Public Relations (PR)

Public relations (PR) is the set of techniques and strategies related

to managing how information about an individual or company is
disseminated to the public, and especially the media. Its primary
goals are to disseminate important company news or events,
maintain a brand image, and put a positive spin on negative events
to minimize their fallout. PR may occur in the form of a
company press release, news conference, interviews with
journalists, social media posting, or other venues.

Every individual or entity operating in the public eye faces the

spread of information about them or their practices to the public.
While public relations is an industry unto itself, any attempt to
portray oneself in a certain way to others can be considered a
form of public relations.

Types of Public Relations

Public relations is often divided into different agencies or

departments. Each department is specifically suited to handle a
specific aspect below:

• Media relations is the emphasis of forging a strong

relationship with public media organizations. A media relations
team often works directly with external media by directly
delivering them company news, providing validated content
sources, and being accessible for public comment on other
news stories.
• Production relations is closely related to the direct operations
of a company. This department supports broad marketing
plans and is often related to specific, one-time endeavors such
as the launch of a new product, a special campaign, or
management of a major product change.
• Investor relations is the oversight of the relationship between
the company and its investors. This aspect of public relations
handles investor events, oversees the communication of the
release of financial reports, and handles the complaints of
investors.
• Internal relations is the public relations branch between a
company and its employees. Internal relations pertain to
counseling employees, ensuring all workers are satisfied with
their working conditions, and mediating issues internally to
avoid public disclosure of dissatisfaction.
• Government relations is the connection between a company
and related governing bodies. Some public relations
departments want to forge a strong relationship to provide
feedback to politicians, sway decision-makers to act in specific
ways, and ensure fair treatment of the company's clients.
• Community relations is public relations focused on brand and
reputation within a specific community. The community could
be physical (i.e. a specific city) or non-physical (i.e. the dog-
owner community). This branch of public relations keys in on
the social niche of the community to align itself with its
members.
 • Customer relations is the bridge that connects the company
and its customers. Public relations often involves handling key
relationships, conducting market research, understanding the
priorities of its customers, and addressing major concerns.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN BUILDING

AND MAINTAINING A POSITIVE BRAND IMAGE?

In today’s competitive business landscape, building and maintaining

a positive brand image is crucial for long-term success. A positive
brand image not only enhances customer trust and loyalty but also
attracts new customers and differentiates your brand from
competitors. Public relations (PR) plays a critical role in shaping and
managing a brand’s image and reputation. Today’s article will delve
into the role of public relations in building and maintaining a positive
brand image, exploring key strategies and considerations involved.

DEFINING PUBLIC RELATIONS IN BRAND BUILDING

Public relations encompasses the strategic management of

communication and relationships between an organization and its
various stakeholders. It involves crafting and disseminating
messages to the public, media, customers, employees, and other
relevant groups. In the context of brand building, public relations
focuses on shaping and managing the perceptions, reputation, and
overall image of the brand.

DEVELOPING A BRAND IDENTITY AND MESSAGING

Public relations professionals work closely with the brand’s key
stakeholders to develop a strong brand identity and messaging. This
includes defining the brand’s core values, mission, vision, and
unique selling propositions. By crafting a clear and compelling brand
story, public relations professionals create a foundation for positive
brand image and reputation.

CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING COMMUNICATION

STRATEGIES

Public relations professionals develop communication strategies that

align with the brand’s values and goals. They utilize various
channels and tactics, such as press releases, media relations, social
media, events, and content marketing, to disseminate key messages
and engage with target audiences. These strategies aim to build
positive brand associations, generate media coverage, and foster
meaningful relationships with stakeholders.

BUILDING MEDIA RELATIONS

Effective media relations are a cornerstone of public relations in

brand building. Public relations professionals establish and nurture
relationships with journalists, editors, and influencers to secure
media coverage and positive mentions for the brand. By strategically
pitching stories, providing expert opinions, and facilitating interviews,
they can generate favourable media exposure, enhance credibility,
and shape the brand’s narrative.

CRISIS AND REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

Public relations plays a critical role in managing crises and
preserving the brand’s reputation during challenging times. When a
crisis arises, public relations professionals act swiftly to assess the
situation, develop a crisis communication plan, and provide timely
and transparent information to stakeholders. Their ability to
effectively communicate, address concerns, and demonstrate
accountability can help minimize reputational damage and rebuild
trust.

ENGAGING WITH STAKEHOLDERS

Public relations professionals actively engage with stakeholders,

including customers, employees, investors, and community members.
They foster open lines of communication, listen to feedback,
address concerns, and build positive relationships. By demonstrating
transparency, authenticity, and responsiveness, public relations
professionals help create a positive brand perception among
stakeholders, leading to increased trust and loyalty.

