This image is being used courtesy of Inspired Pencil dot com.
By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)
As it has been noted in this space on a somewhat regular basis, the practice of public relations and strategic communications continues to evolve and expand at a somewhat extraordinary pace.
To repurpose a somewhat corny, somewhat antiquated phrase: “This ain’t your daddy’s kind of public relations anymore.”
To support the premise just noted, let me share some insight I gained by participating in three recent online activities.
Storytelling, in Five Easy Steps. The presenter shared this format for success in the relatively new modern communications known as storytelling: 1) Introduce interesting characters. 2) Present the challenge. 3) Highlight a turning point in the story. 4) Put a spotlight on what’s new. 5) Return to the purpose or focus of the story. Collectively, this process enhances trust and expands awareness for the message delivered through the news release. I mean by the communication shared. Okay, as part of the storytelling message.
Website Metrics Re-Examined. Key take-aways from this event included: a) Too often, those responsible for websites pay more attention to the number of visits, rather than whether any relevant action was taken. b) These days, bot traffic comprises 51% of website activity. c) Referral web traffic is declining because of — you guessed it — less human connections. d) Too often, those responsible for website design and management fail to what generates visits and what are priorities. e) Vanity metrics are, therefore, relatively meaningless. Hallelujah I say! Back in the day, a client placement in a major print publication was a mark of success, even if it was challenging or impossible to fully measure or justify the results.
LLM Defined. Full disclosure: When I registered for the online event in question here, I had no idea of the meaning of a Large Language Model. (Digging further, I learned there’s also a Generative Pre-Trained Transformer or GPT.) What I wrote in my notes taken during the presentation was that 60% of Google searchers today do not result in a click; furthermore, if AI is involved, 83% of searchers do not result in a click. Fascinating. And, now I add another acronym, make that two, to my glossary of what comprises modern communications
Some final thoughts on what I just shared. An ancient form of communication continues to evolve and thrive. Technology now provides the tools and resources needed to better measure whether a plan meets objectives. And, perhaps AI ain’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
Yes, I’ve been active in the Transport Chicago Steering Committee for a dozen years!
By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)
The image above says it all. It illustrates time spent. Commitment. Support. Involvement. Active participation.
Okay, by now you want to know what it means. Well, this bar chart reflects the number of years I’ve served on the Steering Committee for Transport Chicago, an annual day-long transportation conference organized, managed, and marketed by (mostly) young professionals across metropolitan Chicago’s dynamic transportation community.
The 40th Annual Transport Chicago conference was held Friday June 13, and, yes I and some 450 others attended the outstanding conference, which featured keynote presentations, panel discussions, poster sessions and more, including a vibrant post-event happy hour. And, this year Transport Chicago also featured pre-conference in-person and online events that successfully added to the overall conference experience.
For me, it was another opportunity to bring my public relations skills and experience to help build awareness for the event through media relations and other external communications. (Here’s the linkto the news story I wrote.) Over the years, I’ve felt honored to work side-by-side with dozens of professionals from all walks of transportation — the service bureaus, metropolitan planning organizations, the private sector — on hosting an event that centers on the dissemination of transportation research, provides insight into current developments, and allows for discussion and debate.
As in years past, the current Executive team and other Steering Committee members have welcomed my involvement, even though I lack any formal education or professional work experience in transportation. I have made it known, however, that I started using Chicago public transit when the cost of a ride on the el or bus for kids was 12 cents and paper transfers were 5 cents.
Ah, how times have changed, yet the need for a safe, encompassing, and reliable public transit network across metropolitan Chicago remains a critical component of our urban environment. One panel discussion centered on the metro area’s so-called “fiscal cliff,” or the projected significant reduction in bus and train service due to the lack of state funding in this post-pandemic era; it’s a subject that will continue to make news for the immediate future.
This 40th anniversary conference — and the 39 preceding events — are testimony to what can happen when a dedicated cohort of individuals commits to something they truly believe in. To the 2026 Board: If I can still be of service, count me in next June.
Here are a few more images from Transport Chicago 2025.
Congratulations to the 2026 Executive Board members. The compelling panel discussion on “What’s Going One with the Transit Fiscal Cliff? A Real-Time Update from Industry Thought Leaders.”Attendees enjoy breakfast before the morning keynote presentation.
