communications

Public Relations is …

Warning : Long post ahead

One of the most common - and controversial - topics that come up when I’m discussing a company’s branding or public relations campaigns is  - what IS public relations or branding.

Just recently I was sitting with a member of my team that has joined us fresh out of school. We were having a rather spirited discussion of what it took to be a public relations / branding / marketing professional today and the assumptions she had were surprising to say the least.

It was a long conversation and not one to recount briefly - but let’s talk a bit about the public relations component of things.

According to Wikipedia, public relations is defined as:

Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing the flow of information between an organization and its publics.^[1] Public relations - often referred to as PR - gains an organization or individual exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment.^[2] Because public relations places exposure in credible third-party outlets, it offers a third-party legitimacy that advertising does not have.^[3] Common activities include speaking at conferences, winning industry awards, working with the press, and employee communication.

PR can be used to build rapport with employees, customers, investors, voters, or the general public.^[4]Investor RelationsLabor Relations. Almost any organization that has a stake in how it is portrayed in the public arena employs some level of public relations.

This is just one of the many definitions available out there. You’ll find any number of them that talk about how it works, what it’s supposed to be and so on and so forth.

The problem is however that you don’t see as many of these definitions that focus on the core essence of the game - the relationship between a brand (personal, corporate, product, idea, etc) and the various publics (people who use it, consumers, other companies, etc) that come into contact with it.

More often then not these days, the discussions I have seem more intent on a sub set of the whole - Media Relations.

This essentially equates Public Relations with “how many media clippings we have.” And it’s a misconception that a number of corporations have adapted and adopted as well.

It seems that over the years, many of us have forgotten the “Public” in Public Relations and have focused on a sub-set of the art. A disservice and a dangerous one at that!

After all, we’ve all had situations where public relations was as much about not being in the media as it was in talking directly to the consumer. And public relations in its absolute form can be valuable marketing and sales tool as well - yet another aspect of the art that is sorely under utilised by myopic “media clipping” focused thinking.

This is especially relevant when you consider the current economic conditions globally. Small and medium sized businesses in particular (SME/ SMB) would benefit tremendously from a properly conceptualised and executed public relations plan that would not only draw media attention to them but also help them sell their products/ services.

That’s right - you heard me. Sell products and services. With Public Relations.

Thankfully some great brands out there have been working just as hard on the actual practice of relating to their various publics.

An example is the National Geographic Channel. A combination of online, offline and everything in between  - and yes, Media Relations is there as well - the channel has gone out of its way to make sure that its viewers have access to it regardless where they are!

From its website, its relationship with bloggers, regular updates to the mass media (including newspapers, television stations, online publications and a host of other so called traditional media outlets), ground events, newsletters, fan clubs and … well it’s a long list.

Essentially they’ve made it very clear that any aspect of their brand - every contact with them - is part of their public face.

Now, isn’t that what public relations is all about?

I would go far as to say that agencies, consultants and companies that fail to recognise this simple fact will I believe be forced to either accept a smaller share of their market(s) or become extinct altogether.

So, do you have examples of other great brands that are doing some fantastic things when it comes to “communicating” with - and not at - their various “publics” ? Or do you have entertaining examples of brands who aren’t quite getting it?

Also, let’s hear about the innovative examples of businesses that have used PR to generate and grow their businesses beyond just an exercise in media exposure.

Let me know … it’s always great to have a list of great brands who get it right.

© 2008 Journeys Through The Line.