PR Futurist | Stuart Bruce | Purposeful Relations - 🚀 PR Futurist # 68 | 👀Do you see the optical illusion? | 🧑‍💼Is suited and booted outdated? | 👎The rise of the super distruster

Welcome

Do it!

Have you seen the generative AI images on social media showing how it can be used to create optical illusions? Squint or move away from the picture above to reveal a hidden message. 👀 DO IT!

In this issue we also look at a new AI report from the CIPR (which builds on our Global CommTech Report), research reveals a third of people are Super Distrusters, how the UK Civil Service is encouraging innovation, and Microsoft has finally announced launch dates for its AI Copilot.

We also make no apologies for this being another AI focused issue. Don't worry if you don't have time to read the tsunami of reports, research and guidance on AI as we do that for you and let our clients know what's important for them. We use AI to help us do this, but the expert advice and counsel is all us!

Because things are changing so quickly, we've also opened up bookings for our AI for comms and corporate affairs masterclasses and workshops. Why not get in early before all the slots get taken?

We don't know the original source of the picture as lots of people have shared it. This one comes via Brian Solis on XTwitter.

News

Book your AI for Comms keynote or masterclass

We're getting so much interest in our AI for comms and corporate affairs keynotes and masterclasses that we've launched a dedicated website to make it easier to book.

Karen Marshall

US Senate dress code finally enters the 21st century

One of the last bastions of stuffy, formal dress codes is politics. But even this is starting to fall as the US Senate is no longer enforcing its antiquated rules.

That said they were never 'formal' rules, just ridiculous conventions which for decades have forced members to wear 'business attire'.

Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, will no longer enforce the informal dress code for the chamber. The photo of Chuck Schumer illustrates why he thought change was necessary.

The House of Commons in the UK still has a long way to go to catch-up. It has at least now conceded ties aren't essential, but it still persists with the farce of men wearing jackets.

If you read PR Futurist regularly you'll know we're not afraid to offer opinions. I've written this piece firmly from the perspective of someone who thinks dress codes are discriminatory and therefore dangerous. I'd love to know what you think?

Stuart Bruce

Is Labour a government in waiting?

This year's Labour Party conference is attracting unprecedented interest from businesses, charities and other organisations. The business forum on Monday 9 October sold out within 48 hours. The exhibition zone has had to be expanded three times to accommodate the number of companies and organisations that want to exhibit.

I'll be there for the full conference - from Sunday 8 October to Wednesday 11 October. If you're there and want to catch-up, or you can't attend and you want me and the team to monitor issues most relevant to you, or a post conference briefing then let me know.

Stuart Bruce

AI

Humans Needed More Than Ever - new AI in PR report from the CIPR

The CIPR has published a new report on AI for communications and public relations. Humans Needed More Than Ever is written by Professor Emeritus Anne Gregory (a member of Purposeful Relations' Global Advisory Board), Jean Valin and Dr Swati Virmani.

It is a comprehensive survey of the impact of AI on PR, offering a view on how public relations jobs will change, from a survey of current practitioners. The authors also argue for the central role in PR safeguarding the organisations reputation when managing the seismic changes AI is bringing.

To produce the report the CIPR and authors first partnered with Purposeful Relations and other professional and trade bodies on our Global ComTech Report. A summary of the report is included on page 11 of Humans Needed More Than Ever.

Stuart has published a summary on his PR Futurist blog.

Stuart Bruce

How should communicators use AI?

Simon Baugh, the chief executive of the UK's Government Communication Service, has been a busy bee. As well as sharing his thoughts on innovation in government communications he has also shared a thought-provoking speech on how communicators should use AI.

Stuart Bruce

AI in PR and comms - free book from Quadriga University

Quadriga University of Applied Sciences in Berlin publishes lots of important papers on public relations and communications. It's latest, edited by Ana Adi, professor of public relations and corporate communications.

Artificial Intelligence in Public Relations and Communications: cases, reflections and predictions offers a valuable international perspective. It has contributions from several people I've worked with, know and respect including Thomas Stoeckle, Antony Cousins and Hemant Gaule.

I've contributed to previous publications from Quadriga University.

This link opens the PDF of the report.

Stuart Bruce

Ethics at the heart of PR's AI adoption

Nitin Mantri, past president of ICCO and group CEO of AvianWE makes a persuasive case why it's essential PR professionals embrace AI. Not because it's the future, but because it's right here right now.

He states that the adoption of AI must have ethics at its heart. That's why when we start working with AI clients the first stage is always an audit to identify opportunities for the client, a risk assessment and creating custom governance to ensure it is done ethically and effectively.

