The landscape is fast-changing, conferring advantages to Public Relations as the preferred platform for companies seeking to grow their goodwill, build stronger brands, and create a sustainable enterprise.

1. PR in a
Changing
Landscape
By Bolaji Okusaga

2. 1. Opening the Door to a New World

3. Emerging Context
• Emerging G-Zero World
• The move to break down economic and political
blocs given threats of migration and terrorism
• Manifestation of this move is seen in the success
of the Brexit campaign and threats to other
regional economic and political blocs
• This will fundamentally alter global trade flows
and disrupt trans-national business
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution
• The birth of internet of things, connected cars,
autonomous driving, next generation
manufacturing, robotics and automation
• This will ultimately reduce layers of stakeholder
relationships given the crossing of boundaries
that will come with artificial intelligence

4. Opportunities
Creating Awareness
• Cultivation of the
environment
1
Cultivating the Tribe
• Building Cause
Communities
2
Curating rather than
Imposing
• Continuously Engaging
and Refining the
Message
3

5. What PR Sets Out to Achieve
Elicit support
from Market
• Capture new
opportunities
Engender
goodwill
• Drive partnerships
Earn the
respect of
Business
Community
• Articulate
Proposition and
build Following
Display
Innovation
• Increase visibility
through Media and
Cross Industry
engagements
WIN MIND AND MARKET SHARE
AID CAUSE AND BUSINESS AND SUCCESS

6. The Changing Media Landscape
The Internet
The invention of the computer, internet
and mobile telephone has changed our
world and the way we communicate.
Setting a Basis for Interactive
Communication
Today, the changing media landscape
offers an opportunity to change media
selections and also offers an opportunity
for the co-creation of value between
businesses and their Consumers.

7. From Mass Media to YOU Media
The Creation of a World-wide Web
• With the coming of the world-wide-web and with it the e-mail, blogs, pods and chats as
well as mobile-telecommunications offering a platform for verbal exchange, music and
picture downloads as well as multi-media and text messaging, the world has changed.
Media Fragmentation
• In this era of media fragmentation, the power of the Consumer springs from his/her ablity
to make a choice in terms of media selection as different from the old net-works which
tended to box the Consumer in.
The Era of Mass Customisation
• To sway the Consumer therefore, you must listen to the things that informs his/her
choices and customise your communication platform and the content of your media
messages to suit the demographics and psychograpics of the Consumer.

8. The Death of One Message Fits All
As the world evolves,
so do the differences
in demographics and
psychographics
become deeper.
DIFFERENCES
However, in this era of
media fragmentation,
the Consumer has not
only found his/her
voice but now leads
the communication
trends.
DIVERSITY
Consumers now tell
the brand story
themselves as
opposed to the
traditional way of
thinking for the
Consumer - data now
dominates decision.
DATA-DRIVEN

9. New Media Platforms and the Consumer
ENTRANCE
• The migration of
communication and marketing
to the internet via virtual
communities and e-commerce
platforms and a host of other
professional, cultural, lifestyle
and marketing centres which
deployed the internet.
EMPOWERMENT
• The empowerment of the
consumer as he/she now had
media and message options.
ENABLEMENT
• Unlike the old model where
the consumer had to
frantically search and pay for
information, the internet
availed a quick and free or
affordable access to cultural,
professional, lifestyle and
marketing information.

10. 2. Addressing the Credibility Question

11. The Credibility Question
11
Public Relations serves not only to
create awareness, unlike
advertising, it helps to confer
credibility
The power of public relations is
built through frequency and
consistency, as each mention in
the press heightens the visibility
of the Organisation, brand or
person, adding another layer of
credibility.
This credibility in turn creates a
desire among viewers and
listeners to pay attention to the
subject.
Public Relation creates a platform
for trust through third party
endorsements

12. Sound-bites and Proof-points
• In the process of conferring credibility PR
follows a systemic process which involves the
use of key words, attributes and sound-bites
with proof-points which helps to affirm the
truths of the messages.
• PR therefore differs from advertising as it aims
not only to sell the strong sides but the strong
truths which builds credibility and trust.
• These truths are affirmed through verifiable
platforms and third-parties
12

13. The Power
Word of
Mouth
• 1. The Ndomie Noodle Crisis
• Spread of information through WOM on
the presence of poisonous noodles in
the market
• The Result
• Threats of closure of factory by
regulatory bodies, withdrawal of certain
batches of product from market, Sales
problems,
• 2. The P&G old logo and its Association
with the Anti-Christ
• Association of the old logo of P&G with
the anti-Christ through WOM
• The Result
• Bad PR affecting sales and forcing a
change of corporate logo
13

14. The Power of
the Press
• 1. The Toronto Certificate Scandal
• In 1999 the News magazine ran a story
bordering on the allegation of certificate
forgery by the then speaker Salisu Buhari
• The Result
• Shame and resignation from the House
of Representative
• 2. The Eliot Spitzer Prostitution Scandal
• The press carried the news of Governor
Spitzer’s adulterous affair with a
prostitute
• The Result
• Global notoriety with millions visiting the
profile page of the prostitute on
Myspace
14

15. The Power of
Endorsements
• THE OBAMA SYNDROME
• Barak Obama‘s endorsement by Oprah
Winfrey and Senator Bob Kennedy
• Result
• Instant acceptance by Key
constituencies for the Obama
candidature in the build-up to the 2008
American Presidential Election
• THE MANDELA MAGIC
• Mandela’s endorsement of South
Africa’s bid for the 2010 world cup
• Result
• The winning of the bid by South Africa,
making history as the first African
Nation to ever win a world cup bid
15

16. 3. Moulding Perception in an Open World

17. 17
C Universe
Public
Core Target
The New Context – PR to the Rescue…
Positioning Image
Issues
Crisis
Campaigns and Engagements Trials
Moment of Truth
Target
Performance
Sales

18. Public Opinion: The Actors
•The media
•The Entity
Public opinion
•The
public

19. Elements of Public Opinion
Public
Opinion
Beliefs
Values
Norms
Knowledge
Public Opinion is
usually an effect of media
coverage:
1. Influence the decoding
by audiences: the
setting of media
agendas and framing
2. Influence audience
decoding via effect on
knowledge, attitudes,
and practices.

20. Recreating the Narrative – PR Now the Hero
Personal Experience and Interpersonal Communication
Real World Indicators of the Importance of an Agenda, Issue or Event

21. Thank you.