Actually, Rob Biesenbach, the subject of today’s question and answer profile, made his mark in this space way back in 2014. As noted in this post, Rob led a compelling breakfast workshop on a subject now so equated with modern public relations — the art of storytelling. Since that day nearly a decade ago, I’ve connected with Rob at various events here hosted by PRSA Chicago and other organizations. Plus, I gain from reading his regular column published in the PRSA Strategies & Tacticsmagazine. A few weeks ago, we shared conversation on two subjects close to our hearts: The state of public relations and rock and roll. When asked to join the roster of Q & A feature subjects, Rob did not hesitate. What follows are insightful responses to five questions delivered in Rob’s straightforward, evocative, and conversation style.
1. Your business centers on guidance designed to improve communication skills for business leaders. What prompted you to launch your own company?
The last time I worked for someone other than myself was as a VP at a PR firm. It was a great experience, but I found that the higher up I went in the agency, the less time I was able to spend on the actual work of creating, which is what I really love and which I’m best at. Instead it was about managing staff and client relationships, participating in meetings and task forces and all the other responsibilities that go along with upper management in any organization. So to get closer to the work, I decided to go out on my own and I’ve been doing that happily ever since. I spend most of my time now creating, whether it’s a new keynote speech, a workshop module, an engaging audience experience, a book, video or article.
2. Please offer a snapshot on the kind of services you provide.
I deliver keynote speeches, lead workshops and conduct one-on-one coaching with leaders who want to become more persuasive and authoritative communicators. That means helping them put down the PowerPoint, tell their story and communicate like humans should. So storytelling and presentation skills are my two big areas of concentration within the communication discipline. I also write books that tens of thousands of readers have found helpful to their businesses, their careers and their lives. That last one is no exaggeration. A reader I met this summer at a workshop was in tears telling me how using my approach to crafting her story actually led to a huge revelation for her — about who she is as a professional and as a person. It was really gratifying.
3. Like many communicators, you had an impressive career in the agency world at Ogilvy and at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Do you miss working in more “traditional” public relations positions?
No. Even at the agency I wasn’t doing “traditional PR,” like media relations. My focus was on what was then a very non-traditional area: internal communications. It’s hard to believe now, but it was pretty unusual — even revolutionary — back in the mid/late ‘90s. In fact, we didn’t even know what to call this new thing we were doing. We named it “Workplace Communication.” But people inside the organization were slow to understand and embrace it. So I was a bit of an outlier anyway, which was another sign that my days in “traditional” PR were numbered.
4. One cool insight I learned is that you participated in the legendary Chicago improv group, Second City. How did your work there translate to work you do for clients or during speaking engagements?
First, I should stipulate that I studied for several years at Second City’s Training Center. So I was a student — not appearing on one of the main stages like John Belushi,Tina Fey, Keegan-Michael Key and other stars who got their start there. But my time there led to an almost 15-year career as a stage, commercial and film actor — which I did on the side while running my business! At some point in that journey it occurred to me that everything I was doing on stage and in front of the camera could be applied directly to the problems my business clients face. Both acting and business require us to communicate clearly and vividly, to tell stories, to bring energy to a room and much, much more. So that became the basis of my speaking and coaching business: using lessons from the world of show business to help people succeed in their business. In addition, the performance skills I learned have vastly improved my ability to present my content in a way that’s lively, engaging and fun. Finally, my intensive study of storytelling, which included two years of sketch and screenwriting, made me both a better storyteller and a better teacher of the storytelling craft.
5. Now, let’s get down to rock and roll! In a recent conversation, we learned we both are passionate about music. Please share thoughts on the most memorable concert you attended.
