Jumana Twal, the founder and CEO of Bidaya Corporate Communications, first started her career in the PR industry in 1991, when tools, resources and experience in Jordan were scarce and almost nonexistent. mediaME spoke to Jumana about the evolution of public relations in Jordan, its role, the effect of mass communications technology on traditional media and public relations and much more.

Q. You are considered somewhat of a veteran in Jordan’s public relations industry, share with us some of the highlights of your career and how the industry has developed over the years.

When I first started out in the industry in 1991, the PR concept was virtually nonexistent here in Jordan. Businesses did not recognize the important role that communications plays in the growth and expansion of their businesses.

The lack of PR resources meant that much of the information I learned and the skills I developed were self-taught. There was also no Internet in Jordan at the time, so I lacked the luxury of what it offers to PR professionals these days in terms of insights and knowledge sharing. My second experience was at Zain, Fastlink at that time, and in that post I was able to attend international PR conferences, trainings and workshops which quickly gave me the much needed tools and experience. Since then, the number of PR professionals in Jordan has grown and whilst there is still room for more improvement, the standards have risen. Unfortunately, a lot of organizations still regard PR as an add-on to their communications and marketing strategies. Yes, PR budgets are growing, but they are still well behind marketing budgets.

Q.  A lot of your work involves dealing with the media. How has understanding of the role of public relations evolved the Jordanian media?

The roles of journalism and public relations in Jordan are complementary, drawing strength and direction from each other. The development of the media industry has improved public relations practices and vice-versa. Whilst there are still some journalists that remain skeptic of PR practitioners, this relationship has evolved substantially over the years. It is important for us in the PR industry to recognize that the media is our partner for us to gain credibility and trust from the media. Having good media relationships is the key to success in the industry.

Q. As opposed to several other PR firms, you launched Bidaya and continue to manage it without an international partner or affiliate, why?

Although the PR industry worldwide draws some similarities with the PR industry in Jordan and the region, there are still some major differences in terms of the client’s view of public relations and the media’s view of public relations. Some of these differences make our job harder and others make our job easier.

I recognize the importance of having insights from experts who have been in the industry for longer and have already experienced the changes we are experiencing or have yet to experience, which is why Bidaya is a member of MEPRA and IPRA. However, I still think that professionals who started in the industry locally and who understand the market share value and insights that cannot be replaced by an international partner or affiliate. 

Q. Some say that social media could spell the death of the public relations industry. What are your thoughts on this claim?

There is some tension arising between PR and Social Media professionals on how these two industries will cooperate. The evolution in mass communications technology has made it possible to reach an extremely large audience through social media tools.

Traditional media and traditional PR practitioners are no longer able to singlehandedly control the messages that are being disseminated to the public. However, this does not mean that social media will be the death of PR; successful PR practitioners that build their agencies on effective communications, progressive PR practices, and long-term relationships will still have a lot to offer.
 
Q. Is there a rule of thumb that companies should follow when implementing online public relations, and social media tools in particular?

I truly believe that if we as PR practitioners are to be successful in effectively utilizing and implementing online PR and social media tools, we need to recognize that social media professionals are different to traditional media professionals. We need to build new long-term partnerships with these practitioners and find new ways to disseminate our messages to them. If you are able to build such a relationship it will enable you to reach your audience in a completely different way.

Q. In your opinion, how will public relations evolve as a discipline this decade following this revolution in marketing communications?

The balancing act of old versus new will be the major struggle for all stakeholders in the industry over the next few years. Relationship-building will remain a key element in the future of the industry. I believe that the future will involve a lot of focus on direct PR and more interaction with social media and traditional media professionals. Again, if you don’t recognize that these stakeholders are your partners and you treat them as such, you won’t succeed in the business.