Tim Bailey

DALL·E 3 aims to make nuanced prompts easier

As users of DALL·E since it launched, we know how challenging it is to create effective prompts that generate the image you actually want. A simple prompt will rarely give you a good enough image. This is true of all generative AI systems which is why people dismiss them as not being good enough. In fact, it's often because they don't know how to create an effective prompt.

OpenAI claims that DALL·E 3 understands significantly more nuance and detail than previous systems, allowing you to easily translate your ideas into exceptionally accurate images. We will be experimenting and learning and as always, we will share our finding with our clients.

Tim Bailey

LinkedIn improves engagement signals to create better personalised feeds

Knowing how to get your content in front of people on LinkedIn is something we train our clients to do and it looks as though we will again be rewriting our slide deck. LinkedIn will be looking at ‘wider signals’— more of the actions that one takes while on LinkedIn—to show you posts from less people and less topics than previously.

The thought is that your feed will be filled with people and topics you are more likely to interact with—these being your main interests. If this is all a little too narrow for you and you visit LinkedIn for the occasionally random items in your feed, interact with more hashtags and new content should start to appear.

Tim Bailey

Get in touch

AI, innovation and understanding the future

In a world of Super Distrusters, where change comes at you real quick, it helps to have a guide. Purposeful Relations offers consulting, training and mentoring for PR and communications teams and leaders - in-house and agency.

We work with you to:

Design a pathway through emergent AI.
Create bespoke measurement and evaluation frameworks that work for your company or organisation.
Guide you through the thousands of software services. aimed at communications organisatons, helping you find the right fit.

Contact us for a friendly chat.

CommTech newswatch

Microsoft Copilot finally launches

It's less than a year since ChatGPT launched and AI shot to the top of the agenda. However, the real gamechanger for many companies is when AI becomes an integral part of their daily workflows.

Microsoft Copilot is how this will happen in many companies. Microsoft has finally announced the launch dates:

Starting 26 September Copilot will begin to roll out as a free update to Windows 11. It will add 150+ new AI features including Paint, Photos and Clipchamp (video editing).
Starting 1 November Copilot will be available in Microsoft 365.

That's the good news. The bad news is that Microsoft 365 Copilot will initially only be for enterprise customers. This means our largest corporate clients will be able to start using it, but most of our smaller business and PR agency clients won't.

I suspect this will slow adoption for a couple of reasons. First, the cost of adding lots of new Copilot licences for enterprise will be significant. This means adoption will need to be planned into new budgets. The second is that enterprises are necessarily slower to innovate as it's much harder for them.

This is an exciting time and the way we use technology is changing forever. PR and comms is often slow to change. It can't afford not to.

Stuart Bruce

Research and reports

One third of people are Super Distrusters

An engaging report on the rise of Super Distrusters, people who distrust the actions and motivations of 'Elites'. They believe that Britain’s institutions are corrupted, and the country is on the wrong track.

That these feelings exist is not surprising to anyone who follows the news, but the identification of a third of the population falling into this category offers explicit communications challenges.

The report emphasises that Super Distrusters are not extremists. They are people who have seen lots of negative change recently and need clearly convincing of benefits of further 'Elite' led (government, for example) change in their lives.

Tim Bailey

New CIPR research finds nearly half of the UK’s corporate giants fail to recognise the risk of reputational damage

Almost half of FTSE 100 boards and executive leadership teams don't have a director of communications, corporate affairs, public relations or similar position. The analysis by the CIPR found that:

Only three FTSE 100 companies have a dedicated communications expert on their board of directors.
Just 56 companies have a communications figure on their executive leadership team (ELT) or management committees.

Personally, I'm not concerned about the lack of representation on boards as there are powerful arguments for and against. However, if there isn't a communications or PR professional on the board it is essential, they are on the ELTs.

This contrasts with human resources where 84 of the FTSE 100 have a dedicated person on their ELTs.

The problem isn't just that ELTs and boards lack professional expertise in reputation and relationship management. It's also that the PR or corporate affairs function has a 360 degrees view of an organisation. Reputations and relationships impact every aspect of a company including operations, production, sales, human resources, legal, finance, and more. None of the other functions can operate adequately without expert counsel on the reputational and relationship implications of their decisions and actions.

Stuart Bruce

Professional practice

Seven ways to make the Civil Service more innovative

Simon Baugh, chief executive of the Government Communications Service has shared a seven-point plan for encouraging innovation in government communications. The public sector in general can be averse to trying new ideas for many reasons, not least that budgets are hard won and better to repeat something that has already been seen to work over something new that might fail.

The refocusing of 10% of the communications budget on innovation is to be welcomed and we will be watching what comes of this initiative with interest. We already recommend and use GCS resources and Stuart has delivered courses on behalf of the UK Cabinet Office and GCS to clients such as the Ukrainian government.

Tim Bailey