For too long the PR industry has been working under the shadow cast by Ab Fab.  People are still under the illusion that what we do is ‘fluffy’ and that we sit about guzzling champagne, take long lunches and air kiss one another.

Even now, when I meet new people I feel the urge to justify what I do… it isn’t spin!  What we do is serious! … Ah but she protests too much.

OK, I’ll admit I like the odd glass of champagne and wouldn’t turn down a long lunch – but if this ever was what our industry was about, then this was long gone before I got into it.

Last week, PR took centre stage in Marketing Week as they assessed the damage the oil disaster had caused to BP’s reputation following the way the issue has been handled through media relations. Editor Mark Choueke made the crucial point that “PR’s not just spin, it’s brand management”.

Whilst I still take offence at the word ‘spin’ because of all the connotations it creates, he is right. I felt compelled to respond to the article, because I genuinely think now is the time for PR to get the recognition it deserves for its contribution to a business’s strategy and success.

Whilst I don’t believe social media is the be-all and end-all, it has changed the goal posts and is a vital tool in a PR’s arsenal.  It has brought the role of PR and customer relations far closer together – and for any business the customer has to be at the centre of its strategy. In my own experience, businesses that embrace PR and involve us in planning from the start, end up with a far more robust, integrated strategy.

And when the proverbial does hit the fan (and it does!), where a CEO has come to respect what we PR’s do, they are far more likely to seek guidance and follow advice than jump right in without thinking about that strategy first.

Now, I’m off for a glass of champagne over a long lunch.