Public Relations Chap 11

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!!!!! Public Relations Public relations: The total communication strategy conducted by A person, A government An organization Attempting to reach & persuade an audience to adopt a point of view. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!!!!!

A Brief History of Public Relations Public relations is The art or science of establishing & promoting a favorable relationship with the public. Public relations is different from advertising. How are these two things different?

A Brief History of Public Relations Public relations & advertising Are persuasive endeavors & work together in integrated marketing Internal publics Those within the client’s organization Includes employees, stockholders, and members.

A Brief History of Public Relations Precursors of Public Relations People have always had opinions and others have always tried to influence those opinions. Ancient Greeks Hired Sophists to help fight their verbal battles in public forums.

A Brief History of Public Relations Precursors of Public Relations Ancient rulers Used spies to keep in touch w/public opinion & spread favorable rumors Most U.S. settlers were indifferent to American independence. Patriots used PR techniques, such as the Boston Tea Party to gain support for the war.

A Brief History of Public Relations Quick-witted people from sideshow barkers to Broadway press agents Worked to generate publicity for their clients. Dramatic means they used was known as hype. P.T. Barnum planted stories filled with lies about his attractions, Named his circus “The Greatest Show on Earth.” What are recent examples of “HYPE”?

A Brief History of Public Relations Public Relations As a Profession Ivy Ledbetter Lee The father of the modern public relations industry. Former newspaperman, hired in 1906 to rebuild tarnished images of coal mine owners, including John D. Rockefeller. Lee believed the goal of PR was not to fool or ignore the public. Often credited with being the originator of modern crisis communications

The Birth of Modern Public Relations Ivy Ledbetter Lee Understood the importance of public sentiment Contained publicity fallout from Ludlow Mine strike death Edward Bernays 1st to apply psychology & sociology to PR Taught the first PR class Authored PR book Crystallizing Public Opinion

A Brief History of Public Relations Today, countries with expanding economies such as Korea and some countries of the former Soviet union, Hire PR firms to improve the perception that international investors have of them.

A Brief History of Public Relations After September 11th, 2001 attacks on the U.S. U.S. set up media to sway anti-U.S. sentiment in Arab media: “Al Hurra” is a slickly produced Arab-language cable television network. Radio Sawa is an Arab-language radio service. Radio Farda is a Farsi-language radio service. Hi Magazine is a geared towards Iraqi elites.

A Brief History of Public Relations After poisoned Tylenol capsules in 1982, President of Johnson & Johnson & company execs had a teleconference 600 reporters in 30 cities Let company explain the precautions Johnson & Johnson made to protect consumers.

Understanding Today’s Public Relations Industry PR Strategies News management techniques include: Publicity stunts To create human-interest stories, Pseudo-event Created solely to gain media coverage News hooks To interest media in information clients want to publicize, Leaks To test public reaction to a major policy Exclusives Interview with one news outlet to increase the impact of publicity.

The Practice of Public Relations More than 7k PR firms in the U.S. Growing academic field since the 1980s By 2011, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Had more than 11,000 members, Over 300 chapters at colleges and universities.

Approaches to Organized Public Relations PRSA definition of PR Public relations helps an organization & its publics adapt mutually to each other. Two approaches Independent PR agencies Burson-Marsteller and Hill & Knowlton Corporate in-house PR staffs Used by most companies and organizations

Understanding Today’s Public Relations Industry Crisis management The action used to repair a client’s public image following an emergency Toyota Safety Recall (2013) Idea Baby Bath Seat recall (2013) Whole foods cheese recall (2013) Companies use PR agencies To calm the public and restore trust in their products/services What companies is currently working to repair their tarnished image?

Performing Public Relations (cont.) Community relations PR encourages companies to participate in community activities. Consumer relations Companies are encouraged to Pay more attention to customers Establish product service and safety guarantees Ensure that all calls and mail from customers are answered promptly

Understanding Today’s Public Relations Industry Lobbying Attempt to influence the voting of legislators. Name comes from PR reps speaking to lawmakers in lobbies outside hearing rooms. Companies spend millions of dollars in lobbying efforts. Multi-million dollar associations are set up for influencing how laws are written.

Understanding Today’s Public Relations Industry Public Relations Tools VNRs have become controversial in recent years, Often called Fake News, when used without attribution. Used by news organizations to increase content Without added cost

PR Adapts to the Internet Age Company Web sites Are the home base for PR efforts. Companies can interact with audiences Via social media. PR still needs to control messages. Firms have edited company Wikipedia entries And paid bloggers to promote products.

Public Relations and Democracy Politicians hire PR firms to improve image. PR campaigns resulting in free media exposure Raise questions regarding democracy & expression of ideas. Journalists need to become Less willing conduits in the distribution of publicity.

Controversies The Ethics of PR Tactics PR professionals & journalists have a “love-hate” relationship. Neither respects the other’s job yet they need each other. Journalists call PR people “spin doctors and “flacks,” Derives from the term for WW II anti-aircraft fire. Spin Providing an interpretation of an event or campaign Persuading public opinion in favor or against an organization or public figure

Controversies The Ethics of PR Tactics To some, spinning “The Big Lie” Is twisting the truth so what is said puts the best possible face on the facts. Critics feel that most spinning is a type of lying, or a half-truth at best “The Big Lie” When people state something they know to be untrue and stick to it Despite all evidence in the hopes that the press & public will become confused by the issue & forget about it.