Week 12: Public Relations Overview

Week 12: Public Relations and the Promotion of Ideas

• Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. It manages information flow between an organization and various audiences (media, investors, customers, general public).

• Public relations activities include media relations, corporate communication, crisis management, and event management. The aim is to shape public perception and maintain a positive reputation.

• Public relations is about creating understanding between an organization and its public, and is not just for organizations. Governments, sports figures, and other public figures also seek public understanding.

• Private companies, governments, and individuals dealing with the public share common needs: to be understood and to have the public respond positively. This is achieved through different approaches: power (e.g, policy, influence), patronage (favors, money), or persuasion (facts, arguments).

• Public relations activities include writing and distributing press releases, pitching stories to journalists, organizing press conferences, managing social media, and conducting media interviews.

Goals of Public Relations

• Build and maintain a positive reputation.
• Increase brand awareness.
• Manage public perception during crises.
• Promote products and services.
• Educate the public about an organization's mission and values.
• Build relationships with key stakeholders.

Public Relations Helps Shape Public Opinion

• Positive public opinion is key to achieving goals for companies, governments, or celebrities.
• Public perception of honesty, kindness, and decency makes policies easier to support.
• Leaders understand the importance of positive public opinion and public relations, which the has increased by 200% in the last 20 years in western governments.

Ivy Lee and Early Public Relations

• Ivy Lee is considered a pioneer of public relations.
• The Publicity Bureau, established in Boston (1900), was one of the first public relations firms.
• Ivy Lee's work focused on providing accurate information to the public.
• He is credited with responding to criticisms of American railways.
• His work with Rockefeller also involved counteracting negative publicity.

Codes of Ethics for Public Relations

• Formal ethical guidelines for public relations emerged in the 1930s-1950s.
• The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) developed the first code of ethics in the 1950s, continuing today.
• This code of conduct aims to regulate the practice of public relations.

Specialties in Public Relations

• Financial PR, which involves communicating with financial reporters.
• Product PR, which seeks publicity for products instead of advertisements.
• Crisis PR, which manages crises that threaten reputation.

Example of PR

• A new electric car company can use PR by issuing press releases to journalists, who can then write articles, building brand awareness.

Summary and Key concepts

• Public relations is about creating mutual understanding between organizations and the public.
• Creating a positive public image is a core objective to all organizations.
• Various goals and techniques are utilized by organizations to meet their goals.