2012 was a big year for me. I was planning a December wedding (my first — and last!), while my father was in his final, sad stages of a years-long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. A week before he died, I was with him in Washington. Then I returned to Chicago, where I had tickets to see Bruce Springsteen at Wrigley Field. It felt relatively trivial at the time, but it was life-changing. During one extended song, Springsteen repeated this refrain over and over: “Are you missing anybody?” Of course, foremost in his mind was his recently departed friend and band mate Clarence Clemons. But it felt like he was speaking directly to me (and probably thousands of others there that night). Then he said, over and over, like a mantra or a spell, “Think of who you’re missing, and let ‘em stand alongside you a while.” And honestly, for a moment it felt like my father was right there. A few songs later, the skies opened up and it started pouring down rain. It didn’t stop, and neither did Bruce. He kept right on playing, and he greeted the storm with the song, “Waiting on a Sunny Day.” It was like a cleansing ritual. Or a baptism. A week after the concert, my father died. Three months later, I got married. At the reception I gave a toast to my father, to my new bride and to our friends and family, closing with, “To the rainy days we’ve seen, and the bright, sunny days that always follow.” Then we played the song. It felt like closing one chapter of my life and starting another. My dream is tell Bruce this story one day.
As this post is about to be published, developments related to the COVID-19 outbreak here in Chicago and around the nation evolve at a rapid pace, literally sometimes by the minute.
If you’re like me, you own glasses and contact lenses. Wear the former until further notice.
So, no need to provide any linked references to news reports. Just google to learn updates if you prefer.
The purpose of this post is twofold: 1) To pose questions on how our society, our way of interacting with each other, our lives will change once this pandemic has concluded. 2) To offer three ways to help keep the virus at bay.
And, the pandemic will end. It will end.
Questions I have are:
Interpersonal Greetings: People interact physically as a matter of custom. Will handshakes, hugs, double pecks on the cheek and other physical forms of greeting be halted forever?
Crime and Disobedience: Authorities are calling for people to stay confined as much as possible. Will there be fewer robberies, burglaries, physical assaults and other criminal activities?
Making an Entrance. Door handles and knobs are potential harbors of bad stuff, like the virus. Will using your elbow, hip or foot replace using your hand to open a door?
What suggestions can you add to this list?
Last week, I published a post on the importance of responsible communications to help mitigate the crisis ahead and provide the sharing of accurate information. In that post I also provided a simple suggestion on keeping the virus off your hands.
Now, onto three more ways to help reduce the chance you’ll get the virus by contact.
1. Go to Glasses. A long-time contact lens wearer, I also own several pair of eye glasses. Until this pandemic is history, I’ll wear glasses — one way to prevent touching my eyes.
2. Care When Using Digital Menu Boards. Yes, these relatively new devices may make ordering food and other stuff or buying a ticket easier and quicker. But think about this: Lots of people touch the screens! Wear gloves or use a napkin. Or, enter the field with your knuckle.
3. Plastic Coated Restaurant Menus. From a similar perspective, many casual restaurants offer guests a menu that’s coated in plastic. Use sanitizer or wash your hands immediately after handling one of these menus.
The conversation at the DePaul PRAD showcase was spirited as guests intermingled with the master’s students who effectively presented their work and themselves.
The challenge: Which of the 30 members of the cohort group should I speak to during the showcase and networking event.
The potential impediments: There was a time factor — just an hour or so. There were people I knew, other Chicago public relations professionals, who I had to engage with. And, this being early evening, there was that great buffet table, its contents the antidote to my hunger. Consequently, my time had to be allocated strategically.
Now for the situation: I was a guest at the DePaul University Future Leaders Graduate ePortfolio and Networking Event, held yesterday at an the Chicago Connectory, an appropriately-named co-working space on the fifth floor or the Merchandise Mart.
This now annual event provided a showcase for those who recently earned the Master’s in Public Relations and Advertising. The recent graduates were billed as “future leaders,” but I maintain they are today’s leaders. I visited with six, but would have welcomed the opportunity to meet them all.
I was impressed by their poise, understanding of communications and creativity — and not just because some shared gummy bears and chocolates. They were practiced and straightforward, savvy and skilled in conversation, even when I posed a challenging question.
One graduate was balancing a few job offers, another maintained social media platforms for a lifestyle company as a freelance account. And, one participant highlighted her athletic prowess in her presentation, while another graduate showcased photography skills.
Again, I was impressed.
Now to the Question:
Will these skilled modern communicators have the right stuff to help keep communications advancing, to navigate the unceasing era of negativity, “fake news” and whatever modern society and technology ushers forward?
I enthusiastically say they do. Your thoughts are welcomed.
