Public Relations Defined
HELPING AN ORGANIZATION tell its story, building good will and understanding, forging and nurturing strong bonds with the public and those who influence the public … that’s what public relations does.
Who is the public?
The “public” could be anyone — or all — of the many groups that have a mutual stake in an organization’s future. Those stakeholders could be a company’s customers, distributors or suppliers. They usually are its employees and investors, but they also could be government officials who regulate the company’s industry and interest groups who seek greater regulation. A university’s stakeholders are its faculty, students and their families, its contributors, and its prospective students.
Who are influencers?
“Influencers” are third parties who have an impact on stakeholders. For a university they could be high school teachers and guidance counselors. For a company they could be stock analysts who advise investors, union leaders who represent employees, customers and consultants who comment publicly on products and services, government officials and opinion leaders who affect public policy. The ultimate influencers are the media who report on and interpret an organization for stakeholders and third parties alike.
What’s the media’s role?
Public relations seeks to earn the endorsement or support of respected third parties and to ensure the media presents the organization’s story accurately. Because there is no control over those endorsements and the media is independent in its reporting, successful public relations creates far more credibility than advertising. Very simply, advertising is purchased media; public relations is earned media.
Credibility is the ultimate PR goal.
Credibility is why public relations plays such a valuable strategic role in today’s businesses and other organizations. And it is why public relations is such an intellectually challenging and professionally rewarding career. C A R E E R S I N P U B L I C R E L A T I O N S
Is PR a Good Fit for You?
THE PUBLIC RELATIONS INDUSTRY offers many career opportunities with corporations, agencies or consultancies, not-for-profit organizations, the public sector and academia. The skills described below are necessary for a career in any one of these areas.
Writing, Writing, Writing … and other Communications skills.
The ability to write well is probably the most important of all public relations skills. You don’t need to be a creative writer; rather you must be able to express yourself clearly, concisely and coherently. You’ll be drafting business memos, news releases, fact sheets, interview guidelines, Web site content, speeches, brochures, newsletters and dozens of other kinds of written communications. Listening and speaking are also very important. You will be the eyes, ears and voice of your organization or your clients.
Relationship-focus.
Whether we refer to publics, stakeholders, third-party influencers or the media, we’re talking about people. Successful public relations professionals are curious about what motivates human behavior, they like to build relationships, and they enjoyed their humanities and social sciences courses.
Issues-oriented.
Public relations professionals craft and execute campaigns for social issues like the war on drugs and smoking, and they sometimes help organizations take positions that are unpopular with some audiences. During major changes like company restructurings and mergers, and in times of crisis, public relations professionals are — like the Marines — the first in and the last out. Successful public relations professionals have the strong intellect, sense of urgency and cool-headedness to address the most complex situations under tremendous pressure. That’s why former government officials, attorneys and management consultants thrive in public relations.
Strength of character.
Public relations professionals are often the company’s face to the outside world. Because their character becomes the most visible representation of their organizations’ values and credibility, their integrity must be unquestioned. Often in the probing eye of the media, they have the personal courage to tell the truth, to avoid spin and evasiveness. C A R E E R S I N P U B L I C R E L A T I O N S Throughout this book, there will be an emphasis on attracting the best and brightest to the public relations industry. That includes attracting a more diverse workforce, because having a wide variety of perspectives and talents in the workforce is imperative for doing business in today’s highly competitive and increasingly global marketplace.
Entrepreneurial.
A career at a public relations firm requires management skills for running accounts and counseling clients; in essence you will be running a business. At a public relations firm, virtually every successful professional is an entrepreneur. While you serve your clients, your time and efforts represent revenue for the firm; when you serve them well, you inevitably create new revenue sources from pleased clients. It doesn’t take long for a capable professional to rise to managing an account, with responsibilities for controlling costs, building revenue, and contributing to the bottom-line profits of the firm. Whether managing an account, an office or an entire firm, business-savvy professionals will find the ideal entrepreneurial opportunity in the public relations industry.
“A public relations professional is part business manager,
part sociologist, part cheerleader, part confessor and
part pit bull. The trick to being successful is to be prepared
for anything. And you can always count on the fact that tomorrow will bring new and exciting challenges.”
SARA HARMS, Account Executive, Waggener Edstrom, New York
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