Unit 4

Public Relations
 Public Relations Defined by Denny Griswold

AA management
management function
function

which evaluates
evaluates public
public attitudes
attitudes

and identifies
identifies the
the policies
policies and
and procedures
procedures

of an
an organization
organization with
with the
the public
public interest
interest

and executes
executes aa program
program of
of action
action (and
(and communication)
communication)

to earn
earn public
public understanding
understanding and
and acceptance
acceptance
 Public Relations

Systematically planning and

distributing information in an attempt to
control and manage image and the nature of
the publicity received.
• Often used as a complement to support advertising,
personal selling, and sales promotion for
broadcasting marketing communications.
• PR activities aim to earn public understanding and
acceptance to gain public support
• PR is an attempt to improve a company’s
relationship with its publics:
– Customers
– Employees
– Stockholders
– Community Members
– News Media
– Government
• Public relations (PR) department manages
publicity and other communications with
every group in contact with the company.
• Good PR is useful for fending off negative
comments while trying to develop positive
and noticeable messages and themes.
• The PR can be handled by either internally
or externally through appointing PR
agencies.
 Advertisement versus Public Relations
• Organizations have to pay for every advertisement and
thus have a control over its content
• Public relations is more cost effective as compared to
advertisements
• Public relations experts strive hard to gain publicity for
their organization without spending much. Public
relations experts organize various events, functions,
shows, give interviews to media people in order to create
awareness about their organization and its products and
services among stakeholders, investors, partners, and
target audience.
 Public Relations Advertising

Focused upon Relationship Sales of Goods &

Services
Communication Two-way One-way

Importance To create a favorable To communicate about

interactions with the target certain offering and
audience product related
information.

Credibility More Less

Placement of Fixed Not fixed

Content
 Publicity versus Public Relations

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

A short-term strategy

A subset of public relations

Not always positive

Often originates outside the firm

 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
which leads to a positive image of the brand and makes
it seem honest, successful, important, and relevant.
• Building Product Awareness.
• Creating Interest
• Providing Information.
• Stimulating Demand
• Reinforcing the Brand
• Building Credibility
 Objective of Public Relations
• Promoting goodwill
• Counteracting negative publicity
• Promoting a product or service
• Preparing internal communication
• Giving advice and counselling to
stakeholders.
CONCEPT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
 Importance of Public Relations

Increases Awareness

Creates Brand Image and Reputation

Develops Loyalty

Promotes Goodwill

Builds Trust and Credibility
 NEED OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

• PUBLIC RELATIONS INCREASES BRAND

CREDIBILITY

• INCREASE PROFITS AND SALES

• PR CHANGES THE WAY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT A

BUSINESS

• PR ENHANCES ONLINE PRESENCE

Public
Public Relations
Relations Functions/Roles
Functions/Roles
• Public Relations Functions Include:
– Press relations.
– Product promotions.
– Internal and external corporate communications.
– Lobbying to promote, defeat, or circumvent
legislation and regulations.
– Advising management about public issues and
company positions and image.
– Counselling
– Helps in achieving marketing objectives:
awareness, credibility, stimulates sales force
• 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.
• Writing and distributing press releases.
• Developing a crisis public relations strategy.
• Handling the social media presence of the brand and responding to
public reviews on social media websites.
• Counselling the employees of the organization with regard to
policies, course of action, organization’s responsibility and their
responsibility.
• Dealing with government and legislative agencies on behalf of the
organization.
• Dealing with public groups and other organizations with regard to
social and other policies of the organization and legislation of the
government.
• Handling investor relations.
 Marketing Public Relations Functions

Building market excitement before media ads break

Improving ROI

Creating news where there is no news

Introducing a product with little or no advertising

Providing a value-added customer service

Building brand-to-customer bonds

Influencing influentials, giving info to opinion leaders

Defending products at risk, giving consumers reasons to buy

Proactive
Proactive and
and Reactive
Reactive Marketing
Marketing
Public
Public Relations
Relations

Proactive Marketing PR Reactive Marketing PR

• Product release • Response to negative

announcements, events and damaging
statements, publicity.
sponsorship, articles.
• Negative information from
• Enhancing corporate, external sources.
goodwill, advocacy.
• Align firm’s interests with
• Cause-related marketing public interests.
 Public Relations Management Process

Determination
Determination and
and
evaluation
evaluation of
of public
public
attitudes
attitudes

Identification
Identification of
of policies
policies
PR
PR and
and procedures
procedures

Development
Development and
and
execution
execution of
of the
the
program
program
 The Process of Public Relations

