public relations skills

Photo by Zakaria Ahada on Unsplash

By Kleio Vrohidis

Children’s movies are more than simply an entertaining adventure; public relations professionals can gain advice from watching Pixar movies, specifically. Here are five Pixar movies that express public relations skills.

  1. “Toy Story 4”: Pixar’s new movie from the “Toy Story” series revolves around the main character, Woody, and his other toy friends aiming to find his owner’s (Bonnie) new toy, Forky. Throughout their journey to get Forky home, they face life-threatening obstacles but don’t give up on the fact that he needs to make Bonnie happy. This determination by Woody shows that while you may run into plenty of obstacles throughout a campaign, pleasing a client is rewarding due to the way they react at the end.
  2. “The Incredibles”: As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, it is essential that public relations professionals know how to work well as a team. In the film “The Incredibles” a family with superpowers use their special talents to defeat villains. This film represents a public relations skill because professionals must be able to know their strengths, and know how and when to use them when working in a group. This way, groups are able to complete the best work in the most efficient way.
  3. “Up”: This notable children’s film features a young boy, Russell, who happens to befriend an elderly widowed man, Carl, after he accidentally invades his lifelong adventure to fly his house away with balloons. This unlikely friendship is a public relations skill because it shows how beneficial it can be to work on a project or campaign with someone else’s help. Often people are caught up in completing something on their own because they want to do it their own way, yet asking for insight can provide a fresh perspective to benefit the campaign. Like Carl, public relations professionals should be open to outside opinions to create a finished product with diverse ideas.
  4. “Finding Nemo”: In my blog post about five movie quotes to inspire your PR campaign, I reference the quote “Just keep swimming.” The film also introduces another public relations skill: the value of leaving your comfort zone. In the film Nemo chooses to venture out of his reef and explore the ocean; though scary, he learns valuable life lessons along the way. This is something professionals in the PR industry should take to heart. Taking risks and choosing to go against the grain may result in a unique campaign that sets standards for future projects.
  5. “Ratatouille”: This film features an amateur chef, Linguini, who befriends a talking rat, Remy, who helps him succeed at his new job by showing him how to cook. While unrealistic, the story line provides some insight on the public relations skill of doing research. Like Linguini, public relations professionals should use their resources like he used Remy to succeed. Doing research prior to beginning a project/campaign to see if there has been any other similar situations one can learn from is essential to a strategic, well thought-out plan.

Pixar movies are generally popular among a wide range of ages. This being said, think further than entertainment when watching; think about the public relations skills they may have to offer.