Students of IAU PR Atölye, operating under the Department of Public Relations and Publicity at Istanbul Aydin University Faculty of Communication, have launched Türkiye’s first professional awareness project initiated by a student community addressing the perception problem of the public relations profession.
The main issue addressed by the project is the lack of awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises regarding the public relations profession, as well as the widespread confusion of public relations with other occupations such as marketing, secretarial work, and information desk services. Even among those who are aware of the profession, incorrect definitions and the misassignment of practitioners to inappropriate positions constitute major challenges.
For this reason, under the supervision of Department Chair Assist. Prof. Dr. Deniz Akbulut, IAU PR Atölye students first published an open letter addressed to the public relations sector and the public, calling for support. In addition, they produced amateur sketches based on scripts and created videos and visual materials to simply and clearly explain what public relations is not. By also incorporating the opinions of academic staff within the department, students addressed the public through their blog and social media platforms using the slogan “Be Aware of My Profession.”
Sharing support videos and messages received through social media, the professional awareness project of IAU PR Atölye was featured in leading industry magazines such as Mediacat and Marketing Türkiye, as well as various online news platforms including Posta, Milliyet, Hürses, Günboyu, and Medya Haber.
Prominent figures from the sector, including Fügen Toksü (Board Member of TÜHİD and President of Toksü & Chase Public Relations Agency), Dr. Zehra Güngör (IPRA World President 2014), Şahnur Karaağaç (Editor-in-Chief of halklailiskiler.com.tr), Selma Serdaroğlu (Communication Consultant Editor at A&B), Nesrin Gündüz (President of Niş PR Agency), Hatice Kumalar (President of Brand İstanbul Agency), as well as academics from various universities, sent support videos for the project.
In addition, Buğra Tugay Erdoğan, a senior student in the Department of Public Relations and Publicity and a volunteer member of the Atölye, drew attention to the #BeAwareOfMyProfession campaign by wearing a campaign t-shirt during the medal ceremony of the Turkish Open Kickboxing Championship, where he won the gold medal. As a result, the campaign also received coverage in local media and online news platforms.
Within the scope of the campaign, IAU PR Atölye invited communication professionals, academics, and students to submit one-minute video messages sharing their experiences, memories, and opinions regarding the perception of the public relations profession. These contents are shared on the project’s social media accounts and blog under the slogan “Be Aware of My Profession.” Through these ongoing activities, the team aims to sustain the project and keep the issue on the sector’s agenda.
For More Information:
Blog: iaupratolyesi.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/iaupratolye
Twitter: twitter.com/iaupratolyesi
Instagram: instagram.com/iaupratolye
YouTube: IAU PR Atölyesi
