Erica Ballard | Jan. 20, 2008
Warr, who began his public relations career in 1993 when he took a job as a spokesman for the United Kingdom government, spoke to students in J349 Public Relations Writing, J410 The Media as Social Institutions, J428 Public Relations Planning and Research, and J460 International Public Relations.
His career path eventually took him to Ford of Europe, where he was appointed director of communications for Jaguar and Land Rover early last year.
“It’s a life experience, much more than just a job,” he said of his work at Jaguar and Land Rover.
Much of his work has involved travel to exotic places such as Morocco and Belize for product launches, but Warr cautioned that no matter how exotic or beautiful, these locations were chosen because they align with the company’s promotion plan.
Product launches reinforce the brand and draw in journalists, he said. Many launches need to be somewhere new and exciting to compete with other companies. And because Land Rover and Jaguar serve to be a luxury car, the destinations need to match the product, said Warr.
But corporate PR is more than choosing locations. Warr stressed the importance of upholding brand and lectured about the need for consistency, coordination and an understanding of global culture and media.
He acknowledged that dealing with global media can be difficult, but pushed the importance of relationship building with reporters and editors because the result of these connections can increase sales, Warr said.
He also stressed the importance of learning about other cultures when trying to reach clients outside one’s own country. Educating oneself about different societal norms will help structure promotion and events for a company that can potentially entice new global clientele, Warr said.
“You have to have a broader perspective than the one you grew up with (because) you’re going to do better (if you do),” said Warr. “You got to understand what it is that’s different about you and try to think the same way as people in other countries.”
Along with these challenges, Warr noted that other difficulties and changes in public relations will arise as Internet and blog use increases.
Although Warr highlighted some of the challenges public relations practitioners face, he also showed students that “you can have fun doing public relations.” He reiterated the various destinations his job has enabled him to see and expressed the joy of driving stunning British luxury vehicles as benefits of the automotive business.
And while these perks favor his job, what really keeps Warr with Land Rover and Jaguar public relations is his love for the car business.
“I’m no petrol head,” he said. “What really gets me is that it covers all of life ,” he said.
Warr left students with this advice: Be flexible. He told students that there are many different types of public relations and that to reach these varying outposts flexibility is a key skill.
