Counselor Steve Pisinski takes the helm as PRSA's new chairman this year. PR NEWS caught up with him to get the skinny on his vision for PRSA and the profession in 2000.
PRN: Credibility remains a major issue on the PRSA agenda. Is PR still getting a bad rap?
SP: There are those who will always give it a bad rap. But we've all seen recently increased spending on public relations among organizations and hiring agencies, and an incredible demand for PR talent. With a lot of start-up companies, you see a [commitment to hiring] a PR firm or staff person in the business plan. Venture capitalists are telling the people they're giving money to, "Don't go hire an ad agency off the bat because you can't afford it and it's not that effective. Build your reputation [with PR]."
PRN: Is "public relations" still the best phrase to describe the profession?
SP: Yes. Public relations is the broader term for managing not just an organization's communications, but also its relationships.
PRN: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the business?
SP: Growing the talent to meet demand...in a way that people are skilled enough to handle what organizations are asking them to do. We are trying to move professionals from being talented, trusted communicators to being talented, trusted counselors - part of the management team.
PRN: What core skills are today's candidates lacking?
SP: Some of the criticism about writing ability and understanding of business basics are legit. But I don't know if too many people coming into the field lack core skills as much as experience and having people around to [mentor them] because everyone is so darn busy.
A 25-year agency veteran, Steve Pisinski began his career with Ketchum in Pittsburgh and moved through two Burson-Marsteller offices before founding his own agency, SDP Communications, which was acquired by Ogilvy & Mather in 1985. He is president of The Montgomery Group, the San Francisco-based shop he founded in 1992.