CE

CLARA'S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE

Special Studies in Marketing

Public Relations

By:
Ateeb Ansari - 01
Steffi Biswas - 03
Abhijeet Kadam - 14
Thomas Kattahara - 15
Shahil Mithani - 26
Vinay Pandey - 29
Ali Rizvi - 34
Shoeb Syed - 41
 Index
Sl Pg
no Contents no
1 Introduction –sb

2 Need & importance of PR –ss

3 Scope of PR – ak

4 New role of PR – ak

5 Marketing PR Functions – ak

6 PR Advertising – jk

7 PR & Advertising – ar

8 PR Tools – vp

9 Image & identity – sm

Accidents and tragedies - PR role in safety –

10 sm

11 The Logo – sb

12 Media Realtions – t

13 Case Study on McDonald’s – ss

 Introduction
Public has its own likes and dislikes which sometimes can even be strong.
Employees are one form of public and employers another form other
members of the public are dealers, wholesalers, brokers and investors. Each
of these groups tries to attract a distinct audience with it varied tools and
techniques

In short public is any group of people who share a common interest

Relations:

It is the outcome of mutual understanding which is derived from the process

of sharing of the common interest. The need to establish relations with one
another is created because of human wants. The respective wants of two
individuals will affect their relationship. Therefore, one must understand the
wants of those involved in order to understand any relationship

Public Relations:

By the integration of the above two human elements viz. public and
relations we get public relations. It is a profession that is a part and parcel
of management function

DEFINITIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS:

(1) According to Edward L. Bernays, "Public relations is the attempt by
information, persuasion and adjustment to engineer public support
for an activity, cause, movement or institution"
(2) According to Arthur R. Roarman, "Public relations is a service, a craft
that must be adapted to the needs of whatever business your
company is in. Therefore for PR practitioners, learning the basics of
public relations is (only) half the job. "
(3) According to Sam Black, "The fundamental purpose of public relations
practice is to establish a two-way of mutual understanding based on
truth, knowledge and full information."
(4) According to Frank Jefkins, "Public relations consists of all forms of
planned communication, outwards and inwards, between an
organisation and its public for the purpose of achieving specific
objectives concerning mutual understanding. "
(5) According to Public Relations Society of America, "Public relations is a
philosophy and function of management expressed in policies and
practices which serve the public to serve its understanding and
 goodwill.” Public relations as defined above is so many ways has a few
basic elements

Public Relations as defined above is so many ways has a few basic elements:
(1) It is a philosophy of the management of a business or an organisation.
(2) It is an expression of this philosophy in policies and action
(3) It is a function of the organization.
(4) Through modern means of communication with the public its
understanding and goodwill is secured.

ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH PR:

The complexity of PR's role prompted the Public Relations Society of
India (PRSI) to define 13 activities generally associated with public
relations:
(1) Publicity.
(2) Public affairs.
(3) Communication.
(4) Government relations.
(5) Issues management
(6) Community relations
(7) Minority relations.
(8) Press agency.
(9) Advertising.
(10) Propaganda.
(11) Financial public relations
(12) Industry relations.
(13) Promotion.

NEED AND IMPORTANCE OF PR

In any kind of human activity may it be in the industry, commerce,
education, health, local government or social service sector, they need to
understand and use public relations and communication. One may like it or
not, he may do it knowingly or unintentionally, but everyone is a part of the
communication process. So he is therefore a direct or indirect user of public
relations and communication.

The following points justify the need for public relations.

 Complex Structure of Industry: Due to the increasingly complex

structure of industry and its growing remoteness, means of
information has become a real challenge. In order to promote effective
communication within the organisation and outside it there is a need
for a good PR.
 Communication Revolution. The communication revolution has
brought in a sea change emphasizing the need for the service of PR
and communication experts.
 Keen Competition: The rise of competition and more in the change of
the global economic perspective has imposed a regard for public
opinion and an urgent need for public support.
 Emphasis on Employee Relations: There is added emphasis is on
employee relations within the organisation. So an ever-increasing
effort is being made at minimising misunderstanding and promoting
good relations among all who work in the organisation and hence a
need for good PR.
 Development of Literacy and Education: Due to the development of
literacy and education in the third world countries there is more and
more demand from the public for facts and information pertaining to
the corporate state or service sectors.
 Need to communicate clearly and truthfully: Due to growing
communication, it has to be ensured that all public communication
are genuine and not misleading.

Why Public Relations is important?

In any kind of human activity may it be in industry, commerce, education,
health, local government or social service sector, they nee~ to understand
and use public relations and communication. One may like it or not, he may
do it knowingly or unintentionally, but everyone IS a part of the
communication process. ~e is, therefore, a direct or indirect user of public
relations and communication.

The following points justify the need for public relations.

(1) Complex Structure of Industry:
Due to the increasingly complex structure of industry and its growing
remoteness, means of information has become a real Challenge. In order
to promote effective communication within the organisation and outside
it there is a need for a good PR.
(2) Communication Revolution:
The communication revolution has brought in a sea change
emphasizing the need for the service of PR and communication
experts
(3) Keen Competition
The rise of competition and more in the change of the global economic
perspective has imposed a regard for public opinion and an urgent
need for public support.
(4) Emphasis on Employee Relations
There is added emphasis on employee relations within the organisation.
An ever-increasing effort is being made at minimising misunderstanding
and promoting good relations among all who work in the organisation
and hence a need for good PR.
(5) Development of Literacy and Education
Due to the development of literacy and education in the third world
countries there is more and more demand from the public for facts and
information pertaining to the corporate state or service sectors.
(6) Need to Communicate Clearly and Truthfully
Due to growing communication, it has to be ensured that all public
communication are genuine and not misleading

Eight Basic Principles of Public Relations Practice:

(1) PR deals with facts not fictions.

