Two PR firms to help promote 'advance the profession' campaign - Inside SHRM - Society for Human Resource Management - Brief Article

HR Magazine, Feb, 2003 by Theresa Minton-Eversole

Two Washington, D.C.-based public relations firms have been selected by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to develop and help implement a communications campaign that focuses on the Society's mission to advance the human resource profession.

The international firms Fleishman-Hillard and Ketchum are part of the Omnicom Group, a worldwide marketing and communications, public relations and advertising company. Both companies' local offices have extensive experience in providing branding and communications programs for nonprofit trade and professional organizations.

A pillar of the multiyear, multimillion-dollar campaign the firms will spearhead is to increase awareness among executive ranks--through education and targeted media relations--of the value of human resources and its impact on the bottom line.

"SHRM strongly believes it has a responsibility to the HR profession to ensure that the business community--particularly the C-suite--understands and appreciates HR'S value to organizational success," says Susan R. Meisinger, SPHR, president and chief executive officer of SHRM. "This public relations campaign is designed to supplement SHRM's important efforts in that area and will ultimately help us better serve the members and represent the profession."

Program Goals

The campaign will focus on the following major areas:

* Educate the business community about all that the human resources field encompasses and all the capabilities of HR professionals.

* Educate and inspire SHRM members to become strategic business partners.

* Increase SHRM visibility and overall influence of HR on public policy, including playing a greater role in guiding employment-related federal and state legislation.

* Develop media messages that provide thoughtful, in-depth commentary for complex issues.

* Grow membership within targeted segments of the HR profession (e.g., senior HR management and HR executives).

Among the projects SHRM has implemented to increase awareness of the Society and the profession as a whole are the sponsoring of the PBS "Back to the Floor" series and NPR's "Marketplace."

The campaign also will focus on increasing the Society's visibility, credibility and reputation by expanding its research partnerships within the private sector and academia. In addition, there will be an emphasis placed on providing the tools and education HR professionals need to become strategic partners within their organization.

"This campaign will focus primarily on educating non-HR business executives, but we hope it will also inspire HR professionals to realize their potential in the workplace," says Kathy Compton, vice president of external relations. "We are fortunate enough to work with two of the most experienced and effective PR firms in the country as well as SHRM staff and leaders within the human resources profession to achieve that goal."