Transforming PR: Public Relations to People Relations

by Andrius Kasparas

This book introduces the concept of the Picnic Society – a society which we all belong to today because social media has given us unlimited opportunities to create or destroy our own and our circle’s (our bubble’s) realities, possibilities, and reputations.

In today’s world every organization is integrated into society, and the people belonging to organizations are integrated into various continually interacting communities. Social media has – or soon will – erase any remaining boundaries between organizations and the world’s social fabric. It is increasingly pointless for organizations to try to establish relationships with society, because these already exist – 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and all 365 days of the year. This is what I mean in talking about the transformation of the field of PR – from Public Relations to People Relations. This book discusses the challenges facing public relations professionals working in a contemporary society that is flooded with information, offers endless channels of communication, gives rise to true and false leaders, and is marked by both openness and mistrust, by real and fake news.

This book will appeal to professionals who already have a solid grasp of public relations technologies but would like to review their skills and develop their own model of public relations know-how without being limited by the strict boundaries of traditional PR theory.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2024

About the author

Andrius Kasparas is a public relations strategist, author, and lecturer with over two decades of experience shaping communication in the business and NGO sectors. As Managing Partner at KOKO PR, he has led transformative campaigns, particularly in the energy industry, and is known for his innovative approach to people-centered communication. His book, Transforming PR: Public Relations to People Relations, introduces the concept of the “Picnic Society,” reimagining how organizations connect with audiences in the digital age. Andrius is also a university lecturer and former Director of the Lithuanian Communication Association.

Reviews

[Dmitry · Rating 1 out of 5]

(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)

Книгу очень трудно отнести к маркетинговой литературе. Впрочем, главным минусом является даже не это, а то, что автор формулирует свои мысли очень расплывчато и многословно, как будто в реальности автору нечего сказать по существу.

Суть всей книги сводится к тому, что на смену классическому PR пришли социальные сети, в которых каждый человек может заниматься PR. Такой подход не нов и почти в каждой книге о социальных сетях или об эпохе Интернета говорится что-то типа "пользователи стали одновременно и потребителями и создателями контента". Примерно похожая идея заложена и в этой книге.

The idea brewing in my mind for a long time eventually crystallized into the concept behind this book. I thought the word “picnic” was a perfect fit for describing an individual social media account and characterizing the emerging interconnected global community. Having only one picnic in our backyard corresponds to a social media account in relationships.

По сути, сегодня любой известный и популярный блогер может стать PR актором. Если раньше крупные компании нанимали PR фирмы для улучшения, к примеру, корпоративного имиджа, то теперь эту работу могут делать и простые пользователи, создавая в социальных сетях аккаунты, которые действуют по тому же принципу что и лидеры общественного мнения, как например знаменитости. С моей точки зрения, это очевидно и смысла писать о такой очевидной вещи нет никакого. Другой вопрос заключается в том, что пользователи очень быстро понимают, что блогерам платят за то, что они рекламируют те или иные бренды/события, что означает, что доверие к таким событиям может быть точно таким же, как доверие к обычной рекламе. Впрочем, я существенно отдалился от книги, в которой об этой проблеме ничего не говорится.

How should the work in a Social Picnic be constructed? The answer is obvious: by using the ConCrEtE formula. If a Sharer visits your Plaid, you want them to leave inspired, fascinated, and wanting to come back, so they must receive four things: learn news (communication), get information that they could use further (collaboration), learn new things (education), and have a bit of fun (entertainment).

По сути, аккаунты корпораций в социальных медиа, блогеры и пр. должны следовать правилам СМИ, о чём и пишет автор выше. К сожалению, почти на всём протяжении книги используются довольно бессмысленные советы, как нужно взаимодействовать со своей группой.

However, as with all forms of regulation, there is another form of soft regulation. This regulation includes politeness, respect, and ethical norms. These things will most likely never be written down, but they exist and are crucial for reputation. A company leader demonstrating a lack of education will not be penalized even administratively, but it will cause considerable reputational damage to the company.
So, we have some unwritten universal rules in the Picnic Society that should be discussed. What is permissible and desirable at the Social Picnic, and what is not prohibited but undesirable?

Зачем столько времени тратить на самоочевидные вещи, я не знаю. Могу лишь предположить, что автор решил превратить свою книгу в типичный малозначащий и малоинформативный блог.

First Rule: Kindness
Second Rule: Identifcation
Third Rule: Listening
Fourth Rule: Professionalism
Fifth Rule: Respect
Sixth Rule: Confdentiality
Seventh Rule: Accuracy
Eight Rule: Supportiveness
Ninth Rule: Purpose
Tenth Rule: Uniqueness

Типичные пустые советы, которые можно найти в любом блоге.

