Public Relations Definition

PUBLIC RELATIONS is a form of communication primarily

directed tiward gaining public understanding and acceptance.
Public relations usually deals with issues rather than products or
services, and is used to build goodwill with public or
employeess. Examples of public relations are employee training,
support of charitable events, or a news release about some
positive community participation.

Public relations
Public relations (PR) is all about maintaining relations with
public. It's a profession with varying definitions because of its
many functions and the differentiating perceptions held by its
practitioners and the public. Public relations (PR) is a profession
that includes the functions of communication, community
relations, crisis management, customer relations, employee
relations, government affairs, industry relations, investor
relations, media relations, mediation, publicity, speech-writing,
and visitor relations. The first World Assembly of Public
Relations Associations, held in Mexico City in August 1978,
defined the practice of public relations as "the art and social
science of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences,
counseling organizational leaders, and implementing planned
programs of action, which will serve both the organization and
the public interest Others define it as the practice of managing
communication between an organization and its publics. Public
relations provides an organization or individual exposure to their
audiences using topics of public interest and news items that
provide a third-party endorsement and do not direct payment
Common activities include speaking at conferences, working
with the media, crisis communications, social media
engagement, and employee communication. It is something that
is not tangible; this is what sets it apart from advertising.
PR can be used to build rapport with employees, customers,
investors, voters, or the general public. Almost any organization
that has a stake in how it is portrayed in the public arena
employs some level of public relations. There are a number of
related disciplines falling under the banner of Corporate
Communications, such as Analyst Relations, Media Relations,
Investor Relations, Internal Communications and Labor
Relations. PR professionals focus on building relationships that
help to establish rapport with publics. Public Relations
professionals must know how to write clearly, speak clearly, and
think analytically. These skills are necessary because in the field
of PR there is constant communication between professionals
and their publics. PR professionals also have to think critically
so that they can come up with resolutions to problems their
clients may face.
There are many areas of public relations, but the most
recognized are financial public relations, product public
relations, and crisis public relations.

 Financial public relations - providing information mainly to

business reporters.
 Product public relations - gaining publicity for a particular
product or service (rather than using advertising).
 Crisis public relations - responding to negative accusations
or information.
The industry today
The need for public relations personnel is growing at a fast pace.
The types of clients that PR people work for include the
government, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations,
specific industries, corporations, athletic teams, entertainment
companies, and even countries.
The practice of public relations is spreading widely. On the
professional level, there is an organization called Public
Relations Society of America (PRSA). This organization is the
world's largest public relations organization. PRSA is a
community of more than 21,000 professionals that work to
advance the skill set of public relations. PRSA also fosters a
national student organization called Public Relations Student
Society of America (PRSSA). Both of these organizations
should be strongly considered by anyone looking to have a
career in public relations.
Public Relations professionals earn an average annual salary of
$49,800. Top earners bring home around $89,220 annually,
while entry-level PR specialists earn around $28,080

The Important Role Of Public Relations

Public relations is fundamentally the art and science of
establishing relationships between an organization and its key
audiences. Public relations plays a key role in helping business
industries create strong relationships with customers.
Public relations involves supervising and assessing public
attitudes, and maintaining mutual relations and understanding
between an organization and its public. The function of public
relations is to improve channels of communication and to
institute new ways of setting up a two-way flow of information
and understanding.
Public relations is effective in helping:
* Corporations convey information about their products or
services to potential customers
* Corporations reach local government and legislators
* Politicians attract votes and raise money, and craft their public
image and legacy
* Non-profit organizations, including schools, hospitals, social
service agencies etc. boost support of their programs such as
awareness programs, fund-raising programs, and to increase
patronage of their services
Public relations in present times employs diverse techniques
such as opinion polling and focus groups to evaluate public
opinion, combined with a variety of high-tech techniques for
distributing information on behalf of their clients, including the
internet, satellite feeds, broadcast faxes, and database-driven
phone banks.
As public image is important to all organizations and prominent
personalities the role of public relations specialist becomes
pertinent in crisis situations. Public relations agencies provide
important and timely transmission of information that helps save
the face of the organization. In the words of the Public Relations
Society of America (PRSA), "Public relations helps an
organization and its public adopt mutually to one another."
Experienced public relations agencies have formulation press
releases into which they can plug the company news, as well as
a targeted list of publications for their industry. Truly good
public relations agencies generally have a good working
relationship with key reporters, boosting their chances of getting
coverage. Some public relations agencies deal only with large,
established clients, while smaller boutique public relations
agencies specialize in certain areas.
At present public relations as a career option exists in private
companies or government institutions that actively market their
product, service and facilities. Public relations training courses
are widespread in educational institutions. According to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 122,000 public relations
specialists in the United States in 1998 and approximately
485,000 advertising, marketing, and public relations managers
working in all industries.
Most public relations practitioners are recruited from the ranks
of journalism. Public relations officers are highly trained
professionals with expertise and knowledge in many areas, for
example shareholder management during a crisis, the evolving
role of the in-house public relations professional, account
management skills for public relations, an introduction to
financial public relations, an introduction to consumer public
relations, an introduction to public relations software etc.

