Public Relation

Public Relation

Introduction

Public Relation is a management function that involves monitoring and evaluating public attitudes
and maintaining mutual relations and understanding between an organization and its public. Public
could include shareholders, government, consumers, employees and the media. It is the act of
getting along with people we constantly come in touch with. PROs ensures internal cohesion in the
company by maintaining a clear communications network between the management and employees.
Its first objective is to improve channels of communication and to establish new ways of setting up a
two-way flow of information and understanding.

Public relations as a separate career option has came into existence when lots of private or
government companies and institution felt the need to market their product, service and facilities.
Public image is important to all organizations and prominent personalities. The role of public relation
specialist becomes pertinent in crisis situations when the correct and timely transmission of
information can help save the face of the organization.

In terms of career opportunities, Public relations is broadly practiced for product publicity, corporate
publicity, to have better relations with the government, to publish corporate publications like
newsletter, bulletins, magazines for employees etc.

Eligibility & Course Area

Educational: Bachelors degree in any discipline preferably with social sciences, liberal arts and
humanities is required to take up a course in this field. There is diploma as well as post graduate
diploma courses in Public relations. Duration of most the courses is of one year. Apart from this
there are also short term certificate courses. Most training programmes in Advertising also include
public relations. Some institutes have entrance exams while others prefer admission on merit basis.
These courses mainly cover areas like public relations principles and techniques, public relations
management and administration, including organizational development, writing, emphasizing news
releases, proposals, annual reports, scripts, speeches, and related items, visual communications,
including desktop publishing and computer graphics, and research, emphasizing social science
research and survey design and implementation.

Personal Attributes: One must have excellent communication skills, both spoken and written so
has to express thoughts clearly and simply. An effective personality and the ability to get along with
a wide range of people both inside and outside an organization are necessary. Must, be polite
always as he has to work under pressure or provocation. An organizing ability is required too, as one
may have to organized press conferences, lectures, exhibitions and events. Must, have self-
confidence and far sightedness. He must be able to understand human psychology and take
decisions apt to the situation. Analytical skills are required to interpret research information and plan
activity.

Career Prospects

Public relations officers have to work within and outside the organization. Within the concern they
have to conduct management-employee meets, to inform organizations policies, activities and
accomplishments. Outside he has to liaison with government departments, trade unions, press etc
whose cooperation is required for the smooth functioning, and also have to manage complaints from
the consumers, organized events like fairs, exhibitions etc.
The work involves keeping management aware of public attitudes and concerns of the many groups
 and organizations with which they must deal.

In addition, public relations departments employ public relations specialists to write, research,
prepare materials, maintain contacts, and respond to inquiries.

Another important area of work in this field is to create public identity or an image for public figures
like political parties, models and film stars. It include advising them on every aspect of personality,
including dress code, behavior, statement given in press, public appearances etc.

Lobbying, a new field in this career, involves bringing about the passage of laws favorable to the
special interest group they represent like a company, industries, government etc. It is a strategy
used to raise public consciousness and influence policy makers in areas like environment, human
rights, education etc. This is an interesting area of work in public relation.

Future Prospects

Job Prospects
Public relation officers can find employment in the corporate sector, public sector, government
agencies, tourist agencies, hotels, banks and other financial institutions, private consultancy firms
etc. Nowadays they can find work even with individuals like political figures, models and film stars
who want their pictures, profiles and interviews published in magazines and need agents who can do
the work for them so as to have a image in front of general public.

http://marketeach.blogs e e Components of PR
tp://marketeach.blogspot.com

Lecture 2
Components of PR The Components of PR
•Counseling
•Research
•Media relations
•Publicity
•Employee/member relations
•Community Relations
•Public Affairs
•Government Affairs
•Issues Management

http://marketeach.blogspot.com
PR
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Components cont’
•Financial Relations
•Industry Relations
•Development/Fund-raising
•Multicultural relations/workplace diversity
•Special Events
•Marketing Communications

Components Defined
•Counseling: Providing advice to management
concerning policies, relationships and
communications.
•Research: Determining attitudes and behaviors
of publics in order to plan public relations
strategies
•Media Relations: Working with mass media in
seeking publicity or responding to their interests
in the organization.

