Harold Burson, Founder Chairman, Burson Marsteller

In a survey conducted by PRWeek some time back, Harold Burson was described as ‘the century’s most influential PR figure’. Burson has contributed greatly to the public relations industry and worldwide community as a member and leader of several organisations, including Presidential appointee to the Fine Arts Commission, Washington, 1981-1985; Chairman of the National Council on Economic Education; trustee of The Economics Club of New York; Chairman of the USIA Public Relations Advisory Committee, and board member of the World Wildlife Fund (Geneva).

Burson began practicing the concept of integrated marketing decades before the term was even invented. He brought PR into the advertising business at Young & Rubicam as an equal. He has several laurels to his credit and has received numerous honours and awards, including the Public Relations Society of America Gold Anvil Award (1980), and the Arthur W Page Society Hall of Fame Award (1991). He was named Public Relations Professional of the Year by Public Relations News (1977 and 1989) and also received the Alexander Hamilton Medal from the Institute of Public Relations (1999). The list is endless.

Burson is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and was elected to the Alumni Hall of Fame in 1986.

exchange4media’s Sumita Patra caught up with him on the sidelines of the ICCO Summit in the Capital, where Burson spoke at length about the PR industry, the challenges, qualities of a successful PR professional and PR in the Indian context. Excerpts:

Q. What are the emerging trends that you foresee in the PR industry?

One of the strongest emerging trends is an accentuation of internal communications, addressed to employees at all levels and in all locations.

Q. How do you think the effectiveness of PR can be measured?

Through research.

Q. How do you see both the professions being intrinsically different?

They are very interdependent on each other. It’s like a love-hate relationship. Journalists love us and we love the journalists, and that’s how it always will be.

Q. What are the strategies you adopt while deciding on the communication strategy for a client?

Strategies depend on the specific problem that is being addressed. It is important to identify the problem before developing a strategy, and that is accomplished through research.

Q. How would you differentiate between PR and Corporate Communications?

Corporate communications is one of the many subsets of public relations and under that umbrella you can have relations with advisory services, you can have investor relations, you can have internal communications, marketing support, litigation support, etc.

Q. How would you differentiate the PR industry in India vis-a vis the global one?

I have been to India twice. I have been a total of nine days in India, and to put myself as an expert on Indian public relations is not very credible. I think there are people in India in public relations who are more sophisticated than anywhere else. For example, I find Genesis organisation as one of the most professional companies that we have ever seen, that’s one reason that Burson Marsteller wanted to be affiliated with them. It’s a remarkable organisation. I think what may have taken 20 years to make the industry more professional, probably is now possible in two-three years because communication is so much better and also public relations is in much greater demand.

Q. Where do you think the Indian PR industry lacks and what steps do we need to take to match up to our global counterparts?

Public relations in India is, in some instances, highly sophisticated in the way it is practiced. As a democracy, India has provided an environment for the development of public opinion and that is the very basis of public relations. As India’s business communities expand on a global basis, the practice of public relations will follow.

Q. Could you share with us your client portfolio?

We have a very broad range of clients, some of the largest companies in world, hi-tech companies, from pharmaceuticals to chemicals to heavy industries, we have a diverse range of clients. We represent a significant number of the world’s largest corporations as well as business and professional organisations and governmental entities.

Q. What are the challenges confronting this industry? What steps are required to overcome them?

I think one of the biggest challenges is the talent, the challenge to find the smartest and the brightest people, the shortage of truly competent people. And, I think the educational process in universities and on the job training are important to sort out this problem. In our organisation, we have extensive training programmes to better equip our people to provide valuable client service.

Q. What, according to you, are the factors that will drive the growth of this industry?

I think globalisation is the way forward. I feel growth will be driven by the global expansion of business and the increased demand by the public that a corporation demonstrates that it is a responsible corporate citizen. A company’s ‘good name’ is its most valuable asset. Our task is to help clients gain a ‘good name’ in the public mind.

Q. According to you, what are the essential qualities one needs to have to become a successful PR professional?

Intelligence, commitment, good judgment, an analytical mind, ability to get along with people, ability to work in a team, the ability to empathise with people, an ability to communicate both orally and in writing, are some of the attributes one needs to have to become a successful PR professional.

Q. What kind of vision you have outlined for your agency?

To serve world-class clients across the broad spectrum of their public relations, public affairs and communications needs.

Q. Where do you see this industry headed?

I think the growth is going to be in attracting more clients, in developing deeper relationships. The industry will continue to grow both in stature and in size as a mainstream part of the management process.

Q. Tell us something about your background. How did it all start for you?

It’s a very long story. I started as a journalist, later on I was offered a job in public relations that paid more money. So, I jokingly say it’s for the money, but I enjoyed the career in journalism too.

Q. First of all, how do you think such summits help the PR industry?

Summits like these help in a very important way. Firstly, there is an exchange of information. We learn about so many different issues, what’s going on in other parts of the world, how we can serve our clients in a better way. I think networking is one of the most important attributes a person can have to be able to know the capabilities of people and to be able to reach out to support and help. In earlier years, it was enough if you knew people around your own country, but today communication has made it such that having a worldwide network is very essential if you are representing particularly large companies. Such summits help in exchanging ideas and sharing information.

Q. How, according to you, has the PR industry evolved over the years?

It has certainly grown. I think it has seen the greatest changes. In earlier years, companies and other institutions had to be persuaded that they needed public relations services. But now there is much recognition, companies have realised that they can really succeed if they have PR agencies. This holds particularly true for very large companies. I think public relations has expanded its spectrum of activity exponentially in the past 25 years. It has become an integral part of the overall management function and global in its reach.

Q. Do you think PR plays a secondary role in the communication strategy of a client?

Public relations should be considered the umbrella function that shapes an entity’s relationships with its numerous publics or stakeholders. Communications is one of the tools that are used to transmit messages to motivate audiences to a specific action. Behavior is an integral part of the public relations process, as American rappers express it, ‘To talk the talk, you have gotta walk the walk’.