TAG HEUER S.A., Neuchâtel,

Switzerland and Paris, France
1996 - 97
International Public Relations Manager (recruited by
CEO)
During peak expansion of watch brand and imminent IPO,
managed global brand positioning, communications and
media strategy via network of 20+ national PR agencies.
Consulted to leadership of worldwide subsidiaries and
agents-distributors in the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific
and Middle East. Marketing drew 24% of annual budget.
 Developed global strategy for 4 new timepiece
collection launches and key sports sponsorship
exploitation.
 Responsible for Kirium watch PR launch--largest in
brand history, which generated record sales.
 Developed/managed international VIP retailer and
media hospitalities focused to increase sales and
underscore brand values: Formula 1 Grand Prix,
America’s Cup yachting, Ski World Cup and Montreux
Jazz Festival.

TIFFANY & CO., New York, NY

9/1997 - 9/2005
Director of Public Relations / Retail
Marketing
Lead marketing strategist for 55 retail branch stores and
16 trade doors in the United States, Canada and Latin
America (60% of revenue). Reporting to SVP who reports
to CEO, develop integrated approach to increase sales
results, product awareness and brand image. Key foci
include: maximize sales growth and cohesion of the
Tiffany Register top-customer tier; develop new and
existing core-customer bases; secure targeted media
endorsement; devise new store openings and brand
integration within local community groups comprising best
potential revenue bases; and creation/management of
annual business-building sales promotion program (10
themes/76+ locations).
 Generate successful emphasis of core-profit, new
collection and authority-position jewelry categories,
i.e.:
 Oversee ‘What Makes a Tiffany Diamond’ workshop-
selling seminars, demonstrating value with exclusivity.
 Launched new Tiffany Mark timepiece with iconic
endorsements including Frank Gehry and George
Lucas.
 Invented new ‘Elsa Peretti’ designer promotion, using
core collection in all stores, and generated record
sales.
 Pioneer “Tiffany-Only” regional lifestyle weekends for
Tiffany Register customers, resulting in 37% growth in
statement jewelry sales. Conceived first national
program resulting in largest selling event ever. Devise
compelling “Tiffany-Only” attractions which secure
presence of most profitable customers.
  Analyze regular corporate retail sales reports and
tailor each local marketing profit-plan with retail
leadership.
 Programs increased average store traffic 21% and
sales averaging 12%, contributing to unprecedented
growth.
 Create 33 integrated and multi-tiered new store
opening programs in domestic & international
locations.
  Direct and manage 4 internal staff and network of 30
external local-market agencies/consultants.

Today's Business Climate and the Role

of Public Relations
By Gwinavere Johnston - JohnstonWells Public Relations
As the corporate scandals of 2002 made abundantly clear,
a company's reputation is paramount to its success, if not
its survival. The fallout of corporate greed has broad
implications, including some that hit home for average
Americans in the form of unemployment and depleted
retirement savings.

As a result, corporate credibility is at an all-time low, and

public mistrust has spilled over into investment markets.
This creates a considerable need to restore public faith,
and public relations professionals will play a vital role in
leading the charge.

Reputation and Why it Matters

Reputation can account for a large portion of a company's
market capitalization, and can be its most important long-
term asset. It impacts an organization in a myriad of ways,
including stock price, and the ability to attract and retain
customers and employees. Corporate reputation is based
on factors such as
 Quality of products or services,
 Earnings and business performance,
 Stability and fairness as an employer,
 Level of integrity in business practices,
 Degree of honesty and openness, and
 Involvement in local communities.
Today, with distrust of the corporate world at an all-time
high, corporate credibility is an over-riding factor. Whether
they like it or not, companies today are at the mercy of
public constituencies. That means there is growing
recognition of the need to foster a good reputation by
developing positive relationships with various publics.
How Corporate America Got Into Trouble
Each of the companies caught up in scandal made the
same mistake: failing to focus on the concerns of their
publics. If publics are the groups a company relies on for
success, it is dangerous to neglect them by
 Focusing on share price to the detriment of quality
and integrity,
 Forming boards that are not designed for strong
corporate governance,
 Misleading shareholders, employees and others by
not sharing the full story,
 Emphasizing what is legal, rather than what is ethical,
and/or
 Jeopardizing employee jobs and savings through
business misconduct.
How Companies Can Restore Trust
There are formal definitions of the term "public relations,"
yet its meaning is self-evident; it is the management of
relationships between an organization and the
constituencies upon which it depends.

