What is public relations?
The world could not function without people working in Public Relations. Public Relations has evolved into an important business field that assists organizations as they communicate with each other and the public. Public Relations is also the science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organizational leaders, and implementing planned programs of action which will serve both the organization’s interests and that of the public. As a result, Public Relations practitioners are needed everywhere, such as businesses, trade unions, government agencies, voluntary associations, foundations, hospitals, schools, colleges, and religious institutions. Each of these institutions must develop effective relationships with many different audiences, including employees, members, customers, local communities, shareholders, and other institutions, and with society at large. Obviously, a Public Relations practitioner must have a variety of skills. The Mass Communications emphasis
In its broadest terms, public relations is the profession of communicating on behalf of a business or organization with the public, media, other businesses, employees, investors, special interest groups, stakeholders, and communities. The old stereotype of slick suits dashing off press releases and hob-nobbing with reporters is a most inaccurate simplification of the field. Effective PR requires the expertise to evaluate public and audience attitudes towards a company or organization and to influence those attitudes ethically through a broad range of appropriate actions and the distribution of relevant, accurate information.
The main goal of a public relations department is to enhance a company’s reputation. Staff that work in public relations, or as it is commonly known, PR, are skilled publicists. They are able to present a company or individual to the world in the best light. The role of a public relations department can be seen as a reputation protector. The business world of today is extremely competitive. Companies need to have an edge that makes them stand out from the crowd, something that makes them more appealing and interesting to both the public and the media. The public are the buyers of the product and the media are responsible for selling it. Public relations provide a service for the company by helping to give the public and the media a better understanding of how the company works. Within a company, public relations can also come under the title of public information or customer relations. These departments assist customers if they have any problems with the company. They are usually the m
The goal of public relations is to mold opinion. The saying “perception is reality” speaks to the need for public relations. Public relations works to protect an organization’s or individual’s reputation. Effective PR strengthens credibility, enhances image, develops goodwill and influences behavior. Speeches, special events, newsletters, annual reports and news releases are examples of PR tactics. The difference between publicity and public relations. The terms public relations and publicity are often misused. They are not interchangeable. Publicity is one aspect of public relations. Often referred to as free media, the goal of publicity is to get attention in online and traditional media. News coverage, feature articles, talk show interviews, blog postings and letters-to-the-editor are examples of publicity tactics. The difference between publicity and advertising. Other commonly confused terms are publicity and advertising. The key distinction is you pay for advertising. Because pub
Public relations involves the cultivation of favorable relations for organizations and products with its key publics through the use of a variety of communications channels and tools. Traditionally, this meant public relations professionals would work with members of the news media to build a favorable image by publicizing the organization or product through stories in print and broadcast media. But today the role of public relations is much broader and includes: • building awareness and a favorable image for a company or client within stories and articles found in relevant media outlets • closely monitoring numerous media channels for public comment about a company and its products • managing crises that threaten company or product image • building goodwill among an organization’s target market through community, philanthropic and special programs and events In this tutorial most of our focus is on how public relations supports marketing by building product and company image (sometime