Aside: A shout out to my friend Ron Culp, PRAD Professional in Residence and a truly iconic figure in public relations, for inviting me to the showcase.
According to my profile, I have 1,085 connections on LinkedIn, which I believe is pretty good. In the interests of full disclosure, I really haven’t met, collaborated on a project. or communicated in person with a sizeable number of these connections.
Image courtesy of LinkedIn.
Regardless, LinkedIn is a platform I visit daily to monitor visits to my profile, participate in groups and to learn.
One more factor behind why I appreciate LinkedIn: It’s generally void (at least during my visits) of troll-centered, profanity-laced, celebrity-driven, mean-spirited and outright idiotic posts and messages often found on Facebook and Twitter.
Last week, I learned the folks at LinkedIn produce a monthly Workforce Report, covering the U.S., the U.K. and India.
After scanning the May 2019 U.S. report, which I found to be an excellent compendium of analysis and insight and today’s workforce, I focused on Table 1. Here, the data presented was on hiring shifts — or from another perspective, job growth by industry.
These three industries recorded the “most notable hiring shifts” in April when analyzing non-seasonably adjusted year-over-year statistics: Hardware & Networking (15.3% higher); Corporate Services (14.9% higher); and Public Administration (14% higher).
But in “fifth place” and among the five categories — and with a double-digit increase — was Media & Communications, which saw an increase of 10.1%. (For the record, Wellness & Fitness nudged out the aforementioned with an 11% increase.)
So, what’s my interpretation of this impressive showing by Media & Communications — which according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics includes jobs in public relations?
1. Businesses, governmental bodies and non-profit organizations continue to recognize the value skilled (and I hope ethical) communicators bring to modern society.
2. Job growth in this sector should remain robust and competition will be strong to recruit and retain solid performers.
3. Ongoing education will be needed to keep new communicators (and more “seasoned” ones like me) up to date on new developments in the years ahead.
At this time of year, those who have earned degrees in public relations, advertising, marketing, journalism or some integrated communications discipline should be positive about job prospects. My advice:
Follow your passions and your interests if possible when seeking a place to work.
Pursue jobs with agencies and in the corporate sector, but also consider non-profit and associations.
Finally, a note to the folks in the Wellness & Fitness industry: Watch out because we communicators ain’t far behind.
For a commentary on the growth of digital, there sure are a lot of “old-school” implements in this graphic. Image courtesy of Forbes.
Here’s why: Author Ryan Holmes (also the CEO and founder of Hootsuite) maintains that there’s “a growing realization among businesses that social media is the single most effective way to reach audiences.” He cites factors like the development of paid platforms (so long free reach via Facebook), a continued growth of video (certainly not surprising) and the integration of prominent social media platforms with leading business software (perhaps Microsoft will own everything digital some day).
And, the article cites compelling statistics like the escalating number of Facebook users (lots and lots and lots), time each day teens spend online (around 540 minutes) and the growing dominance of sponsored video (more bucks spent than on that once dominate medium — television).
All this led me to ponder these questions about the future of social media:
1. All these developments are happening at lightening-fast speed. So how do communicators measure results and effectively keep up?
2. And, given the preponderance of new digital platforms, how do communicators determine if what they recommend to clients is the most relevant one?
3. Not too many years ago, I recall reading that the public relations field “owned” social media. Is that still the case?
4. How do you effectively integrate rapid-fire digital with more traditional strategies and tactics?
5. Will those of us not raised on digital (this writer included) continue to have a voice in modern communications?
In the conclusion to the article, Holmes offers this rationale: “For companies already fatigued by the onslaught of new technology and strategies, relief, unfortunately, is nowhere in sight. But for those that can keep up, social media may promise bigger audiences and more return on investment than ever.”
Not sure where I stand in that equation.
Now it’s your turn. Given the virtual communications whirlwind ahead, what questions do you have about the impact of social media on communicators?
Well, let’s let the experts, the pundits, the forecasters and the government officials provide analysis on subjects like:
The potential for lives lost and property destroyed.
The exact course of this latest Category 5 storm.
The exodus of people seeking safety via highways and air.
The analysis of how continued development along coastal areas will exacerbate damage from the storm.
And, the role of global warming in these storms and others to follow.