Quite literally, public relations is managing relations with

various publics, a role that grows in importance as
reputation becomes ever more critical to business
success. Companies can restore trust in a number of
ways, many involving traditional PR strategies, such as:
 Using integrity and fairness as criteria for all business
decisions;
  Maintaining an emphasis on quality of products or
services;
 Openly sharing truthful information with all publics;
 Actively seeking input from publics and being
responsive to concerns;
 Renewing a commitment to local communities; and
 Creating forums to encourage dialogue with
constituencies.
The bottom line is that companies must make it a priority
to value the needs of all publics, and to forge good
relationships with them. The cornerstone of a good
relationship is trust, and trust is based on open and honest
communication. Effective public relations tells a company's
story in a way that is accurate, honest, and easy to
understand, helping to establish a reputation for credibility.

A good relationship also requires a willingness to listen,

and true public relations is a two-way process. PR
professionals recognize that to manage relationships, they
must understand and respect public concerns and
viewpoints. They must also go a step further, to serve as
the public's advocate within an organization.

In effect, corporate public relations professionals

frequently play the role of an outsider. By questioning
decisions and their impact on customers, the community,
employees, and others, public relation professionals bring
the public perspective to an organization, fostering its
ability to be responsive to public concerns.
In Summary
A company's reputation, or the essence of how it is viewed
by all of its publics, is the leading factor in its ability to
achieve success. With this in mind, the battered image of
the corporate world is no small matter. Restoring trust and
helping companies to earn a reputation for credibility will
require sound public relations leadership. Indeed, with
corporate integrity central on the minds of average
Americans, the role of public relations today is more
critical than ever before.

About Gwinavere Johnston

As founder and CEO of JohnstonWells Public Relations,
Johnston is nationally known as a pacesetter in public
relations counseling. Since founding JohnstonWells more
than 30 years ago, Johnston has played a leadership role
in helping to enhance the public relations profession. She
is a member of the Public Relations Society of America
(PRSA) College of Fellows, is a past President of the
Colorado chapter of PRSA, and is a founding member,
and member of the board of directors, of the Council of
Public Relations Firms. Johnston received the 1993
"Lifetime Achievement Award" from the PRSA Colorado
chapter, and the "Athena Award" from the Colorado
Women's Chamber of Commerce in 1999.

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What role does PR play in your company?

To some people, it is the source of representation for
companies. To journalists, it is, at times, a valuable asset and at
other times, an impediment. And to Corporate America, until
recently, it was something used in times of crisis.

"It" is public relations. And although "it" has been around since
the early part of the 20th century, many people remain unsure as
to what PR is all about.
Jay Allison, Pizza Hut Inc.'s director of public relations, noted
wryly that many people believe a public relations department or
agency is more a dumping ground than anything else for
unwanted questions, mostly from the public.
"We get all sorts of strange phone calls," he said. "The attitude is
almost, send it to PR, they'll know what to do."
And some companies, he continued, view public relations as
solely community outreach, media relations or corporate
communications.
But most experts agree that public relations, or "reputation
management" as it is being termed in some circles, is a tool of
communication to help represent a company in good times and
bad to its community.
But this field seems packed with myths, one of which is that
public relations is only good for crisis management.
"We can all probably name a lot of public relations disasters,"
said Ginger Hardage, vice president of public relations and
corporate communications for Southwest Airlines. "Usually
that's when PR gets the limelight, is when things aren't going
well. What we don't see is how public relations and community
relations help play a role in the success of an organization."
Another myth concerns electronic and print journalists' reaction
to public relations.
"The truth is, there are some who resent it and some who don't
mind it," said Andy Stern, chairman and CEO, Sunwest
Communications. "Then there are those who couldn't care less
either way."
But if a reporter perceives that a company is trying to sugarcoat
an image, its public relations personnel can gain the reputation
of being less than honest. And sometimes the people attracted to
the field, said Craig McDaniel, can be a little less than
scrupulous.
"Unlike accounting or the law where you have to have a license
to practice, anyone can print a business card saying they're a
public relations consultant, said McDaniel, vice president and
account supervisor with Michael A. Burns & Associates.
"If the media accesses someone who is being smart-aleck or not
honest, the media can become cynical," Allison added. "Then
they go away with the idea that every public relations person
they deal with is trying to hide something."
However, said McDaniel, it works both ways.
"There are journalists out there with chips on their shoulders and
public relations people who are bozos," he said.
Despite its myths, most experts agree that PR is becoming a way
of life in business. "In the past, it was only necessary if you were
under indictment or if someone was knocking at your door
having found a dead rat in your food product," McDaniel said.
With more trade publications, cable and satellite television and
the Internet, a company is faced with a bewildering array of
ways to get its message to the public. A public relations
department or agency staffed with trained professionals can help
a company make its way through the media morass.
Those "trained professionals" used to be journalists who were
wooed away from newspapers for more pay. These days,
however, public relations professionals are likely to have
majored in the field in college. But McDaniel and Allison agree
that an ex-journalist who joins a PR agency or department is a
plus.
"I think any journalist that has come to the public relations side
adds credibility to that corporation or agency," Allison said.
"With journalists, these folks can walk the walk and talk the
talk."
Meanwhile, Hardage said, companies are better understanding
how public relations can become effective, especially with all of
the outlets today available for placing information. "
"You're looking at a continuous news cycle these days," she
said. "A company's accessibility to the public almost has to be
24 hours a day."
Allison added that, with the litigious society in which most
businesses function, corporations are likely to turn to trained
professionals that can keep a cool head and maintain a company
message even under pressure.
"As corporations become more marketing-oriented, they'll likely
want professionals in there who want to help you sell products
and bring added value to that company," he said. "Because of
that, we'll see more intense roles for public relations."
Sorter is a free-lance writer living in The Colony

