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PUBLIC RELATION

INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC RELATIONS


In the modern business organizations there are many functions

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perform by different

managers in different department like planning, organizing, directing, reporting, controlling and communication. The may be different departments like HR, marketing, finance and others. One of the important functions and departments of modern business organization is public relations. In a simple meaning public relation is a combination of two words public relations. I.e. Relation with public. Public relation is a systematic way of solving any problem in an organization. Public relation is also very much helpful during crisis as far as public relation is concerned they are very much responsible for increasing reputation goodwill and image of an organization. Publication is also very much important for communication. Communication with all the type of public [internal and External] is the job and responsibility of public relation department. In fact public relation and communication are two sides of one coin which always go together their hand in hand. Many of the first practitioners of public relations in the US supported railroads. Scholars believe that the first appearance of the term "public relations" appeared in the 1897 Year Book of Railway Literature Some historians regard Ivy Lee as the first real practitioner of public relations, but Edward Bernays, a nephew and student of Sigmund Freud is generally regarded today as the profession's founder. In the United Kingdom Sir Basil Clarke (18791947) was a pioneer of public relations. In describing the origin of the term public relations, Bernays said, "When I came back to the United States [from the war], I decided that if you could use propaganda for war, you could certainly use it for peace. And propaganda got to be a bad word because of the Germans ... Using it. So what I did was to try to find some other words, so we found the words Counsel on Public Relations". As Harold Lass well explained in 1928, "public relations" was a term used as a way of shielding the profession from the ill repute increasingly associated with the word
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PUBLIC RELATION

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"propaganda": "Propaganda has become an epithet of contempt and hate, and the propagandists have sought protective coloration in such names as 'public relations council,' 'specialist in public education,' 'public relations adviser. In the 1930s Edward Bernays started the first vocational course in public relations. In 1920, Sir Basil Clarke in England was appointed the head of the newly set-up Public Information Department, the British government's propaganda unit where the apparatus pumped out deliberately misleading stories to the Irish. 'Propaganda by news' was how they described it. The key quality that the stories had to have, according to Basil Clarke, was 'verisimilitude' having the air of truth. According to his own account the routine 'issue of news gives us a hold over the press'. At the twice-daily press briefing at Dublin Castle, journalists 'take our version of the facts' and they believe all I tell them', wrote Clarke. The service 'must look true and it must look complete and candid or its "credit" is gone'. The policy therefore was to disseminate lies and half truths which gave the appearance of truth. As Major Street, another of the propagandists noted: 'in order that it may be rendered capable of being swallowed', propaganda 'must be dissolved in some fluid which the patient will readily assimilate'.

Modern public relations:

Advertising dollars in traditional media productions have declined and many traditional media outlets are seeing declining circulation in favor of online and social media news sources. One site even tracked the death of newspapers as readership in traditional media shifts to online media, so have the focus of many in public relations. Social media releases, search engine optimization, content publishing, [and the introduction of podcasts and video are other burgeoning trends.

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Specific public relations disciplines include:


Financial public relations communicating financial results and business strategy Consumer/lifestyle public relations gaining publicity for a particular product or service Crisis communication responding in a crisis Internal communications communicating within the company itself Government relations engaging government departments to influence public policy

Within

each

discipline,

typical

activities

include publicity

events,

speaking

opportunities, press releases, newsletters, blogs, social media, press kits and outbound communication to members of the press. Video and audio news releases (VNRs and ANRs) are often produced and distributed to TV outlets in hopes they will be used as regular program content.

RACE R = Research A = Actions C= communication E= Evaluations.

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PUBLIC RELATION
MEANING OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
A] MEANING OF PUBLIC Public relations (PR) are the practice of managing

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the

flow

of information between an individual or an organization and the public. Public relations may include an organization or individual gaining exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment. The aim of public relations by a company often is to persuade the public, investors, partners, employees, and other stakeholders to maintain a certain point of view about it, its leadership, products, or of political decisions. Common activities include speaking at conferences, winning industry awards, working with the press, and employee communication. Public relations is thought by many to be propaganda by a different name, ironically, the very term "Public relations" could easily be seen as a public relations ploy to make the idea of propaganda more acceptable. Public Relations are similar to Analyst Relations, Investor Relations and Public Affairs depending on the firm, organization or population it represents.

1] A public is a group of persons having the same interest, problems, circumstances, goal etc. 2] Public comes is many different size with different wants and desires sometimes they having strong life and some time strong dislikes. 3] Public in public relation is basically into two types is internal and external. The internal public may be in the formed of employees, workers, staff. 4] Apart from internal public relation is as also to communicate. Which may be in the form customers, shareholders/investors, media or press, government, community and other {suppliers, wholesaler dealers etc?????
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PUBLIC RELATION MANAGEMENT

PUBLIC RELATION
B] MEANING OF RELATIONS

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1] Relations is the outcome of mutual understanding derived from the sharing of common goals, interest etc. 2] Relation is every possible E.g. by a rank it may be superior or inferior and vice-versa is it may be equal. 3] In an organization there are employers, employee, and relation. The relation it may be good or bad. It may be give and take relation. 4] Thus we combined both words i.e. public + relation ultimately we get public relation. . PUBLIC RELATIONS IN GOVERNMENT

Public relations role in government: The Government public relations contribute to: 1. Implementation of public policy. 2. Assisting the news media in coverage of government activities. 3. Reporting the citizenry on agency activities. 4. Increasing the internal cohesion of the agency. 5. Increasing the agencys sensitive to its publics. 6. Mobilization of support for the agency itself. DEFINITIONS 1] According to public relations society of America Public relation is a philosophy and function of management expressed in policies and practices which serve the public to secure it is understanding and goodwill
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PUBLIC RELATION
PUBLIC RELATION IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT
Airlines air [air India], is, jet Bank RBI [reserve bank of India] idbi Insurance- reliance, lic[life insurance corporation] Oil- hp [Hindustan petroleum] BP [bharat petroleum] ongc. Ngc- being human, rotary club Hp = manager [prtcc]

