‘It’s About Relationships, Stupid’: Bob McCullough on the Essence of PR
PR veteran Bob McCullough
November 1, 2024
Success comes when you nurture relationships "day in and day out."
During the 1992 presidential election, Bill Clinton’s chief political consultant, James “‘The Ragin’ Cajun” Carville, hung a sign at campaign headquarters that read, “It’s the economy, stupid,” to remind his coworkers to avoid distractions and stick to the campaign’s central theme.
The slogan became famous after the release of the 1993 documentary “The War Room” about the Clinton presidential bid and has since seeped into the broader cultural fabric.
On episode 247 of the “PR 360” podcast, 50-plus-year PR veteran Bob McCullough had a similar reminder for public relations professionals. He half-jokingly shared a phrase he once heard from legendary PR pioneer Pat Jackson at a Public Relations Society of America workshop: “It’s about relationships, stupid.”
McCullough is the head of PR at Morgan's Wonderland, the world's first and only theme park designed with those with special needs in mind. He previously led the award-winning team that opened SeaWorld San Antonio and headed the Corporate Communications Department for CPS Energy of San Antonio, one of the nation's largest publicly owned electric and natural gas utilities.
“That's been my guiding principle for forever,” McCullough told the podcast. “I'm proud to say that in 50 plus years in, I still have some relationships that go back that long. So, it's a nurturing thing that has to happen day in, day out, year in, year out because strong relationships are the foundation of everything we do.”
McCullough finds cultivating relationships more complicated in 2024 than in the past because social media and technology have removed some of the human element from PR.
“Before the internet, you had to cultivate some local sources in local news,” he told the podcast. “You could go to people you can talk to about things, which made it much easier to control your message in that scenario. Versus, these days, when the media is so spread out and decentralized.”
The San Antonio PR legend says relationships were vital when he led a team that opened SeaWorld Texas in 1988. “We had a lot of reporters that we would see frequently, and we were able to develop some really solid relationships with those folks, and you could educate them. You could inform them, you could excite them. And I think that's really one of the core messages I would share with you, which is that building relationships is vital to any enterprise, whether it be SeaWorld, Morgan’s Wonderland, or any endeavor.”
McCullough passed this advice to his successor at SeaWorld, Chuck Cureau who appeared on episode 236 of the “PR 360” podcast.
“I remember asking him in those early days, I said, ‘Bob, what is your secret? You're so successful at this. What is your secret in this public relations world?’ And he said, just like the name implies, it's all about relationships,” he told the podcast. “I have relationships with reporters, editors, and journalists here so that I can call them and say, ‘Hey, we have a new attraction, or we've got a new animal habitat. Would you come on out?’ And if you've got that right relationship with them, you might be able to influence them to come out, which will allow you to get your message across even more.”
Building strong relationships is critical in public relations. While it may feel less personal to connect through emails or social media rather than face-to-face, this can be an opportunity to stand out. By putting in extra effort and fostering authentic connections with media contacts and beyond, you can create lasting, impactful relationships in the industry that put you a cut above others in the field.
This interview has been edited for time and clarity.
