Q.1 Define public relations, what is
its importance? Highlight history of the discipline of PR, what is its status
in Pakistan and modern world?
When a person or group wants to change how the public sees them, they may employ public
relations professionals to manage and disseminate information about them. The difference between public relations and publicity lies in the fact that PR is managed in-house whereas publicity relies on the efforts of unaffiliated third parties. Having strong public relations may do wonders for your brand's image and overall reception. Working with a reliable PR firm, you can establish a schedule of PR initiatives that will increase your company's visibility and profit. The five most essential reasons why public relations should be an integral part of your marketing mix are:Increases Brand Sentiment
What you are doing at your company is
probably amazing and contemporary and relevant and engaging. Yet, the news may
never get out to the public if public relations professionals were not there to
support the busy journalists, reporters, and editors. The media are always on
the lookout for new and interesting material to share with their viewers, and
you can assist them out by using public relations to convey your story and set
you apart from the competitors. They will take the information in your pitch or
press release and use it to create a wide range of material that will be used
to advertise your business. Having a strong public relations strategy is useful
in both good and bad times. Online comments, reviews, and forums are a fact of
life for every company, and they may provoke angry customers whether or not
their complaints are justified. Here's where a PR campaign can shine a light on
and reinforce your brand's values, turning negative feedback into positive word
of mouth.
Depending on the nature of your
company, public relations may help you connect with a wide variety of people.
Effective public relations (PR) gets your message out to your target audiences
in a variety of contexts, including externally (thinking about the media,
investors, government, community, consumers, and/or workers), and internally
(thinking about staff morale). Customers place greater trust in recommendations
made by a third party, therefore public relations helps move prospects up the
sales funnel more quickly. Public relations is a partner you need if you want
to increase sales and revenue.
When shopping, people tend to go
toward well-known companies. This translates to a high search engine ranking in
the digital world, demonstrating a lengthy track record of media attention.
Credibility in your field may be shown by media appearances (TV, print, and online
articles and interviews, as well as social media presence). The goodwill you
have established via PR may also help increase staff morale and attract
prospective hires, so it is a win-win all around.
Working with a seasoned PR firm will
allow you to build a consistent PR schedule over several timeframes, including
but not limited to the following: daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually,
and/or seasonally. By being in the driver’s seat with your PR instead of just
doing it when crises emerge, you will generate lots of good press which results
in a more proactive playing field. Leaving a credibility and goodwill trail
allows you to humanise your firm and highlight its positive contributions in
times of crisis. A proactive PR plan helps you to leverage opportunities, plan
for emergencies, and calculate your steps in advance.
Connects to Coveted Audiences
With so many alternatives for PR and
already jam-packed schedules, marketers and company owners may quickly feel
overwhelmed. Expert PR services assist to determine the greatest use of a
business’ time and money to get on the appropriate platforms, magazines and
channels, and with the relevant authorities and influencers to raise their
brand enormously. Gaining exposure to those highly sought-after demographics is
essential to your development. From tiny enterprises to bigger organisations,
PR agencies have the contacts to reach these audiences. You can put your
emphasis where it needs to be for the success of your company, and let a
professional public relations firm take care of the specifics like audience
segmentation and knowledge of which reporters cover particular issues. With
each connection you build, your firm stands to become a regular source for the
media and others to call on, cite, and give more insight on.
When public relations can be the
quarterback to throw a light on your company, its goodwill and relevance no
matter what is occurring in the marketplace, your business has the capacity to
prosper. Your company's public relations activities tell a tale about your
organisation that will last long after your customers and the general public
have forgotten the details. From this vantage point, public relations is not
something to splurge on when more business is required or a crisis arises; it is
an essential part of every successful marketing strategy.
Propaganda was employed by both sides
to generate domestic support and dehumanise adversaries during the First World
War. PR activists joined the private sector in the 1920s. Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays
are credited with pioneering the field of public relations in the United
States. After 1948, several American corporations with public relations
divisions established European branches as a consequence of the Marshall Plan.
Public relations entered a period of
rapid growth and maturation in the second half of the twentieth century. There
are now academic guidelines, professional journals, worldwide PR firms, and
trade organisations for the public relations industry. Press release
distribution services first included coverage of social media events in the
early 21st century. In 1999, the Cluetrain Manifesto projected the influence of
social media, which at the time was contentious. However, by 2006, the
significance of social media and new internet technologies had been widely
acknowledged.