(2) PR is public not personal service.
(3) PR practitioners must have the guts to say 'no to "a client or to refuse
a deceptive program.
(4) PR cannot afford to be a guessing game.
(5) PR practitioners should alert and advise, so people won't be taken by
surprise.
(6) The PR field requires multi-disciplinary applications.
(7) Intuition is not enough.
(8) PR practitioners should never lie to the news media, either outright or
by implication

Importance of Communication in PR
There can be no mutual understanding without communication, and mutual
understanding is the core of public relations.

We generally think of communication in terms of public speaking,

exchanging information, being sincere or persuasive or expressing our
feelings honestly. Hence we think that effective communication depends on
having a good vocabulary, or a special talent. True and effective
communication does depend on any of these factors but rather than on our
ability to communicate.

Real communication is the experience of being totally understood by another

person. It is a profound understanding of the experience and the meaning
behind the words. Real communication produces results. In terms of
relationships real communication resolves problems, dissolves the feelings of
separateness and produces harmony.

In an organisation effective communication transforms group into a team. It

reduces fatigue and struggle and the task is accomplished efficiently and
more accurately as conflicts are resolved leading to cooperation.

True communication transforms the speaker as well as the listener. The

following are the benefits of such, communication:
1. New skills are developed for resolving interpersonal conflicts
2. Higher standards of performance can be established through mutual
understanding of management and employees.
3. There is a better understanding of co-worker and customer behaviour.
4. The powers of interpersonal motivation are enhanced.
5. Creation of active and accurate listening habits.
6. The interviewing and consulting techniques are improved.
7. Productivity increases even under adverse conditions.
8. Willingness to participate in group activities,
9. Effective communication promotes a spirit of understanding
10. Important factor for promotion
 THE SCOPE OF PR
Public relations are a window out of the corporation through which
management can monitor external change and simultaneously a window
through which society can affect corporate policy.

Today most social conflicts are caused by changing values and higher
expectations from the superiors.

We find regular conflicts between employer-employee consumer

manufacturer, management- shareholders, citizens, government and so on
due to misconceptions and misunderstandings. These are generally the
major challenges where PR practitioners can playa crucial role. They should
get to know the psychology of the public mind and acquire skill in solving
and also avoiding such conflicts.

In our market economy there are information gaps which cannot be filled by
the interaction of supply and demand via. cost, wages or prices. Here public
relations activity steps in. It provides relevant information on planning
technical and organisational developments, inventions and their potential
utilisation, etc.

The relations activity is becoming more and more important for the
procurement of economically essential production factors. It makes it easier
to tap the money-market or financing their projects by issuing bonds or
shares.

If the corporation cultivates public relations, it is easier for them to acquire

land from a community and bring in own interest in harmony with these of
the community. Today the public relations profession has even entered into
the fields of non-commercial organisations, government departments,
hospitals, universities and other non profit organisations. According to
Edward L. Bernays, the fundamental laws and the necessity of public
relations may be expressed in three words, information, adjustment and
integration.

The scope of PR is wide and also includes political field. Entrepreneurs:

teachers, political leaders, social workers, religions, leaders are all involved
in public relations day in and day out.

In. business PR is a tool of management like marketing, production &

finance. It is investing and creating assets for an organisation which is
finally reflected in improved performance profitability, and growth of the
organisation.

Successful PR can be measured by its ability to convert negative situations

into positive ones.

Public relations can do the following:

(a) Help win friends, influence people, persuade individuals, groups and
in difficult Situation bringing about goodwill where needed and
maintain goodwill where it is exists.
(b) Create and build up image and reputation of an individual
organisation and nation.
(c) Public relations can bring out rewards of mutual understanding and
risks Involved In misunderstanding between individuals, groups,
government and nation.
(d) Help the public to love life and work for better or for worse without
condition.
(e) Forestall attacks by opponents or competitors.
(f) Counsel employees to recognise that as human beings they are more
of a complete structure.

The following are the possible areas where public relations plays its role.

(a) Promotional opportunity

(b) New image.
(c) Competitive challenge
(d) Rumour
(e) Crisis.
(f) Conflict of interest.
(g) Ineffective communication.
 THE NEW ROLE OF PR
An increasing number of marketing oriented companies have established it
new responsibilities for public relations. PR takes on a much broader
perspective, designed to promote the organization as well as its product
and/ services. Popularity of PR as a marketing tool has been increasing
exponentially over the last decade in India. Estimated Rs 3000 million
Indian PR industry is growing at 15 to 20% annually and many
multinationals PR firms have hiked their stakes in existing joint ventures in
recent times. This increase in PR industry is largely due to the fact that
marketers are now considering PR as a serious tool of brand promotion.

In the new role of public relations, managers envision both strong marketing
and strong PR departments. Rather than each department operating
independently, the two working closely together, blending their talents to
provide the best overall image of the firm, and its product or service
offerings. In the recent poll conducted among the members of the Public
Relations Society of America and subscribers to PR news, 76% of
respondents stated that they regularly worked with the marketing
department, 78% stated that the marketing department had a positive
perceptions of the PR department, and an equal number indicated the same
perceptions about marketing. While the degree of coordination deferred by
activity, the study clearly reflects coordination and cooperation

Organizations must use caution in establishing this relationship because PR

and marketing are not the same thing, and when one Department becomes
dominant, the balance required to operate at maximum efficiency is lost.
Losing sight of the objectives and functions of public relations in an attempt
to achieve marketing goals may be detrimental in the long run. If public
relations and' marketing distinctions continue to blur, the independence of
the PR functions will be lost, and it will become much less effective.

