Public Relations as nomenclature and a profession was born in 1903 when Ivy Lee pioneered it. But now it is increasingly gaining importance and recognition in India as a management function and has become an essential part of the Integrated Communication Mix. This profession has grown in its stature with Public Relations Consultants specializing in image management of Brands, Corporates, and Personalities. In the process now Public Relations is the fifth “P” of marketing, of anything worth including an individual, after Product, Positioning, Pricing and Promotion.
When we talk of Public Relations professional excellence, I want to share with you that there was a time in India, when a girl or boy who could speak better English with good personality, could approach the Chief Executive, who would say, you are my PRO from today. But with the change of time, when Public Relations was gradually becoming a management function, it could absolutely be a failure on the part of the management to have a person who does not have the background in Public Relations. Now, that’s where the importance of Public Relations education comes in. You enter the profession with the basic qualifications in Public Relations & Journalism, or Information Management. In such a situation, when PR was considered “wining & dining”, some years back, today Public Relations is a management function.
Now talking about the professional excellence in Public Relations practice, as Public Relations practitioners, we not only handle Public Relations but a combination of so many subjects. We need to understand communications, business management, philosophy, economics, psychology, political science, and journalism, and to some extent marketing too. We should be generalist, and at the same time, a specialist in Public Relations or information management or media management.
So what should be the basic qualities in a Public Relations professional?
In my view, first she/he should satisfy herself/himself with the message she/he is conveying and he should be able to sell it to the reporter or the editor. Once you convince the editor that what a certain company/ organization or an individual is doing is right, and it is in the good public interest that it be known by the public at large, then he would most probably use that information. And this is the reason I have a message for the organisations or whosoever is taking our services as a Public Relations professional, “Please don’t come to your Public Relations department only when there is a problem, rather continuously maintain relations. We don’t like to be managed; we don’t like to be used, we would like to be useful. So when you want us to be useful, you should know what to tell us. How we can be useful and how we both can be useful to society; to the public at large.”
Public Relations specialists establish and maintain relationships with an organization’s target audience and relevant trade media. To achieve this, they take the help of various tools – the main tool is writing before embarking on the task of designing communications campaigns. Writing doesn’t mean a good copy on the achievements and activities of the firm. Writing here means preparing a short and crisp copy carrying the important topics for the print media and another for the electronic media. It includes writing speeches for organization leaders, arranging interviews, and writing authored thought leadership articles and social media content.
A smart Public Relations person would generate an article featuring either the leader or the organization’s activities to inform the public, prospective customers, employees, and other stakeholders. The basic purpose is everyone associated with the organization should maintain a positive or favorable view about the organization, the team, and their decisions. Thus the function Functions of Public Relations Managers are –
- Developing a crisis Public Relations strategy.
- Drafting strategies to support the brand’s campaign and new move through editorial content.
- Planning and executing special public outreach and media relations events.
- Writing content for the web (internal and external websites).
- Handling the social media presence of the brand
- Writing and distributing press releases.
- Counseling the employees of the organisation with regard to policies
- Dealing with government and legislative agencies on behalf of the organisation.
- Market intelligence on competition and industry players
However, before we proceed further, the need of the hour is to dispel the notion that
- Public Relations is not to dress up the message attractively to woo the public and other stakeholder for any personal gain
- Public Relations is not advertising
- Public Relations personnel are not Conmen or contact men and go-between
(To Be Continued)
