Introduction to Public

Relations
Introduction to Public Relations.

 Public relations is a profession that mainly aids companies, firms,

institutions, consultations, government agencies, non profit org
and organizations establish and maintain effective and beneficial
relationships with different kind of public.
 Public Relations continues to be the most dynamic profession
throughout the universe. Diversity of skills and creative
programs/ campaigns come along through PR.
 Managing the communication activities within the organization.
Introduction to Public Relations

 Public Relations has been respectively defined as a

managerial function that helps an organization achieve
its objectives through establishing and maintaining
effective and beneficial relationships via
communication strategies and tactics, with the public.
 PR departments range in size from more than five
members in large corporations to one or two individuals
in small organization.
Introduction to Public Relations
 Public Relations is composed of four components; research,
planning, communication and evaluation. Communication
involves writing that takes place after research and
extensive planning to formulate the objectives and goals of
a program and campaign Planning involves the selection of
audiences to be reached, the key messages to be
distributed and the strategies that should be used to ensure
the overall success of the program.
Functions of Public Relations

 Research
PR work is invested on issues, publics, organizations, competition, threats. Most
of the research findings are turned into PR plans, communication campaigns,
programs and media briefing. However, research is conducted through
interviews, surveys, checking websites and database. Research findings influence
a PR program’s objectives and strategies that in turn form the basis for
evaluation of it’s planning, implementation and effectiveness.
Functions of Public Relations.
 Events Management
Grand openings, news conferences, anniversary
celebrations, exhibitions, contests, awards programs,
media tours and special meetings are some special events
prepared and supervised by PR practitioners. Such events
require careful planning, coordination and preparation of
media kits, publicity photos and reports.
Functions of Public Relations.
 Publicity and Promotion Activities
publication of special reports, taking photos, making
films, documentary and other multimedia programs.
All this is conducted In PR team for communication
purposes as its their work to share information
through newspapers, magazine broadcasting via radio,
television and online platforms.
Functions of Public Relations.

 Media Relations
 Counselling
 Public Affairs
 Investor and Stakeholders Relations
 Corporate Social Responsibilities
 Issues Management
 Crisis Management
Public Relations Roles

 Roles are the collection of daily activities that people do. The roles have
helped in learning about the power of PR function in the organization and
how activities of PR people produce the right programs, influence strategies
planning and effect short and large range goals of organization.
 There are two broad roles that emerge in Public Relations;
 The Technician Role
 The Manager Role
Roles of Public Relations.

 The Technical role represents the craft side of PR, writing, editing
communication tools, digital content, taking photos, handling communication
like social media, running special events, contacting media personals. These
activities focus on the implementation of the management’s overall
communication strategies.
 The Manager role focuses on activates that help identify and solve PR
problems, situation, cries. PR managers advise senior management about
communication needs and are responsible for broad organization results.
 Public Relations Models

 The original four models are;

 Press Agentry
 Public Information
 Two-way Asymmetrical
 Two-way Symmetrical Model.

The first three models reflect a practice of PR that attempts through persuasion
to achieve organization goals.
Public Relations Models

 Press Agentry
Information moves one way from the organization to the public.
It’s the oldest model and closely associated with promotion and publicity.
• PR officers operating under this model always look for opportunities to get
their organizations names mentioned by the media.
• They do not conduct research.
• They include propaganda tactics like celebrity involvement, gaining attention
through giveaways, grand openings.
• Ethics are not important
 Public Relations Models
 Public Information
 It differs from press agentry as its intent is to inform rather than to
promotion or publicity.
 The communication is one way. This model is practiced in government,
education institution, some corporations.
 Little research is conducted to audiences only to test the clarity of the
institution’s messages.
 They are journalists in residence, as they value accuracy but decide what
information to tell in the public’s interest.
Public Relations Model

 Two-way Asymmetrical
 The model considers PR as a scientific persuasion and employs social
science research methods to increase the persuasiveness of the messages
 PR officers use interviews, focus group discussions and surveys to measure
the relationships with the public, so as to design PR programs that will gain
the support of key publics.
 Feedback is built into the process as the organization is interested in having
the public adjust to the organization than the reverse
Public Relations Model

 Two-way Symmetrical
 The models depicts that the organization and it’s publics adjust to each
other.
 Uses social science methods to achieve mutual understanding. Practices
two-way communication.
 In 2001, James Grunig, presented other names for the model are mixed
motives, collaborative advocacy and cooperative antagonism. The intention
was to present a balanced self-interests with the interest of others in a give
and take process that can waver between advocacy and collocation.
 This was the most ethical model, because all were parties to problem
resolution.
Importance of Public Relations

 Maintain and strengthen relationship with different public like media houses,
financial org, service provider org.
 Effective customer care, responding to questions, doubts and needs. E.g.
launching more branches.
 PR increases credibility (trustworthy), PR department bridges the gap
between the org management and the public. This is through different tactics
that show the org objectives.
 Increase sales and revenue, a company with good image and reputation
tends to be worthy consumers’ money.
 Changes public perception and attitudes.
Public

Public Relations practitioners conduct persuasive and purposive communication

to deal with public and public opinion. PR officers write messages and selects a
channel to reach the public.
Public is a group of people with certain interest to the organization. Publics are
important to the org, if they recognize certain issues, understand the relevance
of it.
Talk about it or even organize an activity for it. It’s a PR practitioner obligation
to communicate earlier with groups of people concerning the ongoing issue
because chances will be better before the publics make up their minds on the
issue, once it gets publicized to local news, a newspaper or a social platform.
Individuals begin to learn about an issue then, express opinions, share with
others, reconcile their opinions with long standing attitudes, perceptions and
values.
Public

 For PR practitioners to build and maintain organization

reputation, they will have to understand the public opinion
formation.
 Public Opinions are collections of views, attitudes, perceptions
and beliefs expressed by a group of people towards a certain
issue.
 Communication is then effectively applied to change the public
perceptions and opinions thus where PR works are identifying
messages, choosing best communication channels that will direct
the messages to the public.
Types of Public

Internal Public
a group of people within the organization such as employees, management,
board members, students
External Public
group of people that relates with the organization externally e.g. consumers/
customers, community, mass media, government, financial institutions, action
groups.
Identifying Public

 Categories of Public
 Latent Public a group of people that faces indeterminate situation but does
not recognize it as a problem
 Aware Public the group that recognizes a problem, that is, what is missing
in the situation and becomes aware.
 Active Public the group organizes to discuss and do something about the
problem.
Prepared By: MADAM MAXINE LIMBU
Department: PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING
Phone number: 062 104 5781