Marketing Public Relations Functions

Thomas L. Harris has referred to public relations activities designed to
support marketing objectives as marketing public relations functions.
Marketing objectives that may be aided by public relations activities include
raising awareness, informing in educating, gaining understanding, building
trust, giving consumers a reason to buy, and motivating consumer’s
acceptance. Marketing public relations adds value to the integrated
marketing programs in a number of ways:
(1) The building marketplace excitement before media advertising breaks
 (2) Improving the return on investments and at the same time delivering
meaningful marketing outcomes.
(3) Creating advertising news while there is no product news
(4) Introducing a product with little or no advertising
(5) Producing a value-added customer service
(6) Building brand to customer bonds
(7) Influencing the influentials by providing information to opinion
leaders
(8) Defending products a risk and giving consumers a reason to buy.

Harris notes that there are a number of advantages of using MPR:

(1) It is cost effective way to reach the market
(2) It achieves credibility
(3) It supports advertising programmes were making message more
credible.
(4) It breaks through the clutter
(5) It is highly targeted way to conduct public relations
(6) It benefits from the endorsement of independent and objective third
parties who have no association with the product.

Harris also notes some disadvantages including the following:

(1) There is a lack of control over the media.
(2) It is difficult to tie in slogans and other advertising devices.
(3) Media time and space are not guaranteed
(4) There is no standard effectiveness measure.
(5) One of the major threats of using an MPR structure, as expressed by
Harris, is that public relation functions may become subservient to
marketing efforts. However, employed properly and used in
conjunction with other traditional public relations practices as well as
IMC elements, MPR can continue to be used effectively.

The Process of Public-Relation:

The actual process of conducting public relations and integrating it into
promotional mix involves a series of traditional and market oriented
activities. They are as follows:

(1) Determining and Evaluating public attitudes

(2) Establishing a PR plan
(3) Developing and executing the PR programme
(4) Implementing the PR programme
 CORPORATE PUBLIC RELATIONS
Corporate Public Relations seeks to project the image and identity of the
organisation. Based on the facts and figures as well as on the subjective
impressions and feelings, image itself is a product of public mind. In order
to project the identity of the organisation, the PR needs to know both - facts
that people know as well as the impressions that they carry about the
organisation. Therefore Corporate PR manages the reputation of the
organisation.

Corporate image and identity needs constant bolstering as the process is

dynamic. In its efforts to gain commitment the PR makes a comprehensive
communication plan and gets into the act of managing the strategic asset.

Today business and industry have a new bottom-line - public acceptance,

therefore PR has to respond with a communication policy whose bottom-line
is credibility. In this connection the corporate PR practices must meet the
generally accepted standards of public approval.

The following are a few essential guidelines of corporate public relations.

(1) Corporate Public Relations is a shared responsibility and therefore

must be truthful and believable.
(2) As a 'caring entity' and a 'good citizen', PR believes that Corporate
Public Relations programme is an investment in the image building of
the organisation.
(3) PR is never open to and responsive to public concern.
(4) PR recognise that one's own view is subjective and never influences
the organisation to take corporate convictions for reality.
(5) In terms of corporate communication PR thinks of sharing with the
community the values which it upholds and for which it wants to be
known.
(6) Corporate communication is a faith and a commitment which under
no circumstances can be compromised.
(7) Corporate PR always believes in the institution of a long range image
and identity and therefore never subscribes to any crash
communication plan.
(8) Finally PR maintains excellent communication relationships both at
the corporate and at the unit levels with the internal as well as the
external publics
 PUBLIC RELATIONS ADVERTISING
Today organisations are concerned about the effects of their actions on the
general public. They take every effort to maintain good image of the
company in the minds of the general public. Efforts are made to maintain
good rapport with different social groups and thereby maintain good image
of the company in the community as a whole.

Such cordial relations with the various social groups are useful to the
company in conduct of its business activities smoothly. The importance of
cordial public relations is now accepted at all the business levels and
therefore public relations advertising is undertaken.

What is Public Relations Advertising?

Public relations advertising is one type of Institutional Advertising where an

attempt is being made to maintain good image of the company in the minds
of the general public.

Public relations advertising is undertaken to build, enhance and maintain a

good corporate image of the company in the minds of the general public. It is
not only that corporate firms undertake: public relations advertising, but
PRA can be undertaken by anyone such as government, individuals, social
groups, trade group or group of employees.

Objectives of Public Relations Advertising:

(a) To remove misunderstanding, confusions doubts & wrong impressions

in the minds of different social groups and create a favourable image
of the organisation.
(b) To maintain cordial relations with different social groups.
(c) To serve customer in a better way
(d) To render community service.
(e) To have public support to the future plans of the company.
(f) To create goodwill and popularity in the market.
(g) To make public aware of the various social evils like health hazards,
pollution etc.
(h) To win confidence of its employees.
(i) To arouse interest of the present and potential shareholders.
(j) To secure and keep good suppliers.
Public response is normally encouraging to public relations advertising.
Such advertising is also useful when the company faces certain abnormal
situations such as strike or major accidents in the factory.

