Public Relations Essay, Research Paper

Public Relations

Good public relations is key to the success of any business. A company must strive to make itself stand out in its particular field. The media can be a very effective public relations tool if it is used right.

A twenty first century company is not only going to need the ability to please their customers, but to delight them. In order to accomplish this goal, employees need to understand who the company is, and what it stands for. Not only do they need to understand these values, but an employee needs to be committed to upholding them on an everyday basis. Every employee represents their company individually, and the impression that they give the customer is the perception that the customer will have of the company. This is something that many employees don t think about, or don t care about. Many fast food restaurants are good examples of this. These companies are operated in such a manner that their employees don t have any pride, or satisfaction in what they are doing. If you have been to a fast food restaurant lately, you can see how that reflects in the service that you get.

Another method is to create a distinguished history for a company. This would include how the company was started, who founded it, accomplishments and contributions, and other bits of information that would complement a company.

The media happens to be one of the most effective tools. There is a very strong love/hate relationship between corporate communicators and the media. On one hand, communicators need to get their messages out. The media also needs news to report. When communicators have a story that they want to get out, they want the media to give them as much attention as possible. There is another side to this story though. The media reports on subjects that are considered newsworthy. This includes stories that not only could be beneficial to business, but they also report on subjects that put companies in a negative light. This is where the hate relationship comes in. Negative publicity is the last thing that any company wants, and it causes them to put up their defenses against the media.

Even though media can have a negative impact on a company, if it is used to its full advantage, it can be a very effective way of getting publicity. Newspapers are always looking for people and things to write about. Radio and television stations are always looking for people to interview and things to talk about. These stories are free of charge, and are of greater value than a commercial would be. People know that a commercial is paid for and designed under the companies own perspective of itself. People are more likely to pay attention to what a newspaper article, or a television interview gets across to them than a commercial. The reason for this is because the information is coming from a source outside of the company, and is therefore more trustworthy. This is not to say that advertising is not effective. A good publicity campaign should be worked in with an advertising campaign, not used in its place. Using these two elements together is the most effective way to catch the public s attention. One example of how well these two elements work together is, Because of good public relations and advertising campaigns, most North Americans believe that the world s best coffee comes from Columbia.” If the public believes your product or service is exciting, they will give you their business.

How do you go about getting publicity for your company? The answer is a public relations firm. A P.R. firm makes sure that news of your product, or what ever it may be, gets out to the public. There are unlimited ways that this can be done.

One of the fastest ways to get the message to the public and media is by staging an event. This could be anything from a press conference, to a grand opening celebration. The job of the P.R. firm would be to create the event and handle all of the details. This would include everything from arranging for a location, sending out invitations and arranging the agenda, to taking care of the refreshments and food. Setting up representatives for radio shows, television and newspaper interviews, are just a few of the other ways a P.R. firm can help to promote a company.

A spokes person must be prepared to deal with the media though. If they are not, a television or news paper journalists will tear that person apart. These people want interesting stories, and spokes people must be prepared for the tough questions that will be thrown there way. There are companies that specialize in media training, and will teach anyone who may have to speak on the companies behalf, how to get the most out of a media opportunity.

There are many aspects to effective public relations. Employees must always use good P.R. when they deal with customers, or business associates. It also helps to have an appealing history behind your company. The media is probably one of the most powerful P.R. tools available, but in order to effectively use them, you must be prepared for what they can throw at you. When all of these elements are combined, the chances for your company s success will greatly increase.