Public Relations Public Relations a form of communication

Public Relations

Public Relations – a form of communication designed to gain public understanding and acceptance Uses publicity which does not necessarily involve payment to have it communicated in the media There are costs of creation and distribution from the company if it is proactive Offers legitimacy when appearing in the news (continued)

Public Relations (Continued) Used to build rapport with various “publics” Internal Publics External Publics Employees Distributors Suppliers Shareholders Customers Media Governments Prospective shareholders Financial Organizations

The Role of Public Relations Generally falls into six key categories: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Corporate communications Reputation management Publicity generation Product placement, branded content, and product seeding Community relations and public affairs Fundraising

Corporate Communications Corporate Advertising – designed to convey a favourable image of a company among its various publics How they solve customer problems Promoting goodwill Demonstrating social responsibility (continued)

Example of Social Responsibility

Corporate Communications (Continued) Advocacy Advertising – paid for by a sponsor that promotes a particular view on a recognized, controversial issue Objective is to Influence public opinion Encourage others to support the cause Take action to correct the problem

Example of Advocacy Advertising

Reputation Management Public relations plays a vital role when a company finds itself in a crisis situation Being prepared is essential Senior executives must be ready to act instantly and demonstrate control of the situation All messages must be credible and factual

Product Publicity – news about an organization, product, service, or person that appears in the media Deemed to be “newsworthy” New product launch is good timing Given advertising clutter, it is no longer undervalued

Product Placement, Branded Content, and Product Seeding Product placement – the visible placement of brand name products in television shows, movies, radio, video games, and other programming More credibility over advertising, better chance of being noticed and remembered Virtual product placement can occur via editing (continued)

Product Placement, Branded Content, and Product Seeding (Continued) Branded content – the integration of brand name goods and services into the script (storyline) of a television show or movie Product seeding – giving a product free to a group of trendsetters who promote the product to others by word of mouth Low cost and works for narrow targets

Community Relations and Public Affairs Social responsibility is important Perceived as good corporate citizens and contributors to local communities Indirect and long term effect on sales Public has to “like you before they will buy you” (continued)

Community Relations and Public Affairs (Continued) Companies need to Invest money and time into communities Sponsor teams and events on a national, regional, and local level (continued)

Community Relations and Public Affairs (Continued) Public affairs – strategies to deal with governments and to communicate with governments Lobbying – activities and practices designed to influence policy decisions that affect an organization or all organizations in a particular industry

Fundraising PR key in not-for-profit Help educate the public about how funds are used Message predisposes people to give Strategies include direct mail telemarketing print advertising websites

Public Relations as a Communications Medium Advantages Credible source Publicity generates “buzz” that leads to sales Helps develop sound customer relationships Disadvantages Absence of control Time, energy, and materials can go to waste