Thousands of years ago, public
relations was used in the regions that are today Pakistan. Rocks and, in
particular, monumental constructions were employed by South Asian dynasties to
boast about their accomplishments and spread their message. In the form of
engraved decrees, the rocks themselves serve as proof. Keeping an open line of
communication and, by extension, public comprehension, was the primary
motivation for these rock and monument engravings. Even modern Muslim rulers of
the South Asian sub-continent appointed Waqa-i- Nawees (scribes) across India
to keep them apprised of public opinion and the general state of affairs. These
inscriptions can be found carved into rocks in the vicinity of Mansehra,
Gillgit, and other areas in northern Pakistan. MUGHAL The scribes reported
directly to the monarch on the actions of the regional governors and
authorities, including the military commanders.
The colonial administration
established the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) to boost
recruitment of locals into the military and preserve the respect and morale of
Indian troops serving under the British. It was not long until the centre also
had a department dedicated to advertising, films, and publications, as well as
a press information division. Slowly but surely, central-level government PR
efforts began during World War II. Protocol duties, regulation of the media,
and the distribution of government ads were all delegated to provincial public
relations and information offices. Historically, the British government in
India had set up Provincial Public Relations departments to both educate the
people about government policies, welfare programmes, and development goals,
and to gauge the public's response to these initiatives. Public relations (PR)
operations may be traced back to early twentieth-century Britain, when a
handful of companies used PR strategies to increase brand awareness and sales.
Internal Public Relation
Reference and Research Division The
Press Information Office of Radio Pakistan's Film and Publications Division
Television Network of Pakistan The National Center of Pakistan
Documentaries, news documentaries,
news reels, and other types of filmed content on matters of national importance
are the company's forte. When it comes to printing and delivering information,
especially graphical, DFP is not a major player either domestically or
internationally.
It was on December 19, 1972, when
Pakistan became a company. In a nation where over 70% of the population cannot
read or write, this is one of the state's primary public relations and
publicity outlets. They air newscasts in both English and their native tongue.
as well as initiatives designed to raise public awareness on important social
concerns. Used as a form of amusement by the vast majority of Pakistanis,
especially those living in rural regions.
Q.2 Elaborate duties and qualities of
PRO?
If an organisation has a public
relations officer (PRO), that individual is in charge of PR, communications,
and public affairs. He or she manages a group tasked with establishing a
favourable public perception of the company's brand. The need for public
members of the family officer in both the private and governmental sectors has
risen dramatically in recent years. An intriguing career path, public relations
may expose you to press conferences, event planning, communication budgeting,
reputation management, and more.
To define public relations, we may go
to the definition provided by the Institute of Public Relations in the United
States: "Public Relations is the purposeful, organised, and persistent
endeavour to build and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation
and its public." The role of a public relations officer (PRO) or "Media
Specialist" (in other contexts) is that of an organization's official
spokesman. His or her job is to use different media outlets to spread the word
about the organization's goals and stances. A company's "public"
includes its current and future clientele as well as its investors, creditors,
the press, the government, the workforce, etc. Almost every organisation,
whether it a private business, advertising firm, financial institution,
government agency, charity, etc., might benefit from the services of a PRO.
Being on call all the time to protect
a company's pastime might be a stressful experience for the professionals
tasked with this duty. But it is also a rewarding and exciting way to build a
career. If you are interested in the position and ready to dive in, here are
some details on the public members of the family officer's work that will help
you become acclimated.
Reputation Management
An organization's public relations
officer's primary responsibility is to build, protect, and improve the
company's image. Promoting the business's employees, services, and/or goods is
the PRO's primary duty.
Not only is it the job of a seasoned
PRO to manage and preserve the company's reputation, but they should also be
actively working to build and improve the company's goodwill. As a result, the
public's perception of the organisation will improve, and its credibility will
increase.
As a public relations professional,
crisis management is one of your most important and challenging
responsibilities. When the company's stock position is unfavourable, when
losses must be mitigated, when a takeover scenario exists, when the
organisation chooses to dissolve a joint venture, when there is a change in
senior management, etc., such communication is usually necessary.
