Introducing the Parents

Family dinners can be some of the most heartwarming times, but they can also be treacherous. In my busy life, family dinners are generally reserved for holidays and special occasions, and it is at those rare gatherings that everyone in my family wants to catch up on how I’m doing, who I’m dating, and of course, what I’m studying.

        It was at one of these notorious dinners that I was first asked this timeless question: “what exactly is public relations?” At first, I was stumped, then, I scratched my head. Finally, I blurted out a rather lengthy description of which I later thought, “could I have made that any more complicated?”

        Since my first rude encounter with that question, I have been asked the same thing many more times. Each time I respond, my answer becomes a little clearer, but I still have not reached a satisfying conclusion. What indeed is public relations? And, how do I introduce it to people like my parents, who have absolutely no idea what it is?

        According to Tom Hagley, “public relations is the practice of influencing behavior through strategic planning and communication.” I like this definition because it is short and sweet, but it lacks depth.

        If you were going to describe what you do as a public relations professional, how would you define it in a reasonably short, simple, yet efficient way?