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IMPORTANT FUNCTION AND OBJECTIVES OF PUBLIC RELATION

National Objectives: The basic function of the government Public Relations department / agencies is to provide information, education/instruction to the citizens. The effort should also motivate the people directly or indirectly, to discharge these functions in a meaningful and purposeful manner, it is necessary that the Public Relations Department / wing should be clear about the broad objectives which guide their work. The national objective should be non-political, non-controversial, and on which there should be a national consensus. The objectives should further the interests and the well being of the public as a whole and promote the many sided development of the country. The objectives should be long term ones and need not

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1] To promote mutual understanding 2] To win people influence 3] To change attitude 4] To promote goodwill/image/reputation. 5] Relation with public 6] Interact with media. 7] Prepare policy. 8] To corporate publicity. 9] Product publicity 10] Good relation with government 11] Good relation with community 12] Good relation with shareholders/investors. 13] To promotion program 14] Employees relation and communication.

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PUBLIC IN PR

INTRODUCTION: Public in PR is basically divided into two types internal and external. A public is a group of person from PR point of view to whom the organization has to communicate regularly. Internal PR is often as important as your external PR. It bonds the organization together. A two-way communication between the management and its employees is the need of the hour. The moral of employees and their exposure to company information can play an important part in productivity. We, at Positive Interactive, believe in building dialogue and relationships and can play a critical role in helping you succeed with this new tool of communications to convey your goals and messages to those who matter most and those who share your organizational identity. We take care of all aspects of internal communications-right from planning a comprehensive strategy to its execution so as to reach out all employees and other internal stakeholders to create a sense of pride and inculcate a sense of belonging. Right from designing friendly handouts and newsletters, charting fun activities in the campus and engaging the community through intranet are few of the time tested tools we have adopted in the past to instill life and happiness in many of the organizations.

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A) INTERNAL PUBLIC Although so much of marketing has traditionally been outward-facing, more companies are

discovering the importance of marketing their brand to their employees, with an eye toward serving customers better Internal communication designed to mobilize employees as brand ambassadors is a burgeoning field, and a huge growth area for public relations firms. Internal communications also assists with change management, ensuring employee alignment with strategy, and training executives in internal communications skills, all with the goal of making the clients organization a destination employer where people are excited to work.

We know that employee brand engagement affects morale and with it productivity. It also seems to affect customer experience and overall brand value in measurable ways, especially in our age of social media. In the banking industry, low morale prompts almost 70% of employees to leave. At the same time, over 40% of customers are loyal because of a good employee attitude. And 70% of customer brand perception is determined by experience with people. One study has found that over 70% of bloggers who post for a business have created greater visibility for their companies.Highly public move that highlighted how vital it was that employees understand and realize the brand promise, so as to serve customers better. Companies are also increasingly turning to social media as a way of mobilizing their internal armies of brand ambassadors. Deloitte has made use of employee generated videos. To appeal to younger potential hires and companies like Disney spotlight employees on company.

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A) EXTERNAL PUBLIC Customers are an important external public. Today for all types of organization communication with customers or consumers is the job and responsibility of marketing or sales department but in many organization where there is a lack of communication between customers and

organization. The PR department has to come forward to take initiative in communicating regularly with customers. In recent times the consumer and retail industry has faced some hard times with a decrease in consumer spending and a tightened credit market. Many retailers slashed expenses, including marketing, in order

to stay afloat and what has resulted is a marketplace that is considerably quieter in terms of businesses promoting their brands.

Now, with the light starting to shine at the end of the tunnel and consumer confidence beginning to rise, the time is ripe for businesses to stand up, be heard and tell their story.

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PUBLIC RELATION
PR IN MEDIA RELATION
MEDIA OR PRESS:

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The relationship between the news media and the PR industry is a complex and increasingly symbiotic one. The media is the central vehicle for much of the PR industry's messages. PR practitioners want to place their stories in the news or other publications and programmers. Without

being able to do this, PR would lose one of its main avenues for communication with the public. The media in turn has become more dependent on PR to supply content to fill air time or column inches. Whilst newspapers have been steadily shedding staff over the last couple of decades they have simultaneously managed to produce ever thicker publications, and the ever growing ranks of PR are happy to help fill the pages. The power of the big agencies and spin doctor goes beyond this however. As the primary point of contact between businesses and the media, PR people can control access to information which journalists want. This gives them tremendous leverage in negotiating with journalists, as they are in a position to refuse information. Magazine editor, Mark Dowie, comments "even the most energetic reporters know that they have to be somewhat deferential in the presence of a powerful publicist. No one on a national beat can afford to get on the wrong side of a Frank Mickiewicz or a Harold Burson, knowing that their firms [Hill & Knowlton and Burson-Marsteller] together represent a third of the most quotable sources in the country."

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PUBLIC RELATION
COMMUNITY:

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Building local community relationships can be the most important communication activity undertaken by an organisation, yet it is often overlooked. As a public relations consultancy with a strong focus on franchise businesses amongst others, it is a priority goal we set for our clients to develop a solid, ongoing and reliable community relations program.

For local businesses and franchises, it is important to get to know your neighbourhood and to get involved with local initiatives. This will in turn help raise awareness of your business and services, as well as being a great opportunity to get to know your competitors. Since any organization can expect to communicate with a range of community audiences including employees, shareholders, creditors, consumers, the media, the general public and government agencies, an effective communication plan need to be implemented. Below are some suggested activities which, when used as a tool with an effective communication strategy and PR plan, can be highly effective in raising awareness of your business within your community.