LEVERAGING INFLUENCER AND BRAND PARTNERSHIPS

Influencer marketing and brand partnerships have become powerful

tools in brand building. Public relations professionals identify and
collaborate with influencers and strategic brand partners who align
with the brand’s values and target audience. These partnerships
help amplify brand messages, reach new audiences, and enhance
the brand’s credibility and reputation.

MONITORING AND MANAGING ONLINE REPUTATION

In the digital age that we find ourselves in, online reputation
management is paramount. Public relations professionals monitor
online platforms, social media channels, review sites, and relevant
online communities to track mentions, reviews, and sentiments about
the brand. They proactively respond to feedback, address negative
comments, and amplify positive experiences to maintain a positive
online brand image.

MEASURING AND EVALUATING RESULTS

Public relations efforts in building and maintaining a positive brand

image should be measurable and evaluated regularly. Public
relations professionals establish key performance indicators (KPIs),
such as media mentions, social media engagement, customer
sentiment, and brand perception surveys. This data helps gauge the
effectiveness of public relations strategies, make informed decisions,
and refine future brand-building efforts.

Regular monitoring and analysis of KPIs provide insights into the

impact of public relations initiatives on the brand’s image and
reputation. It allows public relations professionals to identify areas of
success and areas that need improvement. By understanding the
data, they can adjust strategies, tactics, and messaging in order to
better align with the brand’s objectives and continuously enhance
the brand image.
 Public Relations (PR) Officer

A Public Relations Officer is a specialist in building and maintaining

the positive image of a company, organization, or client. Public
Relations Officers are often the first contact for organizations
seeking to reach out in an informed way. They use press releases,
social media, and other communications to shape and influence
public impression and raise awareness.

Responsibilities of PRO

• Develop PR campaigns and media relations strategies

• Collaborate with internal teams (e.g. marketing) and maintain open
communication with senior management
• Edit and update promotional material and publications (brochures,
videos, social media posts etc.)
• Prepare and distribute press releases
• Organize PR events (e.g. open days, press conferences) and serve
as the company’s spokesperson
• Seek opportunities for partnerships, sponsorships and advertising
• Address inquiries from the media and other parties
• Track media coverage and follow industry trends
• Prepare and submit PR reports
• Manage PR issues

Requirements and skills of PRO

• Proven experience as a Public Relations Officer or similar PR role

• Experience managing media relations (online, broadcast and print)
• Background in researching, writing and editing publications
• Proficient in MS Office and social media
• Familiarity with project management software and video/photo editing
is a plus
• Strong communication ability (oral and written)
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Creativity and problem-solving aptitude

Skills Required For Public Relations Officer

To become a Public Relations Officer, it is necessary to have
certain personality traits like art of assimilation of information,
creativity, reliability and talent. Apart from this some other essential
skills for Public Relations Officer are mentioned below:

Organizational skills: Organizational skills are those skills, which

help you to use your resources efficiently and effectively. A person
who is organised usually manages his/her time, energy and
workspace to complete the assigned tasks successfully.
Organizational skills can take different forms depending on a
particular workplace and job title. These include meeting deadlines
and communicating well with the team as well.
Multi-tasking: Multitasking is the ability to perform multiple tasks and
complete them simultaneously. Actually it is related to planning. With
the necessary practice, you can handle many tasks with ease,
which makes work easier and less stressful.
Analytical Skills: Analytical skills are problem-solving skills that help
understand data and information in order to develop creative,
reasoned solutions. An analytical person focuses on understanding
facts and figures in his/her workplace and use logical thinking to
find solutions.
Communication skills: Communication skills are the abilitiy rused for
providing and receiving different types of information, such as
sharing new ideas or an update on a project. This skill also
includes listening, speaking, observing and empathizing. It is also
helpful in understanding the difference between in-person
conversation, phone conversation and the way communication is
done through digital communication such as email and social
media.
Ability to work under pressure & deadlines: Ability to work under
pressure involves dealing with obstacles that are often beyond your
control. This can include last-minute changes, upcoming deadlines,
and a lack of knowledge needed to complete tasks. Working under
pressure also means that you have to perform well under such
circumstances and the stress should not affect the quality of work.

Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Corporate social responsibility is a broad concept that can take

many forms depending on the company and industry. Through CSR
programs, philanthropy, and volunteer efforts, businesses can
benefit society while boosting their brands.
For a company to be socially responsible, it first needs to be
accountable to itself and its shareholders. Companies that adopt
CSR programs have often grown their business to the point where
they can give back to society. Thus, CSR is typically a strategy
that's implemented by large corporations. After all, the more visible
and successful a corporation is, the more responsibility it has to
set standards of ethical behavior for its peers, competition,
and industry.

