Public Relations Management

Unit I

Introduction to P.R. – Definition, Nature, History and Development, Role of PR,

PR associations. Objectives Of Public Relations, Emergence Of Public Relation.

What Is Public Relations?

Public relations is a strategic communication process companies, individuals, and
organizations use to build mutually beneficial relationships with the public.

A public relations specialist drafts a specialized communication plan and uses media and
other direct and indirect mediums to create and maintain a positive brand image and a strong
relationship with the target audience.

Objective of Public Relations

The main objective of public relations is to maintain a positive reputation of the brand and
maintain a strategic relationship with the public, prospective customers, partners, investors,
employees and other stakeholders which leads to a positive image of the brand and makes it
seem honest, successful, important, and relevant.

Functions of Public Relations

Public relations is different from advertising. Public relations agencies don’t buy ads, they
don’t write stories for reporters, and they don’t focus on attractive paid promotions. They
rather promote the brand by using editorial content appearing on magazines, newspapers,
news channels, websites, blogs, and TV programs.
Using earned or free media for promotion has its own benefits as information on these
mediums aren’t bought. It has a third party validation and hence isn’t viewed with scepticism
by the public.

The functions of public relations manager and public relations agencies include:

1. Anticipating, analysing, and interpreting the public opinion and attitudes of the public
towards the brand and drafting strategies which use free or earned media to influence
them.
2. Drafting strategies to support brand’s every campaign and new move through editorial
content.
3. Writing and distributing press releases.
4. Speechwriting.
5. Planning and executing special public outreach and media relations events.
6. Writing content for the web (internal and external websites).
7. Developing a crisis public relations strategy.
8. Handling the social media presence of the brand and responding to public reviews on
social media websites.
9. Counselling the employees of the organization with regard to policies, course of action,
organization’s responsibility and their responsibility.
10. Dealing with government and legislative agencies on behalf of the organization.
11. Dealing with public groups and other organizations with regard to social and other
policies of the organization and legislation of the government.
12. Handling investor relations.

Types of public relations

According to the functions of the public relations department/agencies, public relations can
be divided into 7 types. These are:

▪ Media Relations: Establishing a good relationship with the media organizations and
acting as their content source.
▪ Investor Relations: Handling investors events, releasing financial reports and regulatory
filings, and handling investors, analysts and media queries and complaints.
▪ Government Relations: Representing the brand to the government with regard to
fulfilment of policies like corporate social responsibility, fair competition, consumer
protection, employee protection, etc.
▪ Community Relations: Handling the social aspect of the brand and establishing a
positive reputation in the social niche like environment protection, education, etc.
▪ Internal Relations: Counselling the employees of the organization with regard to
policies, course of action, organization’s responsibility and their responsibility.
Cooperating with them during special product launches and events.
 ▪ Customer Relations: Handling relationships with the target market and lead consumers.
Conducting market research to know more about interests, attitudes, and priorities of the
customers and crafting strategies to influence the same using earned media.
▪ Marketing Communications: Supporting marketing efforts relating to product launch,
special campaigns, brand awareness, image, and positioning.
Public Relations Examples
PR stunts or strategies range from donating to an affected community to running a brand
activation stunt in a mall. Some of the examples of successful public relations campaigns are:

Google’s Fight Ebola Campaign

The outbreak of Ebola virus in 2014 was critical as it was spread among many countries and
took many lives. Google, to help the people in need and to build up a positive brand image,
started a donation campaign where it pledged to give $2 for every $1 donated to the cause
through its website.

The public relations strategy attracted the media attention and resulted to be a huge success as
Google raised $7.5 million.

Paramount Pictures The Ring Publicity Stunt

Paramount Pictures, to promote its new horror franchise, The Ring, and to get more user
attention, took a step forward and planned a publicity stunt where the protagonist haunted the
people in a real-life scenario.

The film’s most iconic scene of Samara crawling out of the TV set was recreated in a TV
showroom where the protagonist came crawling out of the hidden compartment behind a TV
screen and scared people.
The stunt went viral and the video received over 10 million views on Facebook.

Just Eat & A Sick Customer

Just Eat is an online food ordering application which lets users add comments to their orders
to inform the delivery person about the right address or to leave the order to the neighbour
etc.

