Public

Relations
Chap 9
What is Public Relations?
Developing and maintaining good
relations with:
- Customers
- Suppliers
- Financial institutions,
- Owners/shareholders
- Labour organisations
- Business organisations and
- The local, provincial and national
government through communication.

About managing communication between

business and stakeholders – Can create
POSITIVE or NEGATIVE image for business

https://youtu.be/Zh-JYMcS1VI (2.5 mins)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFvGBdnT
uAE
(2.5 mins)
PR Function

1. Must organise and present 2. Promote that the business is 3. Portray TRANSPARENCY, when
this communication to establish open for communication and business is receiving negative
and maintain relations with a view interaction with all its internal publicity due to some unethical or
of developing a positive public and external stakeholders - rather illegal act they were involved in.
image of the business in the be proactive instead of reactive
community. in terms of fostering good
relationships.

If business shows integrity, when acting illegally or unethically, and they can publicly
apologise, admit their mistakes and show remorse - public is more likely to continue
supporting a business
 Factors Contributing to Successful PR
Executive Two-way Encourage
Planning Purposeful Public Benefit
Function message Performance

• Access how • There is • PR team • PR can use • PR must • PR needs to

internal and always a needs to stakeholders ensure all show that the
external reason communicate inputs/opinio stakeholders business is
stakeholders behind a a message ns to rectify understand not just
will perceive specific that aligns their actions what the wanting to
the method / with what the • This makes business make a
communicati message business and stakeholder stands for profit, but
on • E.g. if the management feel valued and wants to also benefit
• Need to message is team stand and lead to achieve. the
ensure that aimed at the for increase in • Staff will be public/society
the wrong group, • If not, could customer willing to .
perception is wrong data cause loyalty work harder • This portrays
positive will be confusion if they sustainability.
collected. and loss of understand
customer and
loyalty customers
will be more
loyal.
PR & Stakeholders
External Stakeholders Internal Stakeholders
Stakeholders OUTSIDE the business Stakeholders INSIDE business

Includes: People who have an interest in the INTERNAL aspects

of your business.
Media: Report on activities (positive or negative)
Involves promoting a good image of the company to
Suppliers: If not acting in ethical manner, business’ ensure loyalty from:
reputation will tarnish
Employees and trade unions
Customers: Will tell friends and family about
experiences Employees must buy into the brand and live the brand
(brand ambassadors)
Financial institutions: Must be kept informed about
financial developments that have impact on financial When treated fairly – translate into positive messages
stability
Shareholders
Distributors (middlemen / intermediaries): There
image can impact image of business Must be kept up to date with important developments
and/or changes in business that can affect share
Community: Business must get involved in CSR to prices
uplift community, reduce pollution and not exploit non-
renewable resources
Internal Stakeholders = Internal/Inbound
Marketing
Process where plans are communicated to various people, groups or
departments in business
Benefits of clear internal communication:
1. Goals being achieved (will know what goals are)
2. Employees feel valued – improve morale and commitment to business

Successful internal marketing can be achieved by:

1.Sending questionnaires to find out what employees think and feel
2.Use newsletters, bulletin boards, emails or other forms of communication to
reach and inform employees
3.Reward employees and celebrate good suggestions and work done
 Suppliers will continue to provide good service.

Reasons for Customers will remain loyal.

Maintaining Financial institutions will continue supporting loans.

Good Investors will continue to invest in the organisation.

Relationships
with Employees will remain loyal.

Stakeholders Media will promote the business.

Government will continue supporting the business

by purchasing goods.
Methods and Means of
Communicating
Media such as
newspapers, Publicity which is
Sponsorships
magazines, FREE
television or radio

Charities Pamphlets Social media

The Process of Public Relations

Communicatio
Research Action Evaluation
n
 Communicati
Research Action Evaluation
on

• Assess all the • Refer to the • What will relevant • Success must
factors that policies and stakeholders be be evaluated in
contribute to PR procedures of told? order to make
Problem or business adjustments
opportunity • Use appropriate
• Decide what channels to • Ask questions
• Different business will do communicate like E.g. Did
contributing about it message e.g. stakeholder
factors are newsletters, respond?, Was
• Top management
investigated and websites, special the reaction
analysed before should always be event etc positive or
a decision is kept up to date negative? Etc.
made with developments • Not a one-way
and how PR message but
department will information must
respond be gathered from
stakeholders
PR and Marketing SIMILARITIES

Deal with business’s internal Use similar tools to Both work towards business’s
and external relationships communicate with success and economic
stakeholders sustainability
PR and Marketing DIFFERENCES
Public Relations

The specialised maintenance of a good public image by

a company or other businesses.

Concerned with retaining a positive reputation for a

company.

Marketing

The act of fostering and offering products or services,

including market research and advertising.

focuses on advertising and selling a specific product or

service
PR and Marketing DIFFERENCES
cont.
MARKETING PUBLIC RELATIONS
OBJECTIVES Ensure that the Ensure that the business is
product/service is sold via building sound relationships
appropriate distribution with stakeholders as well as
channels at a price that sound reputation for
customer thinks is fair. business and brand.
TARGET MARKET The users/buyers of the Much bigger focus. Refer to
business’s product or an earlier slide relating to
service. stakeholders.

ACTIVITIES Deals with the Involved in shaping and

product/service position and promoting the business’s
sales in the market. core values, both internally
and externally.
Integration of PR and Marketing
• If a business wants to launch a new product or service and
market it to the public then the marketing team/marketing
department must do as much research as possible on new
trends and consumer wants. This will determine if the new
product or service is worth launching and promoting or not.
• If it shows opportunities for growth and profit, then effective
marketing needs to be done through adverts/social media and
the PR function must link their actual
events/exhibitions/charities/radio adverts or newspaper articles
to what marketing is advertising in order to send out the same
message to the public.
Examples
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNxu6ypeMDk
• https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/public-relations-exa
mples