Chapter 1 What is Public Relations?

Chapter 1
What is Public Relations?
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Chapter 1 Objectives
 Be familiar with the
global scope of the
public relations industry
 Assess the skills needed
for a public relations
career and what salary to
expect
 Have a good definition of
public relations
 Understand that public
relations is a process,
not an event
 Know the difference
between public relations,
journalism, advertising,
and marketing
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The Challenge of Public Relations
 Challenges
 PR is multifaceted
 A Public Relations Professionals must have the
following skills
 Written and Interpersonal communication
 Research
 Negotiation
 Creativity
 Logistics
 Facilitation
 Problem Solving
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A Global Industry
 Global expenditures on Public Relations
 An estimated three million practitioners
 An explosion of growth in China and other
nations
 A proliferation of university courses
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A Definition of Public Relations
 A variety of definitions exists for public relations
 It is not necessary to memorize any particular
definition
 The following key words frame most definitions:
 Deliberate
 Planned
 Performance
 Public interest
 Two-way communication
 Management function
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Other Popular Names
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Public relations is an umbrella term
Fortune 500 companies use corporate
communications
Other companies use communications
Nonprofits use public information/public
affairs or marketing communications
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Stereotypes and Less Flattering
Terms
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Glamour
Propaganda
Manipulation
“PR gimmick”
Spin/framing
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Public Relations as Process
 Race
 Action
 Communication
 Evaluation
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The Diversity of Public Relations
Work
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Counseling

Issues management

Research
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Financial relations

Media relations

Industry relations

Publicity
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Development/fund-raising

Employee/Member relations
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Community relations
Multicultural
relations/workplace diversity

Special events

Marketing communications

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Public affairs
Government affairs
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Public Relations vs. Journalism
 Scope
Public relations has many components; journalism has only
two: journalistic writing and media relations
 Objectives
Journalists are objective observers; public relations
personnel are advocates
 Audiences
Journalists focus on a mass audience; public relations
professionals focus on defined publics
 Channels
Journalists use only one channel; public relations uses a
variety of channels
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Public Relations vs. Advertising
 Advertising works through mass media; public
relations relies on a variety of tools
 Advertising addresses external audiences;
public relations targets specialized audiences
 Advertising is a communications function; public
relations is broader in scope
 Advertising is a tool; public relations often
supports advertising campaigns
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Public Relations vs. Marketing
Objectives
Audience
Completion vs. Opposition
Role in Management
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How Public Relations Supports
Marketing
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Public Relations is the “fifth ‘P’” in marketing
strategies, which are product, price, place and
promotion
There are Eight ways PR supports marketing
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Develops new prospects
Third party endorsements
Generates sales leads
Paves the way for sales calls
Stretches dollars
Provides inexpensive literature
Establishes credibility
Helps sell minor products
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Toward an Integrated Perspective
An
organization’s goals and objectives are best
accomplished through and integrated approach
Integration
is the use a variety of strategies and
tactics to convey a consistent message in a variety
of forms
Terms
used to explain integration:
Integrated
marketing communications
Convergent communications
Integrated communications
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Toward an Integrated Perspective
cont.
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A Career in Public Relations
 Five
core courses for PR majors
1. Introduction to public relations
2. Public relations research,
measurement, and evaluation
3. Public relations writing and production
4. Supervised work experience in public
relations (internship)
5. An additional PR course in law and
ethics, planning and management, and
case studies or campaigns
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Essential Career Skills
1. Writing skill
2. Research ability
3. Planning expertise
4. Problem-solving ability
5. Business/economics competence
6. Expertise in social media
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The Value of Internships
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Win-win situation for student and
organization
Student gets academic credit and
firsthand experience
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The Value of Public Relations
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The world doesn’t need more information, but
sensitive communicators to interpret its relevancy
for people
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Public relations practitioners explain the goals and
objectives of clients and employees to the public
and provide them with guidance
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