One unwell customer tried her luck to see if she could get the delivery person to stop en-route
and get her some medicines. She wrote:

Will you please stop in the Spar on the way and get me some Benylin cold and flu tablets and
I’ll give you the money. Only ordering food so I can get the tablets. I’m sick xx.

The delivery person delivered both and this public relations stunt went viral over the media.

Facebook Paris Support Profile Pictures

In response to the tragic shooting in Paris in 2015 where at least 129 people died, Facebook
added a France flag filter which the users could apply to their profile pictures to support
France. Millions of people applied this filter and appreciated this effort by Facebook.

Advantages Of Public Relations

▪ Credibility: Public trusts the message coming from a trusted third party more than the
advertised content.
▪ Reach: A good public relations strategy can attract many news outlets, exposing the
content to a large audience.
▪ Cost effectiveness: Public relations is a cost effective technique to reach large audience
as compared to paid promotion.
Disadvantages Of Public Relations
▪ No Direct Control: Unlike paid media, there isn’t a direct control over the content
distributed through the earned media. This is the biggest risk of investing in public
relations.
▪ Hard To Measure Success: It is really hard to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of
a PR campaign.
▪ No Guaranteed Results: Publishing of a press release isn’t guaranteed as the brand
doesn’t pay for it. The media outlet publishes it only if it feels that it’ll attract its target
audience.

Importance Of Public Relations

With over 63% of the value of most companies dependent on their public image, public
relations has become a very important topic today for numerous reasons:

Builds Up The Brand Image

The brand image gets a boost when the target customers get to know about it through a third
party media outlet. A good public relations strategy help the brand builds up its image in a
way it wants to.

It’s Opportunistic
Public relations strategies make the brand capitalize on the opportunities. Google was in the
news for donating to Ebola. Facebook promoted LGBTQ rights. Coca-Cola did a PR stunt
against obesity.

These opportunities even attract many influencers to share the brand story to their followers.

Promote Brand Values

PR is used to send out positive messages which are in line with the brand’s value and its
image. This builds up the brand’s reputation.

Strengthen Community Relations

PR strategies are used to convey that the brand is as much part of the society as the target
audience. This builds up a strong relationship of the brand with the public.

Objectives of Public Relations:

Within the overall objective of understanding the public and making itself favorably
understood, public relations have these objectives:
1. Creating awareness about the company, its goals, products and services where this counts.

2. Sustaining the awareness as an ongoing process, keeping in mind what the competitors are
doing, and knowing that public memory is short.

3. Striving to be accepted by the various publics. Special efforts are required to be accepted
by employees. A foreign company has its own requirements for being accepted on this soil.

4. Creating a bond of trust. In times of rumors, misinformation, etc., a company has to

establish the truth. In normal times, too, a company has to promote its reliability. Just
consider the frequent use of words like believe, trust, reliable, safe, 100%, etc. in building a
company image.

5. Getting cooperation from various quarters. A company has many publics on whom it has to
depend. Government organizations, providers of various services etc. have to be wooed in
such a way that they willingly help the company.

6. Earning recognition. It is not enough to perform feats but it is necessary to get these
noticed and talked about. Through winning awards, certifications etc. and getting these read
and seen, a company gets recognition. Having so-and-so as a client or collaborator may itself
be a recognition. This has to be publicized.

How Public Relations Differ from Propaganda and Advertising:

Whereas propaganda suggests a blatant and crude kind of publicity, sometimes by
bulldozing the audience, public relations are a gentlemanly effort to inform properly and
create an understanding. Public relations try to win hearts.

As for advertisements, public relations exercises differ from the common run of
marketing ads. Public relations may, of course, use press appearances as a medium for
creating an understanding, but that is at a level different from marketing.

While “ads” are normally understood to be out-and-out sales device, public relations create
an atmosphere in which the ads may function effectively. Good public relations are, thus, a
subtle and indirect mode of advertisement. Ads and PR are a doubles team to enhance a
company’s business and business image.

The “Publics” of an Organisation:

Every organisation has to list out the bodies and segments of population on whom it depends
for its smooth functioning and growth. Let us take a few examples.

