BASICS OF PUBLIC RELATION

Defining PR: Functions and types

Public relations is a strategic communication process companies, individuals and organizations use to
build mutually beneficial relationships with the publics. A PR specialist drafts a specialised
communication plan and uses media and other direct and indirect mediums to create and maintain a
positive brand image and a strong relationship with the target audience.

Public relations are the skilled communication of ideas to the various public with the objective of
producing a desired result.

Definitions:

“Public Relations is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual
understanding between on organization and its publics.”-Institute of PR, USA

“Public relations are the attempt by information persuasion and adjustment to engineer Public support
for an activity, cause, movement or institution.”- Edward L. Bernays
“Public Relations is a combination of philosophy, sociology, economics, language, psychology,
journalism, communication and other knowledges into a system of human understanding."- Herbert
M. Baus
The purpose of Public Relations practice is to establish a two way communication to resolve conflicts
of interest, and to establish understanding based on truth, knowledge and full information. Sam
Black – a British PR practitioner

"Public Relations is distinctive management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines
of communication, 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, serving as an early
warning system to help anticipate trends; and uses research and sound and ethical communication as
its principal tools." - Rex F. Harlow

‘Public Relations is ‘the communication and interpretation and communication of ideas from an
institution to the publics and the communication of information, ideas and opinions from those publics
to the institution, in a sincere effort to establish a maturity of interest and thus achieve the harmonious
adjustment of an institution to its community. Scott M. Cutlip and Allen H. Center

Objective of Public Relations:-

The main objective of public relations is to maintain a positive reputation of the brand and maintain a
strategic relationship with the public, prospective customers, partners, investors, employees and other
stakeholders who leads to a positive image of the brand and makes it seem honest, successful,
important, and relevant
Functions of Public Relations
1. Anticipating, analysing, and interpreting the public opinion and attitudes of the public towards
the brand and drafting strategies which use free or earned media to influence them.
2. Drafting strategies to support brand’s every campaign and new move through editorial content.
3. Writing and distributing press releases.
4. Speechwriting.
5. Planning and executing special public outreach and media relations events.
6. Writing content for the web (internal and external websites).
7. Developing a crisis public relations strategy.
8. Handling the social media presence of the brand and responding to public reviews on social
media websites.
9. Counselling the employees of the organization with regard to policies, course of action,
organization’s responsibility and their responsibility.
10. Dealing with government and legislative agencies on behalf of the organization.
11. Dealing with public groups and other organizations with regard to social and other policies of the
organization and legislation of the government.
12. Handling investor relations.

Publics and its Types

Publics are defined as any group whose members have a common interest or common values
in a particular situation. There exist several different kinds or categories of publics:
traditional, nontraditional, latent, aware, active, intervening, primary, secondary, internal,
external, domestic, and international.

Publics all differ greatly. Types of publics include:

• Employees
• Shareholders
• The media
• Customers
• The general public
• Analysts and other financial intermediaries
• Students
• Educators
• Government
• Community leaders
• Members of the industry in which the concern operates
 In order to establish lasting relationships, an organization must gain key knowledge of each
of its publics through a process of answering seven questions

o How much can the public influence our org’s ability to achieve its goals?
o What is the public’s stake in its relationship with our org?
o Who are the opinion leaders/decisions makers?
o What is the demographic profile of the public?
o What is the psychographic profile of the public?
o What is the public’s opinion of our organization?
o What is the public’s opinion of the issue in question?

Co-orientation allows organizations and publics to evaluate where one another stands in
terms of the issues, values, and needs each party shares in an effort to maintain effective
relationships. It is based upon four questions:
o What is our organization’s view of this issue?
o What is the particular public’s view of this issue?
o What does our organization think the public’s view is?
o What does the particular public think our organizations view is

While traditional publics generally include employees, media, govt’s, investors, consumers,
multicultural groups, constituents, and businesses, they change depending upon the
organization. All of these groups change respectively as time goes on and organizations must
use research strategies such as co-orientation in order to maintain effective relationships

Importance of Public Relations

With over 63% of the value of most companies dependent on their public image, public
relations have become a very important topic today for numerous reasons:
Builds Up the Brand Image: -The brand image gets a boost when the target customers get to
know about it through a third-party media outlet. A good public relations strategy help the
brand builds up its image in a way it wants to.
It’s Opportunistic: -Public relations strategies make the brand capitalize on the opportunities.
Google was in the news for donating to Ebola. Facebook promoted LGBTQ rights. Coca-
Cola did a PR stunt against obesity. These opportunities even attract many influencers to
share the brand story to their followers.
Promote Brand Values: -PR is used to send out positive messages which are in line with the
brand’s value and its image. This builds up the brand’s reputation.
Strengthen Community Relations: -PR strategies are used to convey that the brand is as
much part of the society as the target audience. This builds up a strong relationship of the
brand with the public.
ELEMENTS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

• A planned effort or management function.

• The relationship between an organisation and its publics
 • Evaluation of public attitudes and opinions.
• An organisation's policies, procedures and actions as they relate to said organisation's
publics.
• Steps taken to ensure that said policies, procedures and actions are in the public
interest and socially responsible.
• Execution of an action and or communication programme.
• Development of rapport, goodwill, understanding and acceptance as the chief end
result sought by public relations activities.

Evolution of PR
Evolution and Growth of Public Relations:

There is no universally agreed history of public relations. But most of the historians are of the
view that man has been using various public relations skills and techniques, since the time he
formed social groups, for moulding and influencing public opinion. Archaeological findings of
old civilisations in Rome, Egypt, Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq) substantiate this view and show that
those nations have been using some of the techniques for public opinion formation which even
today constitute an integral part of the public relations. A 4000 years old cuneiform tablet found
in Iraq told farmers how to produce better crops. Its function was similar to the PR bulletins
issued by the agriculture departments today.

In the ancient Greek some poets carried out public relations assignments on behalf of their
clients. The Greek poets used publicity, lobbying and press agent as tools for public relations.
Two poets, Simonides and Pindar, mad^ good living by writing and selling odes of praise for
those willing to pay. The use of poetry to manipulate public opinion became so widespread in
Greek democracy that Plato in his “Republic” advocated the prohibition of all poetry except that
written for the government.

The ancient Romans refined the techniques of poetic form, adding subtlety to public relations.
Virgil’s Georgics was, on the surface, a bucolic poem extolling the virtues of country living, the
pastoral scenes, clean air, fresh water, and closeness to nature, its purpose, however, was to
motivate the citizens to prefer country life over the overcrowded Rome, which was afflicted with
food shortages at that time.

All religions, including Islam, used public relations practices intensively. They used preaching to
mould public opinion. According to available history, the term propaganda, an important tool of
public relations today, was first used in 1622for a Christian mission which went out of Rome for
preaching. History also shows that the Muslims were using public relations as a well-disciplined
arm of the government during the days of the Holy Caliphs of Islam. They for the first time use
the term public relations officer. Mr. Alauddin Masood (author of the book “Public Relations:
potential and prospects”) in the article in daily The Muslim (August 89, 1996) produces historical
evidence to substantiate the fact that it a letter to Malik Ashtar, governor of Egypt, Hazrat Ali, the
fourth Caliph of Islam, while describing the categories of state writes “We’ have the army formed
of the soldiers of God; we have our civil officers and their establishment, our judiciary, our
revenue collectors and our public relations officers”. This suggests that the Public Relations
department had emerged as a separate and distinct entity by the time and that the people were
aware of the functions and role of public relations officers.
Like some other parts of the world, there exists ample evidence to suggest that rulers in South
Asia made use of the techniques of public relations even as early as 3300 B.C-1900 B.C and also
thereafter right up to the arrival of the British. The archaeological excavations in the Indus Valley
show that engravings on rocks and especially constructed monuments were used for conveying
royal decrees and proclamations to the publics. The Muslim rulers in India appointed scribes in
different parts of the country who used to inform the king (ruler) about the various activities and
happenings in the area under their respective jurisdictions. Later the British established separate
PR departments in the provinces and at the centre, including the armed forces (ISPP) to carry on
public relations activities.

There are many who trace the emergence of public relations as a separate and distinct activity
with the advent of the industrial revolution in America. Hobert Lioyd, author of the book ‘Public
Relations’ says the first indication of the development of public relations as a separate activity
came with the Industrial- Revolution with its tremendous expansion of business and commerce,
particularly in the United States.

According to the Encyclopaedia of Communications, “in the early years of the twentieth century
public relations emerged as a distinct occupational pursuit in the United States to provide counsel
and policy guidance to large business corporations. Often the managements of these companies
found themselves the target of government, press and public criticism for their allegedly unethical
business practices. Their leaders turned to the public relations counsellors of the time to help
create greater public understanding and support for their operations.

Public relations has come a long way since then, and though historians have yet to trace out the
exact history of this discipline, it has assumed great importance everywhere and for everyone
these days. The ever-growing competition among industrial concerns, political organisations,
pervasive democracy regionalism in world politics, privatisation and liberalisation of economy,
modern mass media etc, are such factors which have made public relations inevitable.

After passing through the various phases and stages of its development public relations has now
grown into a separate activity both in the developed and developing world. However, like other
areas of human activity public relations discipline is comparatively more mature in the developed
countries. In developing countries, especially in the private sector, public relations concepts and
practices are not yet clear and the PR techniques are usually abused for gaining short-term or
immediate benefits. PR in most of the developing countries is carried on borrowed ideologies and
the process is generally devoid of research and any logical planning. That is why PR in the
developing countries often fails to give results and generally it assumes the form of ‘press agent’
aimed at releasing the top management.

PR staff often tries to block the media from ascertaining the facts truth about the organisation.
Most of the organisations in the third world don’t have any public relations department and where
PR outfits exist these are usually run by unqualified and unskilled people. However, it is
heartening that the developing third world is now realising the importance of this versatile
discipline both in public and private sectors. It is hoped that in the next few years PR will enjoy
the same level of prestige and importance in the developing world that it does at present in the
developed countries and PR departments in the Third World will also be manned by skilled and
qualified people who will, in real terms make it a bond of mutual understanding and bilateral
benefit or both the organisations and the publics.

Issue management: -
Companies may face issues that affect consumers or the public and must have a plan for managing
these issues. Along with resolving the problems, the issues may need to be communicated. Using
public relations effectively can help to handle the management of the issues.

What is Issues Management?

In the course of business operations, there is a wide variety of issues management, problems that must
be analysed and resolved. While some problems are small and easy to solve, there are others that have
a large impact on employees, customers, vendors, partners, and investors. By creating plans to
manage these issues, companies can handle problems quickly and effectively.

