Celebrating the Invisible Architects: Public Relations Practitioners

Today, as we celebrate World Public Relations Day under the theme “Building Bridges & Navigating Polarisation”, I take a moment to reflect on a 16-year journey that has shaped not only my career but also my mindset, lifestyle, and resilience.

Public Relations, for me, is not just a job; it’s a calling and a way of life that demands agility, creativity, strategy, and emotional intelligence. It’s the art of shaping narratives that build trust, managing reputational risks, and creating visibility for others while often remaining behind the scenes ourselves. Over the years, I have had the honour of:

· Crafting impactful communication strategies that shaped perceptions and built bridges with key audiences.

· Navigating crises that could have taken disastrous turns, but with swift coordination, the right messaging, and composure, we steered things back to calm.

· Engaging stakeholders at all levels, translating complex institutional goals into relatable, actionable messages.

·  Conceptualising and executing CSR projects that have not only impacted communities but also gone on to become national annual initiatives replicated by others.

· Organising major institutional events, sometimes with just a few days of planning, earning the nickname “Miracle Worker” or “Star Girl” because, if it had to be done, I made it happen.

But this isn’t just my story; it reflects the reality for most PR practitioners. We bear the burden of our organisations’ reputations, craft the messages that position leaders for success, and do all of this with grace and grit, often sacrificing our recognition in the process.

One of the most remarkable aspects of working in Public Relations is our ability to be diverse and adaptable. We operate across various industries, including healthcare, engineering, finance, oil and gas, education, aviation, construction, telecommunications, NGOs, and more. Each time, we immerse ourselves in that world.

In the healthcare sector, we serve as health educators by investigating medical trends, understanding patient behaviour, and translating complex clinical language into messages that the public can relate to.

In engineering or construction, we examine technical processes to clearly communicate project progress, issues, and innovations to stakeholders and the media.

In the financial sector, we learn the language of investors, markets, and compliance to build trust with both clients and regulators.

Wherever we are, we take ownership of the space because we are the voice of our organisations. We cannot afford to be passive. We need to understand the work, the people, and the impact so that we can tell the right story, at the right time, to the right audience. This is why our work matters.

A common irony in our profession is that we focus on creating brands for others but often neglect to develop our own personal brands. We remain behind the scenes, managing the narrative and implementing the vision, while our names rarely make the headlines. We’ve contributed to making many CEOs and institutional leaders household names because we amplify their images. However, we often tend to forget ourselves. Our personal brands often fall into the background unless we make a conscious effort to increase our visibility. Even when we’re too subtle to acknowledge it, we are the driving force behind perception, trust, and credibility.

One of the biggest misconceptions about PR professionals is that we “write press releases” or “call the media.” In reality, our scope is broad. The main functions of a PR practitioner include:

 i. Strategic Communication Planning

 ii. Media Relations and Engagement

 iii. Crisis Communication and Issues Management

 iv. Internal Communications and Staff Engagement

 v. Event Planning and Execution

 vi. Stakeholder Mapping and Relationship Management

 vii. Brand Management and Positioning

 viii. Content Creation and Storytelling

 ix. Monitoring, Analytics, and Feedback Loops

 x. Reputation and Image Management

We are navigators, storytellers, brand custodians, trust builders, and problem solvers. Every institution that thrives publicly has a PR team behind the scenes making it work, often without the applause. However, we must remember that even when we are not seen, our work speaks volumes.

Today, I want to salute all PR practitioners out there. To every PR practitioner who may be feeling unseen, unheard, or unappreciated, know this: Your work tells the story of your value. Your strategies, resilience, attention to detail, and ability to calm a storm before it becomes a hurricane are the legacy you build every day.

I applaud your work, your grace under pressure, your intellectual curiosity, your all-nighters, and your ability to adapt to any room, industry, or challenge.

Continue demonstrating commitment, keep crafting messages that inspire people, and keep creating visibility for your organisations. But don’t forget to shine a little light on yourself. Build your personal brand. Document your successes. Celebrate your contributions. You are a communicator, storyteller, strategist, and change agent in the PR family, and although the world may not always understand what we do, we know the value we bring.

Happy World PR Day to every hero in the profession. Today, take a bow; you deserve it.