Types of public Relation Advertising

Public relations advertising include the following types:

i) Institutional Advertising.
ii) Advocacy advertising.
iii) Public service advertising.
iv) Political Advertising.

Institutional Advertising:
Institutional advertising which is also called corporate or image building
advertising is done basically in order to promote corporate image.

It is done by well-established and socially alert companies. It is factual

& believable and also non-controversial due to its clear and straight forward
nature. Newspapers, annual reports and house Journals are used for
institutional advertising.

Institutional advertising indicates public relations approach to advertising.

In such type of advertising the main focus is on the activities &
contributions of the company in the social, educational and cultural areas
whereas the products will be m the background.

Publicity to community service activities, social welfare activities and rural

development programmes are given through institutional advertising-

Objectives of Institutional Advertising:

(a) To create good image of the company among all Social groups.
(b) Take company known to all the citizens in the country.
(c) To give information about the products and services offered by the
company
(d) To indicate the contribution of the company in economic, cultural and
social welfare areas.
(e) To create a favourable public opinion.
(f) Recognition at the government and business level.
(g) Cordial public relations.

Institutional advertising has wider social significance.

Advocacy Advertising
When Institutional advertising is presented in an aggressive manner it is
known as advocacy advertising. The company can advocate their arguments
on several issues ranging from government policies to employees issues
such as strikes.
A company may place the facts as regards strikes undertaken by workers or
may put its arguments for the introduction of a lock out. Advocacy
advertising is normally controversial as it refers to one aspect of the whole
issue. A good example is the issue of birds-flu. The Ministers are shown
eating chicken to prove that eating chicken is harmless.

Public Service Advertising

It is an advertisement for social awareness and social good. Companies now
accept certain social responsibilities and participate in social, cultural,
sports, medical and other activities for raising social welfare. It is a type of
social service or community service undertaken by companies.
Many companies organise family planning programmes, eye camps, sports
events, child welfare programmes, blood donation camp and so on.

Due publicity is given regarding their participation in such community

service activities. This is treated as public service advertising. It is also
called as public awareness advertising or social awareness advertising.

Many companies from private and public sectors including the government
undertake public service advertising for public causes such as safe driving,
leprosy eradication, Aids etc.

Public service advertising is also called non-commercial advertising.

Examples of public service advertising:

i) Anti-Leprosy campaign by TISCO.
ii) Campaign against dirt and noise pollution in the city of Mumbai.

Political advertising
Political advertising is used by political parties during elections campaign. It
comes under public relations advertising as most of such advertising is
directed towards the public. In political advertisement the focus is on the
past, present and future promises. Even the rival parties are criticized. It
has a wide coverage and is expensive.
 PR AND ADVERTISING
Advertising is a commercial, persuasive activity aimed at promoting a
specific idea or a viewpoint, product or a service or an institution through
the use of mass media. Advertising presents the most persuasive possible
selling message to the right prospect for the product or service at the lowest
possible cost. There are many instances when an advertisement is preferred
to "free publicity". The following are a few examples:
1. An ad can accommodate much more material than a press release and it
is not altered or proved mercilessly by editorial staff.
2. In order to have a bigger turn-out for an event, advertising is of a greater
help than any other form of communication including public relations.
3. It is cost-effective and easier to buy an advertisement space in the long
run rather than bringing out press releases which may sometimes even
not get printed.

An advertisement through any media will not enjoy same respectability as

news coverage would. The following are the relative advantages and factors
in one's favour or against:
1. Every organisation irrespective of its nature is involved in public
relations. Advertising mayor may not be used by an organisation. For
an example hospitals, and social service organisation may not
advertise every now and then, but they will have to use PR in a big
way at every step.
2. Advertising is limited to special selling and buying tasks and hence
requires less time. On the other hand, PR demands more time and
effort than advertising. In case of advertising the basic jobs of
conceptualising, producing, space buying etc. cart be fully delegated
to agencies whereas such total hiring of agencies for absolute PR
function cannot be conceived. Advertising agencies have come to
realise the value of PR and that is the reason for forming PR cells in
major ad agencies abroad and now in India.
3. PR is not built overnight, it is a long-term policy measure. It also does
not come free of cost. The comparative 'cost cannot be assessed in
terms of ad rates or space for PR expense.
There is no reason for advertising and PR to work at cross purposes,
although they can have their separate fields of operation, Public relations
can use advertising as a weapon or a tool. It can effectively use
advertising to fulfil its own purpose
In the present era PR and advertising are now joining forces towards
common objectives. There are many examples available where advertising
and public relations work together as a single communications group. The
advantage of integrated approach and its in terms of impact and mileage are
proved significantly in the of "sponsorship" programmes all over the world.

As PR can make an impact on public opinion they can make an important

contribution to planning out advertising in support of marketing and sales
activities

COMPARING PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING

Advertising
To create the consumer
awareness & motivation
Goal & that deliver sales by
objective designing Ads, preparing
written messages & buying
time or space.
It takes a narrower view of
the importance of image &
Image of reputation as a corporate
Corporate competitive asset &
addresses only target
audience
It focuses on products & its
Focus sales
It buys time and space in
the media to spread its
message There are indirect
costs, such as cost of
Media use
production renting
photography etc.
Public Relations
Communicating with
various stakeholders,
managing the organisation's
image & reputation &
creating positive public
attitude i.e. is goodwill
towards the organisation.
It takes a longer, broader
view of the importance of
image & reputation as a
corporate competitive asset
& addresses more than the
target audiences.
It focuses on the
organisation & its image
It seek to persuade media
gatekeepers to carry out
their stories about their
company. This aspect is
called as publicity & carries
no direct media cost

