PR Leaders to Speak on Corporate Activism at 32nd Annual Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium
Communications professionals from Ben & Jerry’s, Lyft, Patagonia and Rare Beauty discuss the future of corporate activism at March 31 Event
LOS ANGELES (March 7, 2022) — USC Annenberg’s 32nd annual Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium on Public Relations will be held Thursday, March 31, 2022, and will feature discussions with global public relations industry leaders K. Corley Kenna (Patagonia), Dominic Carr (Lyft), Elyse Cohen (Rare Beauty) and Sean Greenwood (Ben & Jerry’s).
This year’s symposium on The Future of Corporate Activism will explore corporate avenues for engagement on social issues. USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations Director Fred Cook will host the event and reveal the results from the center’s 2022 Global Communication Report, which examines how public relations professionals can effectively engage with activists, nonprofits and other external influencers to drive social change.
USC Annenberg Dean Willow Bay will moderate a panel conversation with four prominent corporate activism leaders working in a variety of industries and roles. Kenna is head of communications and policy at Patagonia, Carr is vice president of communications at Lyft, Cohen is vice president of social impact and inclusion at Rare Beauty, and Greenwood is the director of PR and communications at Ben & Jerry’s.
The Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium is open to all public relations professionals and students, but reservations are required for both in-person and virtual attendance. The program will begin at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live via Zoom. Due to safety restrictions, in-person seating will be limited to the USC Annenberg community and groups invited through the Center for Public Relations. Further information and an RSVP link are available at https://annenberg.usc.edu/kos
USC Annenberg’s annual symposium honors Smith (1920–1988), the 28th national president of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). An associate director of USC’s journalism program, Smith created the school’s international curricula in journalism; courses in broadcasting, public relations and advertising; and the first degreed sports and information program in the country.
About the USC Center for Public Relations
Based at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the USC Center for Public Relations (CPR) strives to connect corporations, agencies, academics and students to define the future of our industry and to develop those who will shape it. Signature initiatives include the Global Communications Report, USC Annenberg’s Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium, and the Relevance Report. Follow CPR on social media @USCCenter4PR and #PRFUTURE, and tune in to the #PRFuture podcast wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Contact: Ron Antonette, Chief Program Officer, USC Center for Public Relations, ron.antonette@usc.edu
