PR consultants charged to embrace global trends

Public Relations (PR) consultants have been challenged to improve their strategy through further training and modern technology to keep up with global trends in the profession.

This position was taken yesterday at the pre-conference session organised by Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) and the African Public Relations Association (APRA) for consultants with the theme “The Business of PR: Managing a Successful Consultancy” at the Calabar International Conference Centre (CICC).

In his presentation, the President, International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO), Mr. Max Behar, said public relations is the only business at the crossroads between creativity and profitability as the future of PR will have advertising, PR and social media competing edge to edge.

Behar noted that a good PR manager needs to understand the practice of PR today since the use of social or free media has reduced the response time to crisis from 10 hours to less than 10 minutes in today’s public relations consultancy.

The President of PRCAN, Mr. John Ehiguese, also emphasized the influence of social media in PR practice in Nigeria while the President of International Public Relations Association (IPRA), Mr. Bart de Vries, said: “Being a profitable agency is a key factor for being successful for PR agencies.”

The four day workshop opens officially today at the CICC with former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the chairman of the occasion, the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed will be leading the discussion, Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade will deliver a goodwill message while Alhaji Aliko Dangote is to present the keynote address on “Leapfrogging Africa, the Role of Communication.”