Publics of a supermarket:
1. Customers who visit it and buy from it

2. Its suppliers

3. Its staff

4. Its potential customers (and that may include the whole town, even visitors from nearby
towns)

5. Licensing and taxation authorities

6. Providers of infrastructure facilities and services (e.g. electricity, security, etc.)

7. Its publicity agents, newspapers, etc.

8. Regulator) authorities such as Food and Drugs Administration

Publics of a holiday resort:

1. People who have the spending power to visit it and have an access to it
2. Its staff

3. Travel agents who may do bookings for it

4. Transport operators

5. Government maintenance agencies like the municipal corporation

6. Law and order authorities

7. Professional entertainers

8. Emergency service providers like doctors, divers, and adventure experts

9. Publicity machinery

The relative importance of each public for the company is determined from experience.
Equitable attention is required to be paid to each public.

Internal Public Relations:

It is curious that when we say a company sometimes we mean all its employees and
sometimes only the top management or owners. For the top management, the rank and file is
a public, to be entertained and befriended as a category.

Internal PR is maintained by means of:

1. Counseling and dialogue:
Employees may have to be advised suitably to get adjusted to their jobs.

2. Self-expression forums:
Employees should have access to higher management to convey their problems and useful
ideas. The employees may express themselves through suggestion schemes.

These contribute a fund of ideas based on actual working conditions. However, it is necessary
not to promise that the suggestions would all be translated into schemes.

At the same time, good ideas need to be rewarded. If a company conducts its own slogan
contest, it may give a prize to the winning slogan and save on publicity expenditure.
3. Publications:
As seen earlier in this section, house journals help to create a family feeling in an
organisation. If a house journal is supplemented by get-togethers (of employees within a
town) and camps (of employees from different towns), a bond of cordiality is created. The
publication can serve as a base for such get-togethers and camps.

4. Free films, entertainment shows, and educative lectures:

Even in the days of overexposure to films through TV, rare and attractive films can be
screened specially for employees.

Similarly, magic shows, hypnotism shows, gymnastics show, etc. can be arranged for them.
Educative lectures, yoga and meditation camps and celebration of special days (e.g. Hindi
Day), poetry meets, etc. are some more means of solidifying employee bonds.

5. Felicitations:
Employees and their family members can be felicitated for their achievements – merit ranks,
scholarships, adventure feats, etc.

6. Inviting family members by creating occasions:

A campaign like a tree plantation drive can be used to create a good image in the outside
world and an occasion for employees’ family members to meet in informal surroundings.
Family members may also be invited for national days like the Independence Day and the
Republic Day.

External PR:
This is a wider area, with many interest groups:
1. Customers:
They constitute the biggest public for a company. They can be wooed by having a grievance
cell, enquiry booth, “disinterested” educational campaigns (e.g. “night brushing is vital” –
message from a toothpaste company), display of posters and pamphlets explaining schemes,
creating convenience for weaker age groups and weaker sections, etc.

Courtesy and promptness are time-honored PR devices that function through every
representative of the company.

2. Financiers:
The company’s shareholders, bankers, depositors, etc. like to know about the financial status
of the company.

By issuing prompt, truthful, and self-explanatory and reader- friendly financial publications
and reaching them into the hands of the financial partners, a company can earn their
goodwill.

3. General public:
There is a vast group of people who are not actual consumers of the company but may be
potential consumers.

For an airline, there are many who have no plans to fly in the near future but who still view
with interest the coming into existence of a new company in this line, its standard of service,
etc.

Their genera discussions help to create a climate of opinion. Thus an overall good image
needs to be projected at all times.

A company can stay in the memory of the general public by doing society-useful jobs, e.g.
cleanliness campaigns, ecofriendly activities, help in disaster management, etc.

4. Institutions:
They include government departments, corporations and public bodies. They are power
centres with much capacity to do or undo.

To stay good in their eyes, a company needs to do that which appeals to an enlightened
group. It needs to project an image as a law- friendly company. A clean administration and
standards of probity in the product help to woo institutions.

Feedback in PR:
To know what the public is thinking of the company in general and on specific points in
particular is necessary for it’s image-building. This becomes especially necessary when sales
decline despite heavy publicity campaigns. Publicity is a heady wine and likely to induce
pride and self-complacency.
Excessive publicity sometimes produces a reverse reaction – sympathy for the underdog.
People sometimes don’t want to go where everybody goes. And yet monolithic reputations
(one company outshining all others) are possible. They are achieved by staying close to the
ground.