• It is the process that ensures that monitoring and information processing ability of an
organisation and thus to deal with uncertainty and risk contributing.
• With the early distribution of critical issues and demands of stakeholders, could
influence the action of an enterprise, which creates issues management, the
requirement for an active engagement with these issues.

Public Relations of Issues Management

When a problem arises, the way the company handles the issues can have a positive or negative effect
on their brand. Public relations is the process of providing information regarding the problem and the
plans the company has to fix the situation.

Let's imagine you own a produce company that has a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are
sold to retail stores, wholesale accounts, restaurants, and other corporate accounts. You have recently
found out the shipment of lettuce you received was tainted and has E.coli. You've already shipped a
large supply of lettuce to over 10 accounts and are worried their consumers and guests will eat the
lettuce and get sick. You realize you need to inform the accounts, create a plan, and initiate a public
relations campaign to alert potential consumers of the germs on the lettuce.

Steps for Issues Management

There are five steps to managing a public relations issue:

1.Identify potential issues - When you identify a potential issue, you become aware of a current or
likely problem based on feedback from customers, employees or vendors. As you learn of a problem,
you can move forward to the next steps to manage the problem.
2. Set priorities - Take time to understand what needs to be done, which steps need to be handled
first, and how the issue will be managed.
3. Establish a position on the issues - Create a plan for responding to the problem, what the
company will share about the problem, and how the issue will be presented to the public.
4. Develop the response - Once you have clarified your position in the problem, you can now create a
response that will be shared with the affected party and media, if necessary.
5. Monitor the issue - Watch the response to the issue, how the resolution is working, and if changes
need to be made to the plans.

Lobbying: -
Lobbying is a fast-growing field that is closely connected to public relations, for the role of a lobbyist
is to influence legislators, using the art of persuasion, on behalf of an organization’s point of view on
various issues. Lobbyists aim to influence the policy making of the institutions to produce policies
and legislation that are beneficial to their employers. Since lobbying is about communicating with
policy-makers, it is always beneficial to familiarize oneself with the political scene. Many of the
lobbying career opportunities are concentrated in the political sphere, where graduates can gain
experience working as congressional aides or with government agencies prior to beginning a career as
a lobbyist. Many prospective lobbyists begin by working for environmental and advocacy
organizations, where they can promote their agendas by meeting with members of legislative aides,
and leaders of governmental agencies. The primary skill of a lobbyist is to construct and communicate
messages to legislators.

Public Opinion: -
It is the constant forming and revising of people’s opinions on public figures, organisations
and issues.
In order for a phenomenon to count as public opinion, at least 4 conditions must be satisfied:
• There must be an issue
• There must be significant number of individuals who express opinions on the issue
• There must be some kind of a consensus among some of these opinions
• This consensus must directly or indirectly exert influence
Public Opinion is an expression of a belief held in common by members of a group of public on a
controversial issue of general importance. The public opinion-formed process emanates from
the expressed individual opinions of members of a group. Whose views are subject to the
influences exerted by the group?
Public opinion is usually expressed after controversy, dispute and debate over some
controversial question. Which concern the welfare, doctrines, and value system of a group?
Public opinion aroused. Whenever contemporary issue or question of some concern arises
about which the member of the group arc likely to have disagreement. An issue is a situation
or occurrence which threatens to disturb the prevailing values, beliefs and attitudes of a
group, creating more or less of a crisis and arousing discussion and the expression of public
opinion. Public opinion is not simply the opinion of the majority of a group. On each issue,
the interested public will divide itself into two or more differing points of view, which will
not necessarily be contradictory or mutually exclusive.
The attitudes and previous experiences of the individuals making up the public as well as the
complexity of the issue determine the cause of public opinion. The opinion must be
representative of the group as a whole. Thus, public opinion is the complex of beliefs
expressed by a significant number of persons on an issue of general importance. Public
opinion is a potent force to reckon with particularly for a public relations functionary.

CSR:-
Corporate social responsibility, or CSR, refers to a business's efforts to balance generating
profits for owners with socially and environmentally responsible business practices. A
complete emphasis on CSR includes thoughtful consideration of the needs of shareholders,
customers, communities, employees and business partners. Long-term business success
typically relies upon profit motives combined with genuine concern for stakeholder welfare.
Corporate social responsibility involves ethical consideration in all strategic management
processes. Corporate social responsibility is a form of management that considers ethical
issues in all aspects of the business. Strategic decisions of a company have both social and
economic consequences. Social responsibility of a company is a main element of the strategy
formulation process. There is a misconception that corporate social responsibility is less
relevant to small businesses; however, there is growing recognition of the importance of
social responsibility for smaller firms.
Types

• Competitiveness

Strategic management seeks to give the company a competitive advantage in the market. Intangible
sources of competitive advantage, such as ethical management, have become important in recent
years. A company that better incorporates social responsibility into its operations will be in a better
position than competitors. For example, a small business that sources locally, offers discounts to
senior citizens and volunteers for community causes will be in the good books of its local community.
This can translate into customer loyalty and profitability.

• Mission Statement

The mission statement is a critical output of the strategic management process. It identifies what the
company offers and to what markets. The mission statement also reflects the ethical and moral
standards of the company. In formulating the mission statement, the legitimate concerns of the
external entities, such as stakeholders, customers, suppliers, the government and local communities,
should be taken into account. This will boost the legitimacy of the company.

• Integration

There are several stages in the integration of corporate social responsibility in the company's strategic
management process. Firstly, managers should try to embed ethical principles into the shared
organizational culture. The main idea is to make ethical consideration a tacit part of the company's
psyche. The mission statement and other strategic documents will be modified to reflect this
emphasis. Secondly, a diagnosis of the company's current status and deficiencies should be made. The
company determines what type of social responsibility is more attuned to its core activities and
outside community. Finally, the corporate social responsibility approach is generalized. In this stage,
acting ethically becomes second nature to the company and permeates all activities of the company.

Advertising:
Advertising is a 'paid form' of communication intended to inform and influence a specific, target
group. The reasons for advertising are many and varied. An advertiser may be used to: urge and
remind people to buy a product or service; or do something or think something:-

• Announce a new product or service, or an idea / concept

• Announce a modification (price, ingredient, feature, packaging, special offer, etc.)
• Challenge competition (in terms of' message or proposition)
• Maintain sales retrieve lost sales; enter new markets
• Educate the public
• Recruit star
• Announce a sponsorship
Advertising also helps to build & maintain the 'brand image' of a product or service, and adds to its
values (as perceived by the customers).
Advertising can be mainly classified as:- a) Product Advertising: b) Institutional Advertising or
Public Relations Advertising.

• Product Advertising as the name itself suggests, IS concerned with promoting sales of
particular products;
• Institutional Advertising is known by various other names also like 'Corporate Advertising',
'Public Advertising' or 'Prestige Advertising' etc. The main objective of institutional advertising
is to create awareness and favourable attitude of particular publics towards the institution as a
whole. Although it does not seek to promote sales directly, it does help the sales also
indirectly by establishing a good image e.g. by building up a reputation for reliable quality
products etc.

Propaganda
Propaganda is the manipulation of symbols to transmit accepted attitudes and skills. It
describes political application of publicity and advertising, also on a large scale, to the end of
selling an idea cause or candidate or all three.
Propaganda is defined as an expression of opinion by individuals and group which is
deliberately to influence opinion or action by other individuals or groups with reference to
pre-determined end. Although in its broadest sense, propaganda intends to advance a cause
e.g. a. religious faith, and hence can be considered as legitimate persuasion, it has come to
acquire a negative image because it has been used to unleash hatred and fear during wars. It is
still being used by suppressing facts. Propaganda has therefore gained notoriety as
brainwashing and barbarity. It is characterised by the one or more of the following:
• use of words with double meanings
• Appeals to prejudices of people and arousal of negative emotions like fear, hatred etc.
 • evasion of truth, suppression of facts, distortion
• provocation, playing up trivia
• presentation of only one sided arguments
• repetition
Critics of Public Relations sometimes refer to it as propaganda to imply that this also
manipulates public opinion. However, even though Public Relations attempts to influence
public opinion, it is vastly different from propaganda. Public Relations is an honest, straight
forward, long term effort to create favourable image based on facts and performance. It has
no malicious, short term selfish gains to make by suppressing fact to mislead people. Unlike
propaganda, it is based on an open two-way communication.

Publicity:-
Publicity, on the other hand, is a free-of-cost write-up, on the product or service, and issue, of
an organisation and its activities, in the news columns or editorial columns of a newspaper
and magazine, or the non-commercial time on television and radio. It is information
generated and put across by journalists (media) on their own, or on a special request by the
company/ organisation's spokesman. Publicity messages are not paid for as advertising is. It
is a result of significant "news" on the product or service, organisation, or an event
concerning the product or organisation itself. It must be essentially interesting, new,
informative and necessary for the readers or viewers of the media in the eyes of the reporter
or editor.
Publicity is as essential as advertising in the communication objectives and process of an
organisation. It is a tactical tool, with high degree of credibility, and one which lends itself to
natural dramatization. It is, therefore, used and taken due advantage of by the communicator
or organisation behind it to achieve specific and timely communication goals. In the present
day high media cost situation, it is a practical tool, and very often used by Public Relations
professionals with good results. Publicity is considered more credible than advertising
because media is seen as the source of news. Hence the message has greater acceptability.
Handling publicity requires special skills. If handled well, it offers tremendous benefits, and
if handled badly, it can do more damage than good. Besides just reading well it must be
factual and truthful. It should not be an 'advertisement', but more a natural projection of the
desired, message and information meant for the target group.

