Marcus Garvey, the PR Entrepreneur —2013 trends in client billing

Garvey, the PR

Entrepreneur—2013 trends in

billing

This is the cover story - PR Brief August 2013

Quite provocatively, we are highlighting Marcus Garvey as perhaps one of the most successful public relations practitioners of all time.

Marcus Garvey started out as a disadvantaged immigrant minority to lead a major international movement. From the photos history has left us, we see that Marcus Garvey was not only

fashionably aware, he managed his personal image to best effect and was a powerful publicist and journalist for his organization's goals.

This edition of PR brief recognizes the the 126th anniversary of his birth, on

August 17, and his achievements in the fields of corporate affairs and business communication. Among Garvey’s notable communications achievements was the development of several media platforms: multilingual newspapers, and the staging of popular events.

At age 27, Marcus Garvey was acutely aware that collective entrepreneurship would be the way forward for persons like him—black and under represented in leadership positions and in the ownership of capital. Under his leadership, the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) achieved the incorporation of a shipping company with its own commercial steamship.   

Garvey understood, “ There is no force like success, and that is why the individual makes all effort to surround himself throughout life with the evidence of it”. 

The PR practitioner as entrepreneur has to continually evaluate the price point of his or her services . The PRSJ sought insights into current billing rates and asked experienced practitioners with ten to 30 years experience. We found that they preferred an arrangement where a suite of services are to be delivered for a project over a stated period of time.

This would include creating content for broadcast and digital media, placement of content across media outlets; administration of social marketing; brand marketing activities; event management and also the management of online platforms . Marcus Garvey not only delivered long letters and articles, but he has left us with many pithy quotes which would suggest that he would have been comfortable as a micro blogger.

Experienced practitioners are negotiating upwards of $250,000-$300,000 with large organisations for a 30-day campaign. For shorter projects, the hourly billing starts at $8,000-$10,000 per hour, with a 10% differential for clients who are billed in foreign currencies.

Marcus Garvey’s speeches are still quoted to this day, demonstrating how the power of his writing helped to change conversations on race and power.

Our conversations with five experienced practitioners revealed that fees for experienced writers start at $20,000-$25,000 for a five-minute speech. Speeches that need more research start at $30,00-$45,000. Ministers of government are not allowed to make speeches in Parliament, but can speak from “notes”. Negotiations to prepare these notes for a budget debate in the house start at $50,000.00.

In his pitch perfect words, we can remember Marcus Garvey saying, "I trust that you will so live today as to realize that you are masters of your own destiny, masters of your fate; if there is anything you want in this world, it is for you to strike out with confidence and faith in self and reach for it."

The PR consultant can look to this for inspiration, as these words have at their core the fiery passion of an entrepreneur. 

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Notice of AGM 2013

Paid up members 2012 - 2013

COUNTRY MAKING PROGRESS – DR TREVOR MUNROE

COUNTRY MAKING PROGRESS – DR TREVOR MUNROE

Kingston, August 25, 2010

Director of the anti-corruption group, the National Integrity Action Forum, Dr Trevor Munroe, says that the country had pulled back from a tipping point on the matter of corruption as state agencies are making progress.

Speaking at a meeting of the Public Relations Society of Jamaica in Kingston on Tuesday, August 17, Dr Munroe said “what we are seeing now, we have not seen in many, many years”. 

He noted the 100% success rate by the Contractor General to have all Ministries report on the contracts that they have issued; the establishment of a Corruption Court at the Supreme Court level and the rejection of 170 police personnel on suspicion of corruption as compelling proof of progress.

Dr Munroe said, “The fact is by 2008, by plan as well as fortuitously, a number of public officials were in positions of importance who, clearly by their deeds, were demonstrating a determination to come to grips with this issue of corruption, and not least of all were the two whom I mentioned at the beginning of our talk: Danville Walker of Customs and Greg Christie of the Contractor General.”

