Public Relation Functions and Process

Definition of Public Relation

“The deliberate planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics”

(British Institute of Public relations (BIPR))

“The Management function which gives the same organized and careful attention to the asset of goodwill as is given to any other major asset of business.”

(John W. Hill)

Intro to Public Relation

Public Relations is distinctive management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an organization and its publics; involves the management of problems or issues; helps management to keep informed on and responsive to public opinion; defines and emphasizes the responsibility of management to serve the public interest; helps management keep abreast of and effectively utilize change, serving as an early warning system to help anticipate trends; and uses research and sound and ethical communication as its principal tools.

Public relations efforts must ensure that not only does the organization understand its publics; the publics must equally understand the organization. It must understand its reasons for whatever actions it takes.

As a public relations officer or manager of your firm, for instance, it is your duty to ensure that mutual understanding is achieved between your firm and its several publics. More often than not, the publics are passive at performing this role. Therefore, your organization must take proactive steps towards achieving it.

‘Sustained effort’ means that it is not enough to start the plan; it must be carried through to a logical end. This is not usually very easy in the face of a precarious economy, political instability and other factors.

NEED FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS

Investing on Public relations will help the organization to achieve its objective effectively and smoothly. Public Relations is not creating good image for a bad team. Since false image cannot be sustained for a long time. Though the organization product or services are good it need an effective Public Relations campaign for attracting, motivating the public to the product or service or towards the purpose of the program. It is not only encouraging the involvement from the public and also resulting in better image.

Effective Public Relations can create and build up the image of an individual or an organization or a nation. At the time of adverse publicity or when the organization is under crisis an effective Public Relations can remove the "misunderstanding" and can create mutual understanding between the organization and the public.

FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Ø  Public Relations are establishing the relationship among the two groups (organization and public).

Ø  Art or Science of developing reciprocal understanding and goodwill.

Ø  It analyses the public perception & attitude, identifies the organization policy with public interest and then executes the programs for communication with the public.

ELEMENTS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Ø  A planned effort or management function.

Ø  The relationship between an organization and its publics

Ø  Evaluation of public attitudes and opinions.

Ø  An organization’s policies, procedures and actions as they relate to said organization’s publics.

Ø  Steps taken to ensure that said policies, procedures and actions are in the public interest and socially responsible.

Ø  Execution of an action and or communication program. Development of rapport, goodwill, understanding and acceptance as the chief end result sought by public relations activities.

(BY Raymond Simon, Public relations: concepts and practices, 2nd ed.

(Columbus, O.Grid, 1980), pp 9, 11.)

PUBLIC RELATIONS PROCESS

The definition of Public Relations as relations with the general public through publicity, those functions of a corporation, organization, branch of military service, etc., concerned with informing the public of its activities, policies, etc., attempting to create favorable public opinions.

Public Relations are the planned effort to influence opinion through good character and responsible performance, based upon mutually satisfactory two-way communications.

Research-listening: This involves probing the opinions, attitudes and reactions of those concerned with the acts and policies of an organization, then evaluating the inflow. This task also requires determining facts regarding the organization: "what's our problem?"

Planning-decision making: This involves bringing these attitudes, opinions, ideas and reactions to bear on the policies and programs of the organization. It will enable the organization to chart a course in the interests of all concerned: "Here's what we can do."

Communication-action: This involves explaining and dramatizing the chosen course to all those who may be affected and whose support is essential: "Here's what we did and why."

Evaluation: This involves evaluating the results of the program and the effectiveness of techniques used: "How did we do?"

Seven steps of Public relation Process

Ø  The first phase of Public Relations process is identifying and listing out the information or message to the communicator.

Ø  The second phase of Public Relations is process to ascertain the existing image or awareness level about the issue in the target group or common public.

Ø  The third phase of Public Relations is developing of communication objectives and priorities.

Ø  The fourth phase of Public Relations is deals with developing the message and choosing the media to transit.

Ø  The fifth phase of Public Relations is the implementation of the message and media, coordination or the dissemination of message.

Ø  The sixth phase of Public Relations is communication process to check whether message reached properly and the expected action or behavior or knowledge on image factors.

The seventh phases of Public Relations in case the message did not reach properly identified the reason for the ineffectiveness and rectification of the same and disseminate the revised message.