PR as a marketing tool
• Marketing is all about communicating the right message to the right people.
• Marketing & public relations are kissing cousins
• Now the new term called MPR is acceptable
• PR is a vital support system to marketing
• New product launch to projecting, protecting, positioning, promoting are in PR domain
• PR is now fifth P of marketing – others Product, Price, Place and promotion
• Businesses need a PR team to design and implement the most compatible PR program
• This is a cost-effective method of obtaining highest quality work from PR experts
• A PR firm can act as the marketing arm of your business by a steadfast dedication to your
products, services and the business name.
MARKET PUBLIC RELATIONS GOALS
• Enlarge awareness base
• Develop a loyal customer base
• Build credibility
• Adopt relationship marketing
• Earn consumer testimonials to inspire new customers
• Build market excitement at pre-and post-advertising launch stages
• Inspire sales force and dealers
• Keep promotional cost under tab
• Influence the opinion leaders
• Build and maintain corporate image
• Support to new product launches
• Assist products to attain maturity
• Recycle and reposition the products
• Boost public interest in certain product categories
• Target specific groups
• Manage controversies and crisis situations

INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

‘Integrated Marketing Communications is a concept of marketing communications planning
that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a
variety of communication disciplines for example general advertising, direct response, sales
promotion, & public relations & combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency &
maximum communications impact through the seamless integration of discrete messages.’-
The American Association of Advertising Agencies
IMC – THE FIVE FINGER STORY

Advertising
• Advertising is any paid form of non-person presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or
services by an identified sponsor - Philip kotler
• Paid – advertiser buys space in print media & time slot in electronics media
 • Non-personal – advertiser not visible to target audience. It is selling in the absence of a sales
person

ADVERTISING FUNCTIONS
• Familiarization – makes entry into consumer mind
• Reminder value – reminds and fights human memory lapse
• News value – breaks new of new product innovations
• Shake off market inertia – nudges consumers to buying action
• Value addition to products – sells value and benefits to consumers

Promotion
• All those activities that provide extra value or incentives to the sales force, distributors, or the
ultimate consumer and can stimulate immediate sale
• Sales promotion – two kinds
1. Consumer targeted promotions – mainly targeted at end users promising extra immediate
benefits
2. Trade targeted promotions – targets channel partners with incentives, discounts, free samples,
promotional allowances and cooperative advertising

DIRECT MARKETING
Communicate directly to target consumers to induce interest and clinch deals. Media used is:
• Direct mail – send mailers to consumers
• Catalogues – Consumers refer items & order products
• Broadcast media – TV, Radio, invite consumers to buy
• Infomercials – information to induce interest in health, money, weight loss etc
• Print media – direct response ads. In newspapers / magazines
• Telemarketing – toll free phone numbers inviting calls
• Cybershopping – internet shopping like e-bay

Personal selling
• A face to face interaction between customer and sales person to sell products
• Allows flexibility to sales person to modify his pitch to motivate customer
• Sales people use a well known 5 step system summed up as AIDAS:
1. ATTENTION
2. INTEREST
3. DESIRE
4. ACTION
5. SATISFACTION

PUBLIC RELATIONS & PUBLICITY

• Public relations:- PR is a demure function of management to establish a two-way
communication between an organization & its publics, namely, consumers, dealers, suppliers,
shareholders, media, government, legislatures, community to establish mutual understanding
and to resolve conflicts of interest
• Publicity:-Marketers soft pedal news stories, articles, features & photos as press release to get
free mentions in media
 Conclusion:
• Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) means harnessing the power of all the tools –
advertising, promotion, direct marketing, personal selling, and public relations and publicity –
into a unifying force to target the messages to the consumers in one voice.
• It is like orchestrating one and the same tune in a concert that produces harmonious music
that sounds sonorous to the listeners – the consumers.

Ethics in PR:-
Code of ethics of the Public Relations Society of America and the Society of Professional
Journalists. Both code of ethics present core values based on truth, independence,
accountability, and respect. These values are what every public relations worker should use to
help make good decisions and maintain professional behaviour:
1. Honesty:- This means providing accurate and truthful information. When communicating
with the public on behalf of a company or organization, it's crucial that public relations
professionals are honest.
2. Advocacy:- Since a public relations professional works as an advocate for the public, it is
important to provide the public with pertinent information so that people can make informed
decisions. For instance, when presenting information to the public, it's important to provide
views from different sides and/or people, as well as all of the relevant facts.
3. Expertise:-This means doing research and using critical thinking in order to maintain
credibility as an expert and a trusting relationship between the company and the public. In
order to communicate accurate information, public relations professionals must do their
homework.
4. Independence:-This simply means that public relations professionals take responsibility for
their own actions when representing a company or organization. After all, accountability is
essential to ethics.
5. Loyalty:-A public relations employee should respect and maintain loyalty to the company
for which he or she is working. That allows the employer to rest assured that the public
relations professional is working in the best interest of the company.
6. Fairness: - Everyone has their own views and opinions. As an individual working in public
relation, it’s important to respect all of those different views and opinions. It’s also important
to remain fair to all those work for and with, so that each person feels free to express their
thoughts.

PRSI Code: -
International Code of Ethics for Public Relations was adopted by Public Relations Society of
India at its 1st National Conference at New Delhi on 21st April 1968
Each member of this society shall endeavour:

1. To contribute to the achievement of the moral and cultural conditions enabling human
beings to reach their full stature and enjoy the indefeasible rights to which they are
entitled under the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”;
 2. To establish communication patterns and channels which, by fostering the free flow of
essential information, will make each member of the group feel that he is being kept
informed, and also give him an awareness of his own personal involvement and
responsibility and of his solidarity with other members;
3. To conduct himself always and in all circumstances in such a manner as to deserve and
secure the confidence of those with whom he comes into contact;
4. To bear in mind that, because of the relationship between his profession and the public,
his conduct – even in private – will have an impact on the way in which the profession
as a whole is appraised;

Shall Undertake

1. To observe, in the course of his professional duties, the moral principles and rules of
the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”;
2. To pay due regard to, and uphold, human dignity, and to recognize the right of each
individual to judge for himself;
3. To establish the moral, psychological and intellectual conditions for dialogue in its true
sense, and to recognize the right of the parties involved to state their case and express
their views;
4. To act, in all circumstances in such a manner as to take account of the respective
interest of the parties involved: both the interests of the organisation which he serves
and the interests of the public concerned;
5. To carry out his undertakings and commitments which shall always be so worded as to
avoid any misunderstanding, and to show loyalty and integrity in all circumstances so
as to keep the confidence of his clients or employers, past or present, and of all the
public’s that are affected by his actions;

Shall Refrain From

1. Subordinating the truth to other requirements;

2. Circulating information which is not based on established and ascertainable facts;
3. Taking part in any venture or undertaking which is unethical or dishonest or capable of
impairing human dignity and integrity;
4. Using any “manipulative” methods or techniques designed to create subconscious
motivations which the individual cannot control of his own free will and so cannot be
held accountable for the action taken on them.

IPRA
The “IPRA Code of Conduct”
Launched in 2011 the IPRA Code of Conduct is an affirmation of professional and ethical
conduct by members of the International Public Relations Association and recommended to
public relations practitioners worldwide.
The Code consolidates the 1961 Code of Venice, the 1965 Code of Athens and the 2007
Code of Brussels.
 1. RECALLING the Charter of the United Nations which determines “to reaffirm faith
in fundamental human rights, and in the dignity and worth of the human person”;
2. RECALLING the 1948 “Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and especially
recalling Article 19;
3. RECALLING that public relations, by fostering the free flow of information,
contributes to the interests of all stakeholders;
4. RECALLING that the conduct of public relations and public affairs provides essential
democratic representation to public authorities;
5. RECALLING that public relations practitioners through their wide-reaching
communication skills possess a means of influence that should be restrained by the
observance of a code of professional and ethical conduct;
6. RECALLING that channels of communication such as the Internet and other digital
media, are channels where erroneous or misleading information may be widely
disseminated and remain unchallenged, and therefore demand special attention from
public relations practitioners to maintain trust and credibility;
7. RECALLING that the Internet and other digital media demand special care with
respect to the personal privacy of individuals, clients, employers and colleagues;

In the conduct of public relations practitioners shall:

1. Observance
Observe the principles of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
2. Integrity
Act with honesty and integrity at all times so as to secure and retain the confidence of those
with whom the practitioner comes into contact;
3. Dialogue
Seek to establish the moral, cultural and intellectual conditions for dialogue, and recognise
the rights of all parties involved to state their case and express their views;
4. Transparency
Be open and transparent in declaring their name, organisation and the interest they represent;
5. Conflict
Avoid any professional conflicts of interest and to disclose such conflicts to affected parties
when they occur;
6. Confidentiality
Honour confidential information provided to them;
7. Accuracy
Take all reasonable steps to ensure the truth and accuracy of all information provided;
8. Falsehood
Make every effort to not intentionally disseminate false or misleading information, exercise
proper care to avoid doing so unintentionally and correct any such act promptly;
9. Deception
Not obtain information by deceptive or dishonest means;
10. Disclosure
Not create or use any organisation to serve an announced cause but which actually serves an
undisclosed interest;
11. Profit
Not sell for profit to third parties copies of documents obtained from public authorities;
12. Remuneration
Whilst providing professional services, not accept any form of payment in connection with
those services from anyone other than the principal;
13. Inducement
Neither directly nor indirectly offer nor give any financial or other inducement to public
representatives or the media, or other stakeholders;
14. Influence
Neither propose nor undertake any action which would constitute an improper influence on
public representatives, the media, or other stakeholders;
15. Competitors
Not intentionally injure the professional reputation of another practitioner;
16. Poaching
Not seek to secure another practitioner’s client by deceptive means;
17. Employment
When employing personnel from public authorities or competitors take care to follow the
rules and confidentiality requirements of those organisations;
18. Colleagues
Observe this Code with respect to fellow IPRA members and public relations practitioners
worldwide.
IPRA members shall, in upholding this Code, agree to abide by and help enforce the
disciplinary procedures of the International Public Relations Association in regard to any
breach of this Code.
This code was formally adopted by the IPRA Board 5 November 2010 and launched in 2011.

PR agency: Concept, Structure and Functions

Structure of PR Agency: -
Most organizations of this type would have a very wide base of hourly production workers
reporting to the CPO, as well as numerous supervisors and administrative staff of various
kinds and levels throughout the chart. Simplifying it to the direct-reporting relationships
involved in the management chain of command allows us to see how the corporate
communication function both reports to the CEO and interacts with the rest of the dominant
coalition across functional areas.
Finally, the public relations agency structure can vary a great deal from firm to firm, but it is
based upon a consulting relationship to the client. A direct reporting relationship with a
senior account executive or vice president of accounts is normally established, as well as a
dotted-line, or as-needed, less frequent and more informal reporting relationship between an
account executive (AE) and the lead of the agency, often the president or CEO.
(See Structure “for an example of public relations agency structure.)
Figure 5.3 Public Relations Agency Structure

The AE would have more routine contact with the client on a day-to-day working basis, and
the CEO would have only infrequent but important contact with the client. The senior AE
would normally oversee the account and all of its operations. The agency would provide
creative services, such as graphic design and layout, media relations activities and story
placement, and some marketing promotions activities for the client. Some firms have a
relationship with advertising agencies, or have an in-house liaison for working with
advertising initiatives. The technical skills role in public relations is normally an entry-level
position focusing on writing and the creation of tactics or messages that will be disseminated.
The larger portion of the chart on the bottom level would be comprised of many technicians
of varying production specialties, and also normally employs administrative staff and some
interns.