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PUBLIC RELATION
GOVERNMENT:

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The relationship between government and the PR industry is a long and intimate one. Many top lobbyists begin their careers working in political circles, and many top PR people have worked in government. Government spin doctors and their commercial counterparts use the same skills and techniques to accomplish the same goal; to create a favorable public image in the media. Several top PR people have man. Well-connected individuals exploit their political contacts on behalf of clients, providing access to key individuals. Nowadays lobbying companies maintain extensive files on politicians and other influential people so as to know who best to approach and in what way, in order to further a campaign. As with other areas of PR lobbying has become a more challenging discipline. According to a Hill and Knowlton executive, "You can't just show up with a bottle of Wild Turkey and get your topic on the hearing schedule anymore. You have to work with staffers, and you have to be more aware of alliances and petty fights on the Hill. It's just not easy aged to reach the top in both the governmental and business worlds. QUALIFICATION OF PRO 1) Excellent communication, interpersonal and writing skills 2) Drive, competence, flexibility and a willingness to learn; 3) Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to multitask; 4) Ability to cope with pressure; 5) Creativity, imagination and initiative; 6) Good teamwork, analytical and problem-solving skills; 7) Business awareness and a good knowledge of current affairs.
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PUBLIC RELATION
PUBLIC RELATIONS TOOLS

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You already know that in the process of public relations, any message is used to target a particular audience. Let us take the example of a school principal who Has to address her students before their exams. She will have to prepare her Talk effectively so that the students feel encouraged and motivated.

All these are examples of tools or techniques used in public relations. Let us now broadly classify the PR tools used to communicate to the public. o o o o o o Oral communication Printed and graphic communication Print media Outdoor media (electronic displays, hoardings, posters) Broadcast media (radio, television, films) Other media (websites, endorsements, exhibitions)

ORAL COMMUNICATION

You may recall what you have learnt about interpersonal communication in the first module. It is a two way communication. Let us consider the example of a conversation between a student and a teacher:

The student has not done well in her exams and the teacher wants to talk to her to find out the reason for her failure in the exam. The student is given an

Opportunity to express her problems and the teacher tries to console her and Guide her so that she can do better in the next exam. This is an example of oral Communication between a student and a teacher.

Oral communication is similar to interpersonal communication where there is a two way communication. This is also called face to face communication or person To person communication. This was the only form of communication when there Were no means of modern communication?
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Oral communication is a an effective PR tool which allows for questions and Clarifications.

SPEECH AND INTERVIEW

You must have heard or seen the Prime Minister or President addressing the Public on special occasions like Independence Day through the radio or Television. Have you found their talk impressive? What have you learnt from Their messages?

This is an example of a speech which is a primary form of oral communication. A good speech helps in effectively communicating to the public. If the speech is Delivered before a live audience, it provides an environment for a two-way Communication.

You must have heard of the term interview. You may even have heard or seen an interview with a film star or cricketer on radio or television. Now let us understand what the term interview means. Interview is another form of oral communication where you find one person asking questions and the other answering them. The former is called an interviewer and the latter the Interviewee. In this method, the interviewee gets an opportunity to impress the Audience, fulfilling one of the goals of public relations.
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PRINTED AND GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION Fliers

Have you come across single printed sheets of paper that are distributed along With your daily newspaper? You find that these give information about summer Classes for children during school vacation, eating places in the neighborhood, Facilities offered by schools etc. You can see that they provide a lot of useful Information about various services in your locality. These sheets of paper which provide information are commonly referred to as Fliers or handbills.

Therefore we can say that: Fliers 1. represent the simplest and easiest form of information tools used in public Relations. 2. were the first written material used for public relations 3. Are unfolded sheets posted on bulletin boards, delivered by mail or distributed by hand? 4. Present a single message rather than a series of separate message units. 5. time specific and address a particular event 6. Serve awareness objectives through information. Fliers can be made effective by enhancing their visual appeal.

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o Brochures

When the message to be conveyed must last longer in the minds of the audience, then one sheet of information, as in a flier, may not be sufficient. In such a Case, a multi-page publication or in other words, more than one page of printed Matter, is produced as a PR tool.

Depending on their size and purpose for which they are developed, they are called leaflets, folders or pamphlets. All these publications are called brochures.

We can therefore define a brochure as follows: Folded sheet of information which can be read like a book and provides Information which is relevant over a longer period of time.

PRESS RELEASE Let us now study about a press release which is different from the other forms of printed communication that you have so far studied.

A press release is the most important form of written communication used by public relations professional to announce something to the media. It is mailed, Faxed or e-mailed to the media.

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How is a press release developed?

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The text of the press release is written in the form of a story with an attractive Heading so that the media quickly grasps and circulates the message through Newspapers/radio/television/internet.

PRINT MEDIA You have learnt in an earlier module that newspapers and magazines form a part of print media. Now let us see how print media is used as a PR tool. You must Have seen several in

advertisements appearing

newspapers and magazines. What Do they consist of? They

consist of textual messages as well as some visuals or Pictures. These

advertisements are examples of PR tools used in the print media. They are worked out effectively to attract the readers attention away from Other competing advertisements.

OUTDOOR MEDIA Have you seen huge boards displaying messages on a particular brand of mobile phone and dazzling in the night sky. This is what is called a hoarding and these Days you find that many of the hoardings are electronically operated (electronic Hoarding) to make them attractive and catch the attention of the viewers. This is An example of an outdoor medium which is a popular tool used in public relations.
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PUBLIC RELATION
Likewise, you must have read messages on milk and milk products written on Bus panels and on huge boards at bus terminals, airports and railway stations Where a lot of people come together. These forms of communication are Commonly referred to as poster media.

