Hassan Al Saleh is the Managing Partner of TRACCS Oman. A Magna Cum Laude graduate from Georgetown University in Washington D.C., he returned to Oman to embark on a career
in public relations. Al Saleh joined TRACCS Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with the aim of opening TRACCS Oman and to build a rigorous and dynamic public relations industry in the
Sultanate that thrives on intellectual and strategically tailored communication platforms that appreciate and internalize market sensibilities.

A long standing member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and recently appointed as a Board Director and the Vice-President of IPRA Gulf Chapter in Oman, Al Saleh is also a strong advocate for the industry and educating the market on the public relations as an essential communications tool focusing on messaging and quality. He believes that the practice of public relations in the Middle East is much more than media relations and has developed to include a sophisticated set of tools to enhance and manage an organization’s reputation, defend it against external and internal crises, reach out to its various publics and build its own internal communications capabilities.

Excerpts from an exclusive interview he gave Oman Vistas:

Do you think Public Relations come of age in Oman? How important are disciplines like Corporate Communications, Marketing Communications and Public Relations in an organization, especially in the Oman context?

Public relations is still in its infancy stage in Oman. Although the level of awareness has increased considerably, the practice is still very much misunderstood and underappreciated.
Both private and public sector organizations need to come to the realization that public relations is an essential discipline to create and deliver key communication messages and implement integrated marketing strategies.

We believe that public relations is much more than merely media relations and that the practice has developed to include a sophisticated set of tools to enhance and manage an organization’s reputation, defend it against external and internal crises, reach out to its various publics and build its own internal communications capabilities.

There is tremendous potential in Oman and for the last decade, we have been deeply committed to building and diversifying the practice of public relations offered in the region, delivering world-class communications services combined with a deep understanding of and empathy for the local culture and market sensibilities.

Agencies, government entities and private organizations must come together to enhance the understanding of public relations in Oman and build a vibrant industry which is lead by local practitioners that recognize the potential, diversity and importance of this critical communications discipline.

I am confident that there will be a definite shift in focus from advertising to PR in the coming years. This will become more evident with the current global economic crisis as companies rely more on public relations to successfully communicate key informationto ensure their reputations remain intact both internally and externally and maintain the desired relationships with stakeholders.

What according to you is good public relations?

Good public relations programs are focused in terms of messaging and target audience, innovative both in concept and execution and consistent with clearly identified objectives with an imbedded reporting and measuring mechanism. They should also be workable programs based on research and sound and ethical communication techniques that can adapt to changes in the marketplace whether it is industry trends or competitive activity.

We see an increasing number of handouts being published in the daily newspapers everyday. The bigger advertisers seem to more generous editorial space in the newspapers. How would the reader gauge the believability factor of such write-ups that appear in the newspapers?

Over the last five years, the media industry in Oman has matured significantly with the introduction of new publications and the enhancement of critical journalism. However, there are cases where publications refuse to carry news items unless the Company advertizes or the bigger the advertiser the more generous editorial space is allocated. This ultimately will destroy reader believability.

We fundamentally believe that advertising and PR are completely different disciplines that must be separated; each has its own set of objectives. Press coverage should never be dependent on advertising spend.

Our philosophy will continue to be that if a press release is “newsworthy” and presents compelling information that will be valued by readers, it should be published. We as a PR agency, provide information and it is then the responsibility of each publication to present this information as ‘news’ in the form that is best suited for its editorial policy that meets the needs of its readers.
Unfortunately, when publications cover trivial stories by companies that advertise merely to keep them satisfied, this does not reflect positively on the level of professionalism in the media industry today. We will never compromise on this principle as it will result in the complete devastation of the foundations of the PR industry.

What type of an organization can benefit with good Public Relations?

Public relations is a distinctive management function and all organizations benefit from it whether it is a small start-up, large conglomerate, government organization or NGO. In fact, I believe that all organizations have a public relations function. The more pertinent question is whether they are aware of its potential and whether they have allocated sufficient resources to manage their communications.

What is the better for any organization? Internal PR specialist within the organization or hiring of a professional PR company?

This is completely dependent on the type and size of the organization. Hiring a professional PR company allows organizations to optimize their resources while brining a fresh eye and objective perspective with professional standard of service and established network of partners. Even if an external company is appointed, it is essential to have an experienced PR professional working within the organization to coordinate and streamline all programs and initiatives internally.

In any case, good PR practitioners are identified by their level of talent and expertise. It is their ability to understand the communications needs and work through creative means that enables them to achieve the desired communications and positioning objectives.

Innovation and passion are also key factors. Innovation is an imperative tool that sets organizations apart from their competition and set new benchmarks in an industry with boundless opportunities brought about by the advancement of technology, whereas passion for the industry is essential to drive innovation.