Functions of PR agency:
The Most Important Function of a PR Agency:

• Press release
• Product publicity
• Corporate communication
• Lobbying
• Counselling
• In-house journals
• Special events
• Public service activities
Media Relations:
Multimedia release
• Media release or news release is a written or recorded communication directed at
members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as
having news value
• It is the most used tool in the field of PR. Sometimes news releases are sent for the
purpose of announcing news conferences at which other communication tools are
used to reinforce a central theme or message
• It contains videos, images, and anything else that will help influencers discover, share
and rite about your story

Press conference
• A press conference serves to communicate important news connected with an
organisation or company and involves the participation of journalists and
representatives of the company
• The event offers journalists an interactive forum to find out about the organisation and
the campaign
Before a press conference
• Define the message
• Schedule the date and time
• Pick a location convenient for everyone
• Select and train participants or speakers
• Contact the media
• Follow-up with the media
• Develop a press-kit
• Prepare the location
At the press conference
• Welcome members and sign-in pad
• Record the event
• Begin approximately on time
• Each speaker should present not more than 3-5 mins
• Allow questions from the press
• Thank the participants or speakers for presenting the media for attending
After the press conference
• Contact representatives of major media outlets
• Review the press conference for further improvements

Press Kit
 • Also known as the media kit, it is an information package provided for media
members to promote events, organisations, products, services or candidates
• Press kit provides the first impression and putting their desired message directly in the
hands of members of the press, from where it may be published to reach a wider
audience
• A press kit often includes photographs, brochures, a press release, details of past press
coverage, a bullet point or fact list, executive biographies and information on digital
media
• The kits may include product samples when the kit is put out for a product release

Press Briefings
A meeting called by an organization, government, etc. to inform the press of something. Press
briefings come in many different forms. From informal one-to-ones to professional
‘conference-style’ briefings. Briefings are also used for many different things, from
launching a new product into a market or introducing clients to their sector press for the first
time, to announcing major business/corporate news or, possibly, responding to a crisis
situation.
Knowing when and how to arrange a press briefing is something we’re very adept at, from
advising on the most suitable type of briefing, selecting the venue and planning precisely
what to say and how best to present it.
We’ll even take on the role of journalists to predict, and develop responses to, possible tricky
questions that may be asked (you don’t always have to directly answer the question, but you
do have to have a reasonable response).
And for clients who are less familiar with speaking to the media, we will organise specialist
media training.

Familiarizing Tours
Press tours are trips paid for by the sponsor with all expenses covered including air transportation,
lodging and meals. In exchange, the writer agrees to become part of the press tour group, stay on
schedule with the group, either have an assignment in advance or work toward getting a published
story about the destination. Any published works that are the result of the press tour should then be
reported back to the sponsor

Tools and Techniques for public relation:

House Journal
• A company publication aimed at its employees and other target groups. It can be internal,
external or combination.
• The internal journal is one of the important tools foe effective communication. External house
journal, however, aim at some segments of external ‘public’ like dealers, shareholders.
 • A third party is a combination of internal and external, meant for employees as well as
external publics.
• The primary objective of a house journal is to create a forum for exchange of thought and
vision on various issues concerning an organization and its employees.
• A house journal, if carefully produced, serves as an important link between a management
and its various employees.
• Format of house journals differ depending on management philosophy and availability of
funds. Some may have a newspaper format and be just functional, while some others could
have a booklet form with varying degrees of lavishness.

How to bring out a House Journal?

• The Public Relations in an organization ideally be the editor of the house journal.
• Before publishing the journal, decision about its editorial policy/ objects must be got
approved from the management.
• A look at a house journal can reveal whether the organization is an open or a closed one.
• A journal of a closed organization tends to be one-way channel of communication, putting the
company’s views to the employees. Such magazines are obsessed with coverage about top
executives especially the chief Executive Officer/ Chairman/ Managing Director of the
company.
• An open company on the other hand ensure the editorial integrity of its publications and could
have its employees contributing the news items and articles.
• The editor in this case will have the freedom top present stories according to the readers
interest. When the reader’s letters are published, employees have a genuine opportunity to put
forth their point of view, and the house journal, like any other reading material, competes for
reader’s time.

Planning:- Develop a concept that best serves the company. Get management the format and
periodicity of the publication approved. This will, however, depends on the aims of the
journal, target group and availability of budget
Organizing: - Once we have taken the approval of the management, we will have to
organize staff to get going with the job
The more frequent the number of issues, the grater the need for more staff. It is advisable to
develop a brand of freelancers/ correspondents from among our external “public”, if the
house journal caters to them
• We (PR) have to take care to choose only those who have a flair for writing.
• A detailed schedule for collection/ writing of stories, production, printing, mailing is to be
worked out and adhered to strictly.

Publishing:- We must inculcate the habit of planning several issues ahead in addition to the
one being worked on at the time.
Distribution:- The purpose of a house journal is not served till it reaches the target audience.
We must select the quickest and most economical means possible to get the journal in to the
hands of the readers. Some companies distribute the journal to their employees at their work
place, others mail it to their homes to ensure that it reaches the family members well. In order
to get feedback, it will be appropriate to include a questionnaire to elicit views about the
articles which are liked most or disliked by the employees and the reasons for that.
Bulletin Board:-Bulletin Board Several times many organizations, publish manyimportant
Notices, orders, for the employees of organizationson a significant board, this is called
Bulletin Board.
Visit by management:-Press tours are trips paid for by the sponsor with all expenses covered
including air transportation, lodging and meals. In exchange, the writer agrees to become part
of the press tour group, stay on schedule with the group, either have an assignment in
advance or work toward getting a published story about the destination. Any published works
that are the result of the press tour should then be reported back to the sponsor
Open House:-Open house is an important tool to build rapport with the communication
neighbourhood where the plant is located. It is also a widely employed way for building pride
and morale among the employees and their families. The Public Relations departments
organise visits for employees' families and community at large, to visit the plant to see the
product manufacturing process and a tour of the company. There may be exhibits, films and
other activities also. This is done on a few chosen days in a year which are referred to as
'open days' the visiting public may also be provided with hospitality by plant owners.
Annual Reports:-An annual report is the most essential and first hand communication to
introduce the company to the financial public as well as to financial collaborators. . Printed
Literature Several times, some organizations are publishedprinted literature for understanding
the use of the product or about the product.
• Annual reports were drab- looking journals without much though about their
presentation.
• Annual report can serve as prestige publication to be sent to the shareholders and
attract prospective investors.
• As a PR professional could seek of a professional advertising/ designing agency to
handle the assignment.
Annual Reports were drab-looking journals without much thought about their presentation.
Not anymore. Annual reports have come to be recognised as an important Public Relations
tool for corporate communication. With more and more organisations going public, annual
reports can serve as prestige publications to be sent to the shareholders and attract prospective
investors. Although the Public Relations department of a company does not have a direct
responsibility for preparing the balance sheet and the statements of accounts, it does advise
the management on the overall approach of the report, the theme of the chairman's statement
and on the format and presentation of the Report. Apart from registered shareholders, there
are other segments of the financial public, whose interests have to be kept in view while
providing information through the Annual Report.
They are:
a) investing community in general, the potential shareholders who are on the lookout for
investing in a suitable company
b) the banks, financial institutions, etc.
c) the financial press;
d) the business community in general.
As a Public Relations professional, we could seek the services of a professional advertising
designing agency to handle the assignment. The profile of the company during the year under
review can be projected in the Director's report. It could be made attractive and colourful
with the use of glossy paper and graphic aids like bar charts, diagrams, pie charts and
photographs of the development; activities of company. Care should be taken to choose a
right printer has expertise in printing Annual Reports. Bringing out Annual Reports is a
statuary requirement. It is to be published before the Annual General Meeting. Hence, a strict
time schedule must be worked out with the printer. In fact, most sf the printers are busy
printing Annual Reports of different companies at the same time, hence, we must take care in
selecting that printer who has the capacity to undertake the job and deliver the goods on time.
An Annual Report needs planning to the minutest detail. As the Annual Report contains
Balance Sheets, we must be careful about proof reading to avoid errors.
Exhibitions:-
Exhibition is another PR tool to enhance public relations activity
• The exhibits or items displayed leave a lasting impression on the minds of the people
• It involves participation of people on a large scale
• Products can be exhibited and demonstrated in a relaxed atmosphere
• Exhibitions provide scope for generating business