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Here, you will notice that the emphasis is on the visual messages or what is visible to the audience. The poster message carries a strong illustration with a Meaningful headline. This form of communication is used to remind the audience About a certain product or idea.

Another form of outdoor medium is huge balloons suspended in the air with a message written on them. These are hot air balloons which can easily capture The attention of the public and thus help in public relations.

BROADCAST MEDIA

You hear messages and music through this medium. The characteristic feature here is the sound which creates an impact on the listeners. Radio advertisements which combine music and messages are a typical example used for public relations.

Similarly, take the case of television. Here, you can see pictures or images as Well as hear a message or music. These images have certain characteristic features. They are seen to move as well as make sounds, thus creating a huge impact on Viewers. Reality music and dance shows, cricket matches which are sponsored By business organizations are examples of television being used to attract public
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Attention to a particular product.
OTHER FORMS OF MEDIA WEBSITES

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Where do you find a website? On the internet? Some of you would have also seen a website.

Let us understand what a website is? A website is a collection of web pages and images which is accessible to the public through the internet. Consider a situation when you have to travel to a particular city by train. The easiest way to obtain information on trains going to that city has been made possible by the Indian Railways through its website. You can even book tickets through this website. Compare this with a situation in which you have to go all the way to the railway booking counter for the same purpose. This is an example of a PR exercise by the railways for the benefit of the public.

EXHIBITIONS

Have you ever visited an exhibition? Then you would have seen several products being displayed and sold in a large space in an open area or in huge halls. You may have even bought a few items. You would also have come to know about Several new products available in the market.

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HOUSE JOURNAL

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It is difficult to know whether or not the target audience we wanted to reach out to really had read, seen or listened to a message. In selective media, in contrast, the target audience is identifiable. A house journal among others is a selective media and we can identify the audience. There are two types of house journals: Internal and External. The internal journal is one of the imps. Tool for effective employee comm. The external house journals, however, aim at some segment of external publics like dealers, shareholders, etc. A third type is a combination of both internal and external, meant for employees as well as external publics. Objectives The primary objective of a house journal is to create a forum foe exchange of thought and vision on various issues concerning an organization and its employees. A house journal, if carefully produced, serves as an imp. Link between a management and its various employees. With corporations becoming larger, multi-dimensional and multilocation, a house journal reaches employees belonging to different disciplines, cadres and interests, thus bridging the gap and creating a fellow-feeling among them. Formats of house journal 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

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The PR person is an org. ideally would be the editor of the house journal. Before publishing the journal, decisions about its editorial

policy/objectives must be got approved from the management. A look at a house journal can reveal whether the org. is opened or closed one. A journal of a closed org. tends to be a one way channel of comm., putting the companys views to the employees. Such magazines are obsessed with coverage about top executives specially the Chief executive Officer/Chairman/Managing Director of the company. An open company on other hand ensures the editorial integrity of its publication and could have its employees contributing the news item and articles. The editor in this case will have the freedom to present stories acc. to readers interest. When the readers 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 readers time. Hence, if a journal is to meet its comm. objectives, it must be attractive enough to compel attention and must be of interest to those who read it.

Planning: - Developing a concept that best serves the company. Get management the format (i.e., the size whether to have tabloid format or a magazine format) and periodicity of the publication approved. This will, however, depend on the aims of the journal, target audience, 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 no. Of issues, the greater the need for more staff. It is advisable to develop a brand of freelancers / correspondents from among our

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external publics, if the house journal caters to them. We, however, have to take care of stories, production, printing, mailing, etc. 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. Being an editor, we must travel as much as we can. We must be where the action is, to have first hand inf. About the event. As the journal reflects the style of the editor, we must strive to develop a personality for our house journal. Distribution: - The purpose of a house journal is not served till it reaches the target audience. We must select the quickest and the most economical means possible to get the journal into the hands of the readers. Some companies distribute the journals to their employees at their work place; others mail it to their homes to ensure that it reaches the family members as 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. This will help in improving the content. With the advent of video technology, many progressive companies have come out with video magazines for employee comm. Cable TV network is used in their township to reach out to the employees in their homes.

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PRESS RELEASE:

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Meaning and Nature: Press release means to make the news known publicly or allow making the news known publicly; sometimes it is also called as handout or new release. The Press release is an official statement issued by the government or the organization. Press release is the most popular way of issuing news, information and article to the press or to give due publicity. Every press release should be prepared carefully and preverified before it is distributed. Sometimes the same may be sent to the broadcast media like radio and television. The government department and the commercial organizations prefer to send the press release to the news agencies who in turn with the help of teleprinter network transmit to the newspapers. In vase if the news has public interest in other countries, the press release may be forwarded to the foreign new agencies like the BBC and the central office of information.
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While preparing the Press release the PR department must collect detailed information. In doing so it has to access to all the sources, authorities and powers within the organization which is concerned directly. In order to insure utilization by the press, timing of the Press release is a very important factor. Characteristics of a Good Press release: (1)Brief: A Press release should be brief and precise. It is seen that newspapers are always hard pressed for space. If a release is brief and precise, its chances of getting included in the newspaper will be brighter. Press release for rational newspapers should be shorter than those which are meant for local newspapers. (2)Simple language:

Press release should be drafted in a Simple language and conventional style. In case the news item is not readable the reader either avoids or decides not to read it which as good as not reading. Hence Press release must be prepared in lucid style.
(3)Newsworthy:

Newsworthiness is the basic principle of a good Press release. If the news does not have any news value, no one will be interested in reading it and no newspaper would accept it for publication.
(4)Factual Truth:

Integrity is one of the important principles of business communication and factual truthfulness is a matter of integrity. One should realize that misrepresentation of

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the facts with a view to misleading the public might bring immediate benefits but it is bound to backfire sooner or later.

