To welcome PR professionals to the Public Relations Society of America's "Telling the Truth: Building Credibility in an Incredible World" conference in St. Louis, we're offering you some insight into James Hart Jr. -- vice president, public affairs, at PanEnergy Corp in Houston --who was selected by PR News readers as the PR Professional of the Year.
PRN: What is the most challenging aspect of being a PR professional with a company that has to lobby for the importance of its main product?
It's not difficult at all from the sense that it's not hard to create interest in, and markets for, a product that is considered all-American: It's produced in America, is abundant and is considered environmentally preferable. The only real problem we have is making sure that government regulations don't get in the way of educating people about natural gas. For instance, in the past (20 years ago), Congress passed a law prohibiting natural gas for boiler fuel because it was considered too valuable to burn.
That law was repealed a few years ago and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission began the process of deregulating the industry. We have been going through a evolutionary process over the past five years and we are now approaching the level of (natural gas) use that existed 20 years ago.
PRN: Concerning PanEnergy's move to pay hundreds of displaced residents after an explosion in New Jersey that was the fault of a third party, was the move to settle based on political correctness and to quell negative press?
Political considerations didn't play into it all. It was done because the company's president and CEO, Paul M. Anderson, who left a meeting in Boston and flew directly to the scene, gave me and others the responsibility of doing what was right --to take care of the victims' needs. Doing what's right is an act that Americans always value highly. But from a PR standpoint, doing what was right helped with our name recognition and served our corporate identity as well.
PRN: How do you convince the money crunchers of your organization who are skeptical of a costly PR move that a specific campaign is the right thing to do?
I get buy-ins from operating management (of the corporation's subsidiaries) to pay for campaigns by showing the subsidiaries how these campaigns will help them achieve their objectives for expense per earnings. I let them see each element and let them veto an element that they feel won't help them contribute to their bottomline.
PRN: How do yesteryear's more traditional forms of PR compare with some of the tactics that are used today?
The old school approach was that you developed a personal relationship with the city editor or business editor because a lot of the PR that was accomplished was done on a one-on-one personal basis.
Today, the media doesn't have much time for that; now, you have to be able to sell your story and convince someone that it's better if they cover yours over someone else who's also vying for limited space. It's about being a marketer of ideas.
PRN: What do you consider a PR nightmare?
The worst-case scenario would be an emergency or crisis and I'm not able to get on the scene personally. That would be difficult to face because emergency plans are good to have in a notebook for inspectors or to satisfy corporate requirements, but there's nothing like having experienced people there.
Highlights of PRSA Conference"Telling the Truth: Building Credibility in an Incredible World," the annual conference hosted by the Public Relations Society of America, begins this week in St. Louis.
Before the conferece officially starts on Nov. 10, however, some important events will take place, including the Nov. 9 assembly (due increases and new leadership will be discussed), from 9 a.m.-4 p..m., and pre-conference seminars.
The remainder of the conference schedule includes:
- Sunday, Nov. 10, Research Forum --a make-believe look at the corporate PR world with executives playing roles in a fictional corporation, 12:30-3:30 p.m.;
- Sunday, Nov. 10, General Session with Dr. Lynne V. Cheney, author of "Telling the Truth," 4-5:50 p.m.;
- Monday, Nov. 11, General Session with Francis Fukuyama, senior social scientist, Rand Corp., and author of "Trust: The Social Virtues & The Creation of Prosperity," 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.;
- Monday, Nov. 11, Annual awards luncheon, PRSA salutes winners of the 1996 individual awards, 1:15-2:30 p.m.;
- Monday, Nov. 11, and Tuesday, Nov. 12:
- Tools and Techniques workshops, including building credibility, surveying the public, creating electronic newsletters and effective urban communications;
- Managing the Public Relations Function, including expanding PR effectivenss, labor/employee relations and employee communications;
- The Big Picture, working with your CEO;
- The Bigger Picture, focusing on changes in culture and the corporate world;
- Special Interest, including global issue topics and a probe into ethics.