Public Relations

What is Public Relation (PR)?

Public Relations is a strategic management function that helps in creating mutually beneficial relationships between public and the organization by adopting different methods of communicatuion.
"Public Relations is a set of management, supervisory, and technical functions that foster an organization's ability to strategically listen to, appreciate, and respond to those persons whose mutually beneficial relationships with the organization are necessary if it is to achieve its missions and values." (Robert L. Heath, Encyclopedia of Public Relations).
According to Edward Bernays “ Public Relation is a management function which tabulates public attitudes, defines the policies, procedures and interest of an organization followed by executing a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.”
It would thus be observed that public relation is a form of communication primarily directed toward gaining public understanding and acceptance.
Objects of Public Relation:
The aim of public relations is to create goodwill and protect the image of organisation. It helps a commercial organisation in achieving marketing objectives by evolving and adopting variety of programmes for influencing public opinion in favour of a product, service or concept. It is an art of arranging the truth in an appealing manner. Public relation increases awareness level of people by informing them the things that have been done or are being done. It helps in attracting the attention of clients, consumers or the audience and builds mutual understanding, promotes harmonious relationship, and raises public's consciousness about a product, service, individual or organisation.
Many business organiations, government bodies, banks use public relations for public awareness, image building, and or for promotion and marketing products.
Public relations are cost effective and more credible. It can affect public awareness at a fraction of cost of advertisement.
Advertising and Public Relations:
Advertising is different from public relations. Advertisement is a paid publicity. The advertiser who pays for the ad space decides the message, its format, style and the time / period of publication. In case the message is to be telecasted through electronic media, the advertiser provides audio-visual of the message and selects the slot (prime or normal) for telecasting. While reading the advertisement on the print media or watching an advertisement on electronic media or a soap opera a person comes to know that the product or services being marketed is to boost the sales.
Appealing, catchy, and creative advertisements have lasting memory in the minds of masses. Designing advertisement is an art. Copywriters or graphic designers keeping in view the target audience design advertisements. Advertisements can be given any number of times subject to availability of funds allocated by the organisation for this purpose.
In case of public relations, a relationship with the print and broadcast media is developed. For getting free publicity for products/services, news is released to print and or electronic media in such a manner that the editor is able to develop an article to cover the event. The media publishes / broadcasts the news if it considers it to be newsworthy. Since it is not paid for it is a cost-effective way of getting the message/information released to public. However, the press release about a new product is released once, as an editor would never publish the same press release several times in the newspaper or magazine. Since a press release about a product or service or event comes from media, it has positive impact in the minds of masses and creates credibility .
Marketing Public Relations (MPR):
Marketing Public Relations is the integration of Marketing and Public relation functions. Both Marketing and Public Relation specialists have a common goal i.e. launching of product in the market for sales. However they approach differently towards the goal. Marketing public relations is the support system for sale of a product to potential customers by conveying information about the product or services. Their job is limited to preparing and disseminating information to the masses, the end user. They are not in actual sale of product, but they build strong corporate image in emerging and ongoing market.
Whereas, marketing managers are the field functionaries their aim is to boost sale and convert the product into cash. They are much more bottom line oriented. However, the job of marketing managers and public relation officials are interdependent.
Functions of Public relations:
In most of the organizations people working in public relation department identify the target audience first, and then tailor every message to appeal them. The target audience can be specific, general, nationwide or worldwide, but it is more often a segment of a population. Public Relation department performs following important functions;
1.Liaisioning:
Maintaining liaison with press, media, authorities, and institutions in the most positive way. Maintaining cordial press relations helps in getting the news published in the press and other media channels about the organization, its products and services.
2. Counseling:
Advising management about its image, position of institution, public issues, social responsibilities of the organization, public ramifications with regard to policy decisions and courses of action.
3. Publicity:
Designing / finalizing publicity material for specific products, services and publicizing them.
4. Corporate image building:
Anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes, and issues that might jeopardize corporate image and taking timely corrective measures to neutralize the adverse impact.
5. Undertaking studies:
Researching, conducting, and evaluating, on a continuing basis, emerging needs of the society, market, consumer preferences with a view to promoting, understanding of the organization and to have an edge over competitors or critiques.
Tools of Marketing Public Relations:
People connected with marketing public relation build corporate image favourably and assist in launching of new products by generating interest in the product and also by regenerating interest in the existing product loosing hold in the market. In case of adverse publicity by their competitors about the product or public encountering problems, they defend the product and the organization.
The main tool of public relation is press release, publication, events, and undertaking public utility services. It is a kind of two-way communication channel for bringing consumers and the management together
1.Press release:
It is a written statement distributed by an organisation to print and or electronic media having news value. It is different from a news article.A news article is the news ,a collection of fact complied by journalist for print ,or electronic media.Whereas, a press release is designed and prepared by the organisation and given to journalists for developing news or articles on the subject. A press release is organisation’s version about its achievement that is generally biased.
Press release is a method of free publicity. Regular and effective news release makes an organisation a source of news media. Favourable news about the organisation , its products enhances sales and reputation.
2.Publication:
To reach and influence their target markets organisations rely extensively on published materials, which include annual reports, brochures, articles, newsletters, magazines and audiovisual materials.
3.Events:
Organisations arrange special events like press conference, seminars, trade shows, quizzes, sponsoring sports, marathon races and cultural events for projecting corporate image and drawing public attention towards new or existing products and other services. Organising special events help in publishing the products, services, image of organisation and results in to trade enquiries, which generally culminate into sale.
4.Public Service Activities:
Undertaking public service activities such as organizing blood donation camps, free medical checkups, fund raising drive for a social cause, contributing money to a good cause builds goodwill of the organisation.
Conclusion:
Publicity and consumer relations are the important part of public relations. The aim of PR is to enhance the reputation of the organisation by shaping the image of its people and disseminating information about the products and services by generating positive publicity in the news media. The important goal of public relations is to create awareness of what the organization is, what it offers, and what it does. Public relations are the most valuable tool in accomplishing this.
Since public relations communicate messages through the news media, a successful PR person has to be a good communicator, he has to cultivate and maintain contacts with journalists.