to the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), which estimates that 48,000 people work in it. It doesn’t stop there- growing numbers of people are switching jobs into PR. In the last 2 years, there has seen a rapid growth in PR with the number of journalists taking a dive.

After years of watching the hit TV series, Sex and the City, and idolizing the publicist- Samantha Jones, I can understand the attraction. Samantha owns her own Public Relations company, and schmoozes with the who’s who New York City. She is privy to all the best hot spots in the city and has a phonebook overflowing with names and numbers of the crème de la crème of New York’s elite. Ooh la la!

Everyone ‘knows’ about PR – and that it seems to consist mainly of going to parties and having your photo taken, like Meg Gallagher – but it’s not all parties and glamour, dahling! In fact, PR can be a glitz-free zone – hard work, with regular rejection sewn in. The mainstream perception propagated by Ab Fab and Peter Mandelson, do a disservice to the other part of the industry, which is really about a lot of toil and honesty.

The growth of the industry comes as no surprise with PRs now sitting on the board of directors, demonstrating that these communicators make a real impact. Once scarce PR education(now offered at diploma, Bachelors and Masters level) has become valuable asserting PR as a strategic tool and management function.

The increasing power of the media through Web 2.0 has led to understanding of the link between reputation, success and survival. Today, PR is finally recognised as a career that will offer bona fide responsibility and significance.

The public’s obsession with celebrities seems to know no bounds.

Entertainment industry publications b.k.a tabloids such as the National Enquirer in the US and OK! in the UK, keep churning out the latest and greatest about the hottest celebrities around. TV channels solely dedicated to this, such as the popular E!, record consistently high ratings. International celebrity focused sites such as TMZ and People have users logging on daily for up-to-the-minute gossip.

A variety of these publications use exclamation marks on their covers to describe the divorces, pregnancies, affairs, eating disorders and assorted depravities of the same small group of celebrities. The modus operandi for cramming content into these publications has been standardised: spotting cellulite, tracking breast augmentation and all around liposuction…a scuffle for scoops bought from gossipy stylists, bouncers and choreographers and a bit of slavish grovelling in the “exclusive interview.”

I believe that the UK’s interest in celebrities began as a pleasurable pastime, but steadily grew into a detrimental fixation. The internet, and in particular the emergence of user-generated content like blogs, MySpace and YouTube – generally characterised as Web 2.0 – has taken that curiosity to a whole new level.

Web 2.0 is not only feeding an unhealthy obsession with celebrity, but it has provided a whole new platform for the creation of celebrities. A good example is Paris Hilton, who had no more claim to fame than inherited wealth. She came to global attention with the appearance of her sex tape on the internet.

Web developers are taking advantage of this obsession, by launching platforms such as YoBusted. On this website, users can pretend to be as famous and glamorous as celebrities by uploading candid pictures and video of their wanna-be ‘fast paced’ lifestyle. Days later, they can type their name in any major search engine (i.e., Google Yahoo, etc.), and the party pictures and videos will show up at the top of the search engine results for the world to see. In a launch press release the YoBusted.com’s President explains, “What TMZ and US Magazine are to Hollywood, we are to the rest of us. Think your professor, boss or classmate is a straight-edge? He’s probably a wild cat too, just check YoBusted.com!”

We live in a celebrity obsessed age- so much so that there is even a term for it. Celebrity worship syndrome was first identified as an addictive disorder in 2003. In a media saturated environment, research shows as many as 10% of the public are developing unhealthy obsessions with celebrities which can lead to depression, anxiety and psychosis. Psychologists term this condition as celebrity worship syndrome – or, even worse, celebrity erotomania, a delusion that a star is in love with you.

I believe the focus of the arts and entertainment business should be on the work that these famous athletes, actors and musicians produce, not what they do in their private life. In my opinion, it is much more interesting and relevant to learn about an upcoming movie or album from a celebrity rather than speculation about a secret lover or a drug addiction. Problems and flaws are their own business and the personal lives of celebrities should not be constantly invaded.

But in the end, despite my moral qualms on the matter, this situation is not likely to change. The media are simply meeting a persistent and (sadly) growing demand.