The Power of PR in the court of public opinion.

IABC Toronto leader takes a stand on communications.

Thursday, September 29, 2005 

The power of PR in the
court of public opinion

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver used PR, media relations and government relations to stop feeding junk food to British school children.

Today’s front cover of The Globe and Mail pictures a smiling Jamie Oliver, 28-year old celebrity chef, who has just won an epic battle against serving junk food to school children in England. The junk food ban in English schools takes effect in September 2006.

The 4-hour series “Jamie’s School Dinners” aired on the Food Network in Canada and the US in June 2005 and was supported heavily by all kinds of parental resources about menus, nutrition and alternate choices on Oliver’s popular website. And he used his celebrity status, not to mention his wit and charm, to effectively apply pressure on the British Education Secretary. Read the earlier story on JanaSchilder.com here.

Jamie has had help, though. On the heels of the mega-popular, but frightening film “Supersize Me,” even McDonald’s has buckled under public pressure. McDonald’s new advertising tagline?  “Making good choices.”

This is culture change at its finest and has progressed at record speed—two years, give or take. Oliver is a wonderful example of effectively leveraging PR, media relations, and government relations to do the right thing. To quote Oliver himself:  “Brilliant!” As a result of today’s announcement, B.C. and Ontario are also contemplating making changes to school lunches. And that’s globalism at work. The Globe and Mail story is here.

So, if you’re in the PR department of a soda pop, candy bar or chips/cheesies company, you’ve got yourself a PR problem. And if you’re a school administrator or an elected school trustee, you’ve got a PR problem too, because soda and snack companies have been providing funding (“kick backs”) to school boards across Canada in return for allowing their vending machines on school premises. 

Friday, June 24, 2005

IABC Toronto leader takes
a stand on communications

We’re passing out cigars today in Toronto because Alix Edmiston, president of the Toronto chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) with some 1,200 members, has a terrific article in today’s Globe and Mail.

One of the key points a number of senior professional communications have been trying to drive home with both IABC Toronto and IABC home office in San Francisco is that “communications should advocate the importance of the profession to business.”

What does this mean? Well, everyone understands the benefits of using the services of doctors, plumbers, lawyers, engineers and accountants. Who understands the benefits of professional communication?

Advocacy has two parts: What do professional actually do? [No, “spin doctoring” is just Hollywood’s take on things.] And, what are the benefits of using professional communicators in your business? Alix covers both these points with style and flair.

Congratulations.