Ch 1: What is

Public Relations?
 A Variety of Definitions

• A number of definitions have been formulated over the

years.
– Cutlip, Center, and Broom, Effective Public Relations
• Public relations is the management function that
identifies, establishes and maintains mutually
beneficial relationships between an organization
and the various publics on whom its success or
failure depends.
– Glen Cameron, University of Missouri
• Public Relations is the “strategic management of
competition and conflict for the benefit of one’s
own organization—and when possible—also for the
mutual benefit of the organization and its various
stakeholders or publics.”
 Publics

• Any group that has an interest in the activities of

a firm and that may also be affected by those
activities

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l
 TO WHOM ARE WE TALKING

PUBLICS - a group of people with similar interests

STAKEHOLDERS – a special public, composed of those who have a

particular interest (or stake) in your organisation (e.g.
universities)

AUDIENCES – a “public” with whom you are communicating

PRIMARY PUBLICS – the audiences you specifically want to

influence (the people whose behaviour we are trying to change)

SECONDARY PUBLICS – the people who can intervene on your

behalf and influence your primary publics (e.g. the media)

TERTIARY PUBLICS – the “special” publics composed primarily of

organised groups that can mobilise quickly and endorse your
cause (e.g. TERENA as a membership organisation)

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 Traditional PR

• Traditionally, PR is defined as a firm’s efforts to

build good relations with its various publics by
obtaining favorable publicity, building up a
good “corporate image,” and handling or
heading off unfavorable rumors, stories, or
events.
• A firm typically accomplished these goals by
working with the media to send a persuasive
message to consumers.
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 Traditional PR Perspective

Customers

Community Investors

Public
Relations
Department

Suppliers Government

Employees
 Public Relations - Key Terms

• Deliberate
• Planned
• Performance
• Public interest
• Two-way communication
• Strategic management of competition
and conflict
• Public Relations is a process.
• The building and maintaining of
relationships.
• All the relationships that we
create and maintain are PR.

• Strong relationships are:

• Ongoing & Consistent
• Flexible
• Trustworthy
• Benefit to both the parties
• Respectful
 PUBLIC RELATIONS

• Simply means, “ taking care of

our relationships” with each other
(members), the general public,
law enforcement, and addiction
professionals.
 Definitions

Definition of Public Relations:

“Public Relations is about reputation – the result of

what you do, what you say and what others say about
you. PR is the discipline which looks after reputation,
with the aim of earning understanding and support
and influencing opinion and behaviour.”

“It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and

maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between
an organisation and its publics.”

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)

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 Public Relations Defined

A management function

which evaluates public attitudes

and identifies the policies and procedures

of an organization with the public interest

and executes a program of action (and communication)

to earn public understanding and acceptance

 ESSENTIALS OF PR

1. Planned and sustained effort

2. Mutual Understanding
3. Evaluates public attitude
4. Serves Public Interest
 OBJECTIVES OF PR

1. Building product awareness

2. Creating interest
3. Providing interest
4. Stimulating demand
5. Reinforcing the brand
FUNCTIONS OF PR
 Public Relations as a Process: RACE

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Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Public Relations Management Process

Determination and
evaluation of public
attitudes

Identification of policies
PR and procedures

Development and
execution of the
program
Public Relations Significance

Promotes new product

Maintains employee goodwill

Effective financial relations

Better community relations

PR in public interest
 The Process of Public Relations

Determining and Evaluating Public Attitudes

Establishing a PR Plan

Developing and Executing a PR Program

Measuring Program Effectiveness

 Research on Public Attitudes

Provides input for Serves as an “early

the planning process warning system”

Increases
Secures internal
communications
cooperation, support
effectiveness
Determining Public Relations Audiences

Internal or External or
Associated Independent

Stockholders and Educators

Investors

Customers and Governments

Clients

Employees Financial Groups

Community Civic and Business

Members Organizations
Vendors and
Suppliers The Media
Communicating With Target Audiences

Internal or External or
Associated Independent

Newsletters Public relations ads

Press releases
Bulletin boards

Direct mail Conferences

Annual reports Research reports

 Implementing the PR Program

Press
Releases

Press
Interviews
Conferences

PR Tools

The
Exclusives
Internet
Community
Involvement
 Advantages of Public Relations

Credibility

Image Cost
Building Savings

PR
Provides
Avoidance
Selectivity
of Clutter
Lead
Generation
Potential Problems of Public Relations

Potential for incomplete

communication process

Potential Receiver not making

Problems connection to the source

Lack of coordination with

marketing dept.

Inconsistent, redundant
communications
 Publicity versus Public Relations

Publicity:
The generation of news about a person,
product, or service that appears in the media

A short-term strategy

A subset of public relations

Not always positive

Often originates outside the firm