Wal-Mart's Public Relations Problem

Andrew Young was hired to help Wal-Mart Stores Inc. with its
public relations.
It didn't quite work out that way. This week ended with Wal-
Mart distancing itself from the civil rights icon.
Earlier this year Young, the former mayor of Atlanta and
lieutenant for Martin Luther King Jr., became chairman of
Working Families for Wal-Mart, a nonprofit organization
funded by the retail giant to combat criticism of the company.
Young was considered an asset as Wal-Mart moved into
minority and urban areas. With more than 1,100 discount stores
in the United States, Wal-Mart has "just about saturated suburbs
and rural America," says Dorian Warren, of the Harris School of
Public Policy at the University of Chicago. "So the only
untapped markets that are left for Wal-Mart to expand into for
other stores are inner cities."
"Wal-Mart hired Young to deflect a lot of the criticism Wal-
Mart's receiving among minority communities and urban
markets they're really trying to break into," says Nu Wexler of
Wal-Mart Watch, a group funded by union and liberal interest
groups.
Part of Young's job was to defend Wal-Mart from the charge
that it drives mom-and-pop stores out of business.
Making that case, Young told the Los Angeles Sentinel, a black
community newspaper, that those small shops "are the people
who have been overcharging us, selling us stale bread and bad
meat and wilted vegetables. ... They've ripped off our
communities enough. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans and
now it's Arabs. Very few black folks own these stores."
Wal-Mart Watch circulated and publicized Young's comments.
By Thursday night, Young had apologized and resigned as
chairman of Working Families for Wal-Mart. And Walmart
began to distance itself from the man it thought would help it,
saying in a statement that "Young's comments do not represent
our feelings. ... We were outraged."
Young's comments became ammo in a war that Wal-Mart is
waging against an ever-expanding force of bashers. Expansion
plans in Chicago have hit a serious snag; Maryland legislators
have tried to force the retailer to spend more than 8 percent of its
income on health insurance for its workers. Currently, the
company provides health innsurance for less than 50 percent of
its 1.3 million member U.S. work force. "Wal-Mart has become
a symbol, just like Willie Horton became a symbol," says crisis
management consulatant Eric Dezenhall. "It's a symbol of too
much power in the hands of too few."
And the company is figuring out how to fight back.
"We as a company have to develop the skills to operate in a
more complex world," Wal-Mart president and CEO H. Lee
Scott Jr. told TV interviewer Charlie Rose earlier this month.
But with this latest incident, Wal-Mart finds itself in a spot no
company wants to be in -- needing a PR campaign to defend its
PR campaign.
Campaigning/Marketing/Public Relations
Marketing and public relations are similar to advertising
but more subtle. Advertising is clearly identified as
advertising. We all know what an ad looks like. Marketing,
PR, branding, and other like ways of advertising
something, though, are more subtle. Consider some of the
more subtle ways to let people know about a non-profit or
a fundraising venture:
  Have possible donors read about the group in an
interview or newspaper article about new non-profit
groups in the area.
 Have possible donors notice the group’s logo and
name on caps, t-shirt, water bottles, and other items
 Have possible donors overhear people talking about a
group in the elevator or on the street
 Have possible donors notice art work or street chalk
drawings of a group’s logo and name
In most cases, this is a very sophisticated form of
advertising used by large business corporations that have
huge advertising budgets. On a smaller scale, though, you
can do your own marketing. Consider the following ideas,
which are possible even for a small non-profit:
 Appear on a local radio or even college radio show for
an interview. This may take some setting up, but
some stations will agree. During the interview,
mention your group’s name and upcoming event.
 If any member of your non-profit group has a DJ
friend, have that friend mention your non-profit at a
club, gig, or on air.
 Offer to write an article for the local paper, a local
online site, or a local magazine. Refer briefly to the
group and any fundraising efforts that are upcoming.
 Have caps or t-shirts with your non-profit’s name and
logo on them and distribute these to people who will
wear them.
Q1.What are the areas of work of a Public
relation officer?
A1.There are a number of fields that require the
services of a Public Relations Officer, which makes
this career very interesting. Some of the fields
are :-
 Corporate Sector - shows that there is more to
a particular organisation than merely making
money; the activities and attitudes are
 portrayed as being beneficial and friendly
towards the public.
 Government - deals with informing the public
about the government's schemes and activities
