CHAPTER 5 – PUBLIC RELATION
(3 hours)
Contents of the chapter
– Meanings
– The publics
– Media relations
– Components of public
relations
– The need for public
relations
Meaning of public
A public is any group whose members
have a common interest or common
values in a particular situation.
Publics differ from one organization to
another.
Classification of publics
According to Wragg (1993), public or audiences can be divided
into four categories which include:
•1. Functional Publics: They are those publics which
enable the organization to perform its chosen tasks.
•These include its customers, consumers, business firms
with which it relates, employees, trade unions which
represent it in its given line of trade or business,
suppliers of raw materials and components.
2. Enabling Publics: These are publics which
permit the organization to function within the
framework of the society to which it belongs.
Such publics include regulatory bodies,
community leaders, politicians and
shareholders.
Conti…
3. Diffused Publics: Within this group are media
organizations, pressure groups and local residents.
4. Normative Publics: This term refers to trade
associations and professional bodies, but it could also
include political parties.
Among the four categorizations, the functional publics are usually
closest to the organization and may exhibit the highest level of
interaction
Meaning of Public Relation
Public relations is the distinctive management function which;
Establish and maintain mutual lines of communication,
Helps understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an
organization and its publics;
Involves the management of problems or issues;
Helps management to keep informed on and responsive to public
opinion;
Defines and emphasizes the responsibility of management to serve
the public interest:
Helps management keep abreast of and effectively utilize change,
Uses research and sound and ethical communication as its principle
tools.
Conti…
Robert L. Heath also define public relations as 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.
Modern Shorthand Definitions
The British Institute of Public Relations defines
PR as “A public relations is a deliberate,
planned, and sustained effort to establish and
maintain mutual understanding between an
organization and its publics.”
Public relations has also been defined as
Persuasive communication designed to influence
specific publics.
The winning of public acceptance by acceptable
performance.
Doing good and getting credit for it (Performance then
Recognition).
The science and practice of applying credible media for
favorable communication.
• Sharpe, defines PR as PR is to consider it as a process that
“harmonizes” long term relationships among individuals
and organizations in society. Sharpe applies five principles
to this process:
– Honest communication for credibility
– Openness and consistency of actions for confidence
– Fairness of actions for reciprocity and good will
– Continuous two way communication to prevent alienation and
build relationships
– Environmental research and evaluation to determine the actions
or adjustments needed for social harmony.
Conti…
♣Stated another way, in the words of Reddick
“Public relations is the lubricant which makes
the segments of an order work together with
minimum friction and misunderstanding.”
♣Generally, in simplest form, public relations is
a way to approach, the way in which an
organisation wants to relate to its many
stakeholders.
…..
Engel, Warshaw and Kinnear who are
marketing communication experts
have identified five significant
targets for Public Relations efforts-
1. Customers
2. Employees
3. Suppliers
4. Stock Holders
5. Community.
The main responsibility of public relations is to
communicate the policies, practices, problems
and performances to the public and to
feedback public opinions, and suggestions to
the top management so that a mutual
understanding may be established between the
organization and its public, i.e. shareholders,
dealers, customers, general public, government
employees and the press.
The key words to remember in defining public relations
follow
♣Deliberate
♣Planned
♣Performance
♣Two-way Communication
♣Management Function
Types Of Public Relations
♠ According to the functions of the public relations
department/agencies, public relations can be divided into 7 types.
These are:
Media Relations: Establishing a good relationship with the
media organizations and acting as their content source.
Investor Relations: Handling investors events, releasing
financial reports and regulatory filings, and handling investors,
analysts and media queries and complaints.
Government Relations: Representing the brand to the
government with regard to the fulfillment of policies like
corporate social responsibility, fair competition, consumer
protection, employee protection, etc.
Conti…
Community Relations: Handling the social aspect of the brand and
establishing a positive reputation in the social niche like environment
protection, education, etc.
Internal Relations: Counseling the employees of the organization with regard to
policies, course of action, organization's responsibility and their responsibility.
Cooperating with them during special product launches and events.
Customer Relations: Handling relationships with the target market and
lead consumers. Conducting market research to know more about
interests, attitudes, and priorities of the customers and crafting strategies
to influence the same using earned media.
Marketing Communications: Supporting marketing efforts relating to
product launch, special campaigns, brand awareness, image, and positioning.
Public Relations Advertising
Public relations is a marketing tool of Advertising is the action of calling
communicating expertly drafted public attention to an idea, good, or
Definition messages using non-paid/earned service through paid
media to build mutually beneficial announcements by an identified
relationships with the public. sponsor.
Driven by Relationship driven Communication driven
Communicati
Two-way One-way
on
To communicate to the target audience
To build a favorable relationship with the
Importance about a certain offering, action, work, or
target audience.
other brand-related information
Media Relations:
• Press coverage is a critically important public relations output.
• Public relations specialists use publicity efforts to try to get coverage in the print
and broadcast media.
• They also respond to requests for information or comment from, journalists
working on stories that concern their company or the company’s products and
services.
• Media relations activities might also include arranging press tours of
manufacturing facilities, press conferences to announce new product
introductions, and coverage of the corporation’s annual stockholders meeting.
Group Assignment (Demonstration) (40%)
1. Meeting
2. Interview
3. Telephone Conversation
4. Induction or orientation
