A PR campaign trying to convince people to wear the seatbelt fastened while driving is considered good, a PR campaign trying to discredit a political candidate's opponents is considered bad. If the former case is pretty clear, the latter one makes s wonder where the border between ethics and efficiency is. We must always keep in mind the fact PR has become and ethical profession therefore regardless of its final purpose it must respect a code of ethics which is universally valid (doing otherwise would compromise it, its very success depends on this).
One example of an extremely efficient PR campaign is the one initiated by the candidate to be president Barack Obama. The campaign included all the possible media, press, TV, radio, advertising and the internet. Through a good concept based on key words such as "change" and "hope" he succeeded in transforming himself into a sort of super hero inspiring people to believe that "yes, we can." The use of social networks from facebook to youtube allowed for a direct contact with the people and also a clear division which allowed him to reach everyone in a more personal and personalized manner.
Another very helpful element was the public support he got from important figures such as Oprah or Hillary Clinton. It is obvious that there has been a radical change in the PR area and that the dynamics of this profession are now adapted to the demands and the needs of the publics. While not all the Pr practitioners are alike, it is safe to state that all the acts of misbehavior are severely sanctioned, mainly by the addressed target.
All in all it can be stated that contemporary public relations has successfully distanced itself from an era of deceit ad manipulation to become a credible and ethical profession. The development of society imposed the evolution of the profession which passed from a technical...
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