and showing the overall benefit of these
projects to society at large
 Pressure Groups/Causes/Lobbies - This is
possibly the most difficult area to work in, but
the most fulfilling since it deals with particular
groups of society or organisations that have
been built with a cause to improve society in
some way or the other. It is a relatively new
area in India and demands dedication and
extensive knowledge about the cause being
fought for such as child labour, women's'
issues, the environment, political ideology and
so on. The work involves making the public
aware of the issues through public
programmes, fund-raising, charity shows, so
that people are inspired to change and in-turn
help convince the policy-makers.
 Products - involves creating a good image of
the product before it is launched to ensure that
consumers, retailers, distributors are enticed
by it
 Public Personalities - This is probably the most
glamorous of all the PR jobs since it deals with
building and enhancing an image of well-
known people such as politicians, sports
 people, musicians, actors/ actresses, writers
etc.
 Public Sector - aims to show and prove to the
policy-makers and common person that the
public money is being spent in a worthwhile
manner
 Schemes/ Projects - this involves informing the
community being catered to or the
organisation's employees about new schemes
to reduce their apprehension towards change,
answer any queries and show the overall
benefit of these projects
 Tourism/Hospitality Industry - quite an
important field since the image projected will
determine or influence people's attitudes.
Q2.What are the training Institutes forthis
career ?
A2.Although formal training is not essential to
become a public relations officer, it has proven to
be an advantage especially in the competitive job
scenarios. Most companies do take on young
graduates in subjects like psychology, economics,
marketing, sociology etc. and a course in public
relations certainly does improve chances of being
selected as well as gaining more knowledge about
the career. Experience is another binding factor
that ensures success. Most of the courses are
offered as post-graduate courses and the eligibility
rules are such - Bachelor of Arts in any discipline,
but preferably the social sciences, liberal arts and
humanities. The course generally lasts for about a
year and admission is based on merit (in most
cases). Some of the topics covered during training
are communication, marketing, advertising,
research methods, media techniques, media
planning, script writing and editing, news editing,
partial mass media etc. The course also includes
practical training (one month) where the students
are given the chance to learn in a public sector
organisation, advertising agency or something
similar.
The following institutions offer these courses
around India :- Diploma in PR Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan at Bangalore, Calcutta, Delhi, Hyderabad,
Madras, Mumbai Diploma in PR YMCA Institute of
Mass Media Studies, New Delhi (for graduates)
Diploma in PR YMCA, New Delhi (for graduates)
Diploma in PR New Delhi Polytechnic for Women
(for XII-pass students) Diploma in PR St. Xaviers
College of Communications, Mumbai (for
graduates) Diploma in PR Sophia Polytechnic, B.K.
Somani Mumbai (for graduates) Diploma in PR KC
College of Mgmt, Mumbai (for graduates) Diploma
in PR Somaiya College of Mgmt, Mumbai (for
graduates) Diploma in PR Symbiosis Institute of
Journalism & Communication, Pune Graduate
Diploma in Advertising & PR Indian Institute of
Mass Communication, JNU Campus, New Delhi P.G.
Diploma in PR & Advertising, PR & Journalism
School of Communication & Mgmt. Studies, Cochin
University P.G. Diploma in Advertising &
Communications Monjee Institute of Mgmt.
Studies, V.L. Mehta Rd., Ville Parle (W), Mumbai
Degree Course South Gujarat University, P.O. Box
No. 49, Udhna Magdalla Rd., Surat - 395 007
Degree Course University of Mumbai, MG Rd., Fort,
Mumbai - 400 032
Q3.What are the career prospects and
remuneration ?
A3.The opportunities are immense for potential
Public Relations Officers. As outlined in the 'Areas
of Work' section, work can be found in government
offices, private companies, advertising agencies,
tourist resorts, hotels, banks and financial
institutions, non-governmental organisations,
private consultancy firms etc. Depending on the
designation and enterprise, the pay scales will
definitely vary. In a PR department, we generally
only have PRO and liaison officers (Senior PR
officers are paid on par with the senior managers
in Hotels/Corporate Sector etc.) In large
consultancy firms, the hierarchy is much more
prominent - trainee executives, account
executives, senior account managers, account
director, chief PR directors are all present therefore
training and experience are necessary to move up
in one's career (the starting salary is
approximately Rs. 5000) Government departments
usually have the junior and senior information
officers and they are paid as per fixed rules.