A company can stay in touch with the public at large by getting constant feedback from its
publics. This is done through surveys and questionnaires, as also through “casual” talk and by
listening to casual remarks. Some film-makers arrange for a pre-release show and watch the
facial expressions of the spectators as they leave the theatre. Good face-readers and listeners
are an asset to a feedback campaign.

Just as a company uses celebrity endorsements (support of famous persons) as a tool of

advertisements, it does well to listen to disinterested intellectuals who may not be celebrities.
Because of their superior intellect and dispassion, they can mouth an opinion that may be of
lasting value.

At the same time, an ignored warning from this precious minority can be a sign of decline of
a company. Publishers get their books read by such disinterested intellectuals for a frank and
balanced opinion.

PR and Media:
Media planning is truly a specialist job today. From hoardings at busy suburban railway
stations like CST or Church gate, daily seen by lakhs of commuters, to internet – deep inside
the computer tube, there are too many media today. But audio-visual media maintain their
primacy.

The tools of public relations are:

1. TV:
Here your skill in PR is seen in the programmes your sponsor and in the decorum of your
presentations. The TV announcer’s voice is often more effective to drive home your slogan
than the paid artist or the celebrity

2. Print media – newspapers and magazines:

While ads do their work, good PR lies in contributing useful scholarly articles to appropriate
magazines and newspapers.
An article on motivation or on economy by a company’s chairman would do much to
enhance its image. Then there are interviews, panel discussions, etc. in which top executives
can take part.

3. Films:
Films about a company’s working and its unusual activity (e.g. oil exploration, disease
control) can be used for fostering public relations. These films can be shown at customers’
meets, exhibitions, press meets, in-house get-togethers, etc.

4. Literature:
Brochures, information booklets, leaflets etc. are specially devised literature for image-
building. They can be coupled with calendars, lists of holidays, useful telephone numbers,
etc.

5. Direct mail:
Some banks send birthday greetings to their customers. Similarly, season’s greetings,
sympathy cards, invitations etc. can be used as a bridge to reach a company’s established as
well as new clients.-

6. Internet:
Internet is an ever-expanding medium with unexplored possibilities. It is also a’ very
effective tool for reaching special interest groups who would be visiting certain sites or using
certain features of internet (like email).

7. Radio:
The Radio, an audio device, has certain advantages over the TV. It can play in the
background without involving the eye. Its importance needs to be properly rated, since it is a
highly under rated medium in today’s India. Executives have an extra opportunity of reaching
rural audiences by giving radio talks in regional languages. Agricultural products can be
popularized by effective use of the radio.

8. Oral communication and stage manners:

This is not the least device of public relations. Customers see employees’ dresses and
manners with some attention. Consider a savings account clerk in a bank. Customers have to
stand and wait in front of him/her. They get ample time to watch the functionaries. All
personnel who have to deal with the public need to be trained groomed and counseled from
the PR angle.

In conferences, press meets and public appearances, executives are judged by their courtesy,
stage manners and gift of the gab. A systematic development of personality is needed. Also,
sometimes a subject expert may not be a good speaker or a presentable person. What a
mistake it is in such cases to project him as the company’s spokesperson! It is better to impart
the expertise to a proficient communicator and use him for presentations.

Definition of public relations

Public relations activities are planned and sustained to establish and maintain goodwill and
mutual understanding between an organization and its publics. Generally there is not one
single accepted definition of public relations. Instead, there are many ways to define it. Some
of these are given below.

Ivy Lee and Edwards Louis Bernays established the first definition of public relations in the
early 1900s which states it as ‘a management function, which tabulates public attitudes,
defines the policies, procedures, and interests of an organization… followed by executing a
program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance’.

Entrepreneur.com defines public relations purely in terms of publicity work, describing PR as

‘Using the news or business press to carry positive stories about your company or your
products; cultivating a good relationship with local press representatives’.

According to Kent State University, public relations activity is ‘the strategic management of
communication and relationships between organizations and their key publics’.

