For the fourth year in a row, public relations
practitioners, students, and industry thought leaders will gather on July 16,
2024, to celebrate, share knowledge and address critical issues facing the PR
and communication landscape for the highly acclaimed global event, World PR Day
(WPRD).
WPRD, an annual event, was instituted in 2020 for
practitioners to celebrate and take pride in the role they play in shaping and
building brands through strategic communications. For its past three editions,
it has also provided a platform for professionals to set standards for the
practice, create a unified agenda, and continue to help brands, companies, and
governments understand the crucial role the industry plays in shaping
businesses.
Speaking about this year’s edition, themed “The Future Of
Public Relations In A Changing World,” Ayeni Adekunle, Convener of World PR
Day, said that activities will be held across the globe with the ai” of
furthering the message of not only what PR practitioners do, their
contributions to the growth and success of businesses, and also help
professionals understand the trajectory the industry is taking a rapidly
changing world.
“In line with our commitment to celebrating the pivotal role
of PR practitioners, this year’s edition promises a global showcase of our
industry’s invaluable contributions to business, institutions, and
international growth and success,” he said.
“World PR Day 2024 will offer practitioners the opportunity
to have the much-needed conversation regarding the future of our industry –
asking and answering questions like: what needs to be done to stay abreast of
the dynamic changes the world is witnessing? What role can practitioners, as
communicators, play in a world faced with multiple wars and where brands
indulge in unhealthy competitions?”
There has been, for years, a misconception by the general
public regarding what PR professionals do. While some view their role as
ambiguous, others do not trust public relations practitioners as a report by PR
Week showed. Even more extreme are public views that see the industry as one
contracted by brands to ‘deceive.’ Another study by PR Week reviewed that 92
percent of surveyed 1,500 Britons believe that brands and organisations use PR
to “hide the truth and cover up mistakes.”
Within the industry, maintaining ethical and professional
practices remains the major concern of practitioners. As a 2022-2023 Africa PR
& Communications Report review found, 20.1 percent of the over 3,000
participants surveyed expressed this concern. Talent drought remains another
major problem that needs to be addressed. A staggering 74.8 percent of
practitioners living across 29 African countries say there is a drastic drop in
talent in their countries. This, understandably, has resulted in over 80 percent
of professionals admitting to being overworked.
Addressing these challenges, from public perception of the
industry to earning trust – emphasising that transparency and integrity are
hallmarks of public relations – tackling industry issues (underpayment, talent
drought, and overwork), remains the core objectives and driving force of WPRD.
Since its debut in 2021, WPRD has witnessed commendable growth as professionals continue to queue into this initiative of building an inclusive and trusted industry where practitioners take absolute pride in the work they do. While 3,500 practitioners participated in the first edition of WPRD, the second edition in 2022, themed ‘Trust, Truth, and Transparency’, saw participation grow to 10,000. Stakeholders like GLG Communications, Global Media Alliance Forum, and the Public Relations Council of India held conferences, fireside chats, virtual and physical events, summits, and festivals to amplify the need for gaining trust, standing for the truth, and maintaining transparency in the practice.
Enitan Kehinde, Lead Coordinator, World PR Day, described
the annual event as crucial, particularly in a world where there’s not only a
growing need for well-tailored brand messages to stand out among competitors
but also a need to show what PR professionals do.
“Against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive
landscape, the significance of this annual event cannot be overstated. It
serves as a vital platform to showcase the indispensable role of PR
professionals in crafting distinct brand narratives that resonate amidst fierce
market dynamics,” she said.
The 2023 edition of WPRD, with its global reach of 60
million across 20 physical and 25 virtual events in over 60 countries, garnered
recognition at the 2023 Provoke EMEA SABRE awards. This achievement underscores
WPRD’s ongoing success in promoting the public relations industry.