The Evolution of the PR Pro

EVOLUTION OF THE PR PRO PRWeb, December 2011 PRWeb A HISTORY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRESS Many pros likely think of public relations as being a product of the modern age. Trying to manage public opinion, however, is a much older practice than most people realize, dating back at least to the time of Caesar. How has the PR profession progressed over the past 2,000 years? Caesar penned the first campaign biography about the Gallic Wars to convince the As professor of rhetoric in Milan, St. Augustine's duty to the Emperor of Rome was the modern equivalent of the President's press secretary. Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet that convinced Washington's army to fight for America's freedom from Benjamin Franklin was a pioneer of using the printing press to trumpet his causes, such as education, Romans to choose him as head of state. England despite the cold hardships of winter. abolitionism and national security. "Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." Lincoln's secretary of state, William Seward, gained a wide audience for the President through the reach of the press. P. T. Barnum so successfully promoted his Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus PR became a profession as Ivy Lee counsels John D. Edward Bernays published the first book on public relations, "Crystallizing Public Opinion." Later, he also introduced the idea of Rockefeller on how to that his name is still famous manage public relations for the family and Standard Oil. 120 years after his death. using psychology in PR. "I speak to the newspapers – they have a large audience and can repeat a "The three main elements of public relations are practically as old as society: thousand times what I want to impress on the public." informing people, persuading people, or integrating people with people." In a feat of crisis Before co-founding Ogilvy & Mather, David Ogilvy broke ground in the industry by applying PR philosophies to foreign diplomacy. management mastery, Burson-Marsteller's Albert Tortorella helped rescue the Michael Terpin leads Terpin Communications to become The development of Facebook and other social channels Johnson & Johnson Corporation after someone tampered with Tylenol. changed the way consumers and brands interact, creating one of the first PR firms to specialize in new media and convergence PR. PR opportunities – and pitfalls. Person of the Year As this list clearly illustrates, the convergence of PR, Marketing and Social Media is here. Who will be the next person to elevate the integration of these disciplines in social? 1940s 1923 50 B.C. 1982 1903 394 A.D. 1807s 1776 1840s 1780s S000