PR Futurist | Stuart Bruce | Purposeful Relations - 🚀 PR Futurist #54 | Living 3D printed ears and the World Economic Forum risk report

Welcome

Still time to win a pass to the PRovoke global summit

Welcome to our latest issue where we cover everything from live 3D printed ears to the FT abandoning Mastodon as onerous digital legislation makes it too hard.

But first we want to let you know that the CIPR is the latest professional body to back our global survey into how PR and communications professionals think about and use technology. There's still time for you to complete it and be entered into a draw to win a pass to the PRovoke global summit. Do the survey here.

We've also got links to the 21 case studies in the PRovoke Media round-up of the 21 biggest crises of 2022 and Stuart offers his opinion about the PR Twitterati taking potshots at Edelman for its annual Trust Barometer. As if that's not enough there's advice on climate change comms and the FT finding that legislation governing social media is just too difficult even for a company that big.

News

CIPR backs our global research into use of technology in PR and comms

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the latest to back our global survey looking at how the PR and communications profession thinks about and uses technology in our work. Everyone who completes the survey can enter a draw to win a pass to the PRovoke global summit. Do the survey here.

The research partners also include PRovoke Media, ICCO (International Communication Consultants Organisation) and the WCFA (World Communication Forum Association). The research is supported by Stickybeak which is running the survey on its chatbot research platform, as well as communication technology companies NewsWhip, PressPage and PRophet.

Karen Marshall

Woman receives the world's first-ever successful transplant of a living, 3D-printed ear

Apart from thinking it's amazing you're wondering what a living 3D printed ear has to do with public relations and communications. It's simply a great example of the possibilities and opportunities available to us. 3-D printing could have multiple uses such as creating mock-ups or props to use at events or as innovative physical invitations? Instead of a boring 2D graph or whizzy interactive graph, why not print a model of the graph as a desk ornament? The world is your oyster (thanks to DALL-E for the AI-generated image).

Stuart Bruce

Corporate affairs

World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2023 is out

Every year the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report is a must read for public relations and corporate affairs professionals. It explores some of the most severe risks we may face over the next decade that include energy supply and food crisis, rising inflation, cyber-attacks, failure to meet net-zero targets, weaponisation of economic policy, and weakening of human rights.

Stuart Bruce

Get in touch

Want to chat?

We're always ready to hear from you if you want a quick informal chat about how we might be able to help you with measurement and evaluation, comms technology, professional development or crisis comms.

This week's stories include some related to our partners. PRovoke Media is a partner in our global comms survey and David Brain is a co-founder of Stickybeak which is the research platform we're using for the survey.

Crisis communication

PRovoke Media's annual Crisis Review of 2022 is out

I use PRovoke Media's annual Crisis Review series in my crisis communications planning and risk issues training courses. It's the most comprehensive set of recent case studies available and the analysis is often by people I know, respect and have worked with.

This is the third in the series (which links to the first two) and details crises at Deutsche Bank's asset management arm DWS, mining giant Anglo-American De Beers, Dubai-owned P&O Ferries, Indian fintech company BharatPe, fashion ecommerce platform Zilingo, fashion brand Balenciaga, and Hong Kong mass transit railway (MTR).

Rod Cartwright's analysis of the P&O Ferries debacle references my blog post, which was my most read post of 2022 and led to media interviews including the BBC.

Part one inevitably starts with Twitter, Tesla and Elon Musk. Not surprisingly it's a long read just on its own. The others are FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Disney vs DeSantis, Starbucks vs unionisation, Taylor Swift and Ticketmaster, crypto company FTX, and Scottish beer brand Brewdog.

Part two covers Nestlé’s Buitoni brand, Adidas and Kanye West, Southwest Airlines' mass cancellations, Credit Suisse's cocaine problem, Wells Fargo, chocolate brand Ferrero, and electronics manufacturer Foxconn (no stranger to controversy as I worked on a crisis involving it in the late 00s).

Stuart Bruce

AI, digital and social

The FT struggles with the complex legislation of running a social media site

If the mighty FT struggles with the challenges of complexity of the legislation governing social media sites then what hope do the rest of us have? The FT's Alphaville newsletter has given up on its attempts to run a Mastodon server.

It highlights an issue I've raised directly with senior politicians such as Rachel Reeves, Labour's shadow chancellor and Jonathan Reynolds, its shadow business secretary. Most politicians don't understand enough about how technology works to be able to adequately create policies that lead to sound legislation. They are trapped between the public (voters) who have some legitimate and some ill-founded concerns about big tech and the gigantic lobbying machines of big tech. The danger is that legislation attempts to satisfy the needs of these two groups and that innovative start-ups are frozen out so consumers and businesses never experience the benefits they could bring.

Stuart Bruce

Research and reports

Edelman Trust Barometer 2023 upsets the PR Twitterati

I haven't written a long analysis of this year's Edelman Trust Barometer as several others have beaten me to it. I have instead written an article expressing my disappointment that some in the PR industry have promoted criticism of the report rather than seeking to defend in it on behalf of the PR profession.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

Stuart Bruce

Trust, schadenfreude and the PR industry

My blog post was inspired by this article by senior Edelman alumnus David Brain. I started to write this short nib and realised it had become an article. It's well worth taking a minute to see what David has to say.

Stuart Bruce

The Guardian questions Edelman's claim to be an expert on trust

David's article and my blog were both triggered by some in the PR industry sharing this Guardian story, often without critiquing or criticising it.

Stuart Bruce

Professional practice

IPRA publishes guidance on climate change comms

The International Public Relations Association (PRA) has published some useful guidance about communications regarding climate change. It's in the context of IPRA's code of conduct, but the advice is sound for most climate related comms as it's such things as "ensuring honesty in climate-related communications" and "translating the science into communication that can be understood in the public arena".

Tim Bailey

Interview with new CIPR president Steve Shepperson-Smith

Steve Shepperson-Smith is a senior PR and communications leader at Vodafone and the CIPR president for 2023. In this interview he reveals a little about his approach he'll take in the CIPR's 75th year to highlight its importance in championing ethical, professional public relations.

I've known Steve for many years and served with him on a previous CIPR board. It's brilliant to have a senior PR professional from the private sector take on the role of president.

Stuart Bruce