It is very difficult to classify the book as marketing literature. However, the main disadvantage is not even this but the fact that the author formulates his thoughts very vaguely and verbosely as if, in reality, the author has nothing substantial to say.

The essence of the whole book comes down to the fact that classical PR has been replaced by social networks, where everyone can engage in PR. This approach is not new and almost every book about social networks or the Internet era says something like “users have become both consumers and content creators”. This book has a roughly similar idea.

The idea brewing in my mind for a long time eventually crystallized into the concept behind this book. I thought the word “picnic” was a perfect fit for describing an individual social media account and characterizing the emerging interconnected global community. Having only one picnic in our backyard corresponds to a social media account in relationships.

In fact, today any well-known and popular blogger can become a PR actor. In the past, large companies hired PR firms to improve, for example, corporate image, but now this work can be done by ordinary users, creating accounts in social networks, which act on the same principle as opinion leaders, such as celebrities. From my point of view, this is obvious, and there is no point in writing about such an obvious thing. Another issue is that users very quickly realize that bloggers are paid to promote certain brands/events, which means that the credibility of such events can be exactly the same as the credibility of regular advertising. However, I've moved significantly away from the book, which is silent on this issue.

How should the work in a Social Picnic be constructed? The answer is obvious: by using the ConCrEtE formula. If a Sharer visits your Plaid, you want them to leave inspired, fascinated, and wanting to come back, so they must receive four things: learn news (communication), get information that they could use further (collaboration), learn new things (education), and have a bit of fun (entertainment).

In essence, corporate social media accounts, bloggers, etc., should follow media rules, which is what the author writes about above. Unfortunately, almost the entire book is filled with meaningless advice on how to interact with your group.

However, as with all forms of regulation, there is another form of soft regulation. This regulation includes politeness, respect, and ethical norms. These things will most likely never be written down, but they exist and are crucial for reputation. A company leader demonstrating a lack of education will not be penalized even administratively, but it will cause considerable reputational damage to the company.
So, we have some unwritten universal rules in the Picnic Society that should be discussed. What is permissible and desirable at the Social Picnic, and what is not prohibited but undesirable?

Why so much time is spent on self-evident things, I don't know. I can only assume that the author has decided to turn his book into a typical irrelevant and uninformative blog.

First Rule: Kindness
Second Rule: Identifcation
Third Rule: Listening
Fourth Rule: Professionalism
Fifth Rule: Respect
Sixth Rule: Confdentiality
Seventh Rule: Accuracy
Eight Rule: Supportiveness
Ninth Rule: Purpose
Tenth Rule: Uniqueness

It's typical empty advice that you can find on any blog.

[Sergii Bidenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrius Kasparas’ book Transforming PR: Public Relations to People Relations is a great chance to rethink the shift from mass communication to truly understanding people – their motives and behaviour.

We don’t work with some abstract “public.”
We work with real people, their fears, hopes, and that inner “yes” or “no.”

As a crisis advisor, this really resonates with me: in times of pressure, decisions are not made by organisations – they’re made by people. And it’s the quality of those relationships that decides whether a reputation can be saved.

The book is full of real cases showing how companies, public institutions, and NGOs are changing their approach to communication. I also found the People Relations Framework that Andrius suggests especially useful – a tool I’d like to test in my own practice.

[Cathrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transforming PR is a timely and insightful exploration of how public relations must evolve in an era where every individual with a smartphone becomes a publisher, a curator, and—willingly or not,a shaper of collective reality. Andrius Kasparas introduces the compelling concept of the Picnic Society, a metaphor for the fluid, boundaryless social ecosystem we now inhabit. In this constantly shifting landscape, organizations no longer get to decide if they’re part of public discourse; they already are—continuously, unfiltered, and often unpredictably.

[Nickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explains the collapse of traditional PR boundaries with impressive clarity.
Kasparas shows how people now shape narratives faster than organisations can react.
The Picnic Society idea makes modern communication easy to understand.
Every chapter feels relevant to today’s digital behaviour.
A smart, practical guide for modern communicators.

[Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is ideal for PR practitioners who already understand the mechanics of communication but want to elevate their thinking beyond tactics. It encourages readers not just to adapt to the modern media environment but to embrace it, reshaping their mindset, refreshing their skills, and building their own dynamic PR model suited for a society that never powers down.

[Faith Alao · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The concept of the ‘Picnic Society’ is brilliant and eye-opening. Kasparas demonstrates how social media empowers individuals to shape reality and influence reputations, forcing PR practitioners to rethink traditional strategies.”

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This book challenges the outdated notion of PR as simply managing public perception. It urges professionals to shift their focus from ‘Public Relations’ to ‘People Relations’, a shift that feels inevitable in today’s always-connected world.”