Use of digital media and emerging trends in PR

• Develop relationships with the media and influencers
• Facilitate the brand image or message through content distribution
• Incorporate social sharing into press release
• Create and leverage campaign hashtags
• Real-time crisis management
• Pair social media and PR for ongoing success
As the saying goes ‘change is the only thing constant’, as communication professionals we
have to prove our mettle every day.
The Media & Communication industry in the last few years has been blazing a new trial with
a whole new culture of reportage & reactions. A cult that is being largely led by the public or
the ‘Social Press’ so as to be politically correct has grown on to take the better of the
‘Editorial Press’. And as this new tribe of unstoppable opinion ‘makers & breakers’ drive the
whole agenda of creating new perceptions and realities, the editorial press is fast conditioning
itself to this new cult of no holds barred communication.
A radical change in media consumption has also forced the mass media to reorient their
strategies ex: HT shutting down the business bureau to ramp-up presence online, many
newspapers have moved their key sections for better online visibility. And this further adds
on to the clutter with brands frantically vying for a fair share of eyeballs through these
leading news portals. And this is where PR will grab the gauntlet of Online Reputation
Management with a well-calibrated communication approach that finds resonance with the
right audience at the right time. And, ‘Precision Targeting’ will be the order of the new age
communication strategy.
For a quick flashback, a couple of years ago PROs followed a rote way of working as they
would scurry for a press coverage irrespective of the news value in the material only to
finally get the editor’s cold shoulder. Until now PR has only played a good cop with clients
but now they have to strike a balance being a bad cop as well, in other words ‘be cruel to be
kind’ which means setting the right expectations while conditioning them to the new format
of news making that would only translate to a more meaningful media mileage. This can be
achieved only by constantly educating them about the ground realities.
Today, PR is no longer about making news through the staple old press releases but
influencing your target group to make the statement for you. News making culture today is
solely not about what you want to say but to also ensure striking the right chord with the
news readers. With so much freewheeling chatter and clutter across the owned media space,
there needs to be a social media policy in place, which the new age PRO will have to put in
place.
In the recent backdrop, the role of a PRO could be compared to that of a Phoenix that rose
from the ashes to live through another cycle. The new cycle will see the PROs function in a
different environment shouldering new & heavy-duty responsibilities of Reputation and
Perception Management that would no longer use the same brush to colour the world around.
‘Different strokes for different folks’ will be the new work ethic and the holy grail of the new
age PR lobbying.
As it may sound like a broken record, digital media has become the melting pot of different
communication cultures. The influence of which has been extremely profound in building a
bold, free-spirited & a well connected virtual society. As this spectrum of new media makes
fiery inroads into the mainstream, traditionalists are left to rethink their modus operandi. And
this is where PR has to look beyond the obvious while ‘telling great stories from behind-the-
scenes (‘BRANDS’)’.
Today, as lines are blurring between PR and other Communication functions, a new method
to the madness that is both fittingly disruptive & well-timed is what will keep the traction
going. Hence, the new age PR pro would power up as a logical advisor, an influencer and a
moderator to keep the brands afloat from getting muddled up in the farrago by making
technology work in their favour more than working for the technology.
Most of the competition in industries today don’t come from companies but majorly from the
clutter and this is something to be solely tackled with a smart ‘know-what & a know-why’
strategy. Which means if you have a good hold of ‘What to do & Why to do’ then ‘how to
do’ is going to be much more straight-forward. Therefore, the new skill sets call for a smart
usage of tech while un-learning old skill sets to keep the process alive and real. However, at
the epicentre of them all would be creation of path-breaking ‘Content’ to field this new game.
As all the professionals would concede, in the world of communication there is only ‘Now’
and no ‘Tomorrow’. Gone are the days when PR could get away with being Jack of all trades
but master of none, but now A PRO has to toggle being both.
And even before PR folks could brace themselves up to tame the digital dragon, Mobile is
already setting off tremors. However, for the uninitiated, digital is where all the action is. ‘Do
or die’…..Just a note of caution.
Emerging trends in PR
Modern public relations have evolved from what traditional public relations used to be. From
the ages of banners, television, and clever marketing adverts, to today, a lot has happened.
That evolution might be missed by most companies if they are not careful. Some PR agencies
have also not quite caught up with the trends today. PR teams in start-ups are struggling to
get a hold of publicity for their companies. It is a never-ending struggle for most companies
due to lack of understanding what entails public relations in 2019, and onward.
One thing that will surely be expected is that public relations will continue to shape how
companies launch, their growth, how they raise funding, and how they market their products
or services. It is not a question of whether public relations and PR agencies are relevant or not
in 2019, it is a question of what will determine the companies that win in securing media
coverage and the right publicity for their brands.
We notice the changes in the market and that is why Pressfarm – initially just a tool that
helped start-up founders to search for journalists’ contacts – is now transitioning into a
startup-centered PR agency with affordable packages for start-ups that do not have hundreds
of thousands of dollars to spend on PR per year. For new start-ups that are just launching, you
no longer have to worry about expensive SEO, Google and Facebook Ads management or PR
packages priced way above your league because we have what you will find as the most
competitive rates in the industry for these services. We pitch this because we realize the shift
in the PR market, and the new trends that are shaping this ever-changing industry.
As we move into this new Pressfarm, we have continued to get queries about PR and what the
strategy should be in the modern world. Thankfully, due to our experience, resourcefulness,
and the tremendous availability of the internet and information, we have put together a list of
the emerging trends that will shape public relations in 2019 as follows:
a) Data
From big data to small data, modern public relations have become ever dependent on data.
Public relations is all about stories. To tell compelling narratives to the target market,
important data has to be collected and scrutinized. This is mainly because of the internet age
that has ensured there is so much information available at the click of a button, so many
businesses starting as quick as it takes to create a logo and website, and therefore so many
companies pushing for their own stories.
For start-ups, it has become more important to use data to define their PR strategy. The start-
ups’ teams have to understand the importance of every piece of data they collect, and how
they can use this data to create compelling stories that interest their readership, journalists,
and market. Start-ups are ever collecting data from Google advertising, PR campaigns,
Facebook advertising, organic search, and social media. This data is of no use if it is not
analysed to inform the next series of moves and strategies for the companies.
b). Pitching 2.0
Previously, mass emailing worked so effectively because journalists, writers, and bloggers all
received very few emails and pitches because not many people had emails or access to the
internet. That is not the same anymore because in the last decade nothing has spread around
the world like access to the internet and email systems.
Today, pitching is only effective if you take your time to study everyone in your press list,
their readership, and niches. You cannot get away with mass emailing among other pitching
mistakes anymore because journalists and bloggers now receive a ton of pitches per day.
They can also easily tell when the email was sent to a gazillion other journalists.
In modern public relations, pitching has to be done keenly and backed by research. The start-
ups that are focusing on pitching based on collected data get media coverage easily than those
who are sending emails trying to pitch their new launch or product feature. The new wave of
pitching is now personalized pitches. General cut and paste pitches won’t suffice and have
not been successful for a good part of the last 5 years. Pitching in PR offerings, it is not easy
to get it right, but with the right expertise in our team it personalized and research-backed
pitching always gets us results.
c). Analytics
A decade or two ago, very few people really cared about numbers when it came to marketing.
All it took to get the attention of the market is an amazing and beautiful advertising banner
placed across the street, on exterior walls of a building or on TV.

Today, no matter how amazing your advert is, at some point in your funnel the prospective
client will ask for the numbers backing up your nice ad. It’s harder for clients to trust nice
YouTube videos, or television ads or beautiful banners along the streets – thanks to the
availability of too much information making it harder to discern between the wrong and right
information.
Companies that want to succeed in modern public relations must embrace numbers
and analytics. Tech companies – including those that market themselves based on social
impact, must do their research, collect their data from both prospective and existing clients,
then put some mathematical sense on that data. Put this into perspective in form of website
traffic, number of leads, etc, and you will easily get press coverage. Journalists are now
interested in stories that are backed by well analysed data. So, data analytics is crucial,
because the readers who are the potential customers for your company care about the
analysed information presented as effective metrics.
d). Influencers
Modern public relations can no longer be controlled or defined only by media. The game is
changing. The whole world is now a global village courtesy of the internet and improved
technology. Previously, the press defined and governed brand awareness. However, in the
current world, that neighbour of yours who has 100k followers on Instagram can give life-
changing impact to your brand.
The world today consists of people who are trusted and highly followed by people. Bloggers
too have become extremely influential and those who are credible can be the go-to person
when you need to send the word out about your company.
It is also fair to say that the notion of influencers in 2018 has been a roller coaster for
companies. This is because companies have no way of measuring the return on investment
(ROI) when they hire influencers. There is no way to know what impact it had on the PR
campaign, or sales, or revenues and profits for that matter. In fact, it must be put out there
that as influential as these influencers might be, some companies, especially hotels,
restaurants and resorts around the world have specifically banned influencers from their
resorts because of the idea that you can get a free stay at hotel in exchange for social media
posts. This inability to measure the ROI on influencers will mean that more companies might
decide to shut out influencers from their PR campaigns altogether.
There are various possibilities for how this might go. However, if you are an entrepreneur
looking to take on this problem, create a tool that helps companies measure the effectiveness
of influencers to their brands.
e). Publicity is not the end game
Even as companies seek publicity, more than ever before, publicity won’t guarantee
customers happiness in 6 or 7 months down the line. Companies must understand that in
modern public relations, publicity won’t take you too far if it is the end game.
What should be the end game? – You ask.
The end game today is customer satisfaction. Publicity is just the beginning. If customers are
not happy with your product after a few days or weeks, they will move on unsatisfied and
with bad testimonials for anyone who asks about your company.
Companies must therefore ensure that the product or service works fully: not up-to some
point. Start-ups looking for press coverage after developing the minimum viable product
(MVP) should ensure that the core part of that MVP executes the idea and solves the problem
it set out to solve first. In summary, publicity is only beneficial when customer satisfaction
can be guaranteed. This will reduce churn, and ensure that word of mouth from existing
customers continues to bring in additional customers very many years along the line.
f). Reading
Reading has always been important for PR and it remains the same. However, it’s more
important today because the culture of reading has tremendously reduced and what people do
nowadays is skim and digest the titles. For PR teams, this can be the biggest undoing – very
detrimental.
The only way to grasp modern public relations is to read and read and read again. Setting
aside time to read on a daily basis is advised. To understand your niche, and what journalists
in your niche like to write about is only achieved through reading. Sometimes, solid
arguments from articles written by said journalists can be the gateway to a long-lasting
relationship between you and a publication.
It is important to understand the market, the readers, the writers, bloggers and journalists
before reaching out to ask for press coverage. PR teams in start-ups that emphasise the
importance of reading are miles ahead in the search of publicity for their companies.
g). Content strategy
It is nearly impossible to succeed in the current world without having content strategy. A
definite and elaborate content creation and marketing plan sets you apart from the companies
that are just focused on their products.
Long gone is the belief that publicity only comes from media. As we have seen earlier,
influencers and bloggers have become integral to brand awareness. More fundamental,
however, is social media. Just about a decade ago, it was an immense struggle to get noticed
by your market if the media didn’t cover your company. Enter Facebook and the game
changed. The social network now has more than 1.5 billion users worldwide. Then followed
Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google Plus – with more than a billion users interacting in
these 4 social media networks every month.
The only way to be noticed on these social networks is to prioritise content creation and
marketing. That, my friends, is the modern public relations. The success of this strategy is
highly dependent on hiring a creative PR team or chief in your start-up. When you succeed
in getting your company noticed on social media, the media notices as well. Your content can
include articles, videos, info-graphics, graphics, and audio, among other choices.
Social media is amazing because it creates a joyous loop:
Customer comes to your website/company page —> finds interesting content —> shares it —
> checks out what you offer —> probably buys it and leaves —> another customer finds your
content shared on social media —> clicks it and goes to your website/company page to read
it —> shares it, and the loop continues.
h). Profitability will matter
Before 2018 we saw start-ups that boasted big numbers but were not making any money.
They received a lot of hype in the media but most of them either got more funding from
investors or went to die after burning through their little money. The result was that all the
publicity they had received just turned into bad names for the publications that talked about
the so-called success of these companies.
In 2019, we are predicting that media companies will care about the money more than ever
before. Aside from getting the users, will you as a start-up be able to monetize those users
and turn a profit?
No one is leaving in a bubble now. Investors will be watching for start-ups that either offer
too good a product or service even without profits or for start-ups that make a profit and are
just looking for a boost. Average start-ups with average ideas garnering users will be lucky to
secure any meaningful media coverage or investor funding without any profits.
i). Expensive PR Firms Will Continue to Die
In the recent years, companies have been doubling down on their PR budgets assigned to PR
agencies. This is because of the various ways that companies are now able to do their own PR
strategies without relying on a PR agency at all. Social media is redefining the flow of
information; hundreds of PR tools are giving companies the power to do their own PR
without spending a fortune.
There are so many things that a company needed a PR agency for in 1999 that have now been
replaced by do-it-yourself PR platforms online. This means that the space for making more
money as a traditional PR firm is narrowing. Huge PR firms let a lot of employees go in
2018, while some scrambled to buy off smaller PR firms in order to survive; these trends will
continue to happen in 2019. Growth hacking strategies will continue to define start-up
growth, while smaller PR firms charging affordable rates will thrive, and online PR tools will
keep growing further as people embrace DIY PR strategies.

