“Public Relations is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its public.” - Institute of Public Relations, USA
PR is an essential and integrated component of public policy or service. The professional public relation activity will ensure the benefit to the citizens, for whom the policies or services are meant for. This aims in imparting such professional PR skill. During the boom years, high-level public relations representation was highly sought after by companies of all sizes. When the economic downturn hit and executives toiled with last-straw strategies and tactics for identifying hidden profit opportunities, public relations professionals saw their share of pink slips. Now, as the economy continues to rebound, PR is once again in favor.
Many people do not realize that practices that maximize profitability during good economic times are the very same practices that help maximize profits or minimize losses during downturns. A strategic public relations campaign can strengthen a company’s position and competitive edge during a weak economy and support sales initiatives during a strong economy.
In an economic downturn, people still conduct business; there is just less of it. Positioning a company as a market leader and measurably increasing media visibility is what successful PR is all about. And businesses that survive will be those with the shrewdest PR strategies, the most creative approach to customers, the highest perceived value, and the greatest service during and after the sale, and the fiercest sales force.
When the economy is enjoying a rebound, public relations can support well-established organizations while enhancing the reputations of smaller, growing companies through public education. When the economy is up, it follows the public spirits. And when spirits are up minds tend to be more open to new ideas. This is a breeding ground for innovative and lively discussions designed to catapult one company over another. A robust economy, by nature, sparks interest in new products and services while offering opportunities for companies to provide thought-provoking and educational commentary.
Among the most effective public relations practices used by successful companies is thought leadership. Thought leadership is the art of communicating a strategic vision to others in an informative and convincing way. Masters of thought leadership will not speak above or below their audience, but directly to them. Understanding their public enables thought leaders to position themselves as experts in their given field while crafting their message in a way that influences their audience in a positive manner.
For many companies, PR is an afterthought to strategic planning and can appear to be out of sync with business objectives. PR should tie into sales, desired results, and should speak directly of the company’s mission. It works best (in any economy) when tightly integrated with marketing. And since one person cannot carry out an effective PR strategy, the success of a campaign depends on the support, commitment and involvement of the highest levels within the organization.
Today, the PR industry is under more scrutiny than ever before. The days of building a company on hype and rumor are long gone - as are robust retainers for lackluster returns. In any economy, smart companies scrutinize their budgets. Regardless of the price paid, executives seek quality and return on investment. This puts the PR industry under pressure to show value for every hour worked and every rupee spent.
Tactical public relations should be quick, flexible, and cost effective. Competitive and economic environment can change rapidly and lightening fast response to these changing environments is crucial to the success of any PR campaign. Long-term programs planned a year in advance with exorbitant budgets are a thing of the past. Pretending to know what will happen over the next 12 to 14 months is an unaffordable luxury.
The public often think of PR as a glamorous job. Public relations people seem to have been tarred with the image of constant partying and networking to find new contacts. The reality is usually long hours and hard work for anyone involved in public relations.
There are certain skills necessary to work in the world of PR. These include a very high level of communication skills, written and verbal. The PR person must also be very adept at multitasking and time management. He or she may also have some form of media background or training in order to understand how the media and advertising work. Organizational and planning skills are also important in public relations.
The PR worker must also be able to cope very well under pressure. He or she must have the ability to cope with a barrage of questions from the media and the public. If a company comes under critical attack, it is the PR department that must take control of the situation. They must effectively answer the criticism and turn it around in order to protect the company’s reputation.
A public relations worker usually has some form of relevant college qualification. Competition for jobs in PR is fierce. A talented public relations person has the opportunity to work up from a junior account executive to an account director in around five years. This is not a nine to five job; the hours are long and can be stressful. However, for successful PR workers, the pay is good and the perks may be even better.
PR is an essential and integrated component of public policy or service. The professional public relation activity will ensure the benefit to the citizens, for whom the policies or services are meant for. This aims in imparting such professional PR skill. During the boom years, high-level public relations representation was highly sought after by companies of all sizes. When the economic downturn hit and executives toiled with last-straw strategies and tactics for identifying hidden profit opportunities, public relations professionals saw their share of pink slips. Now, as the economy continues to rebound, PR is once again in favor.
Many people do not realize that practices that maximize profitability during good economic times are the very same practices that help maximize profits or minimize losses during downturns. A strategic public relations campaign can strengthen a company’s position and competitive edge during a weak economy and support sales initiatives during a strong economy.
In an economic downturn, people still conduct business; there is just less of it. Positioning a company as a market leader and measurably increasing media visibility is what successful PR is all about. And businesses that survive will be those with the shrewdest PR strategies, the most creative approach to customers, the highest perceived value, and the greatest service during and after the sale, and the fiercest sales force.
When the economy is enjoying a rebound, public relations can support well-established organizations while enhancing the reputations of smaller, growing companies through public education. When the economy is up, it follows the public spirits. And when spirits are up minds tend to be more open to new ideas. This is a breeding ground for innovative and lively discussions designed to catapult one company over another. A robust economy, by nature, sparks interest in new products and services while offering opportunities for companies to provide thought-provoking and educational commentary.
Among the most effective public relations practices used by successful companies is thought leadership. Thought leadership is the art of communicating a strategic vision to others in an informative and convincing way. Masters of thought leadership will not speak above or below their audience, but directly to them. Understanding their public enables thought leaders to position themselves as experts in their given field while crafting their message in a way that influences their audience in a positive manner.
For many companies, PR is an afterthought to strategic planning and can appear to be out of sync with business objectives. PR should tie into sales, desired results, and should speak directly of the company’s mission. It works best (in any economy) when tightly integrated with marketing. And since one person cannot carry out an effective PR strategy, the success of a campaign depends on the support, commitment and involvement of the highest levels within the organization.
Today, the PR industry is under more scrutiny than ever before. The days of building a company on hype and rumor are long gone - as are robust retainers for lackluster returns. In any economy, smart companies scrutinize their budgets. Regardless of the price paid, executives seek quality and return on investment. This puts the PR industry under pressure to show value for every hour worked and every rupee spent.
Tactical public relations should be quick, flexible, and cost effective. Competitive and economic environment can change rapidly and lightening fast response to these changing environments is crucial to the success of any PR campaign. Long-term programs planned a year in advance with exorbitant budgets are a thing of the past. Pretending to know what will happen over the next 12 to 14 months is an unaffordable luxury.
The public often think of PR as a glamorous job. Public relations people seem to have been tarred with the image of constant partying and networking to find new contacts. The reality is usually long hours and hard work for anyone involved in public relations.
There are certain skills necessary to work in the world of PR. These include a very high level of communication skills, written and verbal. The PR person must also be very adept at multitasking and time management. He or she may also have some form of media background or training in order to understand how the media and advertising work. Organizational and planning skills are also important in public relations.
The PR worker must also be able to cope very well under pressure. He or she must have the ability to cope with a barrage of questions from the media and the public. If a company comes under critical attack, it is the PR department that must take control of the situation. They must effectively answer the criticism and turn it around in order to protect the company’s reputation.
A public relations worker usually has some form of relevant college qualification. Competition for jobs in PR is fierce. A talented public relations person has the opportunity to work up from a junior account executive to an account director in around five years. This is not a nine to five job; the hours are long and can be stressful. However, for successful PR workers, the pay is good and the perks may be even better.
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