The CIPR Diploma in Public Relations Learning zone: Underpinning experience The CIPR Diploma gives students the bigger picture, by Claire Mason Can there really be any value in a PR qualification? I have always been told that our business is a mysterious art which must be learned “on the job” - preferably starting with the photocopier. We say PR is the business of “reputation management”, but too often our insights play second fiddle to advertising executives and branding consultants. I have seen many a good PR strategy hit the shredder because the consultant in question was unable to justify the business benefits in terms which made sense to the board. Creative magic is one thing but if PR is to be taken seriously we must talk the same language as the other marketing disciplines, be as smart in our targeting as the media planners and as brand savvy as the advertising execs. There’s much more at stake than generating media-friendly stories. The CIPR Diploma provided theory to underpin my experience, enabling me to develop PR programmes based on in-depth situation analysis and evaluated against clear objectives. Rather than looking at target audiences, I now take account of a range of stakeholders, from customers and shareholders to employees and opinion formers. I have always felt frustrated by the attitude that PR equals column inches. Now I look at a range of tools to achieve my objectives, from media relations to sponsorship and ambient marketing. Working as closely with marketing directors as we often do, this broader perspective has been invaluable. Like many of you I specialised early in my career, in my case in business-to-business consultancy. My study group included people from diverse public and private sector organisations, both in-house and consultancy. The Diploma classes provided an opportunity to share our experience and gave us the confidence to handle a broad range of PR functions, from crisis management to cause-related marketing. With the Diploma Project there was also an opportunity to turn an area of interest into a specialty, which might be useful for those developing a specialist business unit or considering a career change. My career since the Diploma has been more interesting because I am engaged at a strategic level in everything that I do. Most importantly, the Diploma dismantled the smoke and mirrors surrounding the different marketing disciplines and gave us confidence that our much-maligned profession should take the lead in the management of reputations. Claire Mason MIPR is Operations Director, Consolidated Communications. Email: ClaireM@consol.co.uk Tel: 020 7208 2713 This text is taken from the CIPR Profile Magazine, issue 28-2002