Communication during and after a crisis, changes in values and ethical consumption, online public relations, current trends in public relations, and corporate social responsibility are the topics of the 11th conference of the Croatian Association for Public Relations (HUOJ).
The conference was held under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Ivo Josipović, at the Europa cinema in Zagreb and hosted many renowned domestic and international speakers who dedicated themselves to the topic of responsible business and revolutionary changes in communication following the largest economic crisis in the last 70 years. At the opening of the conference on new trends in the profession and the presentation of the results of the European Communication Monitor 2010, Professor Dejan Verčić, a well-known regional expert in public relations, spoke. The Vice President and Chief Strategist of the MS&L group, lecturer at Sorbonne, and world-renowned PR expert, Pascal Beucler, addressed the audience about changes in the market and consumer behavior, how consumers are questioning companies, and their values and ethical behavior.
Two round tables were also organized: ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in Times of Recession’ in which businesspeople and experts in corporate social responsibility participated. Professor Philip Young from the University of Sunderland in the United Kingdom concluded that there is no longer a division between ‘internet’ and ‘traditional PR’, but believes that all PR today is online, and that professionals in this field must understand this and acquire new skills to succeed in this business. Following his words, Portuguese PR expert Bruno Amaral emphasized the need to pay attention to the web, which is composed of a range of platforms, channels, content, and context, and to learn to cope with ubiquitous communication and use it for the benefit of all.