The PR strategist is at the

Advertising runs exactly as
mercy of media gatekeepers.
a client who paid for it has
Control approved and it runs as
There is no guarantee that
all or even part of a story
scheduled
will appear
 The message communicated
by advertisement is not
always credible. They may
Credibilit over-exaggerate about the
y product or may not provide
complete information to the
audience
Successful PR efforts bring
credibility. Experts believe
that consumers tend to
trust the media more than
they do advertisers

PUBLIC RELATIONS TOOLS

The Public Relations practitioner has many tools, which we 'can divide into
two categories: Controlled media and uncontrolled media. Controlled media
include house ads, public service announcements, corporate advertising, in-
house publications and visual presentations

The sponsoring organisations pay for these media. In turn, the sponsor
maintains a total control over how and when the message is delivered.
Uncontrolled media include press releases, press conferences and media
tours.

House Ads:
A company may prepare an ad for use in its own publication or
programming consequently, no money changes hands. For example, a local
television station may run a house ad endorsing its new programme or a
local promotional event within its evening news programme. Likewise, the
company may run an ad advocating a point of view or promoting a special
employee benefit programme within its corporate magazine. These house
ads are offer managed by the public relations department.

Public Service Announcements:

The Ads for Charitable and Civic Organisations that run free of charge on
television or radio or in print media are public service announcements.
These ads are prepared just like commercials, and in many instances ad
agencies donate their expertise to design them. They also appear on the
Internet. The Advertising Council' is a private non-profit organisation that
creates public service advertising campaigns in the public interest.

Corporate Ad:
Corporate advertising promotes the corporate image or viewpoint. There is
no attempt to sell a particular product. For that reason, the ad may
originate in the public relations department rather than the advertising
department. Corporate advertising sometimes tells the public about the
company's position on some issue. For example, Tatas corporate image
campaign uses advertising to deliver its corporate philosophy, make a
statement about its corporate culture, and build its corporate brand equity.
These ads, for example is a message about corporate culture and employee
attitudes.

Corporate identity advertising is another type of advertising that the former

uses to enhance or maintain their reputation among specific audiences or to
establish the level of awareness of the company's name and nature of its
business. Johnson and Johnson targeted its "Healthy Start" institutional
campaign at pregnant woman to position itself as a concerned company.
Sometimes companies deliver point-of-view messages called advocacy
advertising. For example, oil companies will advertise that they support the
environment and their extraction procedures do not do any lasting damages
to the environment. To combat the antismoking campaigns, tobacco
companies will run ads that explain their point of view - that they have a
right to advertise a legal product.

Corporate Advertising Objectives

(a) Create a good citizen image through consistent and dedicated effort.
(b) Convey the organisations commitment to the concerned public as well
as to the masses and eliminate prejudices, if any held by opinion
leaders in particular and by the public in general.
(c) Boost both employee management relations and employee morale
enabling all members of the internal public to discover a new vitality.
(d) Raise money from the public which gives rise to demand for
resplendent images like financial reliability, leadership, strength and
competence.
(e) On the marketing front it is easier and cheaper to sell product or
services with less marketing budget

It is noteworthy to state that one of the most important developments m

corporate advertising whether in India or abroad is its increasing maturity.
With maturity has come a better knowledge of how to operate with a social
and economic system

Publications
Organisations may provide employees and other public with pamphlets,
booklets, annual reports, books, bulletins, newsletters, inserts and
enclosures. Some companies publish material - often called collateral
material-to support their marketing public relations efforts. Corporate
publication, marketing, and sales promotion department's and their
agencies produce training materials and sales kits support particular
campaigns.

Speakers, Photos and Films:

Many companies have a speaker’s bureau of articulate people who will talk
about topics at the public request. Apple Computers and Harvard University
all have speaker's bureaus that will speak to local groups and classes. Some
public's-particularly the news media-may want the pictures of people,
products, places and events. That is why PR department maintains files of
photographs that are accurate and well composed. Films, especially video
tapes have become a major public relations tool for a great many companies.

Displays, exhibits, events, and tools:

Displays, exhibit tours and staged events may be important parts of both
sales promotion and public relations programmes. Exhibits tend to be larger
than displays; they may have moving parts, sound, or video and usually are
staffed by company's representative. Booth exhibits are important at trade
shows, where some companies may take orders for much of their annual
sales. Staged events include open houses, plant tours and even birthday
celebrations. Corporate sponsorship of various sporting events has evolved
into favourite public relations tactics.

News Releases:
News releases are the primary medium used to deliver public relations
messages to the various external media. Although the company distributing
the news release controls its original form and content the media decides
what to present and how to present it. What the public finally sees, then, is
not necessarily what the originating company had in mind, and so this form
of publicity is uncontrolled by the originating company. The decision to use
any part of a news release at all is based on editor's judgment of its news
value.

News releases must be written differently for each medium; accommodating

space and time limitations. The more carefully the news release is planned
and written; the better the chance it has of being accepted and published as
written. Video News releases contain video footage for a television newscast.
They are effective because they show target audiences the message in two
different video environments: first as a part of news report and then reused
later in an advertisement.

Press conferences:
A press conference is that when a company spokesperson makes a
statement to media representatives. It is one of the riskiest public relations
activities, because the media may not see the company's announcement as
being real news.

