Time was when PR was beyond the pale. It was the bastard child of propaganda and the poor cousin of the marketing clan: nowhere near as sexy as the mad men of advertising nor as powerful as the marketers themselves. Malcolm Muggeridge sneeringly referred to it as 'organised lying'. How times have changed. Public relations is riding high at the moment. The largely invisible spinners have never wielded greater influence. They have the ears (and budgets) of the most powerful. Most bosses with any sense now realise that corporate reputation is a priceless thing. None more than Charlie Mayfield, the John Lewis chairman who I interviewed for our profile this month.
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