Introduction to Public Relations

1. Introduction to Public Relations -- PR and Management -- The Personality of PR Officer

2. Publicrelations is a vital tool for strategic management (Dozier etal. 1995) and that it has had a significant role in building the reputation of some of theworld’s most admired corporations (Skolnik 1994).

3. ‘What is an organisation?’ • Systemstheory describes an organisation as aset of parts (or subsystems) which impact on each other and which together interactwith the organization’senvironment. • Specifically, organizationsare part of a social system which consists of individualsor groups of individuals (publics), such as employees, pensioners, suppliers, distributorsand so on, who are all involved with it. • The role of public relations is to developand maintain relationships with these groups in order for the organizationto meet its goals.

4. Subsystems in an organization • In internal relationships, there are five similar subsystems in mostorganisations: • Production  produce the products or services of the organisation. • Maintenancework across the organisation, acting effectively as its glue,encouraging employees to work together, e.g: Human resources • Disposal  focus on the marketing and distribution of products. • Adaptive  help the organisation to adjust whenthe environment in which it operates changes, e.g: research and development and strategicplanning departments. • Management  direct and controlthe other subsystems and manage conflicting demands between them; also negotiatebetween the demands of the environment (for example requirement for low prices)and the survival needs of the organisation (profit).

5. Public relations in strategy making • The contribution that public relations can make to the strategy-making process istwofold: • first, helping to collect and interpret information from the social environment so that strategic decisions can be made; • second, the communication of the strategicvision.

6. Information gathering, interpretation and risk management • How do public relations professionals undertake this intelligence gathering work? - ‘Environmental scanning’ (gaining information about the macroenvironment) - Knowledge of Publics Information Interpretation Risk Management

7. Profile of PR Officer • Help with the public relations aspects of decisions. • Skill in articulating principles and in enlarging understanding of the organisation. • Loyalty. • Inspiration to help all members of the department / division to do their bestcheerfully. • Influence in restraining other members from saying or doing anything harmful to the organisation’swelfare.

8. Work Assignments of PR 1. Writing • News releases, newsletters, correspondence, reports, speeches, booklet, texts, radio and television copy, film scripts, trade paper and magazine articles, institutional advertisements, product information, and technical materials. 2. Editing • Special publications, employee newsletters, shareholder reports, andother communications directed to internal and external publics. 3. Media Relations and placement • Contacting news media, magazines, Sundaysupplements, free-lance writers, and trade publications with the intent of gettingthem to publish or broadcast news and features about or organised by theorganisation. Responding to media requests for information or spokesperson. 4. Special events: • Arranging and managing press conferences, convention exhibits,open houses, anniversary celebrations, fund-raising events, special observances,contests, and award programmes.

9. 5. Speaking: • Appearing before groups and arranging platforms for others beforeappropriate audiences by managing a speaker’s bureau. • Production - Creating communications using multimedia knowledge and skills;including art, photography, and layout for brochures, booklets, reports,institutional advertisements, and periodical publications; recording and editingaudio and video tapes; and preparation of audio visual presentations. • Research: - Gathering intelligence  enabling the organisation to plan programmesresponsive to its public’s and problem situations, monitoring public relationsprogramme effectiveness during implementation, and evaluating programmeimpact.

10. Programming and counseling • Determining needs, priorities, goals, publics,objectives, and strategies. • Collaborating with management or clients in a problemsolvingprocess. • Training - Working with executives and other organisational representatives toprepare them for dealing with the media, and for making presentations and otherpublic appearances. In service staff development. • Management - Administering the operation of the public relations function –personal, budget and programmes.

11. Requirements for Success • Skills • Effective writing • Persuasive speaking • Knowledge • In-depth knowledge of various media. • Understanding of management process. • Business, financial acumen(=the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions).

12. Abilities • Problem solver • Decision-maker. • Deft in handling people generates confidence. • Assumes responsibility • Quality • Stability and common sense. • Drive and enthusiasm. • Wide-ranging interests and intellectual curiosity. • Good listener. • Tolerance for frustration. • Style. (Courtesy: Jo Proctor, "the path to the top", Public relations journal, volume 39)

13. Traits for Success(according to Bill Cantor, a PR specialist from NY) • Response to tension: • Most successful public relations executives are intensepeople, although it may not always be evident event to themselves. Often they are attheir best under fire, and rather than solving problems by abstract analysis, will reachpractical solutions by direct action. • Individual initiative: • The successful public relations executive will usuallytake immediate action before a situation becomes blown out of proportion. • He or sheusually will not wait for instructions, but takes the initiative to solve the problem;seeks to anticipate and adjust to change; leads the public relations effort.

14. Curiosity and learning • The PRprofessionals should have aninquiring mind, should want to learn everything possible about the product, service,client or organisation, and the competition. • Since PR is not an exactscience, frequently the public relations executive must try a number of approaches inorder to solve a problem. Some of which might not work. If and when they don’twork, the professional does not regard them as personal blunders but as learningopportunities. • Problems are solved by persistence and intelligence. He or she neverstops learning.

15. Energy, drive and ambition • The successful public relations person has energy,drive and ambition. • He or she works rapidly and is not afraid to take a calculated risk. • Most of the top practitioners are stimulated by the problems to be solved, and arewilling to work the hours it takes to reach their goals. • Objective thinking • Public relations executives must be as objective and factualas possible and above all, have excellent judgment. They must know what to do andsay, and when (have a sense of timing). • They must have a capacity forintense concentration and attention to intricate detail, and keen powers of observation this is especially critical in counseling.

16. Flexible attitude • It is crucial that public relations executives have the ability tosee things from someone else’s view point, eg., executive management’s, a publicationeditor’s,or a hostile audience’s. • Service to others • Most successful public relations executives have a naturaldesire to help people. • Pleasure in the success of others is a major motivation for theservice behaviour. • Friendliness • Public relations people generally are perceived as likeable,friendly and genuinely interested in others, rarely as resentful, bitter, or hostile. • Theydevelop and maintain a wide range of personal contacts.

17. Versatility • The successful public relations executive is often able to performwell in a variety of areas because he or she has a venturesome (=adventurous) spiritand a livelyinterest in the world at large. • The best practitioners are generalists with a speciality. • The desire to learn and the ability to focus on varied subjects helps them adjustrapidly to new tasks and multiple client problems and needs. • Lack of self-consciousness • Successful public relations executives are much lessself-conscious than other executives, perhaps because they often function as catalysts. • Although some practitioners have large egos, they often are self-effacing (don’t draw attention to themselves), functioningin the background while projecting others into the limelight (attention).

18. Topic of discussion (group presentation) • Anggota firma PR memiliki ketrampilan dalam mengatasi masalah dan perencanaan. Karenanya, sebuah restoran Cina di di Surabaya menyewa sebuah firma PR setempat untuk merencanakan dan mempublikasikan peresmian pembukaan restorannya. • Restoran tersebut bernilai 1 miliar rupiah. Dekorasinya otentik bergaya Cina dan banyak dari perabotannya dari berbagai dinasti Cina sasaran terdekatnya adalah menyelenggarakan peresmian pembukaan yg unik dan berhasil yang akan menjadi berita. Sasaran jangka panjangnya adalah kedudukan restoran itu sebagai restoran Cina utama di kawasan bersangkutan. • Susun beberapa gagasan garis besar yang menunjukkan kemampuan pengatasan masalah dan perencanaan kreatif Anda