Online Communication:
The new electronic media is making the biggest change in the
communication landscape. E-mail, intranets (which connect people within
an organisation) extranets (which connect people in one business with its
business partners), Internet advertising and Web sites have opened up
avenues for public relations activities. The World Wide Web can be
considered the first public relations mass medium in which it allows
managed communication directly between organisations and audiences
without the gate-keeping function of other mass media.

IMAGE AND IDENTITY

An organisation transmits messages to the publics on a sustained basis. It
is the reception of the message which goes to create the intended image.
Corporate communication is the process that translates an identity into an
image

In brief corporate image refers to the image that a company has acquired with the
public whereas corporate identity refers to the image a company strives to achieve,
in order to build a reputation with its public.

In this context every company needs a mission. This mission should be the
framework for business and all its activities. The mission is the glue that holds the
company together. Here, the PR and its communication strategies come into
focus. If the objective and mission of the organisation have to be
accomplished, the corporate body mus1 communicate short-term goals, long
range objectives and even the total mission of the organisation.

Inadequate communications results in an ambiguous corporate image. It

may lead to a breakdown in co-ordination and elements in an organisation.

PR Role in Image and Identity:

PR attempts to create the desired image by its involvement in all the factors
of corporate identification programmes.

The following is the check list for image communication factors for the
corporate PR.

(1) Name of the organisation - divisions and subsidiaries.

(2) The logo factor - symbols in use.
(3) Advertising and promotion.
(4) Company publications - including annual reports and house journals.
(5) Company assets - well maintained office production units, cars and
outlets.
(6) Company packaging = labels and tags
(7) Company signs - at public places offices and production units,
 (8) Company stationery - forms, letterheads, cards etc.

ACCIDENTS AND TRAGEDIES - PR ROLE IN SAFETY

Serious tragedies such as the Bhopal Gas tragedy have occurred as a result
of management's failure to adhere to the norms of safety. Many others such
as air accidents, fire incidents, and the disasters in India and abroad may
well appear as if disasters were just waiting to happen. .

All these prove that no one could ever be complacent about safety. It be
noted that most aspects of fire, explosion, power station pollution and
nuclear - related issues and accidents have energy implications A number of
international professional bodies have outlined energy issues of
consequence to the public at large A company that claims good corporate
citizenship must see that safety standards are continuously upgraded The
fact is that accidents occur not due to lack of technology, but due to lack of
concern for safety that is due to proper application of technology in
industry.

How does PR come in this dismal area of accidents, disaster~ and tragedies?
PR is involved in creating good reputation for a business. Such reputation
can be destroyed overnight by uncaring and unsympathetic attitude towards
people, particularly in disaster situations when sentiments run very high.

Abraham Lincoln has rightly stated "With public sentiment nothing can fail,
without it nothing can succeed".

When crisis strikes, PR in its proactive role should try to carry conviction
with the management that safety and welfare of the employees and
community is the responsibility of the management.

That is the real hallmark of good corporate citizenship.

 THE LOGO
According to dictionary logo means a single piece of type comprising a word
or words or a name, address, trademark or design. Companies use their logo
in their advertisement for easy identification. There are .many logos which
we observe in our daily life. Larsen and Toubro Company has a simple logo
in the form of

The Importance of Logo

The logo of an organisation is the essence of its personality and its identity
to the entire world. It is a visual identity which translates into a corporate
identity. Therefore, the task of creating a logo requires understanding of
long-term perspectives and a multitude of views.

The organisations spend time and money to develop a powerful logo, as a

logo evinces visual interest to such an extent that it is able to grab attention
at just a single glance.

Today all types of organisations from public sector undertakings to social

and charitable organisations, from industrial houses to government
departments, from hospitals to hotels are all using logos to symbolise what
they stand for. They can denote various qualities like grace, style, warmth
and commitment. There are varied objectives like to build corporate images,
garner finance, to boost sales, or to build brands.

The logo is a graphic statement of what an organisation is and what it

stands and aspires for. Therefore, the logo should be meaningful not simple.

A good example of logo is the one used by the Indian post. It is a

combination of corporate symbol and corporate form.

The symbol depicting double wings represents dynamism and action which
are both the characteristics of the post.

The very name Bharatiya Dak which is in Devanagari and Indian post in
Roman script written in special slanted designed letters speak of the huge
chain of interconnected functions in the post office all over the country. This
taken together give India the distinction of operating the largest postal
service in the world. The sustained efforts of the Indian posts and telegraphs
are not only denoted by the logo but it is also a symbol of keeping
communication open among the people.

Whichever way one looks at the logo but ultimately its basic essence is
effective communication.

Logo and Consumer

A logo has to be synonymous with the product or the quality of services of a
company for any consumer. The first question that arises is 'Can a logo keep
a brands presence high up in the consumers mind? Studies and experience
has shown that the logo can do much more than that by itself. Today the
onset of cable and satellite television has a strong visual influence on the
consumer whether it is in print or in electronic media, each passing ad or
message fight hard for a share in the consumer's mind and instant
attention. A powerful logo will definitely have a greater impact. When it
comes to catching the consumer's eye, the interlinking of logos and brands
is something every marketer strives for. Two very good examples are the
global players Sony and Marlboro, where the logos have been able to push
up sales very consistently. The red and white 'pack with the cowboy has
been Marlboro's identity and it is recognized by both smokers and non-
smokers.

