Explain the Role of Public Relations in Corporate Image

ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

PR professionals can do anything from coordinating a company  sponsored  golf tournament to giving newspaper reporters a tour of a new factory. PR reaches its wide  range of audiences  by  using any number  of  PR  techniques  to  convey  its messages.

Whether it be through a private PR agency or an in house PR department, the PR person  is  required  to  undertake  major  functions.  Following  are  some  of  the important PR functions and activities:

1.   COMMUNICATING WITH PR ‘PUBLICS’

We  are  all  a  ‘public’  of  one  kind  or  another,  whether  we  are  consumers  of products,  employees,  shareholders,  or  members  and  customers  of  a  company, organization, trade or professionals association. ‘Publics’ in the PR language are classified into internal and external publics.

Internal  Communication: Full and  part  time  employees  of an  organization, their  families,  trainees, trade union  officials, form  the  internal publics of an organization. Employee communication  is a vital part of any PR programme. The ultimate success of the organization depends largely on the success of its internal  communication.  This  ensures  smooth  flow  of  information  from  the management  to its employees, improving employee performance, team spirit and coordination. Full and truthful information both way results in:

Harmony in the work place

Trust and confidence between the employer and employee

Healthy and safe working conditions

Work satisfaction, fair salary and satisfaction for each employee

Pride in the organization

External   Communication:  Governments,  investors,   distributors,  customers, suppliers and shareholders, environmental groups and other people affected by   the   organization’s  policies  and  actions  are  the  external  publics  of  an organization. Lets look at each of theses closely:

a)   Governments:   PR is a  major  in the relations  between the industry and the government.   PR job is to support a company’s efforts to sell products to the government   agencies   and  make   sure   that   the   government   laws                                                                         and regulations do not unfairly obstruct a company’s business and progress. PR’s involvement  in  this  area  includes  conducting  surveys  and  other  research building coalitions and using media to promote their message.

b)   Investors:   Investor  relations  involve  communicating  with  the  current  and potential  investors, financial analysts  and  government  regulators.  PR  people operating   here   must   have   extensive   knowledge   of   corporate   finances, financial  markets  and  government  regulations.  Current  investors  want  to know   whether  to  keep  the  company’s  stocks  and  bonds  they  own,  and potential investors want to know if the company has a promising future.

2.   COMMUNICATING WITH THE MEDIA

The  PR  professional  is  required  to  make  cordial  relations  with  the  media. Media Relations is about the management of the media channels available to any company.

For people engaged in business and industry, the press is the most important communication media. Good press relations assure that a press release will be carried  by the leading dailies. The main  function  of PR while working with the media is giving them what they need, in the correct form and at the right time. PR  should never be a barrier between the media and the organization. To make most effective use of various media, the PR person has to keep 3 key factors in mind:

The message to be conveyed

The target audience

The media through which the message will reach the target audience

3.   CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

The  term  ‘Corporate  Communications’  covers  all  communication  activities which   an  organization  undertakes  as  a  corporate  entity:  everything  that involves  communication  with  staff  or  which  reflects  the  organization  as  a whole. Each company has a personality of its own. Corporate identity should take  into consideration the whole personality of the company and not just an important aspect.

Corporate  identities  should  not  be  changed  frequently.  Before  a  change  is thought  about,  extensive  research  is  essential.  The  success  of  a  corporate identity  programme  involves  detailed  research  to  define  the  organization’s present image.

Corporate communication is aimed at:

i.   The general public

ii.   Investors and financial analysts iii.   Competitors and suppliers

iv.   Government and pressure groups