PR Components Defined
•Publicity: Disseminating planned messages
through selected media to further the
organization’s interests.
•Employee/member relations: Responding to
concerns, informing, and motivating an
organization’s employees or members.
•Community Relations: Planned activity with a community to maintain an environment that
benefits both the organization and the
community.
Public Affairs: Developing effective involvement

in public policy and helping an organization

adapt to public expectations. The term is also
used by government agencies to describe
multiple public relations activities.
•Government Affairs: Relating directly with

legislatures and regulatory agencies on behalf of the organization. Lobbying can also be part of a government affairs
program.

Public Affairs: Developing effective involvement

in public policy and helping an organization

adapt to public expectations. The term is also
used by government agencies to describe
multiple public relations activities.

•Government Affairs: Relating directly with

legislatures and regulatory agencies on behalf of the organization. Lobbying can also be part of a
government affairs program.
http://marketeach.blogspot.com
PR
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PR Components Defined
•Special events: Stimulating interest in a person,
product or organization by means of a well-
planned event, also activities designed to interact
with publics and listen to them.
•Marketing Communication: Combination of
activities designed to sell a product, service, or
idea, including advertising, collateral materials,
publicity, promotion, direct mail, trade shows and
special events.Lec2
Why is PR important?
(9 ways PR contributes to bottom line)

Early warning on
issues,
social/political
change,

Research, liaison
with all publics
3. Issue
anticipation

Build morale,
teamwork,
productivity

Internal relations
and
communication

2. Organizational
motivation

Pave way for sales,

fund raising, stock
offerings
Publicity,
promotion,
1. Awareness &
information
Outcomes
Principal Activities
Process
Lec2
Why is PR important?
Realistic,
competitive and
enlightened
decisions

Counseling senior
managers about
what’s really
happening

6. Overcoming
executive isolation

Protect position,
retain allies and
constituents

Respond to or
blanket issues,
disasters, attacks

5. Crisis
management

Discover new
markets, products,
methods, positive
issues

Interaction with
internal and
external audiences
4.Opportunity
identification
Outcomes
Principal Activities
Process
Branding, Marketing, Positioning and Public Relations
Communication That Gets Results!
What is Public Relations?
Officially recognized definition of Public
Relations: Public relations help an organization
and its publics adapt mutually to each other.
-Public Relations Society of America
Public Relations help our complex, pluralistic
society to reach decisions and function more
effectively by contributing to mutual
understanding among groups and institutions. It
serves to bring private and public policies into
harmony.
Public relations help organizations manage
change, something they must do to stay
competitive and efficient. But since change is
threatening and often resisted, smooth transition
through a necessary change guided by public
relations professionals is a real dollar-saver.
As a management function, public relations
encompass the following:
• Anticipating, analyzing and interpreting
public opinion, attitudes, and issues that
might impact, for good or ill, the operations
and plans of the organization.
• Counseling management at all levels in the
organization with regard to policy decisions,
courses of action, and communications,
taking into account their public ramifications
and the organization's social or citizenship
responsibilities.
• Researching, conducting, and evaluating, on
a continuing basis, programs of action and
communication to achieve the informed
public understanding necessary to success of
an organization's aims. These may include
marketing, financial, fund raising, employee,
community or government relations, and
other programs.
• Planning and implementing the organization's
efforts to influence or change public policy.
Setting objectives, planning, budgeting,
recruiting and training staff, developing
facilities-in short, managing the resources
needed to perform all of the above.
- Provided by Public Relations Society of America
Components of effective
Public Relations
• Media Relations
• Employee Relations
• Speech Writing
• Issues Communication
• Public Affairs / Lobbying
• Corporate Contributions and Public
Service
• Image Building
• Community Relations
• Strategic Corporate
Communications
• Financial PR
• Personal PR
• Advocacy PR
• Entertainment PR
• Corporate Advertising
• Crisis Communications
• Educational PR
• Issue based PR
• Public Affairs
• Issues Management
• Community Relations
Synergy Communications
Public Relations Strategy
Commitment
Synergy Communications recognizes the
power of targeted public relations and
marketing strategy. We are committed
to the thorough research and
identification of a selected audience and
the particular form(s) of media the
targeted audience is most likely to
respond to. We are committed to the best
and wisest use of advertising, marketing
and public relations as individual
disciplines or mixed as needed to achieve
the tactics and strategies necessary to be
successful. Together the SYNERGY of our
strengths, strategies and tactics will
achieve measurable, desired results.