Similarly all Sony's advertisements of its product display, its logo with the
memorable line "It's a Sony" both in print and on the TV media. Therefore a
logo has a very high recall value in the minds of the consumers. Now for
years the utterly butterly delicious Amul girl has delighted the Indian
consumers. With more and more products and services fighting for
consumers' attention, it has become necessary for logos to stand apart and
distinguish one particular Image from another.

The organisations on their part must represent the values of the visual
corporate identity and have to demonstrate truthfully that they seek even
higher levels of excellence.
 MEDIA RELATIONS
Importance of Media
In today's image related world corporate-media relations have turned pro-
active and can no longer afford to merely remain reactive. One cannot think
of issuing denials and seeking distance from the media, print or electronic.
Fortunately for almost all corporate there is a growing perception that if they
were not transparent and straight forward the gap would be filled by
inaccurate reporting and misinformation. Therefore, the old saying is true
'You can run but can't hide'.

These days the companies are managing the flow of information and at
times even influence the media. Corporates have come to realize that if the
channels of information are not open, many new stories would break.
Rumours would go around and investigative journalism would uncover the
information that is normally not accessible.

The stock scam and the Enron case in India are classic examples where the
media played a role that compensates for the weaknesses in the system.
Media constitute one of the most important publics for the corporate
communicators. As far as corporate communicators are concerned,
historically however, even today the print media has been the main media in
India. The press continues to be the most prevalent media to communicate
the policies of the corporate functions and achievements and also build an
image for the organisation.

The non-press media like T.V., radio, cinema etc. has gained momentum
and reached the corporate considerably. Obviously the emphasis will be to
use a judicious mix of the press and the non-press media so that the
communication process becomes such more effective.

Whatever media the corporates use, the centre of focus for them would be to
communicate with the media persons and through them to the various other
publics. In fact, they are the people towards whom the most effective and
purposeful media relations programmes are to be directed.
Management - Media Interface Report:
(1) Corporate management ought to know that skills of management are not
the same as those required to deal with media persons. However, the
media-corporate executive relationship need not be one of perceived
hostility and suspicion. It can work suitably and to mutual benefit
provided the latter understands and play by the rules of effective media
relations.
(2) A very important role of PR persons is to push and educate the
management. He has an internal as well as external role. A journalist
represents the public interest and a PR person represent the corporate
interest.
(3) A good story makes good sense and results in articulation of corporate
objectives creating awareness in financial circles about a company's
progress and performance
(4) A story written by a journalist is an objective opinion: It is not the same
as taking out an 'advertisement m any media. Since the company is
paying for it, it is also going to decide exactly what should be written.
(5) If the company has done a good job and if the report is positive .it can
attract people to invest in the quality of the company. Media exposure
may give an impetus to brands and supplement advertising.
(6) With good media coverage, companies tend to take greater care to see
that whatever they do they do well.
(7) Good press is also important for internal motivation. Employees are
pleased and feel good about wrong, for a company that has been
positively written about in the media.

How Media Communication works?

The only part of a broader public relations programme will be to establish
good media relations and make the corporate management appreciate its
importance. Obviously the most successful PR campaigns and even the best
ones are found on good media relations. As business communicators the
image masters know very well that. The soundest way to convey a
company's image to the target audience IS open through media coverage.
But then however expert one may be, certainly no communicator can claim
to be fully effective unless he or she is a real master in media relations.

It is therefore good to know a few of the mitty gritty of the game. One of the
most hotly debated topics is about press conference v / s press. There are
other two press relations activities viz. selective briefings and exclusive
stories. In this context the role of claims and facts would be quite educative.

(a) The corporate management, first and foremost has to appreciate that it
has its links with the media through the PR outfit of the organisation.
(b) A PR release is for routine matters and a press conference IS for
something more important.
(c) Remember media relations whether through press conference, press
release or regular PR contacts are meant for buying a very ~valuable
commodity and i.e. goodwill Anyone who is in the business of
communication is also in a sense in the business of goodwill.
(d) There is so much news and happenings that it is not possible for the
small band of journalists to go around and gather everything. Therefore,
the job of the PR person is to ensure that they get the right kind of
relevant information at the right time. Corporate communicators have to
make sure that they give them the material and information that is
genuine and newsworthy.
(e) A lot of questions remain unanswered with a press release. It may lead to
different interpretations. At the same time if a press conference is held
the probing goes much deeper and some times embarrassing questions
might be asked to the host.
(f) People from the press sat that, if you are just talking about a dividend or
a launch or closure of pubic issue you do not require a press conference.
A press release is enough. In the same way a story about new products or
processes can be made public through a press release only.
(g) Lastly there has to be a purpose for a press release or a press conference.

Media Expectations
It is necessary to understand and appreciate what the media expects from
the corporates in concrete terms:
(a) The media needs access to decision makers. Here, PR is the source for
establishing such contact.
(b) They expect the decision-makers and the spokes person to be open-
minded and honest in dealing with the media.
(c) Corporates must never try to buy a journalist or the media which
means they value friendship but hate any attempt to buy friendship.
(d) Media persons are professionals in their own field and they expect
understanding and appreciation on the part of the corporate bosses.
(e) The media would like to see that the PR has been able to educate the
top management in media relationships. This means that a
relationship with the media has to be kept up in good as 'well as bad
times.
(f) In case journalists ask a straight forward question an equally straight
and direct answer must be forthcoming.

Lastly media now demand that an essential qualification for persons

recruited to key PR position in the organisation is the ability to
communicate effectively with them
 CASE STUDY ON MCDONALDS
PR AT MCDONALDS

The three big lessons carried out in McDonalds

that needs to be learned & that everyone carries
with them today in their practice of public
relations.

