PR Practitioners Tasked on Innovation, Creativity to Enhance Economy

Raheem Akingbolu

As a critical part of the service sector with a lot of contribution to the GDP, the public relations arm of the marketing communication eco-system has been tasked on innovation and creativity to further enhance the economy.  

The Chairman of Phillips Consulting Limited, Mr Folusho Phillips, who gave the advice at the second edition of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) Breakfast Meeting on ‘The Business of Consulting,’ and how consulting firms and clients can win in a VUCA economy, also urged the consultants to always strive to remain relevant in the industry.

He said as consultants, it is important for PR practitioners to be aware of their importance as role models who should be rendering tangible services, building institutions and also innovating as there is a huge paradigm shift taking place every day.

The renowned industrial economist pointed out the need for PR practitioners to deploy cutting-edge tools and embrace best global practices in their service offerings because world events change at the speed of light. He noted that innovation is the next step for customers’ convenience.

Commenting at the event, PRCAN President, Mr Israel Jaiye Opayemi, said: “As consultants, we need to stay ahead of the curve, and we need to be ahead of our clients across the industries that we service by investing more in research and acquiring data across sectors to be well informed and equipped to deliver rich value to clients.

In his remark, the president, African Public Relations Association (APRA), Mr Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, stated that going with the trend is the strategy in itself to help PR practitioners to be relevant in the industry. He, therefore, encouraged practitioners to run their businesses as perception consultants.