PR in North America PR Group 10 Ilari

PR in North America PR Group 10: Ilari Huhtinen, Johanna Westerlund, Reeta Koskinen, Heli Veripää

North America – History of PR in North America – Today’s tough challenges – Communicating with North American audience

History of PR in North America USA Said to be the country of the origin of public relations Four models of public relations Canada The earliest example of PR is the trans-Atlantic campaign of the Liberal government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier to attract immigrants to the West Mexico The evolution of public relations --> since the establishment of North America Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Canada (NAFTA) Challenges: the unequal wealth distribution, diminished trust in institutions because of media reports of political and business scandals

Today’s tough challenges Economic downturn o o o Causes increase in unemployment and companies fall down Finacial powershift from New York to Washington Dc Less money available and still more demanding tasks and expectations • Social media o o • Is a powerful tool that can be used on various fields The Federal Trade Commissions rules to bloggers Relationships o Not only reach everyone but engage with them • PR ethics o o o Careful and consistent ethical analyses facilitate trust The PR function is to coursel top management about ethical issues The ability to engage in ethical reasoning in PR is growing

Edelman Trust Barometer 2008

Canadian audience • • Direct style of verbal communication Using first names, addressing informally and directly Reserve, understatement, diplomacy, tact Own space is important: arm’s length when speaking to someone • Reticent to discuss personal lives with business associates Officially bilingual country: • Francophones are generally more indirect and exuberant • Anglophones consider it`s rude to interrupt someone who is speakin

Mexican audience • High emphasis on personal relationships • You must be prepared to wait if you have appointment. It will take 30 minutes to one hour before you meet your collages • Some Mexicans avoid directly saying no - a no may be veiled in responses such as "maybe" or "perhaps"

Audience in USA • • • ”user friendly” writing Get to the point Keep it simple – avoid complicated language Being conversational Written materials are important in business communication

How to use language? Less effective Talk About • Energy efficiency • Saving money for a more prosperous future • Fixed point, base-load plants • Dirty Coal and Dangerous Nuclear power • Scientific reports; parts per million • What we see with our own eyes • Global warming, climate crisis or climate change • Our deteriorating atmosphere. Air Pollution

Study culture