Know Your Audience

Biscuits are made everyday in the morning 5 a.m. shift. There were five or
six regulars that would wait outside the doors of the restaurant until it
opened. Their breakfast, coffee or whatever they usually ordered on the
counter was kept ready when they walked in the door. If it was cold we
would let them in a little early. In PR, knowing who you are serving &
meeting their preferences is the key to unlocking loyalty.

The Power of Having & Working a Plan

Everything at McDonalds was regimented. Everyone wore the same uniform,
followed detailed processes for readying food, observed minimum wait times
in the drive thru (2 minutes max) & even had systems for bagging food.
Drinks first, salads, then sandwiches & finally fries (to make sure they
stayed hot). The manager would call to the grill in anticipation of how much
food we needed. Everything was timed & customers were generally happy
with the food served up by this otherwise motley crew. Likewise, in PR it is
important to have a plan in place so that you aren’t always running from
crisis to crisis.

How to Shift Gears in a Crisis

Picture this, a bus with more than 50 kids arrives & their parents in the
restaurant & you have enough food for about 10, the average crowd at that
time of day. It takes a good two to three minutes to get 20 hamburgers made
& don’t even ask for a filet of fish, fry times are longer – which also means
we don’t have enough fries. What do you do, well, you innovate within the
plan. We took orders & “parked” the customers to the side so that the lines
didn’t get out of hand. We pulled a person off the register to fill orders & the
manager kept up with the fries, taking pressure off of the front line. We then
handed out free kids cones to appease the crowd.

In a PR, when a crisis hits, it is important to know who does what. The
McDonald’s system makes that apparent, everyone has defined roles, so the
manager can easily make a few tweaks to “hone the plan” in action. A PR
crisis plan should do the same.

Lifestyle PR: Will McDonald's Win the

Coffee Wars with McCafe?

It may just be the immense buzz going around about their

new rollout of their $100 million McCafe campaign starting
this year. This long-awaited national campaign for its new coffee line is
touted as the biggest launch in its history.

Over the past 18 months, McDonald's has been steadily introducing hot &
iced lattes & coffees, cappuccinos & mochas in individual markets across
the country, & adding smoothies & frappes to the mix later this year &
into 2010. With this coffee push, it’s the biggest menu initiative since it
began offering breakfast in the 1970s. The $100 million spent on advertising
is going to span across TV, print, outdoor, radio, Internet, & events. These
advertisements will start off strongly throughout the summer, & well into
next year. You may have already seen their marketing push with coupon
booklets in newspapers for McCafe or in national television ads. Their goal is
to portray McCafé as a fun, affordable brand that can make even the most
mundane daily tasks more enjoyable.

McCafe has even made its way to the catwalk. In addition to their
advertising budget, McCafe is the new sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion
Week. They will have a McCafe lounge & tents all throughout, marketing to
fashion elites & fashionistas to get them hooked on their caramel lattes &
frappuccino (and who wouldn't want savvy fashionistas with a McCafe coffee
or latte in hand?)
 McDonald's on the ball in PR battle
McDonald's is upping the ante in its PR battle against critics who link its
food with childhood obesity by funding the training of 10,000 community
football coaches across the country.

The company has trained 5,100 local club level football coaches across the
UK since 2002 & hopes its efforts will have a trickle-down effect in the battle
against the negative PR that is engulfing the company.

Unlike Walkers, which promoted a school books campaign, McDonald's

prefers a low key approach, advertising on notice boards about local football
teams in its outlets rather than through a large advertising campaign.
"It's a community programme for McDonald's, it's not a marketing
programme," said Caron Beith, the head of Leo Sports, a division of Leo
Burnett, McDonald's advertising agency.
The coaching programming is one plank in McDonald's PR strategy in the
obesity debate.

The company has stepped up advertising its salads & healthy foods to
counter negative publicity surrounding the release of the anti-McDonald's
documentary, Super Size Me, in which filmmaker Morgan Spurlock
damaged his liver after eating nothing but McDonald's food for a month.
McDonald's launched a new phase in its healthy eating campaign with a
newspaper advertisement asking readers, "Don't fancy a Hamburger?" &
answering, "Then you have come to the right place." Another advert
promoted its salads in press adverts with the caption, "Funny looking fries".
Ms Beith said the community programme had benefits for McDonald's in the
obesity PR war. "McDonald's uses the coaching programme to encourage
people to be more active," she said.

The coaches are recruited & trained by the Football Association in England,
& the relevant associations in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland. But
children & their parents cannot fail to be aware that McDonald's funds
them. The coaches wear tracksuits with McDonald's logos & use 16 footballs
supplied in two kit bags that are branded with the McDonald's logo.

"When Ray Kroc started McDonald's, being a part of the community was
part of his ethos," Ms Beith said.

The company is on track to achieve its target of training 10,000 coaches by

2006. It has a long-standing history in sponsoring grassroots football in
Britain. By the end of 2004, it will have invested £21.2m such programmes
since 1995.
To date 400 McDonald's staff have become coaches & police in Cardiff have
used the programme to build links with young people in deprived areas.

When the programme ends in two years the FA will have trained 8,000
coaches in England. Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland football
associations will train 2000 coaches.

The programme has generated good PR for the brand. In January pop singer
Justin Timberlake, who sings the global McDonald's jingle I'm Lovin' It,
dropped in on Berryhill Primary School in Scotland with Kenny Dalglish, the
head of McDonald's Scottish football, for a coaching session.