The latest definition of public relations has been given by the Public Relations Society of
America in 2012 which states as ‘Public relations is a strategic communication process that
builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics’.

In many cases, the chief duty of the public relations professional is to draft press releases,
which are sent to targeted members of the media. But to limit the scope of the public relations
definition to publicity alone would be to underestimate the growing influence and reach of
PR.

Nature of PR activities

A positive public image is the result of carefully planned media placement, interview
publishing, press release composition, online reputation management, social media campaign
management, and many other public relations factors. Public relations success requires a deep
understanding of the interests and concerns of each of the organization’s many publics. The
public relations professional must know how to effectively address those concerns using the
most powerful tool of the PR which is the publicity.

The three general kinds of PR work are publicity, event management and publication design
as described below. The products are intended to influence public opinion and are designed to
promote and protect the image and the 0products of the organization.

• Publicity – It is communication written and produced by public relations professionals

intended to create a favorable public image for the organization. Publicity usually
takes the form of text, audio and video news releases about the organization
distributed to newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, Internet sites and
other forms of media. While there may be production costs, the organization does not
pay a fee for placement of the information in media. This is called free media.
Publicity efforts might also include persuasive interpersonal communication, such as
email and other forms of personal messaging, telephone calls, visits and meals.

• Event management – It is the conception, creation, development, scheduling,

arrangement, logistical coordination, talent sourcing, production, promotion and
execution of events such as product launches, press conferences, corporate meetings,
educational conferences, road shows, grand opening events, award ceremonies,
launch parties, festivals, games and a variety of meetings. Such managed events are
intended to accomplish the desire of the organization to generate goodwill.

• Publication design – It involves conception, writing, layout and production of a wide

variety of presentation media including promotional, sales and image building
materials such as catalogs, brochures, manuals, flyers, newspapers, videos, DVD
 covers, podcasts, film credits, stage props, websites, logotypes, and branded
packaging etc.

These public relations efforts by the organization are intended to promote goodwill with
various publics, including the general public, the community, customers, consumers,
employees, management, government officials, stockholders, suppliers, opinion leaders and
others.

Roles of public relations management

Public relations can and should make an important contribution in helping to form an
organization’s ideas about what it is, what it should do and what its publics want and expect
from it.

• Communication management – A fundamental technique used in public relations is to

identify the target audience and to tailor messages to be relevant to each audience.
The public relations role calls for developing communications objectives that are
consistent with the organization’s overall objectives. As two-way communicators,
public relations professionals interact directly with key publics, relaying the resulting
information (with recommendations) to other members of the management team.

• Crisis management – Public relations establishes methods and policies to be used

when the operations of the organization become involved in an emergency affecting
the public. This includes policies and procedures for the distribution of information to
employees, media, government and other key publics.

• Issues management – This involves identifying problems, issues and trends relevant to
the organization and then developing and executing a program to deal with them. This
also includes the study of public policy matters of concern to the organization.

• PR in marketing management – PR role in marketing management includes product

publicity, product placement, third party endorsement, use of spokespersons,
participation in trade exhibitions, and cause related marketing.

• Relationship management – This involves the role of public relations in identifying

key publics and establishing strategies for building and maintaining mutually
beneficial relationships with those publics.
 • Reputation or image management – The planning and implementing of policies,
procedures and strategies that demonstrate the commitment of the organization to
public and social re sponsibility, ethical behaviour, corporate identity and reputation
with key publics.

• Resource management – Public relations management of human and financial

resources revolves around setting objectives, planning, budgeting, recruiting and
hiring PR employees and administering of these resources.

• Risk management – As preventive PR, this role involves making the organization
recognize areas of potential danger so that needed changes can be made before
potential dangers develop into crises.

• Strategic management – Acting as a counselor, the PR professional helps the

management team in developing sound policies that are in the best interests of the
public as well as the organization. The PR professional integrates an understanding of
the concerns and attitudes of key publics into the organization’s managerial decision
making process.

Public relations professionals present the face of an organization usually to articulate its
objectives and official views on issues of relevance, primarily to the media. Public relations
activity contributes to the way an organization is perceived by influencing the media and
maintaining relationships with stakeholders.

