Top >> Opinion__Comment Opinion: Two Key Issues for Public Relations this year Published February - March 2007 By Grant Common Editor Grant has 30 years direct experience in public relations and communication in Australia and New Zealand - as well as directing and managing programs in the UK and USA. He has consulted to Governments, publicly listed companies, industry bodies, marketing organisations, multinationals and not-for-profit organisations. He is Managing Director of Sydney-based Network PR and as a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (having completed the Company Directors Diploma examination) he is also one of the few PR practitioners to have the perspective of the company director. Welcome to the first issue of PR Influences for 2007  This issue is different for two reasons.  First, we have included almost twice as many articles as usual.  Second, we have chosen to run a series of articles under two main subject headings - ‘The Rise of the Internet’ and ‘Trends in Managing the PR Function’. We have chosen these two subject headings because heading into 2007 we believe that these are the priorities internal managers of communication/pr and the corporate and marketing departments that use pr - where most of our readers fall - face.  ‘The Rise of the Internet’ and its likely impact surely must be self evident for anyone involved in communication - it is simply getting too big to be ignored.  Communication/pr managers and those using pr services have to start addressing what role it should be playing for them during 2007.  In one article we give an overview of internet growth here in Australia, compare it with overseas and detail five ideas transforming media.  We examine why corporate blogging is not taking off as it should.  We also focus on how the humble press release, which has just celebrated its 100th anniversary, fits into today’s media world. Finally, we provide an insight into why search engines have to be regarded as important as traditional media and the techniques used to get found in natural search on Google and other search engines. In our section ‘Trends in Managing the PR Function’ we seek to bring insights that will help pr become more valuable for organisations.  A key source has been the release of a major US survey of in-house pr professionals.  From this we focus on what measurement of pr management is looking for and provide an insight into the hiring of pr agencies. If you want to know how to get better access - and respect - in the C-Suite we provide some tips, as well as reporting on an Australian survey which reveals the working and reporting preferences of local communicators. As usual this edition of PR Influences also contains a brief overview of the good and the bad in recent pr efforts internationally.  And if you feel you need to do some more reading on aspects of communications and pr early in 2007 we suggest three new books. As we move into 2007 we are also mindful of our need to refine and improve PR Influences so it is meeting the needs of our readers.  So if you would take 15 minutes to fill in our questionnaire it would be greatly appreciated and you will go in the draw to win a fabulous prize. Finally as we move into our sixth year of publication thanks and acknowledgement must go to Network PR which supports and funds PR Influences.  What started as a small irregular newsletter has blossomed into a much bigger beast and has seen Network PR assuming a role as a key thought-leader in the Australian pr industry. Best wishes for a successful 2007. And enjoy this bumper issue of PR Influences.

PR Influences:Opinion: Two Key Areas for PR in 2007 published by Sydney based innovative pr agency focusing on business and technolgy pr