PERSONAL QUALITIES OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

OFFICER
A public relation officer will certainly do some writing. He is
almost bound to have to prepare press releases and has
to write some articles. He will have to draft letters and
draw up reports for his clients. If employed by a large firm
he may be asked to write a speech for his chairman, to
edit house journals, or to write company brochures or
sales literature.
A good Public Relations officer has the ability to marshal
facts to summarize the important points and then to
express himself clearly in both writing and speech. His
standard of integrity is high. His facts are people's eyes.
He must be able to gain people's confidence, which comes
from an understanding of human nature and the
imaginative ability to put sense and enthusiasm for the job.
EDUCATION:
A PRO must be educated, as he has to perform all the
very important duties. He must be having full knowledge of
the firm where he is working. Technical details are also
important things. Some important points regarding
machinery and production are known to the PRO. He must
be good journalist, as he has to make reports of the
programs. He must be bold and capable of taking
leadership and responsibility of the company. He must be
able to avoid any complaint from outside about the
company. A main thing, which is important for PRO is that
he must be able to satisfy people. That means he must be
a master in the communication art.
As far as educational qualification is concerned diploma in
public relations is a must. During the interview, his style of
speaking and presentation are the most important
trademarks, which come across in a PRO’s selection.
PUBLIC RELATIONS IN GOVERNMENT
Representatives of the people form an assembly. The
main functions of these elected people are nothing but
maintain Public Relations. The government recognizes the
people as the masters and these masters keep the people
informed about the policies of government and plans,
which have been prepared and executed according to
public wants and desires. This is a very important task,
which is done by the representative of the people. This
explanation should prove beyond doubt that leadership is
one of the most important quality in determining your
ambition to be a successful Public Relations Officer.
ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
An organization has to keep relations with several groups
to create and maintain a favorable image about the
organization in the minds of the people. The people are
divided into following groups or categories as per the
company's or organization’s relations.
The consumers.
The dealers.
The employees.
The shareholders or Proprietors.
The community.
1) CONSUMER RELATIONS:
Most important thing for the company is a consumer as
they are the people who decide the business for the
company. Keeping good relations with the consumers is
very necessary for the company. Though the company
usually has no direct contact with the consumers but
certainly through the middlemen, like the wholesalers,
dealers and retailers are there in between the company
and consumer to strike the chord between the consumers
and the company. Once a good repo is struck between all
the chains of the company, then the relations are kept by
the following ways.
Before launching a product in the market a survey is
done and according to the needs and wants of the
people, the product is designed, structured and
calibrated. The price of the commodity is also decided
by taking in account general public opinion and
obviously general market strategies and
combinations. This is also one type of public relations.
Now, second part of public relations start. Proper
information about the product, company history &
background, and policies are explained to the
consumer. The information may be given by the
dealer or by public relations during garnishing of
public complaints and suggestions.
A Public Relations Department should ideally receive
complaints and suggestions from the people or customers
who are directly coming to the company. In this way
consumer relations are kept and organized by the
company.
 
 
 
 
2) DEALER RELATIONS:
Dealers are working as a bridge between manufacturers
and consumers. A product from manufacturer is first sold
to the dealer and then it reaches to the consumer.
Therefore, it is essential for manufactures to keep good
relations with dealers as they are taking the product in
bulk and also interested in maximizing the profits. A good
dealer relations can only be promoted if the manufacturer
is fair in his relations in following fronts; By giving credit
facility, by giving delivery of product on time, by doing his
advertisement, which makes good relations. To appreciate
the dealer’s work and to inspire him to sell are the main
things, which are to be done by manufacturers to make
strong relations.
3) EMPLOYEE RELATIONS:
A Company gives many facilities to the employees who
are working for the company. For their excellent
performance in work, awards are given to the employees.
Bonuses and incentives are also provided to the workers
but along with this more things are given to employees to
make good relations with them. An employee should not
get bossing but he must be working under control.
Because bossing is the thing, which earns a bad
reputation for the company in workers minds and naturally
affects his work. To avoid loss to company it is necessary
for a manager to look upon this bossing matter from the
initial stages itself. If employee's relations are good then
company will always be in good profit and no disputes will
arise in the workers and managerial staff.
4) SHAREHOLDER RELATIONSHIP:
A shareholder or proprietor is a person who has invested
money in the organization. He could have invested this
money outside in Banks or in government securities.
He therefore naturally expects a reasonable return on his
investment keeping in view the risk he is taking by
investing his money in the organization involved. Thus
good shareholder relations cannot be built up if the
company is not fair to them in the declaration of dividends
in particular. The amount of dividend also affects the price
of the share in the market. Shareholders naturally expect
the prices of their shares to rise in the market as then only
they can make a capital profit when they decide to sell the
shares.
5) COMMUNICATION RELATIONS:
There are many members of community like shareholders,
consumers, dealers, employee, etc. and similarly there are
many types of public relation activities that are done,
which are named as Community Relations. A Company
building a meeting hall for general public, a well for
general villagers or school for students; such are the
community activities done by a company. Thus community
relations activities must be geared to actually satisfy the
needs of the needy and not just be triggered to procure
glorification for the company or perpetuation of the owner's
name

PUBLIC RELATIONS POLICY

Develop and recommend corporate public relation policies,
contribute public relation viewpoint in formulation of
corporate decision, provide not only to top management but
also to other department & division.

