Marketing

AS communicators, we have seen how over the past several years, influencers have been well, influencing the way we think, the way we decide, and the way we shop.

AT a time when there is so much competition for the reader’s —and editor’s attention, it is important that your writing be, as Minda Zetlin says in an Inc.com article, to be “lively, persuasive, and compelling, and impossible to ignore.”

There is no age limit to discovering new things, to learning new skills, to reinventing yourself. National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab taught me this recently when he opened his first art exhibition last month. Yes, that’s right. The Maestro also paints, and he does a mean job of it.

Our book “PR Matters: A Communicator’s Guide to the Dynamic World of Public Relations” which was launched during PR Month in September, still continues to enjoy brisk sales until this month of October which was also declared as the month of Communications.

IT’S been almost a month since the launch of the book “IPRA Matters,” a compendium of 70 selected columns written by members of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), myself included, which were printed in the BusinessMirror.

Most PR pros today are tasked to include the community efforts of the companies they work for in their communications mix.

It was heartwarming to see the support for PR Matters from PR and communication colleagues, media, guests and friends at the book launch on September 27, 2023 that also became a warm mini-reunion for attendees.

Public relations, media and communicator leaders from various industries packed the venue of the book launch of PR Matters of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Philippines on September 27, 2023, Wednesday at S Maison, Pasay City.

SURPASSING the 30-year milestone is an  achievement not many companies are privileged to reach. This year, as FuentesManila once again celebrates being a thirty-something Public Relations (PR) agency, we raise a toast not just to over three decades of working with hundreds of amazing clients, brands, and people; we also express gratitude for being on the front row, to witness and be amazed by how this industry of ours has evolved over the years.

SEEMS there is no stopping Taylor Swift! She is making musical and cultural history as she outdoes herself—with 50 million albums sold and over 23 billion views on YouTube.

WE are always busy, aren’t we? Is anyone in public relations ever not busy? As things are, it is difficult to even find time to sleep, let alone do anything else. But it’s those other things outside of work—those things we call hobbies—that may spell the difference between burnout and productivity in the workplace.

NOW that events and promotions are back, there are many more opportunities for PR Pros to tap into their creativity.  It is not surprising to find ourselves attending more brainstorming sessions. And its everyone’s chance to learn and yes, shine.

THEY say perception is often shaped by our reality. With that premise, we would usually hear a lot of misconceptions on certain fields.

WE all know about it —posts about our daily adventures and feelings. We do it, celebrities do it. We’ve all been guilty at one point or another. When over the top, these can venture into the TMI (too much information) territory and make others silently cringe.

FOR the past weeks. Barbie starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken has ruled movieverse. The Greta Gerwig film has now generated $351.4 million in North American ticket sales; with $423 million abroad.

Last May, the World Health Organization officially declared that the global health emergency was over, followed this month by the Philippine government’s own advisory on the same status. However, even before such official announcements were made, I had observed many people going about their business in public—without face masks. Although the use of face masks is no longer mandatory, I believe that as we continue to watch our health, wearing face masks is one practice we must retain along with other fine habits that the three-year health crisis compelled us to adopt.

PUBLIC relations, marketing, advertising—we are all in the business of “optics,” aren’t we?

SEVERAL weeks ago, my dear IPRA colleague Joy Buensalido wrote two very thought-provoking columns on the onset of AI and how this would affect our lives.

IT hogged the headlines and television newscasts—and set social media on fire—this past week. With scores of netizens joining the fray, and Cebu City’s local executives rushing to the defense of the embattled DOT Secretary, a good friend/editor asked me if I could write about the raging issue for this column.

AS things open up, global communications are again growing. And it will not be unusual for PR pros to have the opportunity to work in a foreign market.

WHEN we were babies, we were like sponges: we absorbed a lot of things both consciously and unconsciously. We were curious beings when we were children, using all our senses to take in everything the big world had to offer. According to multiple studies, the things we were exposed to from birth to three years old served as the foundation for our grown-up selves.

I asked the readers for feedback to my recent article “Another Look at Artificial Intelligence The Pros and Cons for Communicators” published in this column on May 29, 2023  and I was quite happy to receive not one but five well-thought out replies, two from the creative industry, one from the medical profession, one from a close friend and astute businesswoman and the longest one from a retired former marketing executive who is now an active member of a brotherhood of international  businessmen and professionals. 

THIS column comes as a cusp between Mother’s Day/Women’s Month in May, and Father’s Day in June as we honor mothers and fathers whose experiences in life have shaped and influenced the next generation. Theirs are the hands that rock the cradle, gender equality-stated.

MOST of us believe that meetings—whether virtual or face to face—are a necessary evil.  Without them, author Minda Zetlin says in an article in Inc.com, “communication would break down, important information would get missed, there would be less collaboration, and your team would stop feeling like a team.”

IT usually takes me at least two days to finish a column, sometimes even weeks for me to think and decide on a topic that I want to write about.

WHILE much of the spotlight is frequently on corporate executives and brand managers during interviews, much of the work is frequently done behind the scenes by PR pros.

MANY people outside the industry tend to think that PR is a glam job.  That’s because it involves often socials, events, and meeting celebrities.  While this is so, the other side is that communicators also have a lot of tough responsibilities.