The possibilities of success of public relations efforts enhances if public relations

professionals work with and answer to senior management and deal directly with the critical
external and internal publics on which an organization depends.
Emergence of PR

Public Relations in India: -

Introduction

The India Economy Reform in 1991 opened the door of LPG i.e. Liberalization,
Privatization, and Globalization. That was the period when PR got its rightful place in India.
The emergence of multi-national corporations in the early 1990s, an increase of foreign direct
investment and the deregulation of industries, has made market competitive and businesses
felt to build their reputation. Those who were new entrants, keen to create their identity and
image and those who have been existing long, started focusing to build their repute. This led
to the beginning of PR and advertising agencies in the country.

PR in India – The Pre- Independence Period:-

The growth of PR as a profession in India is a very debatable topic. Many scholars have
analyzed the historical evolution and growth of PR in India from the varied perspective for
instance:-

J.M. Kaul chronicles four stages of historical evolution of PR – Early Stage, The stage of
Conscious PR; the third stage of PR and finally professionalism in PR.

Another author Rahul Jain, in his paper ‘PR Landscape’ published by ‘Global Alliance for
PR and Communication Management’ for information only categorized PR in 3 broad
phases – propaganda, publicity and public information. During the struggle of the freedom
movement, the political leaders used the different forums to disseminate information and
appeal to common masses to participate in the freedom movement. Mass Media especially
newspapers played a great role in creating national enthusiasm among Indians. The British
Government in 1921 established a Central Publicity Board to function as a bridge between
government and the media. The nomenclature of Central Publicity Board got changed in
1923 as the Directorate of Public Instruction and in 1939, it became the Directorate of
Information and Broadcasting.
It is believed that Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) opened their public relations
department in 1943 in Bombay (now in Mumbai). It also started a monthly publication next
year for employee communication.

Some also believe that systematic function of PR started with the Indian Railways. The
reason for building the railways, carrying raw materials from one part of the country to
another seems to be a riskier affair, therefore, they started using promotional messages for
passengers inside the train to recover the cost.

PR in India – Post Independence:-

India opted for mixed economy model post-independence. The government gave lots of
preference to Public sector organization. This led to the start of Industrial Policy Resolution
of 1948 and followed by Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956.

The Government implemented policies based on import substitution industrialization and

advocated a mixed economy where the government-controlled public sector was expected to
co-exist with the private sector.

A decision at the top government level was taken around that time that all the central public
sector enterprises (CPSEs) that now number about 250 would have a public relations
department headed by a professional. It was also conveyed to the public sector chiefs that for
informing and motivating the employees, every public sector undertaking under the Central
government would bring out a house journal for employee communication.

When we look at the media scene in India from its Independence time until the 70s when
many public sector companies were being set up, the television and radio were under the
government control. Now with more than 350 news channels in the private sector also,
Doordarshan competes with them but at the same time reflects government’s perspective
rather than being an independent news broadcaster. All India Radio still has the monopoly on
the news. The print media has always been independent and vibrant and continues to be so.
Efforts at gagging the print media from time to time have not really succeeded.

Professionalism in PR:-

The establishment of Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) in the 1970s gave a huge
impetus to the public relations industry. As we mentioned in the introduction that reform in
the Indian economy in the 1990s gave the entrance to many MNCs to come in India which
led companies to focus on their reputation and building a positive image. That was the time
when many PR and advertising companies started getting set up to help companies to hang of
the situation, finding the strategy to deal with difficult times, and responding to criticism
from adversary groups etc.

Current State of PR in India:-

Public relation is a thriving profession in India. There are hundreds of large and small PR
consultancies in the country, employing thousands of practitioners. Most comp anies in
private sector and almost all companies in the public sector have public relations
departments. According to a survey conducted by the Associated Chamber of commerce
and Industry in India (Assocham, 2012), the PR industry in India is growing at an
annual rate of 32 percent. Many believe the definition of traditional PR has undergone a
change. PR in its new avatar not just encompasses media relations and employee
communication, but is used increasingly for strategic communication, brand building,
customer relations, and crisis management. From an executive function, PR is now becoming
a part of the high-level management job touching upon the core values of an organization. PR
in India is fast emerging as an institution especially with its growing acceptance as a skilled
and specialized profession.

