Chapter 10 Public Relations Blue Denim Revolution The movies The Wild One Rebel Without A Cause and Blackboard Jungle all contributed to jeans becoming a symbol of youthful defiance against adult authority then things really went south for denim sales with the play Blue Denim about teen pregnancy and abortion which 20th century fox made into a movie terrible for the image of denim manufacturing companies manufacturers pooled their resources and created an organization called the Denim Council hired public relations counselors launched a campaign in 1956 to put school children back in blue jeans then they realized the perception with jeans didn t lie with children but with their parents 1961 peace corps volunteers all wore blue jeans outfitted by the Denim Council became a clincher in the denim industry s image that associated jeans with juvenile delinquency and antisocial attitudes and tawdry behavior by 1963 denim sales were zooming example of applying classic public relations techniques using mass media as vehicles to sway public opinion 1996 people were encourage on an assigned day in October to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing jeans to work and donated 5 to fight breast cancer total collected ended up at 1 6 million the event became the largest single day fundraiser in the U S The Denim Council campaign running several years was a classic in e ective persuasion The campaign relied heavily on mass media to achieve its strategic goal Chapter Insights Dialogue and ethical persuasion are essential elements for good public relations Public relations works to win favor over time while advertising seeks immediate action The history of public relations teaches the value of populist support Alternate labels like strategic communication and integrated marketing blur the lines between advertising and public relations E ective public relations involves candid proactive relations with mass media Public relations organizations are working to improve the image of the craft Public Relations Scope Public relations is a prolific generator of mass media messages The public relations industry is large and growing Despite its size public relations functions mostly behind the scenes Done well public relations contributes to social consensus Although sometimes confused with advertising and news public relations is substantively di erent Public Relations Industry to all but the most savvy media consumers the work of PR is largely invisible even so the industry is huge The largest stand alone agencies in the U S ranked by global revenue include Edelman NY Edelman Chicago Fleischman Hillard St Louis Waggener Edstrom Bellevue Ruder Finn NY APCO Worldwide Washington Ruder Finn NY Text 100 San Francisco Schwartz Comm ns Massachusetts Global agencies include U S agencies the largest WPP which includes Hill Knowlton Burson Marsetller and Ogilvy has a global revenue of almost 1 4 billion Omnicon is second at 1 1 billion The Work of Public Relations What does PR do the sophistication of the field makes quick definitions elusive in short practiced well PR is an honest persuasive enterprise that contributes to social good by building consensus done through communication mostly through mass media communication is on behalf of institutions to build mutually beneficial relationships with their constituent groups which are called publics Public Relations can also be done on behalf of individuals e g political candidates celebrities Public Relations a management tool to establish beneficial relationships Dialogic Theory public relations tries to win people to a particular point of view or a favorable image done through dialogue two way communication unlike most mass communication the means communicating with people not speaking at them or to them dialogic theory Dialogic theory dialogue based approach to negotiating relationships draws on the idea that genuine dialogue leads to genuine consensus rooted deeply in philosophy psychology and rhetoric sees persuasion as a two way street a true exchange without manipulations NO shortcuts with evidence NO fast talk or fancy graphics or trickery the idea is to avoid manipulative or Machiavellian tricks Michael Kent and Maureen Taylor have summarized 5 major features of dialogic theory in operation Mutuality corp other institution must recognize to engage communication on an even playing field not taking advantage of financial might to talk down or push ideas without also listening Propinquity for communication to be genuine interaction with publics must be spontaneous Empathy institution must have a sincere sympathy in supporting and confirming public goals and interests Risk can only work if there is a willingness to interact with individuals and publics on their own terms Commitment institution must be willing to work at understanding its interactions with publics significant resources must be allocated not only to the dialogue but also to interpretation and understanding O ers a framework for a highly ethical form of public relations but it is not without di culties participants in dialogic PR put themselves in jeopardy they run the risk that their disclosures will be used to exploit or manipulate them discussion about this theory is sensitizing many people in PR to honesty and openness as ideals in the democratic tradition of giving voice to all based on principles of honesty trust and positive regard for the other rather than simply a conception of the public as a means to an end Public Relations and Commonweal PR has potential to make a democratic society robust and vibrant by encouraging the exchange of information and ideas on public issues PR theorists have talked about it being used to sort through issues and reach decisions public relations practitioners when doing their best work do these things that contribute to the common good Communicate the interests of an institution to the public which broadens and enriches public dialogue Seek mutual adjustments through dialogue b t institutions and society which benefits the public Create a safety valve for society by helping work out accommodations b t competing interests reducing the likelihood of coercion or arbitrary action Activate the social conscience of organizations with which they work the industry likes to measure how well it can positively a ect the functioning of society Commonweal the general welfare or public good APPLYING YOUR MEDIA LITERACY What di erentiates the role of