PUBLIC RELATIONS POLICY

Develop and recommend corporate public relation policies,
contribute public relation viewpoint in formulation of corporate
decision, provide not only to top management but also to other
department & division.
CORPORATE PUBLICITY:
Announcement of new products through editorial channels of
communication media, developments & execution of
promotional product publicity campaigns
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS:
Maintain liaison with appropriate government units at local,
state and national levels, report trends in government affecting
the company, advice as needed to help prepare for direct
corporate appearance before investigating bodies or legislative
hearing, direct program designed to promote the company point
of view in legislative matter.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS:
Plan community contacts performance and or co-ordination of
corporate good neighbor activities including compliance with
environment protection standards, fostering equal employment
opportunity and cooperating in urban improvement programs
development of community understanding of company problem
and needs.
STOCKHOLDER RELATIONS:
Communication between company and shareholders and also
between investors in general, development of acceptance of
company among investors by broadening the exposure of
company policies and financial results in the investment
community, preparation of annual report, quarterly reports,
dividend cheques, etc. Planning and staging of annual meeting
of stockholders and appearance before meeting of security
analysis.
PUBLIC RELATION PROGRAMMES:
Institutional promotional program designed to build corporate
acceptance among key publics, institutional advertising, public
relations literature and special events.
CORPORATE DONATION:
Develop policy for company contribution process, donation
requests, administer company foundation, conduct of employee,
and solicitation for approval drives.
EMPLOYEE PUBLICATIONS:
Prepare and publish employee magazines, newspaper, bulletins,
management communications, etc.
GUEST RELATION:
Plan tours, seminars, outings, and exhibitions all aimed at guest
reception activities.
WHAT A PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFESSIONAL
SHOULD KNOW?
A good public relation professional should know the following
points:
 1. It is hard to listen, easy to talk.
2. Hard to agree, easy to find faults.
3. Hard to forgive, easy to nurse a grudge.
4. Hard to see the whole picture, easy to highlight a
small section of it.
5. Hard to appreciate the detail, easy to generalize.
6. Hard to co-operate with others in an attack of a
common problem, easy to attack the others and thus
make the problem worse.
7. Hard to steadfast, easy to be stubborn.
8. Hard to speak up, when keeping quiet is difficult
but right.
9. Hard to give, easy to take.
10. Hard to say "sorry", easy to bluster.
11. Hard to be magnanimous, easy to doubt the
motives of others.
12. Hard to negotiate, easy to break of.
13. Hard to be patient, easy to ignore.
14. Hard to love, easy to hate.
15. Hard to build, easy to destroy.
MAKING OF A PUBLIC RELATIONS MAN
The making of a successful Public relations professional consists
of the following:
1.
Should concern himself and not with the manipulation of
people but with their continuing enlightenment.
2. Should try to elevate his audience rather than degrade
them, and that his communication should be addressed to
reason & judgment rather than to emotion & prejudice by:
a. Insisting on truth and full information.
b. Keeping the message simple and straightforward.
c. Not overselling or exaggerating.
d. Remembering for drama not making this
communication unnecessary drab and common place.
e. Packaging the communication appropriately, not
overdressing it or making it too extravagant.
f. Taking a time to listen to public opinion.
g. Remembering the vital importance of continuity.
h. Trying to be positive & constructive in every aspect
of communication.
3. Should recognize that sound public relation comprises
polices and deals as well as words. That it must be a deal in
truth rather than in deception and that it must seek to clarify
the issue of our times rather than confuse them.
4. While he may undertake to present one point of view for
public consideration, he should believe in the inalienable
right of those with opposing view points to present their
cases also for he has to realize that his right to speak can be
assured only if the guarantee exists for all including those
whose causes are unpopular.
5. Should believe that the democratic process must prevail
in the market place as well as in political and economic
affairs.
6. Should believe that the public interest takes precedence
over the interest of those he represents and he should
conniver his function as being to assist in conforming the
interest of those he represents to the interests of the public
when the two do not coincide.
7. Should recognize that the consequences of his action are
affected in the minds of men and because the human mind
has immeasurable potentials for good and for evil, he must
approach his task in reverence.
 PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAM
FOUR STAGES:
There are four stages in public relations program. The first stage
is fact-finding, the second is organized planning, the third one is
effective communication & the final is objective evaluation.
Each of these four steps is important to the successful
implementation of a Public Relation Campaign. Let us discuss
these steps one by one.
1) FACT FINDING:
It is an informal research to find out the problems of an
organization. Any public relation campaign has to begin with the
appraisal of the problems of an organization and also the attitude
of the public. Here is an example:
For years everything was well with food products manufacturing
company. But at one stage, to their great surprise, it was
discovered that their products were losing the market. A market
