Historical Origins of Public Relations

Presented byBrett Atwood

Early American PR History

• Revolutionary War (1760s+)– Samuel Adams used various techniques to help

gain support for the revolt against England– These techniques are still relevant today

Six Early PR Techniques

• 1. Establish an activist organization– The Sons of Liberty;

Committees of Correspondence

• 2. The Use of Symbols– The Liberty Tree

Six Early PR Techniques

• 3. The Use of Slogans– “Taxation without representation is tyranny”

• 4. The Use of Staged Events– The Boston Tea Party

• 5. Be First in Getting Out Your Side of the Story– The Boston Massacre

• 6. Use a Sustained Saturation Campaign

Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”

• Thomas Paine’s pamphlet “Common Sense” is often cited as an early example of PR – It swayed early adopters to the

idea of establishing indendepence

– It was a “white paper” that preceded the Declaration of Independence

– It essentially served as a product launch press release for the Declaration of Independence

Amos Kendall (1820s +)

• Influential assistant to president Andrew Jackson

• “First White House Press Secretary”– Wrote speeches– Issued news releases– Conducted opinion polls– Created events

The Creation of “Davy Crockett”

• In reality, Davy Crockett was a brash, loud-talking Tennessee Congressman

• A press campaign created a larger-than-life persona of Crockett as a wild frontiersman– Reality was disconnected

from the fictional characterization

P.T. Barnum

• Barnum’s Circus was a popular entertainment roadside attraction in the 1800’s

• P.T. Barnum used PR tactics to sensationalize the appeal of his traveling exhibits and circus

Charles Russell Lowell

• Publicist for the Burlington Railroad company• Helped to establish demand and appeal of

new railroad system

Buffalo Bill

• Colonel William F. Cody became “Buffalo Bill,” a larger-than-life character to promote his Wild West traveling show

Business Community and PR

• As American cities exploded in population and the popular press expanded, businesses used PR tactics to help build and maintain power

• PR used to counter public outcry and probing journalists (“muckrakers”)

“Battle of the Currents”

• Example: “Battle of the Currents” among electricity giants to establish public sentiment on the preferred electrical standards• Edison used sensationalized PR tactics to scare the public

against Westinghouse’s competing standard

Evolution of PR

• Stage 1: Manipulative (Public-be-damned)• Stage 2: Informative (Public-be-informed)• Stage 3: Social Responsibility (Periods of

“mutual understanding” and “mutual adjustment”)

Seedbed Era (1900-1916)

• “Muckraking” journalists take advantage of new mass media outlets

• Lots of anti-corporation, anti-government sentiment is popularized in publications and media

• Advertising tactics used to help combat negative stories

The Publicity Bureau

• The nation’s first publicity agency was founded in Boston in mid-1900– First client: Harvard University– Worked closely with the railroad companies to

plant stories that preempt or combat criticism• Closed in 1911

Smith & Walmer

• Opened in 1902 in Washington, D.C.• First “political”-focused firm• Shows how governments and politics could

benefit by working closely with PR-like agencies

Ivy Ledbetter Lee

• Represented George Baer & Assoc. during a coal miners’ strike

• Lee issued a declaration of principles emphasizing honesty and the public’s right to know– No longer “public-be-damned” approach– Used handouts to keep media informed

during negotiations• Precursor to the “press release”

• Also represented the Rockefeller family in the aftermath of a bloody incident against striking workers (Ludlow Massacre)

World War I Period: 1917-1918

• George Creel– Chairman of the

Committee on Public Information (CPI)

– Helped establish public support for World War I

– Used a network of 75,000 civic leaders to spread campaign messages

Booming ‘20s Era (1919-1929)

• Edward L. Bernays– Combined social science with PR as

Freud’s nephew– Wrote the first PR textbook• “Crystallizing Public Opinion” (1923)• Emphasized “public relations

counselor”

Booming ‘20s Era (1919-1929)

• John W. Hill (Hill & Knowlton)– Controversial PR practitioner– Helped to found the Tobacco Industry Research

Committee (TIRC) and the Tobacco Institute– Advocated for the cigarette industry despite

research that indicated that smoking is a health threat

Roosevelt Era & WWII (1930-1945)

• In the aftermath of the 1929 stock market crash and the Depression, Roosevelt’s New Deal needed public support for radical reforms and government expansion

Roosevelt Era & WWII (1930-1945)

• World War II– Office of War Information headed by Elmer Davis– PR training ground (75,000-100,000 PIs)– Paid advertising via the War Advertising Council• Ration resources• Buy war bonds• Serve in the armed forces

Postwar Boom (1946-1964)

• PR helped to converting from a war-time to peace-time economy (industrial to post-industrial, service-oriented era)– PR used to combat rise of labor unions– Promotion of new opportunities for returning

soldiers (including education)

Protest and Empowerment (1965-1985)

• The ‘60s were turbulent times, including social unrest, protests and distrust of the “establishment”

• Rise of individualism and empowerment (e.g. civil rights, environmentalism, etc.)

• PR tactics used on all sides – both in an attempt to disrupt and preserve the status quo

Protest and Empowerment (1965-1985)

• From the ’70s-early ‘90s, there were some key developments:– Advertising/PR firm mergers and consolidation– Fractionalization of media channels– Internationalization of PR– Public skepticism, consumerism and single-issue

activism

Digital Age and Globalization (1986-Present)

• In the late ’80s and beyond, new technologies began to emerge that dramatically disrupted traditional PR techniques– Broadcast outlets expanded with digital satellite

and cable– The Internet caused an explosion of niche-based

influencers– Social media empowers citizens to share and

influence among their circle of friends

Other Recent Trends

• Continued fragmentation of media• Increased emphasis on “return on

investment” for all PR efforts• Increased sensitivity and emphasis on

diversity