Funny old PR world

PR Week always throws up a couple of good stories. Two that caught my eye today include…

First up:

The UK Food and Drink Federation have appointed Bell Pottinger to lobby against an outright ban on kids’ advertising and traffic light labelling on foods. 

Meanwhile Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming, which has ‘bolstered its comms team’ by appointing a new co-ordinator of the Children’s Food Bill campaign. His role (for it is a he) is ‘to turn up the heat on the food and drink industry’.

May the best man win!

Seconds out!

Another story includes the appointment of London Assembly’s new comms chief 9to borrow a PR Week term). He is, Mark Demery, former political editor at London’s LBC radio station and it’s his first PR role.

Now I don’t really have any problem with journos making the leap into PR. They usually have great writing skills (even in broadcast) and a real insight into the way media works… however, Demery’s role includes: lobbying; stakeholder relations and strategy and campaigns. He also heads up a three-strong press team.

It makes me wonder why I need to try and build up my PR skills across the board if top-level jobs can picked up by people with no dedicated PR experience.