(5)Suitable for publication: A Press release should be Suitable for publication in the journal or newspaper to which it is sent. Company Press releases should not be sent to literary sports or any of the film journals. (6)Answers to Five Ws: One should make it sure that the relevant among the 5 WsWhy, When, Where, What and Who. Why should be taken care of / It may not be possible to answer Why always. But if these details are included, they give depth to the release. Where? It reveals the location, which is also important. When? Since old news is no news the timing of the press release is very important. What? What happened that is newsworthy. Who? Name the people involved as names are usually newsworthy.

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There are few other points that can be kept in mind while preparing press release: Every release should be accompanied with a covering letter. The paragraphs should be kept short and they should be provided with sub-headings if desirable. Every release should be given a heading which is catchy and suggestive. The first two paragraphs should be interesting giving the gist.

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PR IN CRISES MANAGEMENT
Crisis management is the process by which an organization deals with a major event that threatens to harm the organization, its stakeholders, or the general public. The study of crisis management originated with the large scale industrial and environmental disasters in the 1980sThree elements are common to most definitions of crisis: (a) a threat to the organization, (b) the element of surprise, and (c) a short decision time. Argues that "crisis is a process of transformation where the old system can no longer be maintained." Therefore the fourth defining quality is the need for change. If change is not needed, the event could more accurately be described as a failure or incident. In contrast to risk management, which involves assessing potential threats and finding the best ways to avoid those threats, crisis management involves dealing with threats before, during, and after they have occurred. It is a discipline within the broader context of management consisting of skills and techniques required to identify, assess, understand, and cope with a serious situation, especially from the moment it first occurs to the point that recovery procedures start.

Crisis management consists of:


Methods used to respond to both the reality and perception of crises. Establishing metrics to define what scenarios constitute a crisis and should consequently trigger the necessary response mechanisms. Communication that occurs within the response phase of emergency management scenarios.

Crisis management methods of a business or an organization are called Crisis Management Plan. Crisis management is occasionally referred to as incident management; although several industry specialists such as Peter Power argue that the term crisis management is more accurate.
[4]

A crisis mindset requires the ability to think of the worst-case scenario while simultaneously suggesting numerous solutions. Trial and error is an accepted discipline, as the first line of defense might not work. It is necessary to maintain a list of contingency plans and to be always on alert. Organizations and

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analysis, drills and exercises.
[5]

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individuals should always be prepared with a rapid response plan to emergencies which would require

The credibility and reputation of organizations is heavily influenced by the perception of their responses during crisis situations. The organization and communication involved in responding to a crisis in a timely fashion makes for a challenge in businesses. There must be open and consistent communication throughout the hierarchy to contribute to a successful communication process. The related terms emergency management and business continuity management focus respectively on the prompt but short lived "first aid" type of response (e.g. putting the fire out) and the longer term recovery and restoration phases (e.g. moving operations to another site). Crisis is also a facet of risk management, although it is probably untrue to say that Crisis Management represents a failure of Risk Management since it will never be possible to totally mitigate the chances of catastrophes occurring.

Types of crisis
During the crisis management process, it is important to identify types of crises in that different crises necessitate the use of different crisis management strategies Natural disaster 1. Technological crises 2. Confrontation 3. Malevolence 4. Organizational Misdeeds 5. Workplace Violence 6. Rumours 7. Terrorist attacks/man-made disasters

Natural crises
Natural crises, typically natural disasters considered as 'acts of God,' are such environmental phenomena as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes and hurricanes, floods, landslides,

tsunamis, storms,

and droughts that threaten life, property, and the environment itself.

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Technological crises Technological crises are caused by human application of science and technology. Technological accidents inevitably occur when technology becomes complex and coupled and something goes wrong in the system as a whole (Technological breakdowns). Some technological crises occur when human error causes disruptions (Human breakdowns. People tend to assign blame for a technological disaster because technology is subject to human manipulation whereas they do not hold anyone responsible for natural disaster. When an accident creates significant environmental damage, the crisis is cateConfrontation crisis Confrontation crisis occur when discontented individuals and/or groups fight businesses, government, and various interest groups to win acceptance of their demands and expectations. The common type of confrontation crisis is boycotts, and other types are picketing, sit-ins, ultimatums to those in authority, blockade or occupation of buildings, and resisting or disobeying police. Crisis of malevolence An organization faces a crisis of malevolence when opponents or miscreant individuals use criminal means or other extreme tactics for the purpose of expressing hostility or anger toward, or seeking gain from, a company, country, or economic system, perhaps with the aim of destabilizing or destroying it. Sample crisis include product tampering, kidnapping, malicious rumors, terrorism, and espionage. Crises of organizational misdeeds Crises occur when management takes actions it knows will harm or place stakeholders at risk for harm without adequate precautions specified three different types of crises of organizational misdeeds: crises of skewed management values, crises of deception, and crises of management misconduct. Crises of skewed management values Crises of skewed management values are caused when managers favor short-term economic gain and neglect broader social values and stakeholders other than investors. This state of lopsided values is rooted in the classical business creed that focuses on

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stakeholders such as customers, employees, and the community Crisis of deception

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the interests of stockholders and tends to disregard the interests of its other

Crisis of deception occur when management conceals or misrepresents information about itself and its products in its dealing with consumers and others. Crises of management misconduct
Some crises are caused not only by skewed values and deception but deliberate amorality and illegality.

Workplace violence Crises occur when an employee or former employee commits violence against other employees on organizational grounds. Rumors False information about an organization or its products creates crises hurting the organizations reputation. Sample is linking the organization to radical groups or stories that their products are contaminated.