As you can see, PR has come a long way. The good news is that the evolution has happened
for the better, and made things a little easier – albeit in a noisier world than what the 90s must
have been. Start-ups and other companies looking for PR must shift their focus to what has
become the modern public relations. It encompasses all these – and probably more, but I can
bet that companies that grasp these 9 modern public relations trends will come out on top.

Role and responsibility of PRO

A PRO is also known as the media specialist. He/she is the spokesperson of an organisation.
His/her role is to convey the policies and interests of the organisation to the public through
various modes of media.
1. Reputation management- the prime function PRO is to create, maintain and enhance
the reputation of an organisation. It is the responsibility of a PRO to promote the
people, products, services or solution of the establishments he/she works for
2. Goodwill creation- creating goodwill of an organisation will help in creating a
favourable public image of the organisation by strengthening its credibility
3. Crisis management- one of the crucial and difficult duties of a PRO is crisis
management. A PRO should be capable enough to deal with problems causing
damage to the reputation of the organisation
4. PR strategies and campaigns- a PRO should constantly look out for opportunities to
present the organisation in a positive light. PRO need to come up with different PR
 strategies that will lead to easy acceptance and appreciation of any new move by the
organisation. A PRO also needs to plan promotional strategies, keeping in mind the
target audience and desired result in mind
5. Press conference- whenever an important decision of an organisation is to be made
public, PRO must arrange a press conference
6. Communication- it is necessary for a PRO to have excellent oral and written
communication skills. A PRO should ne well-versed in corporate jargon as he/she has
to draft speeches, prepare publicity brochures, press releases, newsletters for
employees, company magazines, etc.
7. Effective marketing- PRO should have sound sales and marketing skills that will help
in effective promotion of the product and services
8. Corporate identity- every organisation has its own set of corporate brand identity. The
PRO has to check whether the logo and branding of the organisation in ads,
newsletters, brochures, etc. are in accordance with the organisational interest
9. Translating content- it is the duty of a PRO to get the content on website, press
release, press notes, brochures, leaflets, etc. translated from an agency and identify it
before communicating the same
10. CSR activities- it is expected from the PRO to give an impetus to social activities and
provide good publicity by utilising platforms of communication.

Public relations in the Public Sector.

The public sector units in the country have a negative image. They are considered as
under-utilized in capacity, over staffing, lacking professionalism and having large
gestation period. For the common man, the PSUs are inefficient production and loss-
making organizations.

PR in public sector
• Implementation of public policy
• Assisting the news media in coverage of government activities
• Reporting the citizenry on agency activities
• Increasing the internal cohesion of the agency
• Increasing the agency’s sensitive to its publics
• Mobilisation of support for the agency itself
Role of PR in Public Sector
• Contributes to national economy
• Is profitable and productive core sector
• Has social commitment
• Contributes to revival of sick units
• Primary function of PR is to build image of public sector companies and tell the world
about contribution made towards the economic social well-being of the people
CSR in the Public Sector
The public sector has a number of distinct roles to play in the CSR agenda:
• Endorsing and supporting the concept of CSR in enterprises
• Adhering to good CSR practice in its own operations
• Relevant regulatory roles
The public sector delivers many services in the community and environment and has various
regulatory roles. These are part of their policy remit and separate to CSR activity. All public
bodies exist to provide a service to the public or communities. They have a complexity and
variety of functions, but all provide a service and are responsible to different sets of
stakeholders. The very nature of public service reflects many principles of social
responsibility – accountability, transparency and respect for differing stakeholder's interests.
The public sector also has a leadership role to ensure that its own way of operating is in line
with good CSR practices in its multiplicity of roles as employer, purchaser, service provider,
and in its engagement with communities.
The public sector also has various regulatory roles that are relevant to CSR. Many of the
recommendations outlined in international CSR frameworks are already embedded in
national legislation and policies and therefore are often not regarded as CSR activities by
companies, given their legislative basis. Examples include Employment and Equality Rights
legislation, Company Law. Once legislative and regulatory frameworks are in place, the
Government has the continuing role of monitoring their implementation, ensuring that
breaches are dealt with properly, and offering opportunities for redress for those who are
impacted when the statutory requirements are not complied with.
In the National Plan on CSR the Government has articulated its policy direction and support
for CSR. Through the representation of relevant public bodies on the CSR Stakeholder Forum
the State is helping to raise the profile of CSR in the public sector as well as encouraging its
proliferation across all industry, irrespective of size and sector.
The Public Relations Person in Public Sector:
The PR person in the PSUs should have good understanding about the government policies
on public sector. He should be a good communicator and should have knowledge of publicity
techniques. He should have direct access to the top management including the CEO, He
should attend all meetings and should involve in creating good understanding between the
public and the enterprise.

The PR person must ensure good relations between the trade union and the management. He
also must have good relation with the press. He has to give replies to the queries of the press.
He has to prepare press releases for the company and organizes press conference whenever
the company has to inform something to the press. He is the representative of the PSU.

Community Relations:
Every company should nurture good relations with the local community. It should try to
promote a favorable image that it is socially beneficial to the community. To achieve this, a
company must have understanding about the community their problems, economic and
political condition, existing facilities for education, medical aid, local leaders and business
organizations or welfare agencies. The community may have problems like traffic, water
supply, pollution, garbage disposal, preservation of historical sites, flood control or fire
protection.

The company must support the local causes and participate in solving issues in cooperation
with the civic department. Some business houses adopt local villages to provide them all
amenities. The company should arrange visits to the area and hear the grievances or
suggestions from local community leaders and announce community service schemes.
Besides, companies can arrange cultural programs or sports events as a part of PR activity to
earn goodwill of the community.

Concern for Environment:

For all organizations, environment protection has become important. PSUs are under pressure
to recognize their obligations and act responsibly. They have to be sensitive to the
environment since the people are now more educated and environment conscious. The
damage caused to the environment by chemical gases emitted by factories has been
highlighted by the media and people are also aware about it.

Chlorofluoro Carbon, used in aerosols, refrigerators, air-conditioners and plastic foam, is

dangerous to the ozone-layer. Thus, it is the responsibility of every organization to have
regard for the environment and take adequate measures to avoid any possible damage to the
ecology.

For environment protection, an organization should:

Ensure efficient and pollution free functioning.

Recycle industrial waste.
Have proper discharge channels for effluents.
Provide treatment of toxic gases.
Have water and air purifying installations.
Public Sector Unit Image:
Public Sector for Public Good: It is the responsibility if the PR person in the public sector to
say a lot in its defence by promoting positive aspects. The public sector has been playing a
great role in fulfilling the social requirements. The PSU provides employment and looks after
its employees by offering subsidized education, water, canteen, electricity and other welfare
services. Apart from these, it plays a socially responsible role by preventing concentration of
wealth in a few capitalists. The PR has to highlight the role of public sector for public good.

A company has a number of public’s including employees, suppliers, media, dealers,

community leaders. They have a certain impression about the organization. The corporate
image is the way the various public’s view the organization. It is important that the company
should have a good image.

PR in Education Sector

The Educational sector is a very large sector in India. It includes primary and high schools,
under-graduate and post-graduate colleges, B-schools etc. Though a large part of India is still
rural, the education institutions at that level include small government and private schools
and vocational colleges.

Education Institutes use public relations both internally and externally. Internal PR stands for
PR within the organisation and its employs. External PR stands for maintaining favourable
relations with the public.

Events are held within the organisation for the members to build a good rapport amongst
themselves and smoothen communication. Faculty/Staff Handbook, Faculty meetings,
Faculty luncheons, News releases e-mailed to F/S & posted online are other tools to facilitate
internal PR.

The purposes of internal PR are to clear communication about organizational intentions,

activities and performance, improve sense of cohesion among employees, and circulate
adequate task-related information, positive information regarding an organization’s ability to
provide challenging and meaningful tasks.

The external PR of any organization is when the institute holds several conferences, sends out
press releases, manages events and keeps itself much in the public glare for better promotion
and more recognition. Institutes these days maintain special alumni Relations Cell through
which they keep in constant contact with their students who have passed out and are doing
well in the industry. They do it for the purpose of a better brand name and to ensure decent
placements to the upcoming batches through their contacts.
And with, internet taking the centre stage for all communication, the role of PR here becomes
precise yet demanding. Use of social media sites, blog, pod-cast etc. is the tools available on
the PR professional at the fingertip giving them a wide scope of reaching out.

PR in Health Sector

Healthcare is one of public relations biggest growth areas and it covers a number of sectors,
including biotech, pharmaceuticals, animal health, vaccines, medical technology, and health
care providers. With healthcare constantly evolving public relations are proving to be needed
now more than ever. People working in healthcare public relations specialise in handling
internal and external communications for healthcare companies, from helping promote
products that improve quality of life to helping clients navigate some of the world’s
dilemmas, like AIDS in undeveloped or cost management in developed countries.

Public relations in healthcare consist of four key roles:

Communicating- Healthcare industry has multiple audiences to address to and each audience
demands customized messages which are emphasizing importance to them in different tones
and different use of language. For instance, in communication with clients/consumers about
certain products focus should be on possibility for better and healthier life that product offers,
on the other hand while communicating to physicians focus should be on products ease-of-
use, patient compliance or possible issues.

2. Building the Brand- Reputation decides fate for every, including healthcare, company and
it is made of image that company makes for itself and public opinion of that company and its
work. One of the main factors of public opinion are media. Media are vital for recognizable
presence of company through positive publicity (such as articles, reviews, statements and
interviews) which is why is important to ensure good relationship with media professionals.
Besides creating a strong brand, which needs to keep interest of the customers and pace with
the competition, healthcare companies employ public relations agencies or advisors to
enhance credibility with third-party endorsement that shows the company in good light.