As a PRO, you should always be on the
lookout for ways to promote your company. He has to devise innovative public
relations approaches that will ensure the organization's initiatives are warmly
received. The public relations officer is responsible for organising the dissemination
of information on the introduction of a new product or service, the rollout of
a new programme, the signing of a new memorandum of understanding or joint
venture, etc. Marketing strategies need to be planned with the intended
audience and outcome in mind.
It is essential to allocate funds
specifically for public relations efforts at the start of each fiscal year. At
the start of each year, the PRO is responsible for drafting a communication
plan outlining the year's worth of activities and the corresponding budgets.
The budget should also include a backup strategy for emergency communication.
Effective Marketing
The PRO needs strong marketing and
sales expertise to successfully promote the company's offerings. On top of
that, it is beneficial if he is a creative kind who can think of fresh and
interesting ways to pique people's interest. It is possible his job will
include arranging for mass media films and videos to be made to boost or
advertise a certain product. Potentially, he will need to help with market
research.
In order to effectively communicate
with workers in one or more locations, he must collaborate closely with the
internal communications staff. To ensure that everyone in the company is on the
same page, he will need to play a pivotal role in spreading the word.
Effectively affecting employee engagement is another potential outcome.
Q.3 Write a comprehensive note on
crisis situations, what is the importance of PR in crisis situations?
Effective disaster management
addresses the hazards in order of severity. In an emergency, protecting the
public must be the first priority. If public safety measures are not taken,
victims will be hit harder than they would have been otherwise. After the
public's safety has been restored, concerns about fame and the economy may be
addressed. Ultimately, disaster control is aimed to safeguard a firm and its
stakeholders from dangers and/or decrease the harm encountered by means of
threats. Disaster management is a process meant to minimise or mitigate the harm
a crisis may wreak on a company and its stakeholders.
The pre-crisis period is preoccupied
with prevention and teaching. Managers should act swiftly and calmly in the
face of a crisis by following the instructions provided in the crisis response
section. After a crisis has ended, it is time to assess what went wrong and how
to prevent it from happening again, all while keeping tabs on any pledges made
during the crisis period. The three-pronged perspective on catastrophe
management is used here as an organisational structure.
As specialists who specialise in
developing and sustaining reputations, public relations professionals are
frequently relied upon to help a firm when calamity occurs. Experts in public
relations (PR) know just the correct phrases and marketing strategies to use to
shift the public's opinion. They also realise that connecting their customers
with the correct techniques may assist to ease many challenges that come with a
public crisis.
One of the most well-known functions
of a public relations firm is crisis management, yet few businesses really
grasp what this involves. Managing a crisis involves more than just placating
upset consumers and ignoring criticism.
When a crisis arises, a PR
professional's first order of business is to analyse the situation and provide
the company with personalised recommendations on how to best conceal the issue.
Public relations experts need to know the company's history, the specifics of
the crisis at hand, and the larger backdrop in order to give useful advice on
how to handle the situation.
A public relations expert may advise
a company executive on how to best reach the target demographic for a
particular announcement, what words should be avoided, and what channels should
be explored.
A public relations professional will
shift to a more "reactive" mode of operation once a problem becomes
public knowledge. This implies that they react to what’s occurring in the media
and give continually updated advise on how to address the problem. For instance,
they could prepare support materials and comments on the behalf of the customer
so that the firm is ready to address any inquiries provided by newspapers or
journalists associated to the industry.
On the other hand, a public relations
expert might take over all statement-making on behalf of the firm, in addition
to setting up meetings and interviews with the appropriate press to guarantee a
positive image is presented. Meanwhile, a public relations specialist in crisis
management will provide advice on how to keep consumers, stockholders, and
investors committed to a company despite the turmoil.
Even after the initial crisis has
passed, a lot of work must be done to restore a company's good name. A public
relations firm's work to repair the damage caused by a tragedy might begin at
this stage. For instance, they may develop a campaign strategy to highlight the
best qualities of the brand's character.
A public relations professional will
also coordinate crucial news releases and interviews to divert attention away
from the tragedy and allow the corporation resume "business as
usual." Some PR specialists may even set strategies in place that provide
their customers a strategy to fall back on if a similar event or problem ever
arises again.