Determining
Determining and
and Evaluating
Evaluating Public
Public Attitudes
Attitudes

Establishing
Establishing aa PR
PR Plan
Plan

Developing
Developing and
and Executing
Executing aa PR
PR Program
Program

Measuring
Measuring Program
Program Effectiveness
Effectiveness
 The Process of Public Relations
• Data Collection- Pre Survey, Review of
Literature, Resources, Environment
• Planning- Budget, Strategy, Goal, Action
Plan
• Execution- Campaign, Activities,
Interaction
• Analysis- Post Survey, Report Writing,
Review, Inferences
 Steps of PR Process
This is achieved through what has been popularly called
“Public Relation’s Four-stage Process”. The stages’ are :
•I) Fact-finding - research analysis of opinion,
environment.
•II) Planning - policy formulation, programming, goal
setting.
•III) Communication - implementing planned
communication activities, execution.
•IV) Evaluation - feedback and adjustment/course
modification.
• The first phase of Public Relations process is identifying and listing
out the information or message to the communicator.
• The second phase of Public Relations is process to ascertain the
existing image or awareness level about the issue in the target
group or common public.
• The third phase of Public Relations is developing of communication
objectives and priorities.
• The fourth phase of Public Relations is deals with developing the
message and choosing the media to transit.
• The fifth phase of Public Relations is the implementation of the
message and media, coordination or the dissemination of message.
• The sixth phase of Public Relations is communication process to
check whether message reached properly and the expected action
or behaviour or knowledge on image factors.
• The seventh phase of Public Relations, in case the message did
not reach properly identified the reason for the ineffectiveness and
rectification of the same and disseminate the revised message.
 Types of PR
• Media Relations
• Investor Relations
• Government Relations
• Community Relations
• Internal Relations
• Customer Relations
• Marketing Communications
 Media Relations

• Media Relations involves working with media for

the purpose of informing the public of an
organization's mission, policies and practices in
a positive, consistent and credible manner.
Typically, this means coordinating directly with
the people responsible for producing the news
and features in the mass media.
 Tools used in Media Relations
• Press Kits
• Audio Releases
• Matte Releases
• Website Press Room
• Media Tour
• Newsletters
• Events/Functions
• Speaking Engagements
• Employee interactions on a regular basis
• Charity/Corporate social responsibility
 Traditional PR Perspective

Customers
Customers

Community
Community Investors
Investors

Public
Public
Relations
Relations
Department
Department
Suppliers
Suppliers Government
Government

Employees
Employees
 Benefits of Marketing Public Relations

Advantages
A cost-effective way to reach
the market

Highly targeted way to conduct Circumvents resistance to sales

public relations efforts

Endorsements by independent Improved media involvement

third parties w/customers

Creates influence among

Achievement of credibility opinion leaders

Makes advertising messages

more credible
Improved ROI
 Advantages of Public Relations

Credibility
Credibility

Image
Image Cost
Cost
Building
Building Savings
Savings
PR
PR
Provides
Provides
Selectivity
Selectivity

Lead
Lead
Generation
Generation
 Potential Problems of Public Relations

Potential for incomplete

communication process

Potential
Potential Receiver not making
Problems
Problems connection to the source

Lack of coordination with

marketing dept.

Inconsistent, redundant
communications
Disadvantages

Lack of control over media

Media time and space aren’t

guaranteed

No standards for effective

measurement
Determining Public Relations Audiences

Internal
Internal or
or External
External or
or
Associated
Associated Independent
Independent
Stockholders and
Investors Educators

Customers and Governments

Clients

Employees Financial Groups

Vendors and Civic and Business

Suppliers Organizations

The Media
 Communicating With Target Audiences

Internal
Internal or
or External
External or
or
Associated
Associated Independent
Independent

Newsletters Public relations ads

Press releases
Bulletin boards

Direct mail Conferences

Annual reports Research reports

 PR Tools
• Press Releases: for product launch, new
partnership, acquisition, etc.
• Feature Stories: inviting a journalist to write
• Company Newsletter
• Interviews and Press Conferences
• Publicity
• Sponsored events
 Implementing the PR Program

Press
Press
Releases
Releases
Press
Press
IInterviews
nterviews Conferences
Conferences

PR
PR Tools
Tools

The
The
Internet
Internet
Community
Community
Involvement
Involvement
 The Internet as a PR Tool

