Brian Solis and the Future of Business
Posted At: November 21, 2013 7:45 a.m.
by Ethan Parry, Guest Contributor
Every year in October, PRSSA and PRSA members gather together in one city for their respective annual conferences. This year’s PRSSA conference, titled Foundation for Innovation, was in Philadelphia, Pa. — as Desiree Bell describes it, “the city of sisterly affection and brotherly love.”
I have to start this blog post by saying that going to PRSSA National Conference is a must. This was my first year going, and I cannot wait until next year’s event in Washington, D.C. I learned more than I possibly could have imagined, bonded with my Brigham Young University chapter and made many great professional connections.
Summing up the entire conference would be quite difficult, so I am going to share my thoughts on Sunday’s General Session titled “What’s the Future of Business?” presented by Brian Solis.
Solis started by challenging the audience to think differently about what we do in our industry. In order to truly change and innovate, we need to learn what we are doing right now. We need to understand that we are lifelong learners.
“No matter how creative we get with new technology, it doesn’t matter,” Solis said. “Without understanding social science, without aligning with a bigger mission or vision with what we are trying to do — something that is going to matter to people — we are just managing businesses the way we always have. We are not moving in any new direction.”
Solis’ main point was that it is time to put the relations back into public relations. I wholeheartedly agree. Public relations is all about identifying, establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships. Now is our time to redefine our profession’s journey.
Solis put it best when he said, “The future of public relations lies in creating shareable experiences — it starts with a vision, a mission and a purpose. This becomes the core of what you fight for.”
As students, we have countless opportunities ahead of us. I met some great fellow public relations practitioners at thePRSSA Conference, and I know our profession’s future is bright. I encourage each of you to define your purpose, your vision, and then go out and make that vision a reality.
What does the future of PR look like to you? What are you doing to prepare yourselves for it, or in other words, what are you doing so that you can be a part of it?
