The Nigerian Women in Public Relations will on Saturday, March 6 launch Experiencing Public Relations book as part of its efforts to ensure better understanding of Public Relations as a profession.
Public relations as a profession has been misunderstood and largely unappreciated over the years, especially as many are unable to identify distinguishing features from its sister professions: advertising and marketing.
Speaking ahead of the event, the keynote speaker Omotola Oyebanjo, Head Corporate Affairs and Communications, Africa and the Middle East at Upfield said the PR profession is often underestimated, largely due to a lack of understanding of what it is about, and yet its impact on organisations is crucial.
“As reputation managers and image-makers, we have the important responsibility of building trust, managing critical stakeholders, telling the brand’s stories in a compelling way and ensuring that organizations are well-positioned and their reputations protected. Like health and wellbeing, these cannot be easily quantified in Naira and Kobo, but take it away, and suddenly companies discover that they lose a lot of Naira and Kobo,” she explained.
The Experiencing Public Relations book according to a press statement distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Nigerian Women in Public Relations is a compilation of essays from 12 Nigerian women practising public relations in Nigeria, Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom.
With contributors ranging from entry-level professionals to veterans with over two decades’ experience, the articles discuss practical steps and raise thought-provoking questions that can help readers navigate their public relations journey from being young professionals to c-suite public relations women.
“This is our contribution to the body of knowledge in public relations, which is critical for the continued growth of our industry. Our selection process in identifying contributors was rigorous and carefully designed to ensure that we get representation across different generations. We also made certain to have contributors who work on the client-side as well as in PR agencies. This is why we are confident that the information contained in the book will be of significant benefit to all public relations practitioners, both male and female, our industry regulators and the general public. Even more interesting – the book will be available to download for free on our website www.ngwomeninpr.org after the launch!” says Tolulope Olorundero, Editor-in-Chief of Experiencing Public Relations and Founder, Nigerian Women in Public Relations.
The articles in the book include: Who is a Public Relations Professional by Victoria Nwadoka; Switching to Public Relations by Demilade Abolaji; Public Relations in the Digital Age by Adebola Olomo; Why Media Relations is still a Powerful Part of PR for Nigeria and its Diaspora by Ronke Lawal; and Rethinking Government Communications by Adedoyin Jaiyesimi.
Other articles include The Senior PR Woman by Oluwayemisi Adekunle; How to Get a Seat at the Table by Aderayo Bankole; Entertainment PR by Satira Osemudiamen; Work-Life Integration by Temi Ibekwe; Five Tips to Nurture your Career by Mabel Aladenusi-Adeteye; Educational Courses and Sources in Public Relations by Adaora Njemanze; and Discovering PR as an Undergraduate Millennial by Ibukun Falope.
The Experiencing Public Relations book is a project conceived by the Nigerian Women in PR organisation. Nigerian Women in PR, established in 2019, is an independent social impact organisation created to build a robust network of practising and aspiring female public relations professionals of Nigerian descent. Their aim is to support, inspire and empower these professionals while improving access to career-advancing opportunities.
With its robust programs including #PRin30Seconds, Campus Students’ Summit and #ThrivethruPR, the organisation is determined to support female professionals get and retain a seat at the table where far-reaching decisions are made.