Public relations amid a crisis may
make or ruin a business. Whether you realise it or not, your organisation is
subject to a varied variety of unanticipated risks, each one of which may
seriously harm your image and have a potentially disastrous impact on revenue,
client acquisition, loyalty, and other vital business outcomes.
The key to effectively managing a
crisis is preparation—and that’s where crisis management public relations
enters the picture. If you hire a reputable public relations agency in advance
of a crisis, you may greatly enhance your chances of containing any unwanted
press that could arise.
The Need for Crisis Management Public
Relations
Although PR catastrophes aren’t
inevitable, they might be unavoidable. Through no fault of your own, it’s
conceivable that your firm may suddenly face an occurrence that creates
unwanted news, publicity and social media mentions.
Walker Sands can significantly lessen
the potential damage to your brand and turn a crisis situation into an
opportunity for the propagation of good symbol message by assisting your
company in establishing a structure for disaster management public relations in
advance.
Components of Effective Crisis
Management Public Relations
Public relations experts know there
is no silver bullet for handling a crisis effectively via the media. Instead,
the most successful crisis management public relations techniques use a
multi-pronged strategy, covering all the bases.
Effective crisis management PR begins
with careful preparation. By projecting various crisis situations and proactively
building reaction plans ahead of time, Walker Sands can provide your firm with
smart and nuanced answers to a spectrum of disasters.
During an emergency, your company's
control team will be looked to by both internal and external stakeholders for
guidance. Crisis control public family members training provides your
management team a foundation in crisis management approaches and prepares them
to intelligently react in a way that mitigates harm for your firm.
Within the occasion of a genuine PR
catastrophe, you want strategic guidance and counsel from trained PR pros. The
first-class crisis management public relations businesses provide palms-on aid
to manual your commercial enterprise thru the event and submit-occasion
recovery. An unexpected public relations (PR) catastrophe is something no one
looks forward to. But in business activity, extreme situations may and do
occur. Disaster management public members in the family insulates your
commercial corporation from the horrible repercussions of those situations,
permitting you to move past the occasion as rapid as doable.
Q.4 Elaborate working mechanism of PR
organization. What is the difference between Government and private
organization?
Specialists in public relations are
responsible for shaping public perception of businesses. They increase
awareness of the company, propagate its message, and dampen the impact of any
unfavourable press. In a smaller organisation, the PR representative may be
expected to wear several hats, including those of cheerleader, media contact,
and critic deflector. Staff members of bigger organisations, such as
corporations or public relations agencies, sometimes have specialised tasks to
meet the many demands placed upon them.
Separating responsibilities between
communication technicians and management is one option. Public relations
writers are communication technologists. They produce news articles,
newsletters, website material, speeches, weblogs, and social media updates.
Managers are in charge of the broad picture, evaluating the PR challenges and
opportunities and deciding on the best PR approach to take.
Examining the specific
responsibilities of each PR position is another useful method to classify the
field. The field of crisis management addresses unexpected events that threaten
a business. They contribute to the establishment of emergency response rules,
such as who is authorised to speak to the media and how management disseminates
information to workers. Relationship management is the practise of formulating plans
for interacting with key stakeholders, such as clients and the media.
Professionals in image management strive to provide the impression that the
firm cares about its stakeholders and the wider community. The goal of PR
resource management is to maximise the effectiveness of a company's public
relations spending and staff. As a result, public relations departments are
often asked to multitask. By carefully tending to connections and moulding the
company's image, a lot of goodwill may be cultivated. The responsibility of
public relations (PR) in times of crisis or bad news is to limit the fallout as
much as possible.
In contrast, the public sector is
home to a diverse array of government-owned and -operated businesses. These
businesses are either wholly or partially controlled by the central government
and report to a distinct ministry. Some enterprises that set up shop in the
public sector do so with the authority of a specialised piece of legislation.
An intense rivalry in which one industry seeks to show itself superior to the
other. This article makes an effort to provide a tabular explanation of the
distinctions between the public sector and the private sector.
Definition of Public Sector
As a noun, "Public Sector"
refers to the economic sector that operates to provide the public with
government-run products and services. Each level of government, whether
federal, state, or municipal, owns and operates its own companies, agencies,
and organisations.