The Internet…

Allows information to be presented quickly

Provides the media with instant access

to additional sources of information

Allows much more substantial information

to be presented
 Planning for social and commercial PR
campaigns
What is a PR Campaign?
•A PR campaign can take on different shapes and forms - as a result of the
different objectives that brands have. Essentially, the definition for a PR
campaign is a combination or collection of practices that have specific
objectives and share the same goals for a business.
•A campaign is the action of keeping that reputation, and maintaining a good
relation and understanding between the brand and its public. It is not just
content that is released to the press. Campaigns have many aspects,
including content, public speeches, engagement with the audience, feedback,
communication of values, etc.
•PR campaign is the combination of different practices with specific
objectives, which share the same goal and within a fixed time frame.
 Objectives of PR campaigns
• Identify Target Audience
• Set Clear Objectives
• Analyze Context
• Right Place At The Right Time
• Dynamic Content
 5 basic principles of successful PR
campaigns
• Know your target audience.
• Set realistic goals.
• Develop a message.
• Know your competition.
• Stay relevant.
 Importance of planning for social and
commercial PR campaigns.
• Planning is a critical element of PR to ensure everyone is in
agreement on the upcoming year's business and communication
objectives, as well as the strategies and tactics that will be used to
achieve those objectives.
• The PR plan details all of the strengths, opportunities, weaknesses
as well as threats of the business and gives the PR professionals an
understanding of the current situation and what can be expected at
the end of each campaign for the business.
• Planning is absolutely necessary in public relations practice. Lack of
strategic thinking and planning can lead to programmes that
reinforce controversy rather than solve them and or add confusion
instead of clarification to misunderstanding. Planning is all about
making tomorrow’s decisions today. Planning in PR involves
deciding what must be done.
 PLANNING IN PR
• Stage I - FACT FINDING
• Stage II- PLANNING
• Stage III - IMPLEMENTATION
• Stage IV- EVALUATION
THE MEDIA SELECTION FOR THE PR
CAMPAIGNS
Measuring PR Effectiveness

Contributions made?

What was achieved?

Quantitative measures?

Quality?
 Criteria for Measuring PR Effectiveness

Ratio of positive to negative articles Percentage of

positive and
negative articles
Number of impressions . . . by . . .

Over time Subject

On the target audience
Publication
On specific target audiences
Reporter
Percentage of . . Target
audience
Positive articles over time

Negative articles over time

Additional Measures of PR Effectiveness

Personal observation and reaction

Matching objectives and results

The team approach

Management by objectives

Public opinions and surveys

Audits
 How to measure the ROI of Digital PR?
• Website Visitors
• Domain Authority
• Engagement
• Press Articles
• Sales Figures
• Media Content Evaluation
• Mentions
 EMERGING TRENDS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
MANAGEMENT

• Data Analytics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Bots and Chatbots
• Strategic Communication
• Brand Experience
• No borders between PR and Advertising
• Social Media is not optional it’s a norm
• Shift towards to Digital
• Moving beyond media relations- Podcast
• Search Engine optimization
• Influencer involvement
• Integrated in wider sense
• Internet
 Famous PR Campaigns
• Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty
• A research in 2004 showed the heartbreaking results that only
2% of women find themselves beautiful. As a response, Dove
initiated a campaign using women who are not professional
models, but everyday normal women. The goal was to bring a
wider mindset to the idea of beauty standards within society.
• The campaign had a huge success in bringing down the huge
expectations for beauty, bringing awareness to the public, both
in terms of the brand and in terms of the issue at hand.
Statistics showed that the annual sales for Dove rose from $2.5
billion to over $4 billion in the first 10 years of the campaign.
• Barbie’s New Career
• The worldwide famous Barbie doll made a hit campaign in
2010 when the company Mattel asked the public to choose her
next career after 125 career changes. Millions of people voted
for a geeky barbie that had the profession of Computer
Engineer. It was an innovative and new idea at the time, which
supported the growing movement to empower girls, and added
it to every girl’s most favorite and lovable doll.
• The campaign increased brand awareness, as well as
awareness for women being underrepresented in many careers
at the time. It reached out to girls globally, and spread a
positive message that they can be whatever they want.
• Uber – Thank You For Not Riding
• At the beginning of worldwide
lockdowns, Uber decided to join many companies
urging people to stay home. In their Thank You For
Not Riding campaign, Uber thanked their customers
for not using their services unnecessarily at the
moment with a simple message: “ Stay home for
everyone who can’t. “
• Along with the campaign, Uber committed to
providing 10 million free rides and food deliveries to
healthcare workers, senior citizens, and all those in
need in these challenging times.