survey was conducted. There was no intense competition from
other products. An internal survey was subsequently carried out.
It was then noted that there were lots of dark patches in the
organization and it was company's staff, which was responsible
for the falling sales. That fact finding revealed that one of the
fields where the staff miserably failed was in letter writing. A
committee of experts was set up to screen every letter written by
the company to their clients over a specific period.
It was then discovered that over 80 percent of the letters that
were sent out to people should not have been written at all in the
first instance because they lacked the communicative touch and
went off without influencing the people towards their products.
So, the fact-finding survey pointed out this vital defect.
To remedy the situation, steps were taken to improve public
relation letter writing by the staff and in a relatively short-time
business picked up.
Fact-finding can be used for different purposes. It is the
foundation to public relation planning & identifying
discrepancies. There are several methods of fact finding such as
personal contacts, mail analysis, opinion surveys, media reports,
etc. Meeting with the executives and officers at the organization
can also be a part of fact-finding programs.
2) PLANNING PROGRAMS:
This is the second stage of laying plan and programs for
satisfactory solution of the problems. Before submitting a plan
for the approval it should be examined with the following
checklist.
CHECK LIST:
What is the problem?
How is the problem going to be solved through a public
relation campaign?
Is the cause worthwhile?
What is the object of the proposed public relation
campaign?
What are the costs involved in the campaign?
Who will execute the campaign?
What media will be used?
Will it be continuous in the application?
Is it going to be beneficial both to the organization and the
public?
Having satisfied with the checklist the P.R.O. can submit a
comprehensive public relation project for the approval of the
management. For this a presentation, meeting should be held
with top management when the plan is not only discussed but
also finally approved.
3) COMMUNICATIONS:
This is a third step in which the public relation program
approved by management is put to action through various media
of communication, so as to convey the message to the target
audience.
The ultimate aim of a public relation campaign is to make the
people adopt an idea or a product. In adopting such ideas, there
are again four steps.
Eg: The department of agriculture has evolved a new strain of
hybrid paddy, which is to be introduced in the country. For this a
communication program has been designed in such a way as to
make the farmers adopt the new variety of paddy seeds. In
adopting this new hybrid variety a farmer has to pass through
four stages.
1) Awareness: The farmer learns of this existence of the hybrid
paddy, which was not known to him earlier.
2) Interest: Having known to its existence, the farmer develops
interest in the idea and seeks more information on the new strain
for his consideration.
3) Acceptance: The farmer makes a decision to try the new
variety in his own farm.
4) Trial: The farmer actually puts the idea into practice on a
small scale in his farm.
If the idea experimented by the farmer is successful, it can be
safely assumed that the idea and campaign would be finally
adopted. This is the result of public relation campaign.
The media used for communication for each stage must be
suitable. For creating the necessary awareness, media will be
press, radio, television, news print, local advertising, etc. Till the
interest stage, the advertisement must be repeated by the same
medias because as the saying goes, "Once forgotten, twice
remembered and third implemented." For acceptance & trial
stages personal approaches or group discussion is a good and
great media
4) EVALUATION:
Public relation is a long and a continuous process. Unless public
relation activities are evaluated, it may be difficult for the
management to assess the effect of public relations on the
public. Its impacts can’t be judged by the number of press
releases dispatched or by the number of exhibition of public
relation works. It is to be determined by the degree of impact a
given message has produced on the public concern and the
extent of its reaction to it. For example, if the hybrid paddy has
been adopted by the farmers, the public relations campaign
would have achieved its desired objects. A system of review of
public relations activities is therefore indispensable.
Quantitatively, public relations cannot be measured but
effectiveness can be measured by watching reaction of the
people. It is also a three-stage program.
AUDIENCE COVERAGE: It shows size and type of target
audience reached or covered.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH: If the message has reached the
target audience, what was their reaction? Did it arouse a new
interest? Did they understand? Usually every medial has an
association, which conducts surveys on the impact of its
program. The exact opinion of the audience can be taken by this
process.
COMMUNICATION IMPACT: The impact of the message
passed on to the audience can be found out by the
communication or by direct meeting with the people. The study
team employs various tools to evaluate the impact of the planned
publicity, which includes inviting written memoranda from the
public, sample surveys through mail questionnaire, information
from different publicity media units concerned, discussions with
centre & state ministers and the officials concerned, legislators,
presidents and members of Zillah Parishads, Panchayat Samitis
and village panchayats and villagers, representatives of public.
Other tools include reader interest surveys of newspapers and
magazines, readability tests, radio and television audience
research, press clipping services, etc