Dr Munroe, who is also Professor of Government and Politics at the University of the West Indies (UWI), said that investigating and convicting high ranking officials for corruption was not uncommon in developed regions of the world, but the last such conviction in Jamaica happened 20 years ago. He said that the recent conviction of a senior police officer (now under appeal), the current trial of a Member of Parliament, and the recommendation of another Member of Parliament for charge were signs that law enforcement officials were prepared to deal with the most powerful in the land.

Noting the upcoming legislation regarding regulations for political parties, which he called private clubs, Dr Munroe asked public relations practitioners to remain alert.

“We need to plug the legal loopholes….I am asking you to keep your eyes very focused to the next few months on this issue of proposals to register political parties and to develop a regime of political party funding, and later on, of campaign financing….The proposals that are likely to come will represent a historic first step, but given the magnitude of the problem we face, I believe the proposals are likely to fall short of what is required in terms of disclosure to the people – who is giving how much to which political party.”

Dr Munroe said that by the end of the year, a Jamaica chapter of Transparency International, a global watchdog on corruption, will be established. He said that this Chapter will be able to develop a systematic approach to outreach and public education on the necessity of combatting corruption.

The Public Relations Society of Jamaica is dedicated to the practice of public relations in Jamaica, an expanding dynamic area that is now merging with commodity and social marketing, advertising, event planning, the business of sports and entertainment and corporate strategic decision making. 

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CONTACT: Delmares White

President, PRSJ

FORCES ON THE GROUND FAVOURABLE FOR CHANGE - Leading Academics

FORCES ON THE GROUND FAVOURABLE FOR CHANGE - LEADING ACADEMICS

Kingston August 20, 2010

Leading academic in the field of government, Dr Brian Meeks, says that the forces on the ground for change in Jamaica are positive. He was giving his views at the inaugural Kingston 360 lecture in Kingston on August 20. The lectures are sponsored by the Mona School of Business and the Spanish Court Hotel.


Dr Meeks, who is the Professor of Social and Political Change at the University of the West Indies (UWI) said, “I think that there are real social forces on the ground favourable for a renewal of Jamaica’s civil society, the State and the birth of moral culture.”

Professor Meeks 27 seconds

The professor went on to say that he and fellow political scientists have the duty to “identify who and where they are and to assist the process of giving them voice in the cacophony of despair, extremism and nihilism that characterises the present moment.”

Professor Munroe - full audio 32 mins 

Professor Meeks’ views come three days after his colleague, Professor of Government and Politics, Trevor Munroe, told the Public Relations Society of Jamaica that there was tangible progress being made in the fight against corruption. Both Professors are associated with the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies.

Guest Speaker at the 360 Lecture, Professor of Political Sciences at the University of Wisconsin, Dr Obika Gray, added that the country was ready to shake off spontaneous order which occurs naturally in Caribbean societies. He described this as a form of co-operation where people organise themselves on the basis of shared interests and common understanding without formal hierarchy or leadership.

Professor Gray said, “What we are doing today is to try to put back in place those formal rules, those regulations those codes of conduct so that the modern bureaucratic and rational State be respected and not give way to the rituals and values of spontaneous order.”

He went on to prescribe short and long term objectives towards building a society that respected modern bureaucratic rules.

Audio - Professor Gray 47 seconds

“What we need is a double move; we have to help police catch the criminals, and we have to stabilize the political system and work with the Parliamentarians and the people that we have. But the other part of that double move is that …we have to not fix power, we need to dismantle it; that is the long run project,” Professor Gray said.

The Kingston360 lecture series will be held quarterly and feature topical issues.

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Jamaica Observer News Article - Munroe: Lawyers should not be paid with dirty money

THE JAMAICA OBSERVER ARTICLE - AUGUST 19, 2010
Munroe: Lawyers should not be paid with dirty money


BY ERICA VIRTUE Observer writer virtuee@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, August 19, 2010

Professor Trevor Munroe Photo: Cheryl Smith

Listen to Prof Munroe's address here - 32 minutes

PROFESSOR Trevor Munroe wants the Government to begin examining ways to make it difficult for lawyers representing persons charged with certain criminal offences to receive payments from the funds of their clients' ill-gotten enterprises.