Government tools for Public relations in India

PIB-The Press Information Bureau, commonly abbreviated as PIB, is
a nodal agency of the Government of India. Based in National
Media Centre, New Delhi, Press Information Bureau disseminates
information to the print, electronic and new media on government
plans, policies, programme initiatives and achievements. The PIB is
also the Government's nodal agency to facilitate private media.

DAVP-The Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) is

the nodal agency of the Government of India for advertising by
various Ministries and organisations of Government of India,
including public sector undertakings and autonomous bodies

PRSI-The Public Relations Society of India was established in 1958

by a team of professionals with a vision to promote the recognition
of public relations as a profession and its key role in the
management of business and/or organization. PRSI is recognized as
the national PR organization by the INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC
RELATIONS ASSOCIATION and is one of the founder members of
the GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT.

IPRA-The Golden World Awards is an annual global awards

ceremony organised by the International Public Relations Association
(IPRA) to recognise public relations achievements around the world
across different categories.[1] Established in 1990, the Golden World
Awards (also dubbed as the 'Oscars of PR') has 65 categories of
In-house and Agency entries judged separately, and honours the
overall highest standards of each year with the IPRA Grand Prix for
Excellence award.

PRCI-Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) is a premier non-

political and not-for- profit organization of professionals in the fields
of public relations,communication, advertising and many other allied
services. It has been actively pursuing the spread and popularity of
communication and Public Relation in India. It has close to 30
Chapters pan-India.

IPRC-ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri is equipped

with state-of-the-art- facilities necessary for realising the cutting edge
technology products for ISRO's space research program. Formerly,
IPRC was known as LPSC, Mahendragiri and taking cognizance of
the future growth of the space program of our nation and the
concomitant expansion at Mahendragiri, it was elevated as IPRC
with effect from February 01, 2014.
 House Journal

‘House Journal’ (or an in-house magazine or a newsletter or

a house-organ) is a well-recognized part of the corporate
communication practice of an organization. It is a periodic
publication by a corporate establishment for its employees,
customers and other interested people.

It is a tool that helps management in the following ways:

• maintains communication with both internal and external publics.

• establishes a bond between the employee and the company they

work for (access to an exclusive journal generates team spirit).

• fosters a sense of loyalty among employees and to build a work

culture among them.

• provides a platform for sharing views, news and opinion.

• acts as a tool to disseminate detailed information in an informal

manner yet
with authenticity to employees.

• ensures that the employees know what is expected out of them

• acts as a facilitator of change when required.

• advocates the organization’s point of views, goals and

achievements.

• facilitates the creation of a common culture in the organization.

• improves the morale and cooperation between the workers.

• acts as a tool to guide the workforce.

Depending on the target audience it can be differentiated

into three types:

a. In-house journal for employees,

b. External house journal for other stakeholders and,
c. mixed house journal which caters to both the groups of readers.

Defining a ‘House Journal’

“A house journal or bulletin is designed to promote goodwill,

increase sales, induce better salesmanship or develop better
profits.” – F. McNaughton

“A house-organ is any periodical publication issued by a person,

firm, organization or corporation for distribution among any
particular class of people, either for promoting goodwill, increasing
sales, inducing better efforts or developing greater returns on
any form of investment.” -R.E. Ramsay

House Journal is “an integral part of an organization’s

communication structure; far from its past status of being the
smile of a company for its employees and other publics, is still
today, the surest means of establishing a two-way traffic that is
not propaganda, nor persuasion, but good, planned in-house
prattle.“ – Rita Bhimani (1994)
“A house journal helps to foster a family-feeling by taking the
workers and staffs into confidence of the management by
explaining policies and seeking their interest and cooperation.”–
Sam Black (author of the book titled ‘Practical Public Relations’)

External and internal public relations

Effective communication is one of the most important actions of any
company. However, this communication should not only go in one
direction.

Most brands focus on directing their communication towards the

public, forgetting the importance of doing it also towards their staff,
towards their employees.

A good PR plan must include both areas to be fully

effective. Internal communication is just as crucial as external
communication and in this article we explain why.

What is external public relations

External public relations focuses on communication actions that are

directed towards the outside of the company. It can be both
communication with other companies and communication with
institutions, the media or the public.
In contrast to internal public relations, its practice is widespread in
any company and no brand can afford the luxury of not carrying out
any external communication action.