Here, I’ll share a thought on the value of communications — and those responsible for accurate, timely and ethical communications — in helping to mitigate what’s to follow from Irma when it reaches Florida later this weekend.
In researching this post, I googled “Hurricane Irma and public relations advice.” Yes, the search yielded a lot, as there were more than 150,000 findings.
In reading some of the results, I found links to reports on how to prepare for the hurricane (from the Federal Trade Commission), travel insurance claims advice from a company called Squaremouth, and a USA Today article on how to prepare your smartphone for a catastrophe.
Of course, there were many more articles and links to websites offering direction and insight that perhaps has little value to the tens of thousands who may be displaced over the next few days.
Or suffer more substantial losses.
The point here: These messages were drafted and distributed by communicators — public relations consultants, marketing professionals, content experts. They were playing a role in disseminating potentially valuable information in a time of need.
These messages won’t stop the winds and the rain from making landfall. But in times like these, communications on how to lessen or avoid the impact of a potential tragedy do count.
Expect more hurricane-related communications to come, as Hurricane Jose was building strength, becoming a Category 4 storm, in the Atlantic Ocean. The good news: Forecasters predict Jose may head north and may not reach land.
Let’s hope.
* * *
As a true weather wonk, The PRDude has addressed weather and natural disasters before. Here are two posts:
Yes, I’ve been part of the communications industry in Chicago for 40 years this month.
I’ll spare the melancholy and pathos about “where did all the time go?” Like everyone on this earth, I live and breathe 24 hours each day, arguably some days spent more productively than others.
So where did it all begin?
If memory serves me correctly, on one day in late February of 1977 I reported to the City News Bureau of Chicago for my first day as a reporter. The job meant covering homicides, assaults, thefts, fires and other bad stuff taking place in the city back then. Unfortunately, lots of bad stuff continues to happen here.
It was my first job after graduating from Illinois State University with a degree in English and minor in Journalism. I wanted to be a reporter — and now I was a reporter!
Couldn’t find an image from 1977, so this one, taken last year, will have to suffice.
My first day, I recall, was spent with a more seasoned journalist at the old 18th District Chicago Police Department station on West Chicago Avenue, where we followed up on pending investigations. We also did some reporting related to the aftermath of the horrible CTA elevated train wreck that took place February 4 of that year; 11 people were killed.
In the 14,600 days (give or take a few) since my introduction to the real world I’ve held a few other positions; well, actually quite a few other positions.
I left journalism in the early 1980s to pursue an in-house communications position with a community college, my first exposure to the public relations arena. Although I consider myself a newsman at heart and relished those opportunities to cover a breaking story, my path for the remainder of my professional career has centered on public relations.
This print, “Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston,” hangs above our vintage radio-phonograph.
Yes, he was the boxing heavyweight world champ three times. And, he was equally a champion in battling against injustice and for equality and human rights here in the United States and across the globe.
But what intrigues me to this day was Ali’s mastery of communication surrounding his boxing career and life outside the ring. Punctuated by poetry, driven by honesty and framed in braggadocio, Ali could drive home a message much more effectively and convincingly than most who were trained and scripted to do so. Then and especially today.
I’m not sure if Ali received any formal counsel from public relations professionals, but he clearly was in a class by himself when prompted to share his thoughts, or speaking spontaneously, which of course happened a lot.
Now, onto today’s image and question. The image at left shows a charcoal print titled, “Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston.” It’s from 1999, and it hangs in our living room above, appropriately enough, a vintage Grundig Majestic radio-phonograph.
The print is signed, but I can’t make out the name of the artist (Martin Ivy, perhaps); Google and eBay searches did not reveal any results. If you’re unsure of the symbolism, the work depicts the dramatic 1964 Ali victory over Liston in a match held in Maine. Neil Leifer, a photographer for Sports Illustrated, captured an image of Ali towering over a downed Liston.
The word “iconic” perhaps doesn’t do justice to all that’s captured in this one frame shot by Mr. Leifer. So, for the question: What other iconic photographic images have inspired artists to create paintings, sculpture or literature?
Champ, rest in peace. You lived life on your own terms, and you touched many, beyond that mean left hook or right cross.
And, one more question: Who is the artist behind the print?
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