Chapter One What is Public Relations Exam 1 J350 Book Definitions of Public Relations Public Relations a process involving numerous subtle and far reaching aspects beyond media coverage It includes research and analysis policy formation programming communication and feedback from numerous publics Public Relations the management function that identifies establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the various publics on whom its success or failure depends Public Relations the strategic management of competition and conflict for the benefit of ones own organization and when possible also for the mutual benefit of the organization and its stakeholders or publics What is Public Relations Terms found in most definitions of PR include deliberate planned performance public interest two way communication strategic management of competition and conflict management function PR is well established in the U S and throughout the world Growth in this sector is currently strong in Europe and Asia particularly in China Lecture Definitions of Public Relations Public Relations is the management of communication between an organization and its publics Public Relations is the use of communication to negotiate relationships among groups Public Relations is a communication function of management through which organizations adapt to alter or maintain their environment for the purpose of achieving organization goals Power Of Definitions Definitions are important because how we define something influences how we see it and experience it Definitions provide a lens through which we understand experiences and the practice of public relations RACE Formula articulated by John Marston in The Nature of Public Relations Research What is the problem or situation Action program planning what is going to be done about it Communication execution how will the public be told Evaluation was the audience reached and what was the effect PR differs from journalism Lecture Journalists gather and produce information for the public They usually write for one channel attempt to be objective and write for a mass audience Journalists write the news stories and editorials Public relations provide background and information they need Text Pg 12 Although writing is an important activity in both public relations and journalism the scope objectives and channels are different for journalism and public relations PR differs from marketing Lecture Marketing seeks to attract and satisfy customers of an organization it deals with good and services Marketing contributes directly to bottom line Public Relations builds relationships with publics it can support marketing Text Pg 15 The functions of public relations often overlap with those of marketing However the primary purpose of public relations is to build relationships and generate goodwill with a variety of publics whereas marketing focuses on customers and the sale of products and services Public relations can be part of a marketing strategy In such cases it is often called marketing communications PR differs from Advertising Lecture Advertising is controlled communication You pay for it and therefore you control the content and outcome of the message Public Relations usually uses uncontrolled communication when we need to get messages into controlled media we buy ads Uncontrolled is EARNED Text Pg 14 Publicity is just one area within public relations Publicity employs mass media to disseminate messages as does advertising although the format and context differ for PR and advertising Publicity goes through media gatekeepers who make the ultimate decision whether to use the material as part of a news story Advertising involved a paid space or time and is separate from news editorial content Frito Lay Campaign Frito Lay PR Advertising and Marketing combine forces to change the reputation of junk food Ketchum and Zocalo conducted pre campaign research and found that 92 of people said that the most powerful influencers in purchase decisions are family friends and experts The research also showed that only 30 of people believed that Frito Lay offered healthy snacks To communicate their message about ingredients Ketchum and Zocalo identified nutrition health and food experts as prospective influencers They held booths and even sent out direct mail to distribute new product sneak peeks to journalists bloggers and health professionals Brand fans were sent fan packs in both instances educational materials were included in the packages These same people were also invited to production plants to see the food being made firsthand Online resources were a big part as well At the conclusion of the influencer campaign 90 of the health professionals who were reached by the program became Frito Lay advocates Plant tours resulted in 130 participants tweeting or blogging about what they learned And 13 hundred brand fans signed up to be evangelists for the brand In this innovative and successful campaign traditional public relations tactics like media relations and educational activities such as plant sours were paired with word of mouth marketing by brand fans and health experts to create a synergy that raised the reputation of Frito Lay snacks from junk food to sensible snack In 2011 Ketchum Zocalo and Frito Lay won a PRSA silver Anvil for the campaign Chapter Two Careers in Public Relations Essential Abilities of PR professionals Pg 28 6 Essential Abilities Writing skills The ability to convey information and ideas in written documents and online communications quickly clearly and concisely is essential Good grammar and correct spelling are vital Research ability Arguments must be supported by facts rather than generalities A person must have the persistence and ability to gather information from a variety of sources as well as be able to conduct original research by designing and implementing opinion polls or audits Skillful use of the Internet and computer databases is an important element of research work Reading newspapers and magazines is also important Planning expertise Communication tools and activities are most effective when they are carefully developed and coordinated A person needs to be a good planner to make certain that materials are distributed in a timely manner events occur without problems and budgets are not exceeded Public Relations people must be highly organized and detail oriented yet still be able to see the big picture Problem