External PR can have different purposes, but there is always a

marketing and sales intention behind it.
What is internal PR?

Internal PR, on the other hand, focuses on communication targeted

at the company’s employees. It can take the form of information
boards, meetings, e-mails and even periodicals.

In the case of internal public relations, the aim is, on the one hand,
to maintain group cohesion and motivation and, on the other hand,
to inform about the state of the company and its different actions
so that the employee has a deep understanding of the dynamics of
the brand.

Public relations with Media relations

Media relations in PR are all about building relationships with

members of the press. It typically refers to the mutually beneficial
relationship between journalists and public relations professionals.

Unlike marketing and advertising, which are direct channels to

communicate your brand, media relations offer third-party validation.
Think about it for a second. Would you be quick to believe a
company that boasts about having the best product in the market?
Or would you seek another opinion from someone who is not
affiliated with the company and whose judgment you trust?

Media relations refer to the relationship between a company or an

organization developed with journalists, editors, or reporters. Good
media relations occur when you see the person behind the title. See
it as a friend – it helps you treat the person as you want to be
treated.

In the last decade, communicators have gone from a single large-

push channel (press releases) to dozens of options to reach
journalists. Social media channels are the most used outside
traditional PR channels, but even niche platforms offer access to
journalists. With all this pitch machinery, communications
professionals are prolific pitch engines. If you want to know more
about what journalists prefer and listen to them identify the common
pitfalls PR people make, watch our webinar “PR tips from three
experienced journalists”.

Why are media relations vital for PR?

Given the simplicity of the definition above, relations should be

relatively easy and straightforward to build and maintain. The media
is an excellent way for brands to receive reach and attention to their
stories. If you succeed in getting your stories covered by a journalist,
you will also obtain that news media’s reach. This is critical for two
reasons.

1. You are borrowing and effectively leveraging the reach of the

media. Unless you are a world-renowned business, it is likely that
the media has a larger reach than you do. By obtaining their reach,
you can increase the reach of your own stories.
2. Legitimacy. Since forever, and even though the fake news crisis in
2016 stirred up the media landscape, the news media has remained
a legitimate source of information for the majority of the population.
Getting your stories covered there will give you more credibility in
the eyes of the reader than reading it on your social media pages or
your own website.

Tools of Public Relations

1. Press Releases:
The press release is the basic building block of a publicity
programme concerned with story placement. This is where the
important information about the product or services is summarized in
a way that will catch the media’s attention. Just as the marketer
would customize the advertising message for each target, he needs
to customize press releases for the various media he contacts.

2. Fact Sheets:
A press release should be written so it can be used without any
editing. That means all the relevant information must be included.
There may be additional important information that doesn’t really fit
into the press release. That’s where the fact sheet comes in. Fact
sheets include more detailed information on the product, its origins,
and its particular features.

3. Media kit/Press Kits:

The press kit pulls together all the press releases, fact sheets and
accompanying photographs about the product into one neat
package. A comprehensive folder can serve as an attention-getter
and keep the provided materials organised.

4. Video News Releases:

The video news release is the video equivalent of a press release.
Prepared for use by television stations, the typical video news
release runs about 90 seconds and can be used to highlight some
important features of the product. These are called infomercials.

5. Employee/Member Relation Programme:

An organization’s employees are an extremely important internal
public. Corporate public relations people often spend a great deal of
time in developing employee communication programmes, including
regular newsletter, informational bulletin boards and internet
postings. In service organisations these kinds of activities can be
used to support brand communication efforts.

6. Community Relations Programme:

It is critical that companies maintain the role of good community
citizens within the markets where they have offices and
manufacturing facilities. Many companies actively encourage their
employees to take part in community organisations, and local
corporations are often major sponsors of community events and
activities such as art presentations, blood donation drives and
educational activities. Tata group of companies highlight their
community relationship based communications for building a strong
brand image within the local community and stakeholders at large.
7. Financial Relations Programme:
Most of the brand-marketing organisations are publicly held
companies. Financial relations have become a key aspect of public
relations activity. Downturns in company earnings quickly lead to
decline in stock prices, leading to the exit of top executives.
Financial relations people are responsible for establishing and
maintaining relationships with the investment community, including
industry analysers stock-brokers and journalists specializing in
financial reporting.

8. Events:
Companies can draw attention to new products or other company
activities by arranging special events like news conferences,
seminars, exhibits, contests, anniversaries, sponsorship in sports and
cultural events.

9. Publications:
Companies rely on extensively on published materials to reach and
influence their target markets. These include annual reports,
brochures, articles, magazines etc.