I've had some existential moments during my stint as a public relations lecturer in Armenia. I've been wondering if I've had any impact. Although I arrived knowing public relations is a nascent profession in this country, I thought I could quickly imbue my students with a desire to become public relations practitioners, ready to change the world.


Things have moved slower than expected. At the risk of making excuses for my shortcomings as an instructor, I've realized that the power of public relations is not easy to grasp, especially when there is little precedent for its practice in a country. Although marketing has certainly made its mark in Armenia, the attributes of a great public relation campaign still evoke some puzzlement.
Of course, as public relations practitioners, we've all had moments when we've had to explain our profession .... even in the U.S. where Edward Bernays laid a strong foundation almost a hundred years ago. We've all had to counsel the director of finance or legal affairs on why they must respond to an insistent reporter. Or we've bravely battled the budget sessions where it's suggested our funds get slashed because "public relations is not our company's core focus."
To a handful of my students, though, public relations is truly a head-scratching oddity. Why go through all the gyrations of writing a public relations plan when one can simply buy an ad? Or even better, why not buy a journalist?
Recently, I thought I was making headway when I invited a prominent Yerevan journalist to my class. He was personable, handsome and ambitious. And he was singing the praises of public relations. I really thought he had my students convinced – until he told them he liked p.r. so much he was starting his own public relations agency. "I'll make money as a journalist and a p.r. professional," he enthused. When he left, I had to explain that such "double dipping" isn't considered a good p.r. practice.
In my lessons, I have tried to explain that a well-strategized, ethical public relations program has many benefits. As I have pointed out, good p.r. is:
Flexible .... Ad campaigns take weeks to create; a solid public relations campaign is designed to be much more agile, especially in times of crisis.
Important for elevating brand image .... Public relations zeroes in on target groups to maintain a positive position in their minds; these efforts can complement a marketing campaign or often stand on their own.
More than communicating through traditional outlets .... Consumers around the world are tired of "déjà vu" advertising; public relations goes beyond traditional communication channels.
Less costly .... Public relations can provide superb communications at much lower costs than traditional marketing and advertising.
Critical for credibility .... Public relations focuses on getting that all-important third party endorsement for a service or product. These are the trusted, highly credible recommendations advertising money simply cannot buy.
There is some hope to this report from the Caucuses. Recently, a group of Armenian women health activists launched a public relations effort to stop bus drivers from smoking on their routes. (In Armenia, smoking is a major health issue. As many as 70% of all males smoke and secondary smoke .... especially on crowded public transportation -- is a major health concern). The public relations campaign resulted in new legislation and a 20% reduction in smoking among drivers.
I presented the details of this case to my class. "This is the power of great public relations," I said. The students took note. Most nodded their heads. Yes! The power of PR was clearly understood!