One kind of public sector
organisation receives 100% of its funding from the government in the form of
taxes, levies, fees, etc.; another type of public sector organisation has more
than 51% of its share capital owned by the government and so falls within the
purview of a certain ministry. Businesses are founded on the premise of
providing a needed service.
Definition of Private Sector
The term "Private Sector"
is used to refer to the section of a country's economy that is owned,
controlled, and managed by private persons or businesses. Companies in the
private sector may be classified as either small and medium-sized businesses
(SMEs) or huge corporations (both of which can be privately or publicly
traded). The development of a new business or the privatisation of an existing
PSE are two possible routes for its creation.
The private sector's businesses often
set out to maximise profits and enhance their standing in the market. To ensure
their long-term success and competitiveness in the face of their adversaries,
they focus on providing excellent customer service to the locals. The law and
order of the government applies to these businesses as well. In terms of the
number of people employed, this industry ranks first.
Key Differences between Public Sector
and Private Sector
Differences between the public and
private sectors include the following.
When it comes to the country's
economy, the public sector is the segment where the government has oversight
and responsibility for upkeep. If we speak about Private Sector, it is owned
and operated by the private persons and companies. The public sector exists to
aid the general populace, whereas private businesses are founded on the
principle of making a profit. When it comes to businesses in the public sector,
the government has all the cards. Companies in the private sector, on the other
hand, are subject to less regulations. Workers in the public sector have
employment stability in addition to retirement perks such as a gratuity,
pension, superannuation fund, etc., which are not offered to private sector
workers.
Workplace competition is high in the
private sector but low in the public sector since the latter was not set up to
pursue profit-making goals. Promotions in the public sector typically rely on
seniority, however merit plus seniority is also considered. In the private
sector, where results matter most, merit is used as a criterion in promotions.
Q 5 What is meant by corporate image
of an organization? Explain the role of PR in development corporate image of
organization, write at least 10 paragraphs?
The term "company
photograph" used to be marketing speak but is now often used to describe
an organization's public profile. If you name the agency in public, the
"image" is what you want people to think about. The common man and
woman often has a cynical view of celebrities, public figures, marketing, and
corporate image, and often for good cause. A positive public perception of a
company may translate into more revenue and a more valuable stock price. While
this term is more often associated with large corporations, even if the owners
and customers of a small business do not see themselves as a firm, the business
nonetheless projects an image. Corporate image is what people think of a
company even when no one is actively working to change it. However, management
may also make concerted efforts to shape the public's perception via channels
like as public relations, advertising, symbol design, and the dissemination of
news about the organisation. Like people who take care of their appearance,
their manners, and their word choice in order to come across as ready, liked,
and dependable, organisations that are serious about shaping their image do the
same. Both in the individual and the business context, the depiction must be
accurate. It used to work this way, but now the outcome may not be what was
expected.
A company's public image is the
totality of the impressions made on all of its audiences. An employee's quick,
casual action may either improve or harm the company's image in the eyes of a
single customer or caller. The typical snapshot, however, is a compilation of
several perceptions and facts. Important aspects include once in a while, an
employer will get notoriety due to the popularity of a particularly charismatic
leader.
Only in the best of instances can a
business have a single reputation. Depending on their priorities, various
audiences may form distinct impressions of a company. While the public may have
a positive impression of a company's brand, its reputation among its suppliers
may be low due to the firm's notoriously aggressive bargaining tactics, late
payments, and lack of vendor loyalty. Even though a corporation has widespread
praise on Wall Street, it may be unpopular on the commercial thoroughfares of
the towns where it has shut down factories. A corporation may be admired for
supplying extremely cheap pricing but hated for its labour practises or
lacklustre environmental performance. It is far more probable that a small
corporation will have an all-around reputation for excellence than that a very
huge conglomerate would warrant all-around acclaim. Smallness has its benefits.
