« The art and social sciences of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, advising organizational leaders, and implementing planned programs of action that serve both the organization and the public interest. » [11] No matter how they decide, modern organizations cannot ignore the importance of public relations. It`s a challenging field, and to excel, you need to have great communication skills, be able to think strategically, and understand how to manage the vast and complex relationship between the public and an organization. Moreover, poorly done PR could do more harm than good. To achieve these objectives, the public relations officer must establish credibility with the media as a source of information. The next step is to control the flow of information to the media to ensure that the preferred narrative is broadcast. The third step is to develop a message that supports the client`s position and conveys it to the media and the public. [7] [1] [4] Employees are one of a company`s most important target groups, and an ongoing public relations program is necessary to maintain employee goodwill and maintain the company`s image and reputation among its employees. The essence of a good employee relations program is to keep employees informed and provide them with communication channels for senior levels of management. The Bechtel Group, a private complex of operating companies, has published an annual report for its employees to keep them informed of the company`s activities.
The company used surveys to determine what information employees found useful. A number of other means of communication were used, including a monthly tabloid and magazine, a quarterly video magazine, local newsletters, bulletin boards, telephone service and brown bag lunches where live presentations about the company were made. Suggestion systems are another effective way to improve communication between employees and managers. The most basic code in any public relations program is the duty to tell the truth. Many national organizations, such as the Public Relations Society of America, have been formed to develop a substantive code of ethics to which members of the profession must adhere. Ethics are important not only for large companies, but also for any small company involved in public relations activities. Your degree of responsibility and credibility and how you are perceived determines your success in the industry. Adhering to professional codes of conduct helps increase public confidence in the public relations profession and thus supports your company`s public relations work. In addition to formal codes of ethics developed by associations, companies themselves publish codes of conduct that set standards of ethical behaviour. These range from general codes of conduct to more specialized codes of conduct in areas such as financial relations, producing video press releases, and interacting with bloggers and social media.
As digital technology has evolved, the methods for measuring the effectiveness of effective online public relations have improved. The Public Relations Society of America, which has been developing public relations strategies since 1947, has identified 5 steps to measuring the effectiveness of online public relations. A basic technique used in public relations is to identify the target audience and tailor the messages so that they are relevant to each audience. [37] Sometimes the interests of different target groups and common PR stakeholders require the creation of several different but complementary messages. However, these messages must be relevant to each other and thus create consistency with the overall message and topic. Targeting tactics are important for PR professionals because they face all sorts of problems: low visibility, lack of public understanding, resistance from critics, and insufficient support from funding sources. [38] Public relations is often used to boost existing products and services by creating or renewing visibility. For example, the California Raisins Advisory Board organized a national tour with live performances from the California Dancing Raisins to maintain interest in raisins during a summer commercial break. The tour garnered national and local attention through media events, preliminary publicity, commercial publicity, and interviews with artist Ray Charles. Other public relations programs for existing products include stimulating secondary demand — as Campbell Soup Co.
increased overall demand for soup by publishing a recipe brochure — or identifying new uses for the product. Public relations can interest the media in well-known products and services in a variety of ways, including seminars for journalists, the organization of a special media day, and the provision of print materials to the media ranging from « context » (detailed press releases) to brochures and brochures. Changes to existing products provide additional opportunities for public relations to attract consumer attention. An effective PR campaign can help position a product correctly and overcome negative audience perceptions. Other types of programs that fall under public relations include branding programs that range from name changes and new brands to changing the overall image of a company. Special events may be organized to raise awareness of an organization and emphasize public goodwill. These include birthday celebrations, trade show events, special exhibitions or trade shows and festivals. Speakers` bureaus and distinguished speakers are effective public relations tools for communicating an organization`s point of view.
Speakers` offices can be organized by a professional association or a sole proprietorship. The personal communication that speakers can deliver is often more effective than the messages conveyed by printed materials, especially if the target audience is small and clearly defined. The two departments can engage in very similar activities. For example, both can interact with customers to get feedback. From a more direct perspective, this information is used to better understand sales trends, product requirements, and opportunities to generate more sales. From a more direct PR perspective, this information is used to understand customer satisfaction, ensure customers are satisfied, and ensure that dissatisfaction is addressed promptly. Often abbreviated to « public relations, » public relations is a discipline in its own right, but shares traits with various areas of expertise, such as marketing, communications, and advertising. While responsibilities in these areas may be similar, there are aspects of public relations that set them apart and make them a unique industry.
PR law is the application of other areas of law that relate to certain practices, such as: explaining commercial or institutional concerns to the public. One area of law that any company`s public relations professionals need to be particularly sensitive to is privacy. This includes employee communication, photo releases, product advertising, and employee advertising and media inquiries. The United States has several laws to monitor and protect employees in certain situations. For example, state and federal laws generally protect employees` right to « report » if an organization is guilty of illegal activity. Protection for these employees is limited and regulation for whistleblowers is complicated. Public relations professionals need to research their legal protections and stay informed of changes to ensure they adhere to the right legal standards. Externally, a company that sells a good or service directly to consumers will want to present a public image that fosters real and lasting brand support that goes beyond the somewhat deliberately fragile objectives of advertising.