Garnering a reputation of trustworthiness is a difficult task in any field of work, as the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), now in its 68th year, broach upon the topic, a recent national conference and Parliament debate sought to establish what PR professionals must do to cultivate success.

Taking place in London’s Barbican Centre, the CIPR National Conference showcased a wide range of topics from a selection of diverse and distinguished speakers. With a programme that boasted varying subject matter, from trust, integration and harnessing female talent to balancing tradition and innovation, the conference was host to numerous discussion points on the role of PR in various contexts.

Colin Byrne, CEO UK & EMEA of Weber Shandwick, began the conference with a talk entitled, “Reality check: Managing brand and corporate reputation in a digital and ‘post truth’ age” whereby he discussed the messages behind public discourse and communications. Byrne gave mention to the recent US presidential election, saying, “Facts are now subservient to dollars and fake news is worth lots of money. During the US election, the top 20 fake news stories were worth more than the top 20 real news stories in the current broken advertising world".

The afternoon brought further discussion, with interesting talks from Antonia Bance of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Alex Willis of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Along with this, the CIPR held a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) surgery during the lunch break, inviting attendees to discover the CPD platform offered by the institution.

Following the conference, the CIPR took to the House of Commons, sparking discourse by defending the motion, “Marketing has little part to play in rebuilding trust in businesses, charities, or public institutions.” Despite a favourable majority siding against the motion, the result was an informed discussion with much participation. Chaired by former Liberal Democrat minister of state for justice, Lord McNally, the debate included Bridget Ahern of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and independent chartered practitioner Dr Jon White in favour of the motion. Against the motion Sharon Johnson, former CEO of Havas Media Re:Purpose sat with Professor Ian Bruce CBE.

With the CIPR’s continuous involvement in developing public relations, the recent events have collectively displayed the many faces of PR, bringing together a breadth of professionals willing to brainstorm ideas toward best practice. PR’s incorporation of vast marketing principles, as well as its outreach to a growing world of business, charities and various other institutions continue to be crucial components to communications of all kinds.