Thursday, February 7, 2008
The world of marketing is huge with the four Ps of marketing and all that. But of all of these options, the one that I think is of utmost importance is not well understood and given its due in public relations. What most people think of public relations is that it involves the operation of communication activities between the public and the company, communication such as press releases and the kind. But what companies do not realize is the fact that public relations is an extremely essential and integral marketing tool.
Understanding Public Relations
Public relation is a process where a company forms a relationship and communication between it and its customers using different methods of communications, channels and various tools. Ideally the company would use a liaison officer called a public relations officer who would be responsible for working with the media to build a strong company image either by way of the company itself or its products. These days public relations is so much more than that. It includes various activities like that of creating awareness about the company along with building its image through print media, keeping a check on the different media channels for any comment regarding the company and its products, handling crisis regarding the company and its products and also building on the company’s goodwill. There are different types of public relations, some companies call it investor relations and yet others will call it financial public relations.
Purpose of Public Relations
There is a reason or a purpose for which people and companies use public relations, these are:
There are several benefits of using public relations that are not found in any of the other marketing Ps. One of the main things to consider is the fact that PR is the most credible method of promoting a company, its products and its image, this is because it uses the highly finicky media in doing so. A good PR strategy also helps in better results where target marketing is concerned. Overall the benefits of public relations cannot be denied, but make sure that you do it in an appropriate manner, as the public doesn’t take to aggressive tactics very well, and neither does the media which is an integral part of public relations.
Understanding Public Relations
Public relation is a process where a company forms a relationship and communication between it and its customers using different methods of communications, channels and various tools. Ideally the company would use a liaison officer called a public relations officer who would be responsible for working with the media to build a strong company image either by way of the company itself or its products. These days public relations is so much more than that. It includes various activities like that of creating awareness about the company along with building its image through print media, keeping a check on the different media channels for any comment regarding the company and its products, handling crisis regarding the company and its products and also building on the company’s goodwill. There are different types of public relations, some companies call it investor relations and yet others will call it financial public relations.
Purpose of Public Relations
There is a reason or a purpose for which people and companies use public relations, these are:
- Awareness about products – when a new product is launched or an old product gets a makeover and a new launch; this is when PR is used, to create a kind of awareness and interest among people through the media.
- Building interest – one of the most important roles of PR is to build hype and interest among the public, this could be about a product, a new launch or anything. This interest can be created using various tools and channels.
- Supplying information – the company uses PR to supply information to its customers and to the public. This can be done through various methods of public relation tools like articles, newsletters, websites and lot more.
- Increasing demand – there are times when PR is directly responsible for increasing the demand, this could be because a successful launch or a great article in the newspaper or on the Internet.
- Strengthen the brand image – most companies use PR to strengthen the company name and brand image. This will be done by various events and press releases, which is the job of the public relations officer.
There are several benefits of using public relations that are not found in any of the other marketing Ps. One of the main things to consider is the fact that PR is the most credible method of promoting a company, its products and its image, this is because it uses the highly finicky media in doing so. A good PR strategy also helps in better results where target marketing is concerned. Overall the benefits of public relations cannot be denied, but make sure that you do it in an appropriate manner, as the public doesn’t take to aggressive tactics very well, and neither does the media which is an integral part of public relations.
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