3. Company Advisor- Because of constant changes and bold advancements in healthcare

industry there is rising risk for potential crisis. Therefore public relations offer outsiders
perspective and different outlook on problems to assist during crisis. This more objective and
very often creative view can also be helpful in making everyday recommendations and
advises for more effective business communication.
4. Enhance Business Growth- Through building strong brand and spreading messages and
information that audience demands, healthcare companies are attracting new customers,
maintaining good relationships with old customers and nourishing trust that builds them.
Customer relations, as all public relations tasks, require strategies that need to be integrated
with sales, marketing and management divisions in company. If done correctly, these
strategies can be time and thought consuming but worth the effort. They can enhance the
brand; lead to bigger media coverage and generating demand which all in the end leads to
generating bigger revenue.

Public Relations is a creative, fast-paced industry developing in many different branches of

industry, from music and sports to politics and diplomacy. In my opinion one of the most
interesting and rewarding areas of PR industry is healthcare public relations.

PR in Private Sector
All private organisations are profit-oriented. To achieve their objectives, they function in a
competitive approach using aggressive marketing strategies. For the manufacture and
marketing of their products/services, they depend on many categories of public.
• Crisis management- One of the crucial and difficult duties of a PRO is crisis
management. A PRO should be capable enough to deal with problems causing
damage to the reputation of the organisation
• Employee relations
• Internal communication
• Coordination and counselling- the PR has to counsel and assist the management in
formulating and implementing effective policies towards each of the publics. Also,
the PR person has a role in maintaining inter-departmental coordination
• Planning Communication Activities- PR process involves research planning,
executing and evaluation. The PR person has to conduct each of these functions
effectively to bring about a favourable attitude among the publics towards the
organisation
• Image Building- PR plays a crucial role in building image. A company’s credit
worthiness, its concern for its employees, its quality of products and its discharging of
social responsibilities, all contribute towards its overall image
Role of PR in Political Parties and Election Campaigns

The three key areas in which public relations plays a role in politics are:

1. Awareness
Unless you are aware that a given individual is running for office, you likely wouldn’t cast a
vote for him. Therefore, one of the main roles public relations plays in politics is the
generation of knowledge about a candidate client. Whether through mass media placement,
events or social media efforts, building awareness of the candidate’s name, party, platform
and special areas of interest helps solidify his image in the minds of the general public.
Candidates lacking public awareness certainly can’t win an election.

2. Education

Once voters have a general awareness of a candidate, the rubber truly meets the road. A
public relations professional must then keenly focus on properly educating voters about
specifics related to the candidate. What does the candidate stand for? What does she support?
What does she oppose? What is her background? What are her affiliations and causes? Public
relations practitioners are responsible for translating all of these elements into easily
understood and digestible concepts so that voters can more easily sort through the
overwhelming amount of information they are bombarded with during campaign season.

3. Persuasion

Public relations teams work directly with candidates to help them sharpen not only their
messaging platforms, but also their presentation skills, body language, tone and tempo of
delivery. Public speaking is challenging on its own, but add to that the pressure to recount
limitless facts at a second’s notice and communicate them to a broad and diverse public, and
even the best public speaker can use support in the art of persuasive communication. PR
professionals help candidates understand what issues are ranking as most important so that
they can respond efficiently and maximize their time. In the end, every candidate seeks to
sway the polls in his favour and, to do so, he must be persuasive in the way he communicates
his position on numerous issues, and he must do it in a way that endears diverse publics.

Evolution of corporate communication

In 1994, the first corporate intranets began to appear as a way to publish information that the
company wanted to share with employees. Over the past 20 years, lots of improvements,
bells, and whistles have been added but for the most part they are operating the same way—a
more convenient way for companies to publish information.
With the addition of social media technologies, Intranets have attempted to become more
social in structure and experience, but data suggests this has largely failed as the vast majority
of people neither share nor create content. Studies indicate that only about 10% of people
share content on corporate Intranets and only about 1% of people create 90% of the content.
An IT manager at a large public company recently told me that the primary use of their
corporate Intranet is for people to access the cafeteria menu or the vacation request form—
highlighting clearly the gap between what companies intend and employee behaviour.
In addition to social media technology being added to Intranets, traditional systems like sales
platforms, contact management systems, accounting, and others have added social tools. It is
clearly beneficial to productivity to comment, ask a question or share an update with a remote
team member. However, most of the claims around these tools are greatly overstated and very
few offer evidence to support these productivity claims.
Corporate communication and public relation
Corporate communications and public relations share so many commonalities that you would
be forgiven for using them interchangeably. They are often grouped together in universities
and by employers seeking to fill communications positions. Both necessitate that you excel in
fundamental communication skills – speaking, writing, and an educated and innate ability to
know what critical information needs to go to the people who need it, when they need it.
There are some subtle and not-so-subtle differences, however, that may determine the path
you choose.
Corporate Communications
Corporate communications encompass all communication activities that an organization
undertakes, both within and outside the organization. Internally, as a corporate
communications professional, you help management build bridges between departments so
that communication flows smoothly. For example, an internal newsletter or bulletin lets each
employee know what is happening in each department, or alerts staff to any upcoming special
visitors or events the organization has scheduled. Externally, you may do everything from
writing annual reports to send to investors, to participating in community working groups for
civic matters.
Corporate communication has 3 distinct channels:
1. Company to people- it is original and represents all the information the company
wants to share with employees
2. Systems to people- this category represents all the technology systems that have
added communication tools in recent years. Many of these have evolved to become
more social, but their primary purpose is efficient communication around specific
documents, systems or work process
3. People to people- it is the area with the greatest potential to impact a corporation,
employee engagement, culture, team building and personal connections are all
primarily influenced here. When implemented effectively, it is the communication
category that can transform an organisation, increase retention, enable productivity,
and provide a new level of intelligence about the organisation
The future of corporate communication will be more targeted, interactive, effective and
informative. It has the potential to shape culture, enable better decisions, and significantly
move the needle on building an engaged workforce. To capture this value, companies need to
recognise the unique needs of each communication category and specialized communication
tools will have the greatest impact and return on investment.
Public Relations
If you select a career in public relations, you will work closely with management in
identifying, building and nurturing relationships between the company and various publics.
Obviously good communication is inherent in this capability – both writing and speaking.
Key to building these relationships is promoting your organization’s reputation through
highly visible channels, using reporters and editors to communicate about your employer
based on information you provide. This sole function is often referred to as media relations.
Controlling the messages that the public hears is also important, particularly if your
organization faces a crisis and erroneous information or rumours could cause panic or tarnish
the company’s image.
Overlap and Differences

It’s not unusual for public relations professionals to engage in corporate communication roles
out of necessity. A natural communicator is an invaluable resource for all internal and
external communications. It’s more difficult if you have solely corporate communications
experience – and no experience working with media – to fill a public relations position that
requires media relations expertise. Like most relationships, building a credulous relationship
with the media takes times and many organizations will favour established relationships when
hiring for PR positions. Still, many communications and PR professionals successfully move
between these two roles.
Similarities and Difference
In India, in the initial years Public Relations firms focused largely on helping clients connect
with media outlets. That evolved to reaching to another important stakeholder – the
government. Some firms have Public Affairs departments to do government outreach on
behalf of clients. And few others have Corporate Responsibility divisions that help clients in
their social outreach through grants and activities. In recent times, a new division for
Employee Engagement has emerged in PR firms that offers companies strategies and tactics
to engage better with its most important stakeholder.
On the other hand, a powerful corporate communications job includes overseeing all the four
areas mentioned above. These include media, government and society through CSR. These
three are external in nature. Employee engagement and internal communications are inward
facing and in some cases are part of the HR mandate or a separate person is in charge of the
same depending on the strength of the employees.
Typically, a person spends a few years in a PR firm working on multiple clients honing her or
his skills before moving into a corporate communications job which focuses on a single
organisation. Corporate Communication jobs instantly makes the person a client which means
added power and responsibility. It also comes with better salary and more perks. In recent
times a person with 15-20 years’ experience in a PR firm and an in-house corporate
communications department could potentially have a similar designation of a Senior Vice
President or Executive Vice President and draw a similar salary ranging anywhere between
60 lakhs to a crore per annum.
The only thing one does in a PR consultancy job that may not be needed in a Corporate
Communication job is new business development. And the only thing that one may get an
opportunity to do in a Corporate Communication job which may not be easily given to a PR
company representative is to be the spokesperson. Besides these, on either side of the aisle
the professional is expected to have fairly good writing skills and the ability to weave stories.
Crisis preparedness and management is critical whether you are the consultant or the client.
An understanding of how brands operate, and corporates work is important for both PR
consultancy professionals and the corporate communications executive.
These days a lot of journalists with experience ranging from one year to twenty years are
shifting to Corporate Communications and in some cases to PR consultancies. This is another
interesting path to follow.

Defining PR Pitch and Campaign

A media pitch or a pitch is what we refer to as the email you send out to editors when
pitching your client or brand to secure press interest. It’s also a critical part of the marketing
and PR process that involves creative thinking and writing!

Nailing your pitch is the best way to ensure PR campaign success that yields impressive
results for your clients.

While we can all agree on the importance of media relations, sometimes securing a media
coverage placement isn’t as easy as it sounds. With editor inboxes being flooded with a
barrage of email pitches, you need to figure out how to get their attention quickly and
effectively get your point across.

How to Structure a PR Pitch?

• First, start with the lead. There are two main types of leads that are the most effective
when it comes to media pitching. The first is a news peg and the second is a time peg.
• The second part is your call-to-action. This is the action you want your audience to
take. Whether it is writing a product review, publishing a piece of content, or
conducting an interview, it’s important to make your intention here as clear as
possible.
• Next comes your value proposition. This is a key piece of the puzzle as it will be the
meat of the pitch; this is where you can showcase the value of what you are offering
and why they should be interested in it. It is essential in differentiating yourself from
the hundreds of other pitches they receive.
 • The last piece of the puzzle is your conclusion. This is pretty straightforward and is
where you should recap your call-to-action and thank them for their time and
consideration.

