Obama uses PR to promote peace in the Middle East

Does it make you feel good to work in a profession that can make a difference? OK, so if you work in PR, you may have come to accept that the mother/father-in-law probably was a little disappointed that you weren’t a doctor or perhaps scientist? But the news that Obama is using PR to attempt to reinvigorate the Middle East peace process puts the potential of PR into perspective. A series of interviews are planned in both the Israeli and Arab media to attempt to move both sides towards an “atmosphere where talks can begin.” This is just the latest campaign that shows the emphasis Obama places on PR, but it remains to be seen how successful it will be in winning the hearts and minds of people on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides of the most complex, long running and lethal political situation on the planet. It will need all of Obama’s diplomatic and communication skills and a large dollop of good fortune to stand a chance of success. That said, it does emphasise how PR is fast becoming the marketing communications tool of choice, both in the political and commercial world.