Surprising job titles reflect changing times in PR and communications

Posted At : June 30, 2010 3:00 PM | Posted By : Andy Beaupre
Related Categories: PR,Social Media,Marketing,Public Relations,Commentary

For decades, the same titles were used for public relations and communications professionals in companies, agencies and organizations. These included Director, Marketing Communications; Manager, Public Relations; Account Executive; Vice President, Corporate Communications; Director, Community Relations; Publicist; Director, Government Relations; Account Director.

As our industry speedily reshapes itself – driven by historic grassroots empowerment, two-way conversations and brand building communities – so are the titles reflecting the jobs we do and responsibilities we bear.

Consider, for example, some of the current PR & communications job openings:

Manager, Cyclical Communications (Target)
Director, Global Partner Communications & Engagement (Starbucks)
Director of Innovation (Netflix)
Director of North American Positioning (Novozymes)
Web Evangelist (Microsoft)
Chief Content Officer (PBS)
Social Media Manager (Milestone Internet Marketing)
Manager, Green Marketing & Wellness (confidential search)
Competitive Intelligence and Social Media Strategist (EMC)
Online content & Communications Manager (Penny Saver/Harte Hanks Shoppers)
Senior Director, Internet Communications and Marketing (Save The Children)
Director Corporate Responsibility (Delhaize America)

While the classic job titles will stick around, there’s an emerging trend where companies, organizations and agencies are deliberately re-casting roles and responsibilities. How are the new titles different from the old? We see five transformations unfolding:

Some communications and PR titles are moving away from general functional descriptions (“communications,” “community relations,” etc.), shifting toward a more emotive position (innovation; evangelist, strategist, responsibility).
New titles are embracing online community and consistent two-way communication (engagement, social media, cyclical communications).
They mirror major societal changes (green marketing; web; wellness).
Some of the new titles are trending big picture (positioning; global partner, competitive intelligence).
Authentic, compelling & engaging content creation is central to branding success (the emergence of the Chief Content Officer).

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5 reasons why "polymath" people & E2.0 technology are fueling a PR renaissance

Posted At : June 18, 2010 3:33 PM | Posted By : Andy Beaupre
Related Categories: PR,Technology,Social Media,Public Relations,Strategy

Wednesday I experienced a cool one-two punch: Enterprise 2.0 & Vinnie Mirchandani.

If you’re not familiar with Enterprise 2.0 (E2.0) it’s an annual event focused on online collaboration/ social media tools that engage and transform people at work. (Full disclosure: one of our clients, NewsGator, is a leader in this industry).

If you’re not familiar with Vinnie Mirchandani, he’s a former Gartner analyst, active blogger and author of “The New Polymath.”

What’s a “polymath?” It’s the Greek word for Renaissance Man (Vinnie needs to integrate an equivalent word for women). From DaVinci to Franklin, polymaths innovated the problems of the day; as Vinnie said, “they are good at many things.”

Vinnie was presenting at E2.0 because it’s a place where technology polymaths and polymath organizations hang out. Smart companies understand how a unified, communicative workforce outmaneuvers a fragmented one. Instead of keeping employees in the dark, or relying on outdated technologies like email to communicate, they’re embracing tools that foster meaningful collaboration.

Vinnie said the characteristics of E2.0 organizations are these:

Ambitious community from day one – aiming for “enterprise” not a single tech category
People, more than machine, centric
Early adopter of social networks
Well connected around globe
Ethical – advocates for transparency
Media/PR savvy

He believes “polymathing” (if I can turn it into a verb) is the key to innov The New Polymath by Vinnie Mirchandani

ation because it encourages curiosity and “an openness to accept ideas from left field.” It also triggers the “building of widely-rounded enterprises” that are more adept at discovering new markets and technologies. Polymath thinking is helping our world tackle and resolve the “grand challenges” of our day.

Vinnie believes the world of E2.0 is creating a need for more “black swan” public relations as crises reveal themselves instantly and spread more virally than ever before. “Look no further than BP and Toyota,” he said, “it could happen to any of you.”

For communications professionals, branding gurus and PR experts, there are five takeaways:

5. Good communications starts internally, not externally. Engage and empower your employees first – start there. Adopting new enterprise 2.0 technologies will help.

4. The functions of communications/branding/PR no longer reside within the confines of a “department.” These walls are breaking down and should keep breaking down.

3. Communications 2.0 must be holistic, embracing the entire organization and all stakeholders. Communication experts can strategize, monitor and help shape, but “non-communication experts” will positively contribute to brand enhancement when properly engaged.

2. Transparency remains a vital idea, not a cliché. Top-down autocracy is dead. Two-way communication triggers curiosity and fresh ideas.

1. Public relations is in an ideal position to catalyze this historic change. Remember what Vinnie said: the world of enterprise 2.0 is defined by organizations that are “people-centric,” “globally well-connected,” “advocates for transparency” and “media/PR savvy.” That’s us, right?

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