Putting Professional Communicators Where They Belong

24 Aug Putting Professional Communicators Where They Belong

By Chad McLeod, APR, CPRC

Professional communicators must have a seat – and a voice – at the C-suite table if we want our companies to be successful..

I recently attended the 78^th Annual Florida Public Relations Association Conference in Palm Harbor. FPRA’s annual conference is always one of my professional highlights of the year. It’s an opportunity to network with PR professionals from around the state and listen to a great lineup of speakers. I always come away with new ideas for our clients.

One of my favorite speakers, by far, was Sea World’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Jill Kermes. Sea World has been a case study in crisis communications the past few years. Ever since the 2013 release of the documentary Blackfish – the story of a killer whale named Tilikum that was involved in the deaths of three animal trainers – Sea World has been on its heels in defense of its practice of keeping and breeding whales in captivity.

PR professionals have long argued that Sea World made a big mistake by not taking the threat of the documentary seriously, allowing vocal critics plenty of room to get louder. Jill went to work for Sea World shortly after Blackfish was released. It was clear she pushed for a more proactive, aggressive approach to the company’s emerging crisis. Sea World would eventually mount a full-scale counter campaign in an attempt to tell their side of the story. But so much damage had already been done. After two years of trying to repair an image, Sea World conceded and decided to end its practice of breeding orca whales.

At the end of Jill’s presentation, she said professional communicators must have a seat – and a voice – at the C-suite table if we want our companies to be successful in telling their stories and communicating their message. Seems like common sense. But as we often say when working with clients, “Common sense isn’t always common practice.” You don’t have to look far to find situations where organizations seem to leave their PR pros out of the room when responding to a crisis (Chipotle, Volkswagen, Ryan Lochte).

Think about how much the world of communications has changed in the last 10 years. News is constantly breaking. Stories travel faster and farther than they ever have. Companies must be prepared – especially in times of crisis – to communicate in today’s rapid information environment. If organizations exclude professional communicators from the decision-making tables, they do so at their own peril.

Chad McLeod, APR, CPRC, is the principal of McLeod Communications.