Reputation Management in the real and online worlds

As one of the single most important assets, your organization's reputation demands serious
attention in today's formidably competitive marketplace. Creativizt's reputation services help
CEOs, brand stewards and professionals responsible for corporate communications, governance
and social responsibility to be decisive leaders at times of social and cultural change and to be
confident.

One must be aware of the distinction between image and reputation. Image is temporal and
somewhat superficial, whereas, reputation is the enduring character of an enterprise and one of
its most valuable assets, the composite picture of its key traits as seen through the eyes of its
audiences and in the context of the marketplace.

Creativizt Communications is a reputation management and public relations firm that takes a
more comprehensive, thoughtful and creative approach to the challenge of communicating value
to your various audiences. Our corporate tagline - Reputation Management With A Creative
Twist, reflects our philosophy.

We help our clients effectively manage their reputation through proactive efforts to enhance the
credibility of the brand by attracting the attention of the various target audiences towards even
the smallest of their achievements. Similarly, we help our clients negate the effects of any crisis
that might have negative implications on their reputation through strategic counsel and
maintaining judicious transparency when dealing with the media.

Event Planning | Event Management | Event Marketing

Event Management is all about keeping an eye on details and running through checklists, time
and again, to ensure timely delivery of the expected results.

Creativizt's experienced Event Management Team helps its clients to manage their events right
the from concept development stage through post-event follow-ups, by providing support in any,
or all, of the following activities:

Planning
Our event management specialists assist the clients with timeline creation through
comprehensive checklists and manage every detail of their pre-event planning.

Promotion
Our seasoned event management professionals assist our clients in the creation of pre-event and
post-event communications; working with them to source, attract, register, confirm, and remind
the attendees about the event.

Preparation
Creativizt's Event Management Team also helps in training, coaching, and pre-event rehearsals
for our clients' internal team and help them build the skills they need to ensure a powerful event
that not only impresses the participants but also generates intense media interest.

Our professional in-house event management team has extensive experience in organising a wide
variety of events including:

 Conferences
  Exhibitions
 Seminars
 Workshops
 Briefing sessions
 Road shows
 Product launches

Success Strategies for

Public Relations Marketing
Excerpt from On Target: The Book on Marketing Plans by Tim Berry and Doug Wilson

Public Relations involves a variety of programs designed to maintain or enhance a company's

image and the products and services it offers. Successful implementation of an effective public
relations strategy can be a critical component to a marketing plan.

A public relations (PR) strategy may play a key role in an organization's promotional strategy. A
planned approach to leveraging public relations opportunities can be just as important as
advertising and sales promotions. Public relations is one of the most effective methods to
communicate and relate to the market. It is powerful and, once things are in motion, it is the most
cost effective of all promotional activities. In some cases, it is free.

The success of well executed PR plans can be seen through several organizations that have made
it a central focus of their promotional strategy. Paul Newman's Salad Dressing, The Body Shop,
and Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream have positioned their organizations through effective PR strategies.
Intel, Sprint and Microsoft have leveraged public relations to introduce and promote new
products and services.

Similar to the foundational goals of marketing, effective public relations seeks to communicate
information to:

 Launch new products and services.

 Reposition a product or service.
 Create or increase interest in a product, service, or brand.
 Influence specific target groups.
 Defend products or services that have suffered from negative press or perception.
 Enhance the firm's overall image.
 The result of an effective public relations strategy is to generate additional revenue
through greater awareness and information for the products and services an organization
offers.

