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Member Spotlight: Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA

For the past two decades, Mike McDougall has provided communications and public affairs counsel to some of the world’s most prominent multinational brands. His work has garnered international recognition, including 11 PRSA Silver Anvils and Awards of Excellence. In 2015, he was elected to the PRSA College of Fellows, considered the pinnacle of achievement in the field. In 2011, he founded McDougall Communications, a reputation and communications management firm serving clients in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. 

What does it mean to have been recently inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows – the first practitioner from Rochester to achieve this since the group was established in 1989?

It’s an honor to have been inducted alongside 14 other practitioners and educators from across the industry this year. Yet it’s also humbling, since the selection criteria requires that Fellows have “left a significant footprint on the public relations profession” during their career. God willing, I have at least a couple of decades of practice ahead of me, so the challenge will be continuing to innovate and push boundaries as PR evolves more rapidly than ever, while making sure to have some fun along the way.

Fellows are considered to be visionaries for the industry. Can you share any long-term perspective on where PR is headed?

Successful practitioners are understanding that high-value PR is becoming less about the “doing” and more about the strategy and science of building and sustaining relationships. The sheer number of communications outlets has exploded, and trying to touch them all (or control them all) is fruitless, so value is no longer based on your index of contacts, whether in media, social spaces, government or elsewhere. However, if you can make sense of this complex world, give it some order, and show how the right relationships can advance a particular cause, your services will be in high demand.

Your firm has had an incredible period of growth over the last few years, and most recently opened up an office in Indiana. Tell us about that. What's the market like in Indianapolis, and any similarities to Rochester?

Thanks. With a great team, some hard work and a little luck, we’ve been able to build a firm with clients and programs across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific, right here in Rochester. That makes for some late night calls and e-mails, and lots of time spent on planes, but we’ve also been able to translate that global experience into success for clients located closer to home.

When we considered expansion, we wanted a city similar to Rochester in terms of its values and work ethic, which had strong business growth prospects, and in which we wouldn’t be a “me too” firm. Indianapolis checked the box on all three, and we’ve been really pleased with the reception there from the start. Our Indiana office only opened in July, but it already feels like home (and in fact is home to our VP Angela Blackwell, who grew up nearby). With the 2016 PRSA International Conference slated to take place in Indy, we’re looking forward to welcoming Rochesterians to the city, and extending some Hoosier hospitality.

As a leader in PRSA at the local, regional, and national level, you seem to be a good, discerning judge of "who's doing it right," with brands that understand the value of strategic, responsive communications. Are there any brands that inspire you and your work?

So many brands are doing things right these days – the majority of which are unheralded. “Right” depends on industry segment and audience, of course. Southwest Airlines always continues to impress – its transparent, genuine communication, even in times of crisis, isn’t an independent strategy, but an extension of who the company is. Burger King – with stunts such as the McWhopper proposal to McDonald’s – is the embodiment of a challenger brand that knows how to push buttons, connect with its customers, and keep conversations flowing, even after being acquired by a larger, conservative corporate parent. What inspires me more than brands are people – the team I work with every day, our clients, and the brilliant creative communications, marketing and business professionals across the Rochester region and beyond. A brand can’t give birth to an idea or innovation, but smart, driven people who aren’t afraid of a little risk can!