So about a month ago we had a guest speaker in class, Judy Emerson. She is the Director of Communication at Rosecrance. The conversation she had with the class was more relatable than I first thought it would be. Being that she is in the health field, I kinda thought that this would not be relavant to my Theatre Management and Promotions major; however, she reiterated some of the same things my own professors talk to me about in my theatre classes.
Her main focus was on being a good writer and having consistency in the message you are sending out about your brand. This information is true within every professional field. I think that some colleges are losing the importance of proficient writing skills. Yes Twitter and Facebook and blogging are an important aspect to the ever changing public relations field, yet it still comes down to the basics. If a young professional cannot get their point across in a business professional way, then they will not be given a second look.
Same is true with consistency. Ms Emerson provided some promotional materials that she and Rosecrance hand out to individuals and companies inquiring about the organization. She stressed the importance of having all the materials look like they are from the same "family", meaning the same color story, same fonts, similar artistic appeal, the logo should be present in the same manner. I am told the same things in my graphic design and advertising classes. Although it is important to be innovative and try some new design ideas, it is more important to have the public know and recognize your brand when they see promotional material about it. Consistency is key.
Lastly, Ms Emerson communicated the importance of having public relations within an organization Even if that means that this job is divided among three people who run a non profit, or maybe the organization has their own public relations department, either way PR is essential to communicate effectively with your clients and community. I learned that it doesn't matter what the profession is, the public relations is still a necessity
Here is a short video about the importance of PR