Goals and Objectives

Good strategy begins with identifying your goals and stating your objectives. What are the goals
and objectives behind your public relations strategy and can they be measured and quantified?

Each of these areas may reflect the goals your public relations campaign may seek to
accomplish.

Press relations
Communicating news and information of interest about organizations in the most positive light.

Product and service promotion

Sponsoring various efforts to publicize specific products or services.

Firm communications
Promoting a better and more attractive understanding of the organization with internal and
external communications.

Lobbying
Communicating with key individuals to positively influence legislation and regulation.

Internal feedback
Advising decision makers within the organization regarding the public's perception and advising
actions to be taken to change negative opinions.

Marketing experts will tell you that a well planned public relations campaign is often far more
effective than advertising. This tutorial will assist you in developing and creating the core of
your public relations campaign in six easy steps.

 Step 1: Define and write down your objectives for your publicity or media plan.

How will you design your public relations campaign? Will it be designed to:

o Establish your expertise among your peers, the press, or your potential clients or
customers?
o Build goodwill among your customer, supplier, or your community?
o Create and reinforce your brand and professional corporate image?
o Inform and create good perceptions regarding your company and services?
o Assist you in introducing a new service or product to your market?
o Generate sales or leads?
o Mitigate the impact of negative publicity and/or corporate crisis?

You may be wondering why I am asking you these things at the beginning of a tutorial
that is supposed to show you how to create and your develop publicity plan? The answer
is easy. In order for your publicity and media plan to be successful it's first most
important to determine and define your objective. With a clear objective in mind you
have laid the ground work to the complete the remainder of this tutorial.
  Step 2: Define your goals in achieving this objective. It is important that your goals be
specific, measurable, results-oriented and time-bound. These goals must be in-line with
your overall business, marketing, and sales objectives.
 Step 3: Determine who your target audience consists of. Who is it that you want to reach
with this campaign? What do you want your key message to be?
 Step 4: Develop a schedule for your public relation campaigns. Create synergy by
coinciding your public relations plan with other marketing and sales efforts.
 Step 5: Develop your plan of attack. What communication vehicles will you use to get
your message to the public? Examples may include:
o Press releases
o Articles
o Customer Success Stories
o Letters to the Editor
o Press Conferences, Interview, or Media Tours
o Radio, Television, or Press Interviews
o Seminars or Speaking Engagements
o Event Sponsorships

Select three from the list and beginning researching and developing your approach.

 Step 6: Put measures in place to track the results of your PR Campaign. After each
campaign sit down and review the results. Did you achieve the defined objectives and
goals of this campaign? Should you consider modifying your original plan? If so, how
and why?

Keys to PR
Success
PR Strategies forges strong partnerships with its clients. PR Strategies brings value to your
business through:

-Strong relations with information technology (IT) media contacts

-Knowledge and experience in the IT industry
-Keen ability to discern how a vendor’s news fits into a publication’s mission

PR Strategies achieves the best results when a client can deliver the following:

-Defined business and marketing objectives

-Consistent, frequent repetition of corporate messages
-Long term marketing vision with shorter term milestones
-Flexibility to change with market dynamics
Strategic Public Relations

Many believe that public relations (PR) simply involves issuing press releases to garner mentions
in the press. While PR does involve press releases, a press release is merely a tactical component
of what should be a more strategic approach to PR.
Strategic PR is about executing a well defined plan to continually move a company toward
accomplishing its business and marketing objectives. Whether you are a small startup trying to
make a name for yourself or an established firm striving to increase market share, strategic PR
can help to proactively promote your business and get a leg up on the competition.

Strategic PR is a weapon to proactively shape public perception about your company, product and
services. Without it, you permit your competitors to define you in ways that will help promote
their business.

PR Strategies believes in strategic PR that can help you define where you are today, where you
want to go and how you are going to get there.
 
Benefits of Strategic PR:

-Establishes or reinforces your brand positioning

-Builds credibility and good will for your company and products
-Promotes a positive reputation among customers, stakeholders and regulators
-Differentiates your offering from the competition