March 2006 online newsletter

Do a good job. Tell people about it.
Unveiling the Mystery of PR

Many businesses recognize the need for communicating with their target audiences. But oftentimes PR is confused with advertising or sales, and there is an incomplete understanding of what PR really entails.

The scope of PR is not defined by the tools in the PR toolbox: web sites, press releases, newsletters, blogs, etc. Nor is it defined by the crisis communications efforts that many people call “spin”. When challenges arise or decisions take a wrong turn, some people want to “get some PR” on an issue to turn it around.

An effective PR program, based on marketing strategy, will help avoid the need to scramble at the last minute when a problem arises. It will also help establish trust and ongoing two-way communication between the business/organization and the audience as they establish an interactive discourse: communicate, listen (through surveys and feedback) and communicate, etc.

Public Relations defined

An official definition by the Public Relations Society of America states, “Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other through research, planning, communications dialogue and evaluation.” The definition recognizes that all organizations have multiple publics from which they must earn consent and support.

Public Relations News expands on the definition: "Public relations is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the public interest, and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance."

But one of the simplest, and perhaps most encompassing definitions of the practice of public relations was delivered by Michigan-based market forecasting and communication research firm CEO Bill Banach to an audience of educators and school public relations professionals. He said that a good public relations program has two components: 1) Do a good job; and 2) Tell people about it. Both components establish and build trust between the business communicators and the intended purchasers of products and services (the communication recipients) and imply receptivity of the message (hopefully through purchasing the goods and services).

One fundamental is the same within the variations of public relations definitions: The heart of public relations is building relationships with specific audiences and communicating with them. In this way, specific PR differs from marketing or advertising. The goal of a public relations campaign is to court support through communicating on an ongoing basis; targeted marketing has as its goal to persuade or sell, and  PR is one component of the marketing campaign strategy.

How can effective PR help you?

Communications staff are becoming an essential part of business practices. Public relations marries communication and community involvement practices, traditionally considered part of journalism, with business practices. PR staff serve as a liaison between internal and external audiences and management leaders. “As a management function, public relations encompasses the following: anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes, and issues that might impact, for good or ill, the operations and plans of the organization.” (PRSA)

PR professionals play many key roles in a business, including:

• Publicity and promotion;
• Internal communications to help boost staff morale, train staff to be part of your team of spokespeople, assist in staff recruitment and retention efforts;
• Increasing your scope of networking contacts through interactions internally and externally;
• Developing and delivering a consistent message of organizational vision and policies;
• Providing consistency of your message during crises;
• Serving as a liaison between management and targeted audiences who may become isolated from each other.

Good communicators are an asset to their organizations and provide inestimable value to the company goals.

corecubed can help

Having a skilled public relations professional who understands your communication needs is crucial. corecubed communications has experts on demand who will help you create and implement a communication plan. We specialize in integrating your business needs with the best strategies for success using strategic marketing communications that bring results. Our team of marketing and PR professionals provides quality services that are unsurpassed at any agency price.

Our strategic marketing communications capabilities range from strategic planning to full implementation of marketing and public relations plans, including total design across all media. We can fulfill all of your communication needs.

For more information on how corecubed can help assess your needs and build and implement a strategic marketing and PR plan to expand your business, visit us online at www.corecubed.com, contact us at 1-800-370-6580 x2 or email us at info@corecubed.com

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