Chapter 1 What is Public Relations? Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Other Popular Names     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 Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Stereotypes and Less Flattering Terms      Glamour Propaganda Manipulation “PR gimmick” Spin/framing Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Public Relations as Process  Race  Action  Communication  Evaluation Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Diversity of Public Relations Work  Counseling  Issues management  Research  Financial relations  Media relations  Industry relations  Publicity  Development/fund-raising  Employee/Member relations   Community relations Multicultural relations/workplace diversity  Special events  Marketing communications   Public affairs Government affairs Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Public Relations vs. Marketing Objectives Audience Completion vs. Opposition Role in Management Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How Public Relations Supports Marketing   Public Relations is the “fifth ‘P’” in marketing strategies, which are product, price, place and promotion There are Eight ways PR supports marketing         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 Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Toward an Integrated Perspective cont. Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Value of Internships   Win-win situation for student and organization Student gets academic credit and firsthand experience Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Value of Public Relations  The world doesn’t need more information, but sensitive communicators to interpret its relevancy for people  Public relations practitioners explain the goals and objectives of clients and employees to the public and provide them with guidance Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.