By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)
Over the years, I have had the pleasure and honor to serve as a judge for public relations awards competitions hosted by Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) chapters from across the nation. Each year I look forward to this exercise for these reasons:
- I get first-hand insight into the latest strategic communications programs executed by agencies, companies, organizations, and governmental agencies.
- Judging awards lets me contribute to the advancement of the profession by helping to recognize campaigns that demonstrate best practices.
- Serving as a judge contributes to the continuing education credits I need to maintain my Accredited in Public Relations (APR) credential.
It’s the first of these that is the focus of this post.
A few weeks ago, I participated as a judge for a PRSA Chapter that will remain nameless. Rest assured, it’s not PRSA Chicago, where I’m a member of long standing. To maintain confidentiality, that’s all I’ll say.
Initially, I judged campaigns centered on what assuredly is the general foundation of the communications practice that has evolved into public relations — media relations; and for the record I was very impressed with the strategies, research, execution, and results of the communications plans submitted.
But as the competition deadline neared, managers asked if I could judge a category of modern public relations that — in all honesty — I did not have a great deal of experience in executing: Influencer relations.
Let me clarify: I actually have never incorporated influencer relations, a relatively recent communications tactic, into a communications program. In fact, those of us charged with public relations may be at odds as to exactly what qualifies as “influencer relations.” According to this essay from July, incorporating an acknowledge “influencer” — someone who has cultivated a reputation for expertise or understanding of a particular subject, product, or topic mainly through an online presence — into strategic public relations is not a legitimate practice. The author offers some sound arguments, for sure.
(An aside: Back in 2021 I published this post with a perspective on how a post on the popular Nextdoor community site led to an onslaught — well at least for me — of replies, perhaps elevating me to “influencer” status.)
Back to my responsibilities as a judge. In reading the entry overviews, I found that the strategies behind selecting a particular influencer and incorporating that individual’s performance as a way to build awareness were rational and effective. I learned that there are various “levels” of influence. In fact, an article published by the marketing firm Kynship maintains there are 26 types of influencers! The entries I judged mostly used influencers that can be categorized by the number of followers on Instagram. These ranged from the Micro (5,000 to 100,000) to the Mega (1 million plus.)
My key takeaway from this experience: The practice of public relations continues to evolve by incorporating advancements in technology and human behavior to reach objectives stated within the specific communications plan.
Clearly, there’s much more I can learn about influencer relations. My recent volunteer judging experience helped open the door.
Prdude's Blog 