Seat at the Table

The PR industry commonly complains that it deserves a seat at the table.  Does it?  Other senior level functions such as finance and legal provide counsel that starts first with recommended business changes to improve the legal or financial situation.  How often does the communications counselor start with such business recommendations in order to improve the reputation.  But if a reputation problem stems from audiences properly understanding a flawed business, then the business must be fixed before the communcations can solve the reputation problem. 

To put it in terms of a simple decision making tree process: look at the company’s reputation challenge and decide if it is due to A) a communications problem where the company is being misrepresented in the public’s eye; or B) a business problem where a lousy business practice is being properly presented in the public’s eye.  If A, professionals must push management to make business changes first, then turn to PR second.  If B, it is in the communications department realm of responsibility first. 

The graphic below illustrates both this simple decision making tree as well as where companies usually fall down on the job – by ignoring business problems and pushing for PR to communicate the problem away.

Today’s Wall Street Journal Marketplace section has an excellent case study on how making fundamental business changes can lead to fundamental reputation changes.  The article covers how the credit bureau industry is being seen as far more consumer friendly by not simply communicating with consumers, but by offering helpful services.  This is a far cry from only a few years back when credit bureaus were often cited as consumer credit enemy #1.

This is a perfect example of why public relations professionals, especially at the corporate level, should be business consultants as much as communications consultants.   Communications professionals need to both recognize when reputation problems stem from business problems, not communications problems, and then articulate how different business strategies will affect the company reputation.   When we are at the point where it is both common for our industry to not only provide this advice, but to be listened to, then we’ll have truly earned that figurative seat at the table.