"I would like to see in Jamaica a version of the law in the United States that lawyers, who are defending persons alleged to be engaged in money laundering, gun running and drug trafficking demonstrate that the earnings from that defence are not part of ill-gotten gains. I believe that is certainly a topic worthy of discussion...," said Munroe, a lecturer at the University of the West Indies and former senator.

He was responding to questions following his keynote address Tuesday night at the Public Relations Society of Jamaica (PSRJ) monthly meeting in Kingston.

His views, however, came in light of the recent court appearance in New York of alleged Jamaican drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, where lawyers made it clear that they would have to be assured that money paid to the defence in the drug and gun trafficking case was not tainted.

Coke's assets in Jamaica have been frozen under the Proceed of Crime Act of 2007, which provides for forfeiture through the courts of all properties and accumulated wealth, which cannot be explained by legitimate activity.

Under US laws, lawyers must demonstrate that they are not being paid with monies from a person's alleged criminal operation. However, there is no similar law here. According to Munroe, it was crucial for Jamaica to have greater anti-corruption mobilising efforts as surveys have showed that Jamaicans perceived that the country was tipping dangerously on the brink of being overwhelmed by real, as well as perceived corruption.

According to Munroe, professionals, particularly agents of law enforcement, were very crucial at given stages in the country's development to deal with the levels of corruption which Jamaica was experiencing.

He wants Jamaica to create its own version of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisationa (RICO) Act in the United States, which he said would go a far way in punishing wrongdoers, especially those charged with corruption-related offences.

"We need the Jamaican equivalent of the RICO statute in the United States, where the persons who don't pull the trigger, or the persons who are not on the front line of the corrupt and who hide in the back, can be brought within the purview of law enforcement. And that is a big deficiency in our system as well...," Munroe told public relations executives.

PRSJ Volunteers To Plan AGM Meeting

Arising out of the useful meeting in October, several persons put themselves forward to serve the re-start of the PRSJ. Our working committee to plan the Annual General Meeting will meet tomorrow evening (January 28) in the UDC Resource Room, Downtown.

The volunteer planners are:

• Analisa Downes, Students Loan Bureau (SLB)


• Carroll Edwards, UWI Public Relations


• Shawnette Henry, MIND Marketing


• Misha Lobban, Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Caribbean


• Akilah Maxwell, PIOJ


• Leo McEwan, Min of Transport and Works


• Tyrell Morgan, UDC


• Claudette Myers, PIOJ


• Cheryl Smith, Min of Finance and the Public Service


• Mark Thomas, JTI/Jampro


• Gwyneth Davidson, OPM
• All Past Presidents

This is a great stage to receive concerns or suggestions, so do write them in. One of our immediate tasks will be to identify and notify members. If you have any query about your status with the PRSJ, do drop the Mod an email at prsj2009@gmail.com.

Agenda - Networking activity

Dear Colleagues,

The agenda for our networking activity is below. To RSVP, email: prsj2009@gmail.com.

PRSJ Networking Activity
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 (5:30 - 7:30)
Jamaica Trade and Invest 18 Trafalgar Road, Kingston 10

Master of Ceremonies – Former PRSJ President, Christine Bell,
PR Consultant, Innovative Ideas

Registration starts/ refreshments available

Welcome - PRSJ President, Mark Thomas
Communications Director, Jamaica Trade and Invest

Introduction of Guest Speaker – Tyrell Morgan,
PR Officer, UDC

Reading/Performance from her new book - Joan Andrea Hutchinson
Actress, author, innovator

"Solving Illiteracy through marketing education - Saving the unread"

Keynote Speaker – Glynis Salmon
Director of Business Development and Communication, MIND

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Panel Discussion – The Way Forward Now

Moderator:

Former PRSJ President, Alison Christie Binger, PR Counsellor, Illuminart

Panellists:

Sydian Brissett PR Officer, The British Council
Former PRSJ President, Janneth Mornan Green – Consultant, Media Central
Gillian Haughton, PR Director, Ministry of National Security

Registration of volunteers for Working Groups:
AGM Planning Committee
Training and Professional Development
Lights out

RSVP prsj2009@gmail.com