All You Should Know As First Ever Global Day Of Influence Holds On Edward Bernays’ 129th Birthday
25 years after Edward Bernays died, his birth date, November 22nd will now be recognised as the Global Day of Influence. The announcement was made on August 29, 2020 during a live event hosted by a Nigerian company, BHM.
The date pays homage to the marketing communications Legend, Edward Bernays, who is widely regarded as one of the fathers of public relations.
Bernays who was born on November 22, 1891 is a pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda, and was referred to in his obituary as “the father of public relations”. He was named one of the 100 most influential Americans of the 20th century by Life and was the subject of a full length biography in 1999.
His best-known campaigns include a 1929 effort to promote female smoking by branding cigarettes as feminist “Torches of Freedom”. He worked for dozens of major American corporations including Procter & Gamble and General Electric, and for government agencies, politicians, and non-profit organizations.
Speaking on the decision to use the Global day of influence to pay homage to Bernays, CEO and Founder of BHM, Ayeni Adekunle says Edward Bernays ‘‘did things during a very different time and even almost a century after, his work and reputation still inspire us. He was one of the first people in marketing communications to show the power of storytelling and the impact of using well thought out campaigns to turn heads.’’
‘‘He was the father of influence.” said Ayeni.
The inaugural edition of the Global Day of Influence will be hosted on November 22, 2020 as relevant stakeholders continue to raise awareness for the need for the stop the abuse of influence, as well as foster a society that holds people, companies, and Nations accountable for what they say, when they say it and how they say it.