Models and theories associated with crisis management


Crisis Management Model Successfully defusing a crisis requires an understanding of how to handle a crisis before they occur. Gonzalez-Herrero and Pratt found the different phases of Crisis Management. There are 3 phases in any Crisis Management are as below 1. The diagnosis of the impending trouble or the danger signals. 2. Choosing appropriate Turnaround Strategy. 3. Implementation of the change process and its monitoring.

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EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFULL CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Pepsi

2013

The Pepsi Corporation faced a crisis in 1993 which started with claims of syringes being found in cans of diet Pepsi. Pepsi urged stores not to remove the product from shelves while it had the cans and the situation investigated. This led to an arrest, which Pepsi made public and then followed with their first video news release, showing the production process to demonstrate that such tampering was impossible within their factories. A second video news release displayed the man arrested. A third video news release showed surveillance from a convenience store where a woman was caught replicating the tampering incident. The company simultaneously publicly worked with the FDA during the crisis. The corporation was completely open with the public throughout, and every employee of Pepsi was kept aware of the details. This made public communications effective throughout the crisis. After the crisis had been resolved, the corporation ran a series of special campaigns designed to thank the public for standing by the corporation, along with coupons for further compensation. This case served as a design for how to handle other crisis situations.

Examples of unsuccessful crisis management


Bhopal The Bhopal disaster in which poor communication before, during, and after the crisis cost thousands of lives, illustrates the importance of incorporating cross-cultural communication in crisis management plans. According to American Universitys Trade Environmental Database Case Studies (1997), local residents were not sure how to react to warnings of potential threats from the Union Carbide plant. Operating manuals printed only in English is an extreme example of mismanagement but indicative of systemic barriers to information diffusion. According to Union Carbides own chronology of the incident (2006), a day after the crisis Union Carbides upper management arrived in India but was unable to assist in the relief efforts because they were placed under house arrest by the Indian government. Symbolic intervention can be counter productive; a crisis management strategy can help upper management make more
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calculated decisions in how they should respond to disaster scenarios. The Bhopal incident illustrates the difficulty in consistently applying management standards to multinational operations and the blame shifting that often results from the lack of a clear management plan.

Media relations involves working with vary 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. The goal of media relations is to maximize positive coverage in the mass media without paying for it directly through advertising. Many people use the terms public relations and media relations interchangeably; however, doing so is incorrect. Media relations refer to the relationship that a company or organization develops with journalists, while public relations extend that relationship beyond the media to the general public. Dealing with the media presents unique challenges in that the news media cannot be controlled they have ultimate control over whether stories pitched to them are of interest to their audiences. Because of this, ongoing relationships between an organization and the news media is vital. One way to ensure a positive working relationship with media personnel is to become deeply familiar with their "beats" and areas of interests. Media relations and public relations practitioners should read as many magazines, journals, newspapers, and blogs as possible, as they relate to one's practice. Working with the media on the behalf of an organization allows for awareness of the entity to be raised as well as the ability to create an impact with a chosen audience. It allows access to both large and small target audiences and helps build public support and mobilizing public opinion for an organization.[1] This is all done through a wide range of media and can be used to encourage two-way communication.

PRO RELATIONSHIP WITH EMPLOYEES


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Every individual at the workplace shares a certain relationship with his fellow workers. Human beings are not machines who can start working just at the push of a mere button. They need people to talk to, discuss ideas with each other and share their happiness and sorrows. An individual cannot work on his own, he needs people around. If the organization is all empty, you will not feel like sitting there and working. An isolated environment de motivates an individual and spreads negativity around. It is essential that people are comfortable with each other and work together as a single unit towards a common goal. It is important that employees share a healthy relation with each other at the work place. Let us find out why employee relations are important in an organization. Employee relationship is part of Public relation or human resource department.

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Basic principles of PR in maintaining relationship with employees

Define Employee Relations as a function and list its main role within Human Resources or public relation department..

Manage employee files and records. Improve attendance in the organization by minimizing absenteeism through the use of the right Key Performance Indicators.

Enhance employee morale through the use of objective means of morale measurement and enhancement.

Differentiate between employee whining, complaints and grievances and decide when to treat an issue as a grievance and how to properly handle it.

Importance of Employee Relations - Why Employee Relations at Workplace?


There are several issues on which an individual cannot take decisions alone. He needs the guidance and advice of others as well. Sometimes organizations expert might miss out on important points, but their workers may come out with a brilliant idea which would help them to achieve targets at a much faster rate. Before implementing any plan, the pros and cons must be evaluated on an open forum where every employee has the right to express his opinions freely. This is responsibility of PRO to look after all above conditions. Work becomes easy if it is shared among employees. PRO creates healthy relation with workers would ease the work load and in turn increases productivity. One cannot do everything on his own.PRO must divide their Responsibilities among team members to accomplish the assigned tasks within the stipulated time frame. If PRO have a good rapport with workers, they will always be eager to assist him in assignments making organizations work easier. The organization becomes a happy place to work if the employees work together as a family. An employee tends to lose focus and concentration if his
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mind is always clouded with unnecessary tensions and stress. It has been observed that if people talk and discuss things with each other, tensions automatically evaporate and one feels better. An employee spends around 8-9 hours in a day at his workplace and practically it is not possible that one works non stop without a break. If employees fight with each other, no one will speak to him and he will be left all alone. So its again comes to PRO to handle such type of situation. It is important to respect others to expect the same from them. An employee feels motivated in the company of others whom he can trust and fall back on whenever needed. One feels secure and confident and thus delivers his best. It is okay if you share your secrets with your colleagues but you should know where to draw the line. A sense of trust is important. Healthy employee relations also discourage conflicts and fights among workers. People tend to adjust more and stop finding faults in each other. Individuals dont waste their time in meaningless conflicts and disputes, rather concentrate on their work and strive hard to perform better. They start treating each other as friends and try their level best to compromise and make everyone happy. A healthy employee relation reduces the problem of absenteeism at the work place. Individuals are more serious towards their work and feel like coming to office daily. They do not take frequent leaves and start enjoying their work. Employees stop complaining against each other and give their best It is wise to share a warm relation with your fellow workers, because you never know when you need them. You may need them any time. They would come to your help only when you are nice to them. You might need leaves for some personal reasons; you must have a trusted colleague who can handle the work on your behalf. Moreover healthy employee relations also spread positivity around. It is essential that employees are comfortable with each other for better focus and concentration, lesser conflicts and increased productivity.
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ACTIVITIES OF PRO IN RELATIONS TO EMPLOYEES


