Public relations professionals cannot effectively protect the image and reputation of organisations unless they first establish credibility, integrity and strong personal brands of their own.

This was the focal point of the keynote message by Special Adviser on Programme and Policy Implementation/Monitoring to the Imo State Government, Chief Sam Anyalewechi Nwaobasi.

Delivering the keynote orientation lecture at the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) second-quarter induction ceremony in Abuja, Nwaobasi urged newly inducted practitioners to embrace character, knowledge, communication and professionalism as the pillars of a successful career.

He said no character, reputation, knowledge and effective communication should form the bedrock of every successful public relations career.

At the same time, he declared as he challenged newly inducted professionals to redefine public relations beyond media visibility and embrace its strategic role in organisational leadership.

Nwaobasi said public relations has evolved far beyond media relations and publicity, stressing that today’s practitioners must become strategic advisers who shape public perception, protect organisational reputation and build lasting stakeholder trust.

Drawing from more than 35 years of industry experience, he departed from academic definitions of public relations and instead focused on its practical value in today’s corporate and public sector environment.

According to him, the primary responsibility of every PR professional is to shape perception, manage reputation, build positive image and strengthen organisational brands.

“Public relations is much more than publicity,” he said. “It is about influencing how people think, what they believe and ultimately how they respond to an organisation.”

He explained that every organisation, whether in government, business or the non-profit sector, is constantly promoting ideas, services or values, while public relations remains the most credible way to earn public confidence and influence positive decisions without depending solely on paid advertising.

Nwaobasi also challenged practitioners to strengthen their communication skills, insisting that success in the profession depends on communicating clearly, concisely and appropriately to different audiences.

He urged practitioners to understand the demographics, psychology and expectations of every audience before crafting messages, noting that effective communication is determined not only by content but also by tone, timing and delivery.

Beyond communication, he identified interpersonal skills as another essential requirement, warning that impatience, arrogance, poor emotional control and disrespect for people can quickly erode professional credibility.

Instead, he encouraged practitioners to cultivate diplomacy, humility, patience and emotional intelligence because they represent the public face of their organisations.

A major highlight of his presentation centred on personal character, which he described as the foundation of successful public relations practice.

According to him, professionals cannot successfully manage the reputation of organisations without first building reputations worthy of public trust themselves.

“You cannot give what you do not have,” he stressed, adding that integrity, discipline, appearance, confidence and consistency significantly influence how both individuals and organisations are perceived.

He equally urged practitioners to embrace lifelong learning, arguing that ignorance has no place in modern public relations.

According to him, professionals must remain informed about national and global developments while continuously improving their digital competence to remain relevant in an increasingly technology-driven communication environment.

Nwaobasi further advised practitioners to gain a thorough understanding of their organisations’ vision, objectives and stakeholders, explaining that public relations cuts across every department because reputation is shaped by every organisational decision.

Distinguishing public relations from advertising, promotion and marketing, he explained that while advertising depends on paid media, promotion stimulates immediate action and marketing focuses on creating customer value, public relations builds credibility through trust, relationships and reputation management.

He noted that organisations now involve PR professionals more directly in executive decision-making because preventing reputational crises has become more valuable than managing them after they occur.

Describing reputation as one of an organisation’s greatest assets, Nwaobasi said it is built gradually through consistency and sustained performance.

“What people think about you is an asset,” he said. “Protect it because rebuilding a damaged reputation is always more difficult than building one from the beginning.”

He concluded by reminding the new professionals that induction into the institute represents the beginning of a lifelong commitment to ethical conduct, continuous learning and responsible leadership.

His keynote address headlined the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations’ second-quarter induction ceremony held at the Bolingo Xperia Hotel, Abuja.

There, the institute formally admitted 415 new members into its professional fold as part of its commitment to strengthening ethical standards and professionalism within Nigeria’s public relations industry.