Writing from New York, the weather has finally turned. It’s freezing now. We brace ourselves before going outdoors. And when we forget to dress warmly, we suffer. But when we engage with one another through the Institute for Public Relations, we come out of the cold, and the world becomes a surprisingly warm place.
The Institute for Public Relations is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. During its lifetime, the Institute has elevated our profession; reinforced the importance of “the science beneath the art,” and introduced new ways of thinking about research in, on and for the profession. In its anniversary year, The Institute continued to publish thoughtful white papers and topical blog posts. It produced conferences and boot camps. But for me, the IPR’s most valuable asset is the amazing IPR supporters who continue to lead, inform and illuminate our understanding of public relations.
If you’re like me, you’ve been busy buying gifts. But through the IPR, the best gift we give one another is the best of ourselves: Unwrapped. Just us, as we are and as we want ourselves and our profession to be.
Beyond the meetings, the events and the white papers, my fellow Trustees and my colleagues on the Measurement Commission have traveled through life and death together. We fail and recover together. We make a difference together… Together, we make ourselves, one-another and our profession better.
With that in mind, I’ve chosen to share “the heart beneath the science” of public relations by expressing my gratitude for what I’ve learned from my IPR friends. Their expertise elevates our profession even though there’s still so much to learn. I appreciate the friendships developed through the Institute and I look forward to deepening them.
So during the holiday season and for the next few months, don’t forget your coat; remember your scarf and gloves…It’s going to get even colder in the coming weeks. But for those of us involved with the Institute for Public Relations, the weather couldn’t matter less.
Mark Weiner is CEO of PRIME Research, the global research-based communications consulting firm. Mark is a Trustee and member of the Measurement Commission. He published two white papers in 2016, 
“Irreversible: The Public Relations Big Data Revolution” with Dr. Sarab Kochhar, and “IPR Measurement Commission Judging Guidelines” with John Gilfeather. Follow him on Twitter @WeinerMark.