o o o o

Maintaining employment policies. Managing employment tribunal cases. Managing issues such as long-term absence. Advising the HR team in dealing with employee relations issues and maintaining good relations.

Consulting with trade unions.

A healthy employee relationship is essential for the employees to find their work interesting and perform their level best. It is important for PRO and employees to understand that one goes to his organization to work and conflicts must be avoided as it is nothing but a mere waste of time. Its up to that all Employees must be comfortable with each other and work in unison towards a common goal. Any worker cannot remain tightlipped and work for infinite hours, he needs people around to talk to and discuss his ideas. An Worker/employee must have friends at the workplace whom he can trust well and share his secrets without the fear of them getting leaked. This way the employees feel motivated and enjoy going to office daily. They do not take frequent leaves and strive hard to live up to the expectations of the management. For an organization to perform well, it is important that the employees are friendly with each other and avoid criticism, backstabbing at work, a strong reason to spoil the relationship among the employees.

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The PRO plays an important role in promoting healthy relation at workplace It is essential that the PRO gives challenging tasks to his team member / employee as per his specialization and interest. The employee should have interest in the work; otherwise he would treat it as a burden and unnecessarily crib about things. It is important that the PRO understands his employee /members well and try to find out their interests and what all they expect from the organization. While developing their KRAs it is always better if the PRO calls every employee and invites suggestions from them. Let them decide what best they can perform. This way the employees would never blame each other or their superior later as they themselves have decided on the roles and responsibilities. Encourage them to willingly accept the challenge. They would strive hard for a better output without fighting and finding faults in each other. A PRO should be a role model to his employee/ members. He should treat each and every employee as one and avoid partialities at work. Do not give anyone a special treatment just because he drops your son to school every day or says a yes to whatever you say. Appreciate if someone has done exceptionally well but do make sure to correct him if he is wrong somewhere. The team leader should not be rude or harsh to anyone. There is a correct way for everything and one should not insult any team member. It is strictly unethical. Sit with him and make him realize his mistakes. He would definitely look up to you in future. The PRO must not act pricy and should always be accessible to his employees. The employee must have the liberty to walk up to their immediate bosses in case of a doubt and clear things. The hierarchy should not be too complicated as it leads to confusions and disputes among employees. The PRO manager must ensure that all important communication takes place on an open forum for everyone to get a common picture. Problems arise when communication is done on a one to one basis. Call everyone together so that all the members are clear as to what is expected out of them and what their employees are up to. Communication should be transparent for an effective employee relation. Any employee should not feel
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members, he must send a mail keeping all the related members in the loop.

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neglected or left out. If the team leader wants to pass on any information to his team

As a team leader/PRO it is ones prime responsibility to encourage healthy competition at work. Competition is mandatory for an individuals growth but it should not turn friends to foes. Motivate them constantly to perform better than the other but make sure there are no useless gossips in your team. If you find any of your team members criticizing or making fun of anyone, stop him immediately. Do not provoke any individual to fight, instead intervene and try to resolve the conflict as soon as possible. Make sure all your employees/team members take their lunch together and you are also a part of it. Dont discuss work that time. Let them enjoy. Encourage everyone to talk to each other and participate in discussions. Do take the initiative to ask about their families or personal lives as well. They would feel attached to you. If you find any two of your team members not getting along well with each other, make sure both of them work together on the same assignment. They would not be left with any choice than to talk to each other and discuss things. Make them sit together on adjacent workstations so that the comfort level increases. Half an hour to fourty-five minutes must be dedicated to lunch and one should not discuss work during lunch time. There are other topics as well. Discuss movies, sports, shopping or any other thing under the sun. There will be no harm if the employees go out together once in a while for get togethers, picnics or shopping. Ask them to bring their family members as well. The PRO should be neutral to his team members and make sure they enjoy a healthy relationship with him as well as their fellow team members for a better output. PRO should try his level best to bring his team members closer and bind them together.

Employee relations refer to the relationship shared among the employees in an organization. The employees must be comfortable with each other for a healthy environment at work. It is the prime duty of the superiors and team leaders to discourage conflicts in the team and encourage a healthy relationship among employees.
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Life is really short and it is important that one enjoys each and every moment of .remember in an organization you are paid for your hard work and not for cribbing or fighting with each other. Dont assume that the person sitting next to you is your enemy or will do any harm to you. Who says you cant m ake friends at work, Infact one can make the best of friends in the office. There is so much more to life than fighting with each other. Observation says that a healthy relation among the employees goes a long way in motivating the employees and increasing their confidence and morale. One starts enjoying his office and does not take his work as a burden. He feels charged and fresh the whole day and takes each day at work as a new challenge. If you have a good relation with your team members you feel going to office daily. Go out with your team members for a get together once in a while or have your lunch together. These activities help in strengthening the bond among the employees and improve the relations among them. An employee must try his level best to adjust with each other and compromise to his best extent possible. If you do not agree to any of your fellow workers ideas, there are several other ways to convince him. Sit with him and probably discuss with him where he is going wrong and needs a correction. This way he would definitely look up to you for your advice and guidance in future. He would trust you and would definitely come to your help whenever you need him. One should never spoil his relations with his colleagues because you never know when you need the other person. Avoid using foul words or derogatory sentences against anyone. Dont depend on lose talk in office as it spoils the ambience of the place and also the relation among the employees. Blame games are a strict no no in office. One needs to enter his office with a positive frame of mind and should not unnecessarily make issues out of small things. It is natural that every human being can not think the way you think, or behave the way you behave. If you also behave in the similar way the other person is behaving, there is hardly any difference between you and him. Counsel the other person and correct him wherever he is wrong.

