Across the world, more and more cities are revamping their infrastructure to allow more bike-friendly lanes on the roadways. This move is in hopes that more people will pick up bicycling as a hobby and to reduce the number of bike and pedestrian accidents on sidewalks. Although bikes seem to have nothing to do with public relations, there are actually quite a few things we can learn from the changing bicycle culture that can be directly applied to PR. Here are some public relations lessons from bicycling.
Photo Courtesy of: Pedro Ribeiro Simões
PR and Bicycling: 3 Similarities
- Public Relations is a Moving Machine
Like bicycles, a public relations plan is a moving machine that requires action in order to be pedaled properly and keep moving forward. Bicycles have human riders that keep them going, and public relations campaigns have human operators. Practicing public relations is all about forming and maintaining relationships, much like bicycling is about forming a seamless cooperation between man and machine.
- The Culture is Changing
With the incorporation of social media, practicing public relations is becoming more about a conversation than a one-sided dissemination of information. Like the change in PR, bike culture is also changing. Many people are taking up bicycling as a healthy recreational activity. More cities are incorporating biking to work as part of the daily commute, signaling a huge change in the transportation and city planning.
- “If You Build It, They Will Come”
Building more bike lanes in cities inevitably drives more people to start biking. Creating safer zones for bicyclers means many more people will feel safer venturing out on the roads. Much like building a new space for a bike-friendly culture of the future, public relations is being driven by the customers. The change in public relations is directly related to what the people want. Social media and posting to blogs are more accessible ways to reach the public than a small website, so it will be easier to spread your message through these channels. Build a solid platform for your public to interact with you, and it will drive more people to visit your site.
Do you think the culture of public relations is changing? Where do you see public relations going in the future?
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