A Definition for Public Relations Practitioners
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Public relations work creates or manages change. A working definition of creativity must contain some form of process in operation within the wider society, and so some reference to its context should also be made.
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By examining these different approaches to defining creativity, a working definition for public relations practitioners can be given.
....
Thus :
Creativity is the ability each of us has to create something new by bringing together two or more different elements in a new context, in order to provide added value to a task.
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A Creative act consists of not only originating but also evaluating the added value it contributes. It is not novelty for its own sake, but it must produce some form of value that can be recognized by a third party.
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As a mathematical sum it could read:
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When 1 equals an element to be used in the creative process and C = creativity. By Introducing the creative dimension, practitioner can product a new synergy so as to achieve greater value than the individual component parts.
….
To elaborate on what is meant by bringing together different elements to create a synergy to provide added value, Table 1.1. gives some examples.
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Table 1.1 Combining element provided added value
Area of work:
First Element:
Second Element:
Added Value:
Artist – creating a new painting
Raw materials: paint canvas, the subject matter.
Individual vision, craft and skill in creating images.
An Image that may bring pleasure or new insight into the world.
Poet – creating a new verse
Raw materials: pen, paper, the subject matter.
Individual vision, craft and skill in using language.
A text that may bring pleasure or new insight into the World.
Public Relations Professional – devising a photocall.
The subject matter. Props to use in the photograph
Person or celebrity to use in the photograph.
Extra media coverage and a visual dramatization of a story.
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ADDED VALUE
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An editor of a marketing magazine once remarked to me ;”as far as I can see, there are two types of public relations people; those whose immediate reaction is to say “ What creative thing can we do?”; and those who respond by saying “ We don’t bother with this creative stuff. We just get on with the nuts and bolts of a story or campaign.” ‘ My reply was swift; ”They are both wrong.’
…
The public relations profession can be divided into three tribes. Some practitioners may be members of the ‘dash-off-into-dottiness brigade’ – those who instantly propose an offbeat idea before considering any real need for the end product. Or they may be members of the second, ‘nuts-and-bolts tribe’ – those who decide not to be creative and seemingly fail to exploit the full potential of an opportunity. Third, there is a growing number of the ‘added value connoisseurs’. The mark of an outstanding creative practitioner is to analyze the situation coolly and to assess what is required – and only then, crucially, to decide what added value is needed.
….
Here is an example of demonstrates the role of ‘added value’ in public relations work. In the early 1990s I helped win a major account; the launch of a major aluminium can recycling scheme across the UK. The client, unhappy with the low level of media coverage it was receiving, was looking for an agency that was ‘creative’. In our proposals we came up with all sort of at we thought were wonderfully creative ideas, such as having pop star Gary Glitter jumping out of giant cans. Despite which we still managed to win the account! ( Ten years later, the pop star was convicted of possessing child pornography – an example of the impact ’a new context’ can have on creative product).
….
However, we were surprise by the fact that the company was getting disappointing coverage. The campaign was at the time when the environment was emerging as a major public issue so that interest in all things ‘green’ was very tropical, and the company was launching a new recycling concept of paying for items to be recycled ( in contrast with other schemes that merely involved leaving your item in the recycling bin). This, we felt, had a very strong news interest and should get media coverage without the need for gimmicks.
…
Once we had won the account, close inspection of the company’s previous press release material revealed why is was not getting adequate media coverage. The reason was not that the company was being uncreative, but because its new release were, in our view, badly written. In reality, like the porter’s tray in Maureen Lipman’s story , they were getting in the way of the message. All that was necessary to achieve the desired result was to produce well-written material that conveyed the news of the story clearly. There was no requirement for ‘added value’ from the creative function.
☼ Pause for a moment. Reflect back on your own work. Try and identify examples of ‘added value’ for your creative contribution to a situation.
…
Public relations work creates or manages change. A working definition of creativity must contain some form of process in operation within the wider society, and so some reference to its context should also be made.
…
By examining these different approaches to defining creativity, a working definition for public relations practitioners can be given.
....
Thus :
Creativity is the ability each of us has to create something new by bringing together two or more different elements in a new context, in order to provide added value to a task.
...
A Creative act consists of not only originating but also evaluating the added value it contributes. It is not novelty for its own sake, but it must produce some form of value that can be recognized by a third party.
…
As a mathematical sum it could read:
…
When 1 equals an element to be used in the creative process and C = creativity. By Introducing the creative dimension, practitioner can product a new synergy so as to achieve greater value than the individual component parts.
….
To elaborate on what is meant by bringing together different elements to create a synergy to provide added value, Table 1.1. gives some examples.
…..
Table 1.1 Combining element provided added value
Area of work:
First Element:
Second Element:
Added Value:
Artist – creating a new painting
Raw materials: paint canvas, the subject matter.
Individual vision, craft and skill in creating images.
An Image that may bring pleasure or new insight into the world.
Poet – creating a new verse
Raw materials: pen, paper, the subject matter.
Individual vision, craft and skill in using language.
A text that may bring pleasure or new insight into the World.
Public Relations Professional – devising a photocall.
The subject matter. Props to use in the photograph
Person or celebrity to use in the photograph.
Extra media coverage and a visual dramatization of a story.
…..
ADDED VALUE
….
An editor of a marketing magazine once remarked to me ;”as far as I can see, there are two types of public relations people; those whose immediate reaction is to say “ What creative thing can we do?”; and those who respond by saying “ We don’t bother with this creative stuff. We just get on with the nuts and bolts of a story or campaign.” ‘ My reply was swift; ”They are both wrong.’
…
The public relations profession can be divided into three tribes. Some practitioners may be members of the ‘dash-off-into-dottiness brigade’ – those who instantly propose an offbeat idea before considering any real need for the end product. Or they may be members of the second, ‘nuts-and-bolts tribe’ – those who decide not to be creative and seemingly fail to exploit the full potential of an opportunity. Third, there is a growing number of the ‘added value connoisseurs’. The mark of an outstanding creative practitioner is to analyze the situation coolly and to assess what is required – and only then, crucially, to decide what added value is needed.
….
Here is an example of demonstrates the role of ‘added value’ in public relations work. In the early 1990s I helped win a major account; the launch of a major aluminium can recycling scheme across the UK. The client, unhappy with the low level of media coverage it was receiving, was looking for an agency that was ‘creative’. In our proposals we came up with all sort of at we thought were wonderfully creative ideas, such as having pop star Gary Glitter jumping out of giant cans. Despite which we still managed to win the account! ( Ten years later, the pop star was convicted of possessing child pornography – an example of the impact ’a new context’ can have on creative product).
….
However, we were surprise by the fact that the company was getting disappointing coverage. The campaign was at the time when the environment was emerging as a major public issue so that interest in all things ‘green’ was very tropical, and the company was launching a new recycling concept of paying for items to be recycled ( in contrast with other schemes that merely involved leaving your item in the recycling bin). This, we felt, had a very strong news interest and should get media coverage without the need for gimmicks.
…
Once we had won the account, close inspection of the company’s previous press release material revealed why is was not getting adequate media coverage. The reason was not that the company was being uncreative, but because its new release were, in our view, badly written. In reality, like the porter’s tray in Maureen Lipman’s story , they were getting in the way of the message. All that was necessary to achieve the desired result was to produce well-written material that conveyed the news of the story clearly. There was no requirement for ‘added value’ from the creative function.
☼ Pause for a moment. Reflect back on your own work. Try and identify examples of ‘added value’ for your creative contribution to a situation.
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