Writing a PR Pitch

• Be fully aware of whom you are pitching- It’s important that you are fully aware of
who you are pitching. Is your pitch related to what they typically cover? You need to
put some effort in, but sadly, most pitches are done completely blind, with zero
research or thought behind them.
• Avoid emails that reek of a copy-and-paste job- Generic pitches that appear to be
automated are a complete waste of your time.
• Highlight the value you are providing the publication- For me to give a pitch
attention, it needs to offer value, and I need to be able to see that value within seconds
of opening the email. Instead of writing a paragraph about how awesome something
is, provide answers to the following:
➢ Why will my audience be interested in the story?
➢ Why will this story attract traffic and interest?
➢ How will this story help me reach my target audience?
• Stop using the same automated templates that every other PR "pro" is using- Now
automation tools are bad. Please don’t just use the standard template that comes pre-
loaded. They are never intended to be used, yet so many people fire up software and
launch a campaign without any customization or thought put into it.
• Get to the point -- clearly and quickly- “Writing a long-winded pitch says that you
don’t value your target’s time. The less they have to think, the greater chance you
have receiving a response,” explains Johnson. Be 100 percent transparent and honest
in your initial pitch -- be clear in regards to what you are looking for.

PR Campaign: Research, Setting, Objective, Programme Planning, Budgeting,

Implementation, Feedback/ Evaluation
Research: The PR Establish the problem or challenge by Campaign providing information
needed to understand publics. Research is used to develop a powerful message
SETTING/OBJECTIVE: - understand what is the objective of the campaign. What is that
prime motive of conducting the campaign and what is the outcome that you are looking for
The five most important questions you will ever ask about your organization:
 • The board of directors is responsible for the organizational mission, goals, allocation
of resources, and for appraising programs and achievement.
• The CEO is responsible for development of objectives and action steps and detailed
budgets that follow.
• Management is accountable for objectives, for action steps, for the supporting budget,
as well as for demonstrating effective performance.
Benefits of setting goals and objectives

• Clearer focus – Your intentions are clearly indicated in goals and objectives that are
properly articulated. This is especially important to show you are aligning with
organizational and business unit goals.
• Best use of resources – Resources are always limited, so setting goals and objectives
can help you to prioritize resources.
• Effective use of time – Time is also a resource, but it deserves special attention because
it is so important.
• Better decision making – Knowing what you are trying to do means that you can now
ask: “Does this activity get me closer to my goal ahead of alternative actions?”
• Easier communication – Communication is improved between the participants, which
improves efficiency – people know what is planned and what is expected of them.
• Easier measurement of what you do –
o Tracking progress is motivating to participants.
o Measurable results are created, which provides evidence of tangible contribution to
organizational performance improvement. This is vital to proving the success of the
activity to senior management, and thus paving the way for their ready support of
other PR projects.
Vision and mission lead the way
Here’s the ‘big picture’ of strategic planning in organizations. Firstly, the corporate priorities
are decided during corporate strategic planning sessions. These priorities include setting the
vision and the mission of the organization. (Unfortunately, this process mostly fails to
involve anyone outside the elite executive team, which makes it more difficult to gain clear
support from employees at other levels.) Then the various business units – corporate and
operational – decide how they can best support the achievement of organizational priorities
stemming from the vision and mission.
The communication/PR team acts both at a corporate level (like HR and marketing), and at an
operational level (like supply and production), using communication to support the goals,
objectives, strategies and tactics of the various business units with relevant communication
goals and objectives. The communicators then set various communication strategies and
tactics aimed to enabling the communication goals and objectives to be achieved. Quite
structured.
PROGRAMME PLANNING: 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?

BUDGETING:-

Budgeting in the PR refers to setting up the costs for the campaign. Budgeting in the PR
incorporates costs for all the PR activities that are to be carried out. Budgeting needs setting
of priorities and gives importance on being cost-effective. It weeds out ineffective activities.
Budgeting also involves detailing of all steps, phases and timing of activities.

Nothing goes for free, so also effective PR, does not come cheaply. Certainty of programmes
and sellable ideas invariably ease the task of costing campaigns. An adequate budget is
essential to achieving optimal results. The organization must, therefore, benefit and get
maximum returns from its spending. Whether the PR Unit is given a particular budget to
work with or asked to submit a proposal, a reasonable, reliable and achievable cost should be
made.
Once the objective of the programme, the audience, message, channels of communication and
activities are identified, it is easier to make a realistic budget. A realistic plan of action must
be presented together with the cost of each activity. Unless a budget was once presented and
succeeded, the need to maintain, increase or decrease it should be related to the financial
position and projects of the organization.
The major areas of costing in PR include prints and production, exhibition, workshops and
seminars, media briefings and conferences, advertising, transportation, sponsorship,
supplements and media coverage. Most activities can have fixed costs of expenses, including
taxes and services but a mandatory contingency not exceeding 15% of total cost must be
added for any unexpected eventualities. This may be necessary because there is a clear
distinction between direct cost and indirect cost. For instance, a hall booked for an hour for
press briefing may extend to three or more hours, while an entertainment provision for the
briefing of a number of journalists may witness additional attendance of some of them
coming with their crews.
A good budgeting plan may address the problems, objective, public, strategy, media,
message and anticipated result. There should also be a time frame for each budgeted
activity. But it must always be known that the budget estimate by in-house PR departments
must be slightly different from that of outside consultants’. This may be so, since in-house
practitioners will not consider such expenses on salaries and equipment, which may be at
their disposal.
Sometimes, some programmes are better handled by the in-house or consultation on the
demand of the non-specific aspects of the programme. For instance, while a consultant may
demand for a consultancy fee and hiring of equipment, the in-house may only request for cost
of maintenance of such equipment where available. It is expected that a well equipped in-
house PR Unit must have such facilities as video, photo camera, public address system, TV
and Video Machine for viewing and editing, computer, Tel/Fax, E-mail and other relevant
tools. But the consultants may need to charge for the hiring or the use of such equipment,
which may be additional burden to an ill-equipped PR department.
Consultancy fees vary from one firm to the other, depending on their reputation and size.
Their charges could be based on hourly charges for executive time. Monthly or yearly
retainership could be charged for a programme that runs for a year. Some specific
programmes, which are done on an ad- hoc basis, also attract special fees based purely on the
volume of work covered.
Whether it is in-house or consultancy, an acceptable and accountable mechanism should be
put in place to monitor cost-effectiveness of the programme which may allow adjustment for
total success. An intelligent resource should be allocated by the management to implement
the PR advice.
Consultancy Budget
The charges for consultancy services vary from one organization to the other. But specifically
for a long-time PR campaign, the considerations for the budget include advisory fees which
are charged after the firm has accepted the service. The consultants charge the expenses to
cover the days or hours of attending meetings, its research and the submission of the
report. Another area is the implementation of the plan. Some in-house staff may take up this
stage unless if the consultant is given the responsibility of implementing the plan as it is
recommended in the report submitted .
Operational costs for the real aspect of the programmes are stated and carried out. These
may include the core PR activities such as issuance of press release, media tour, photography
and the use of equipment (fax, telephone, IT and courier services). Evaluation level is also
important for the consultant to monitor the success of the programme. It carries out
secretariat assignment by opening file for press clips and sending media review to the clients.
Example:
The budgets for all the activities above are measured on man-hours or daily activities basis. A
typical annual budget is illustrated below.
Press Release 3 x 12month x cost value
Feature Articles 2 x 12month x cost value
Press Briefing 2 x 4quaters x cost value
Photo albums 2 x 4quaters x cost value
Video Recording 2 x 4quarters x cost value
In-house publication 1 x 4quarters x cost value
Meetings 1x 12month x cost value
Reports 1 x 4quarter x cost value
 Contingencies 10% of the total

The cost value may come in different forms. It may be the cost of single or combination of
production cost, travel expenses, hotel accommodation, refreshments, man-hour and unit
price of items and materials to be used. Some activities may be undertaken as often as
required on a daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, biannually, or/and yearly basis.
To convince the client in understanding the significant of the programme, technical jargons
should be avoided. Where necessary to disclose some technicalities, it should be attached as
appendixes and or annexures.
In-house Budget
The in-house PR practitioner submits annual budget which, after consideration, the fund
involved is released quarterly or monthly to the office to carry out its activities. Some
programmes which are periodical or exceptional and extraordinary are funded at the
appropriate time. On the need, request may be made from the approved budget estimate to
take care of events and programmes as they unfold. The illustration below is a typical annual
budget for a big organisation that has large audiences. The proposals are in two parts. The
first part is the budget defence, while the second part is the breakdown of the request for
consideration and approval.
Budget Defence
Publications
This is to cover the cost of production/publication of monthly bulletin, yearly handbook,
quarterly magazine, seasonal cards and complimentary cards.
Corporate Items
This is required for the production/procurement of corporate items such as pocket diaries,
executive diaries, calendars and address books. These items will be used as presents or gifts
to individuals and organizations as a form of reciprocation for promoting the organizational
statues, as well as seek goodwill from the recipients.
Media Activities
The amount is needed for extensive media campaign and image building. These are in the
areas of media chat/courtesy calls, press conference hosting/entertainment, research, editing,
publications of articles, video coverage editing & dubbing, photo coverage/album and
entertainment for media reception. It will also include exhibitions and sponsorships.
Equipment
The sum is required for the purchase of relevant equipment for the office such as
photocopiers, cameras, consumables (video cassettes, films, albums, inks, etc.) and
maintenance and services of media equipment. The essence is to enhance the output of the PR
Unit.
Advertisement
The amount is to cover expenses for the placement of adverts on issues that concern the
organization in the print and electronic media, and to also cover the cost of documentaries
and live events in the electronic media, including interviews, among others.
Editorial Board Meeting
The fund is for providing the entertainment, materials and incidental expenses for the
meetings of the editorial board.
Information Technology
In its drive to show a high level of integrity and commitment to the public, the unit should
introduce a timely and efficient way of information dissemination through modern and
advance technology. To achieve this crucial goal, the development of a web site is
imperative, where enquiries all over the world are promptly responded to, through special
media technique of a super highway. All publications and activities will be displayed in the
web site for the public to access. These will include press releases, feature articles and
profiles of the management. It will also contain handbooks, magazines and pictures of
activities in specified pages on the Internet. The amount would therefore cover Web Site
Development, E-mail Installation/Internet Connection, Web Hosting, Domain Name
Registration, Internet Usage Training and Technical Support/maintenance.
Human Resources Management
The amount is needed to keep personnel in the Unit up-to-date in the field of Public Relations
and Information Technology. The areas include Training in Financial Public Relations &
Modern Media Techniques, Professional Seminars, Conferences &Workshops in media
management and Annual Dues & Membership of Professional bodies, i.e., NIPR, NUJ, IPR,
etc.
FEEDBACK/EVALUATION: The PR Measurement evaluates the Campaign effectiveness
of messaging and provides a way to show whether or not PR actions are achieving objectives.
Measurement is one of the most important parts of a PR plan. 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.