#WPRD2025 | Red Ribbon's Ronelle Bester: In a polarised world, PR is building trust

Ronelle Bester, account director & founder, Red Ribbon Communications, says in a polarised world, PR is about building trust (Image supplied)

Africa’s unparalleled vibrancy is also paired with having very complex narratives, now more complicated by heightened geopolitical tensions.

Our role in PR is to foster understanding, bridge divides, and expertly navigate the often-turbulent waters of misperceptions through supporting journalism; not ad space.

In the business sphere, PR is shaping how African organisations engage with stakeholders in a fragmented world.

In the burgeoning B2B tech sector, for instance, we assist highly technical organisations in translating complex innovations into understandable visions of better futures. Building trust not only in their ideas, but in their tangible contributions to economic development.

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Red Ribbon’s work

Our work has focused on demystifying intricate regulatory compliance issues, directly addressing national economic challenges by showcasing experts in their field’s innovations as solutions in a local context, thereby building momentum for change in crucial sectors with facts-based insight from the people who really know.

At Red Ribbon our content strategy has furthermore involved localising global cybersecurity threats, translating abstract risks into tangible impacts for South African businesses, fostering collective awareness, even when local capacity is still developing.

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A crucial role in society

Beyond commerce, PR plays a crucial role in society.

In an era rife with misinformation and 'fake news', professional PR acts as a powerful counterweight.

It champions making verified information available for reporting, helping to rebuild public trust in institutions, and connects journalists to actual experts.

This is precisely where genuine thought leadership becomes indispensable – it leverages true industry expertise, deep insight, and lived experience to contribute factual perspectives to public discourse.

Our work, for example, has involved inserting data-backed human elements into national economic discussions, influencing broader societal conversations that extend far beyond corporate interests.

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Commitment to authentic insight

There's an old journalistic adage, most often attributed to George Orwell, that provocatively states: "Journalism is printing something that someone does not want printed. Everything else is public relations".

This perspective, stemming from a time when PR was often conflated with mere marketing or spin, is precisely what modern, data-driven public relations seeks to dismantle.

It's about cementing fact-based, objective insight that contributes directly to the fourth estate's mission.

By providing the media with statistically robust data and expert commentary, we empower journalists to produce deeper, more informed stories.

This commitment to authentic insight is what elevates PR far beyond the realms of simple marketing.

Inspire trust

The future of PR in Africa is inextricably linked to its ability to inspire trust.

As polarisation intensifies globally, our industry is uniquely positioned to foster dialogue, encourage empathy, and ultimately, build the robust bridges necessary for a stable and prosperous African future.

It is a responsibility we embrace as custodians of credible connection.