http://www.aici.org/
Are public relations activities like image consulting ethical? Explain.
What a debate, what a debate! I believe that all public relations activities should be ethical. The idea behind public relations is to build relationships and to let people know who you are and why you're here! Let's look at this question a little deeper.
What is image consulting?
Image consultant- a person or company hired to advise on improved public presentation or impression, esp. in media and public relations; also, such a person or company hired to assist someone in personal appearance or style. Cf. imagemaker
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/image+consultant&
Some services they offer include:
Image consulting and seminars on: professional dress, corporate & executive image, business casual, dress code policies, uniforms selection, and business etiquette. http://www.professionalimagedress.com/What could be considered ethical/unethical about it?
I think that improving somebody's image is completely ethical. Research has shown that image and appearance make a difference. Now, if a PR company was hired to make an impression or make a business look or appear different than they really were, that would be unethical. It would be unethical to promote a false image, but to simply improve the appearance of a business isn't unethical at all. In fact, that is what corporations and people all over are consistently trying to do, they want to look and appear better - but they also want to look and appear as they really are.
On one website, the company's motto is "Image is everything." If that was the motto, then I can see how image consulting could become very unethical. If the idea is to create a false image or promote something that actually doesn't exist, I believe that is very unethical.
Did I mention I'm emphasizing in PR? :)
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