Online Public Relations Thoughts

Here is an internal challenge for PR. How do you change an insular culture in a large company? Change at the top is a start but hardly sufficient. New ways of thinking and operating have to percolate through management ranks to the shop floor. That takes years even with an accelerated effort. General Motors doesn't have years given the national and international competition in the car business. It might succeed as a much smaller company with tight control from the CEO on down, but it doesn't look like it is going that way.

How can PR help? Through transparency and constant communication that urges new approaches, celebrates successes and spotlights problems. It might be unrewarding labor, but it needs to be done. GM's PR department might need to think less about car promotion and more about town halls and intranets.