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It is of utmost importance that employees behave with each other in a cultured way, respect each other and learn to trust each other. An individual however hardworking he is, cannot do wonders alone. It is essential that all the employees share a cordial relation with each other, understand each others needs and expectations and work together to accomplish the goals and targets of the organization.

Improve employee relationship:For the organization to perform better it is important that the employees are comfortable with each other, share a good rapport and work in close coordination towards a common objective. People feel responsible and motivated to do good work and enjoy their work rather than taking it as a burden. It is important that the management promotes healthy employee relations at workplace to extract the best out of each individual. Competition is essential but it should not promote negativity or any kind of enmity among the employees. Lets go through some steps and strategies for a healthy employee relationship in the organization.

Involve employee /team members: They should feel important and indispensable for the organization. An employee must be assigned responsibilities according to their interests and responsibilities. Dont impose work on them. Let them willingly accept challenges. They must enjoy whatever they do otherwise they would end up fighting with their superiors and fellow workers.

PRO Encourage employees to share their work with each other: This way people tend to talk with each other more, discuss things among themselves and thus the comfort level increases. Let them work together and take decisions on their own.

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misunderstandings.

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A team leader should intervene only in extreme cases of conflicts and severe

PRO assign them targets and ask all employees to contribute equally and achieve the target within the desired time frame. Motivate them to work in groups. This way employees have no other choice than to trust their fellow workers and take each others help as well. An employee must have the liberty to express his ideas and all of them should sit together to decide on something which would be beneficial to all.

Public relation officer must encourage effective communication among the employees :- One should not play with words and be very specific about his expectations from his fellow workers as well as the organization. If you are not very happy with your colleagues proposal, dont keep things to yourself. Voice your opinion and do express your displeasure. It will definitely prevent a conflict among employees later and improve the relations among them. Be straightforward. Dont pretend things just to please your boss. If you find anything unacceptable, discuss with your superior but in a polite way.

Written modes of communication must be promoted among the employees for better transparency. Verbal communication is not as reliable as written communication. The agendas, minutes of the meeting, important issues must be circulated among all through emails. Make sure that all the related employees are in the loop. Dont communicate individually with any of the employees as the other one might feel neglected and left out.

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Morning meeting is another effective way to improve the relation among the employees. Let everyone come together on a common platform and discuss whatever issues they have. The meetings must not be too formal. Allow the team members to bring their cups of coffee. Start your day with a positive mind. Greet everyone with a warm smile. Exchange greetings and compliments. If any of your team member is not in a pleasant mood, do take the initiative and ask what is wrong with him. Try your level best to provide him a solution.

Organize birthday parties, Christmas parties, New Year parties etc. at the workplace. These small initiatives actually go a long way in strengthening the bond among the employees. Ask all of them to decorate the office, their work stations and make all the necessary arrangements themselves. You will actually be surprised to find out that everyone would be ready with some thing or the other. Employees would actually take the initiative and organize things on their own. Let them enjoy with each other and have fun.

Praise the individual if he has done something exceptionally well. Reward him suitably. The names of the top performers must be displayed on the notice boards for others to draw inspiration from them. Encourage everyone to perform well to live up to the expectations of the superiors as well as the management. A healthy relation among employees promotes a positive ambience at the work place and employees feel happy and satisfied at work. They look forward to going to office daily and also work hard to realize their teams as well as organizations goals.

Skills Required for Effective Managerial Communication

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communication.

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Body Language and overall personality of an individual play an essential role in effective

People generally like to communicate with someone who is nicely dressed and presentable. Take care of your facial expressions and gestures. Be Honest. Speak Relevant. Be Focused. Be Confident.

Employee Communication And Media. Print media. 1) Visual Media. 2) Electronic media. 3) Others,

Types of Media Communication There are two types of media communications


1) Media of Oral Communication.

Face to face telephoning. Conferences including those of press. Demonstrations. Radio.


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Recording. Dictaphone. Meetings. Rumors. Grapevine. Public address system. Oral report. Closed circuit televisions.

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2)

Media of written Communication:-

Letters. Pamphlets. Memorandum. Office orders. Instructions. Manuals. Office notes. Explanations. Magazines, circulars. Posters. Reflects.

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Brochures. Bulletins. Union publications. Complaints and suggestions. House journals. Handbooks. Annual reports. News letters. Meaning of Investor

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The investor is a person who invest money , interest of public constitutes a group of external public by investing their money to make profit by making careful investment. The group of investors may include the following publics: Depositors. Debenture holders. Stockholders. Creditors-secured and unsecured. Insurance companies. Investment Companies. Mutual Funds. Portfolio managers. Rating agencies. Commercial bankers.
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Security analyst. Pension funds etc.

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The above categories of investors public is not exhaustive but inclusive. It may also include stock exchanges, brokers, vendors. Government officials, regulatory agencies and other external public.

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