Has one of your young children, or a niece or nephew, ever asked you about public relations and what you do in your work? If so, how did it go? Was it easy to explain PR and your role, and was your explanation understood, or did it leave the child wondering what PR is and what your role is in PR?
I recently had such an experience with my niece, Sloan, who asked me what I do for a living.
I believe that I explained it well, but Sloan’s question also prompted me to look for a book about PR that she, a career-curious child, may enjoy reading to learn more. Who knows, maybe Sloan would become a PR star based on my conversation with her and her further reading! At least I would have answered her question and further informed her so that she could think about whether a PR career could be right for her.
When I tried to find a book about PR for Sloan on Amazon, I was surprised that the closest I could find were books about social media and journalism. PR is such a hidden profession that I couldn’t even find a book about it that a child could read!
My experience with Sloan inspired me to write the world’s first children’s book about PR!
I wrote “Game Face” to teach 10-year-olds the fundamentals of public relations; it’s also part of Bospar’s celebration of its 10th anniversary this year! “Game Face” will be published on Amazon on April 2 to commemorate National PR Month and the 400,000 professionals working in the field.
Curtis and his niece Sloan reading the new book.
“Game Face” opens with Sloan’s favorite video game experiencing a worldwide glitch; then Sloan learns that I and my colleagues at Bospar are managing the PR fallout. Realizing that Sloan is the perfect person to provide a gamer’s perspective, I deputize Sloan as a PR detective. And of course, she helps save the day! Together we manage the PR crisis while Sloan learns about the fundamentals of PR, from crisis communications to media training. “Game Face” aims to demystify what many parents describe as a “hidden profession” and introduce PR to the next generation in an engaging, accessible way.
PR is indeed a hidden profession, as shown in new research that Bospar commissioned and Propeller Insights conducted.
Despite the impact of PR on daily life, most Americans (68%) admit they don’t know someone who works in the field, and over half of parents (56%) have not discussed PR with their kids. Although the results of PR professionals’ work are in the public consciousness, PR jobs and professionals are not. The hidden, “behind-the-scenes” nature of the PR profession is one of the reasons so many parents haven’t discussed a career in PR with their children.
I hope that “Game Face” will be a fun way for children to learn more about PR and for parents to explain PR to their children. Even if children who read it don’t choose PR as a career, I hope that they will enjoy it and that parents, family members and friends will find it helpful as they introduce children to the many career options available to them. Now, others who are asked by a 10-year-old what PR is or what they do in PR won’t receive empty search results when they look for a children’s book about PR!
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