The total success of the core
business is the most important factor in a company's reputation, and this term
includes financial outcomes by definition. A growing, valuable company with a
regular revenue records will, for those motivations alone, gratify its
customers, purchasers, and the network in which it functions. A desirable firm
that, despite the fact that, famous enormous gyrations in revenue will fair
worse: its income and dividends could be uncertain; it will have layoffs; its
inventory will vary; its suppliers could be more nervous; its personnel
terrified. Whilst a firm fails in its core feature, its recognition goes
instantly south. The electrical trading company Enron corp. had exceptional
success, rising to the position of seventh-largest agency worldwide as judged
by revenue. After almost collapsing financially on December 2, 2001, the
Justice Department began investigating the company for fraud. Things that were
previously praised about the company, such as its boldness, vitality,
profitability, innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, etc., suddenly took on
negative connotations. Enron's image had been shattered and the company's
middle business had crumbled. After that, no amount of public relations efforts
on Enron's part could have salvaged the company's reputation.
Measuring the Corporate Image
Just as politicians use polls to
gauge public opinion, corporations conduct similar polls to gauge their public
standing. Marketing survey technique is utilised, which has use in both opinion
polls and advertising. Researchers conduct interviews with members of the
general population, drawn from a representative sample. They extrapolate the
opinions of the general public or a subset of the general public from a sample
using statistical methodologies. A company's success may also be gauged by
using "harder" metrics like revenue and stock price. Fading sales and
negative coverage might prompt an investigation into an organization's public
perception.
Corporate image theory suggests that,
all else being equal, a better educated public will assist a business increase
its sales and profits, whereas an uninformed public may create unfavourable
opinions of the business and start buying from its rivals instead.
An example of measurement and an
action taken in reaction to it is the latest marketing push by Toyota Motor
North America Inc. It was revealed by Automotive News's Jamie LaReau
"Every so often, Toyota checks in with American customers to see how they
feel about the brand. Despite the company's investments in new and existing
facilities, studies revealed that Americans' knowledge of Toyota's U.S.
presence has fallen after 2000." This corporation has started a print and
TV campaign to promote the positive impact it has had on the American economy.
In the Toyota case, for example, the
company felt compelled to express (or "phrases") its views on the
state of its U.S. investment (or "motion") activities. In order to
construct or mend a positive public image, words and deeds should be
coordinated with great care. More ideally, the two should be in sync with one
another. It might be challenging to get your words and actions to match up. Who
hasn't, with a discerning eye, noticed the disparity between the helpful,
upbeat employees depicted in a company's TV commercials and the brusque,
uncaring employees they actually have on staff? Roger Hayward, writing in
Accountancy Age on behalf of business advisers, stresses the need of consistent
follow-through so that employees might become "a large army of goodwill
ambassadors."
Whether or not the purpose is to
produce the maximum of a spectacular item or to show round a negative state of
affairs, proper management exercise will guarantee that movement is
accomplished sooner than the phrases are said. The ceremony supply shop chain
is an example of such an instance. The firm went by an economic controversy
during the late nineteen nineties; its prior head government and others have
been tried and incarcerated. According to chain drug review, after a new
management team successfully turned around the company, an advertising campaign
was launched to let the world know that "the turnaround is complete and we
are a stable, healthy enterprise focusing on growth." Karen Rugen is the
brand new senior vice president of communications and public affairs at rite
resource.
The management of the corporate image
also encompasses control of the more mundane side of image, the corporation's
logo, its brand imagery, the look and feel of its retail locations, its
offices, signs, even its stationery and the appearance of its calling cards. In
order to send the same message consistently, it is essential that all corporate
representatives speak in the same manner. Additionally, it ensures that all of
its buildings display a unified front.
Every small company will have the
equivalent of a corporate image because it will have a reputation among its
workers, customers, suppliers, neighbours, and the government agencies with
whom it works. When starting a business, the first step the owner takes is to
choose a name, which serves as an opportunity to establish a brand identity.
The process continues in many ways: in the choosing of brand names to be
utilised, the location of leased space, office decorations and/or retail
equipment picked, the company's Web site design if the firm has an Internet
presence, its sales material, and so on. As the company begins operations, it
will increase its profile in the market through various means, including
visible symbols, the quality of its products or services, the expertise,
friendliness, and efficiency of its staff, the timeliness with which it pays
its bills, the success of its marketing campaigns, and so on.
There is a natural affinity between
small firms and their customers, employees, and other stakeholders because of
this. As a result, when the company starts making errors or runs into poor
luck, the public will react quickly and vocally. If that happens, the little
firm will do what the large corporate does and say what needs to be said to
recoup losses or capitalise on unexpected success.