Dear Santa,
I love working in communications/public relations. I really do.
But there are a few things you could do to improve my job. If you can tour the world in one night, then surely you can help me with the following:
1. I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. I want consistent messaging across all marketing/communication channels of every single business.
2. I’d like to buy the world a Coke (bottle—with no bottleneck). Limit the number of people who review my writing. Three is a good number. Any more, and version control becomes hard to manage.
3. Give the gift of mind reading. I want businesses to anticipate and fulfill my information needs—before I ask for anything.
4. Eliminate the middleman or -woman. I want to speak directly with CEOs, CIOs, and CFOs. I want to hear their “voice” with my own ears. Must I always go through someone to ask a few simple questions of executives?
5. Christmas comes but once a year—unlike clichés. I want the world to step up to the plate, think outside the box and become leading providers of new words and phrases.
6. Fewer silent nights. Enforce a 48-hour turnaround time. Too often, I have written content in a mad dash—only to have the review process put on hold for a few weeks.
7. I want to publish the words “holy crap.” Once—just once—I’d love to write something like this.
8. Borrow (kidnap?) my PR idols. If you’re not too busy on Christmas Eve, I would love for you to drop Mark Ragan, Brian Clark and/or Chris Brogan down my chimney. We’d have a fascinating discussion come Christmas morning!
So what do you say, Santa? Will you make 2011 the Year of the PR Professional?
Lindsey McCaffrey is an Ottawa-based communications/public relations consultant, writer and editor. With more than a decade of experience, Lindsey is the recipient of a Gold Quill award from the International Association of Business Communicators. You can reach Lindsey at 613.290.0239 or lindsey@lindseymccaffrey.com