Reasons for Emerging International Public Relations: -

Introduction: -

IPR is undergoing major changes in its purview. In the 1960s, John Hill was the one who
conceptualized the first international public relations office. After two decades, international
public relations was defined as: – ‘’the planned, and organized effort of a company,
institution, or government to establish mutually beneficial relations with the public of other
nations. (Wilcox 1989). In the 20th Century, both perceptions and practices relating to
international public relations changed dramatically. Newson (2000) explains the term as:-

“The globalization of news media, the unification of the world’s economy and the emergence
of multinational companies have helped to expand this area of public relations. International
public relations is not today limited businesses because many non-profit organizations and
associations are included in its scope.

The reasons for emerging International Public Relations are as follows:-

 1. Integrated and independent economy: – 1. The concept of free trade policy, single
market, and fewer investment barriers have connected countries globally. Therefore,
the existence of multinational negotiations among nations, 2. GATT (General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade), the international organizations to monitor an
develop international trade and monitory system, World Trade Organizations,
International Monetary Fund and World Bank are few entities to represent the trend of
the world economy. But,3. the open door of other countries to enter into foreign
markets has also developed lots of complications in economic environment related to
employee, clients and political and economic factors as well.

This resulted in the organization to consider 4. public relations counselor more

seriously. It is imperative for an organization who do business across the sphere
because they help an organization, individual, social organization to deal with
absentee ownership, handle sensitive matter related with cultures of other peoples,
combat ethnic and religious hatred of centuries.

5.Today, the government also employ PR practitioners to win the world support for
their foreign policy goals, promote tourism and establish nation’s identity in the world
community.

2. New Communication Technologies:-

1.Today, the world is full of information thanks to the availability of various sources
of electronic media and sites at an exponential rate. The internet, satellites, supersonic
jet travel gives lots of accessibility to people to get inform and aware. New
communication technologies have given lots of benefit to PR professionals too in their
work, content, flatten the organizational structure and more connect with the public.

Brian Solis is a PR consultant and avid blogger who offers advice for PR firms eager to tap
into social media. Solis emphasizes that social media represents more of a sociological
change than a technical one. This generation prizes honesty, engagement, and transparency
over anything else. For a company to get its message to an online community, it must join
that community. And not as a spectator, but as a passionate participant; a real fan. Utilizing
emerging digital platforms yields measurable Marketing PR results, which is the underlying
goal for every client.
History & Development of public relations

The Beginnings of PR

While the idea of using communications to influence and maintain a positive reputation has
been around for centuries, public relations as a profession is something that is relatively new
in comparison to some of the world’s oldest professions such as the lawyer or the physician.

The origins of public relations can be traced all the way to Ancient Greece, where Classical
philosophers like Plato and Aristotle wrote on the art of rhetoric to aid public speakers in
their persuasion of the people. It can also be seen in the British abolitionist movement in the
late 17th Century, where books, leaflets and lectures were presented to sway public opinion
towards abolishing global slave trade.

Although this is where the foundation of PR lies, it was the dawn of mass communication at
the turn of the 20th Century that led to the birth of the public relations industry as we know it
today.

Ivy Lee and the history of PR

Ivy Lee is one of the two men thought to be the forefather of contemporary public relations.
Like many modern PRs, Lee began his career as a journalist, reporting for several New York
based newspapers including the New York Times, the New York American and the New
York World. It was when Lee advised the American industrialist John D. Rockefeller Jr. and
his company Standard Oil in 1903 that many believe marked the birth of public relations as a
professional practice.

The Rockefeller family and Standard Oil had been experiencing a poor public image
following their reaction to a series of strikes in their coal mines. Lee encouraged Rockefeller
to visit these mines and interact with the miners. This act boosted his reputation amongst the
mine workers, and improved public perception of Standard Oil. Lee was also behind what is
thought to be the first ever press release, after a major rail crash in Atlantic City in 1906. Lee
was sought out by Pennsylvania Railroad, the company who owned the railway line on which
the crash occurred. Positive that only Lee could help them salvage their reputation, they
employed him to manage the aftermath of the terrible crash. Lee’s response was to invite
press to view the crash site itself, and to offer them select information and details of the
crash. This kind of crisis management resulted in positive coverage of the Pennsylvania
Railroad, which favoured the way that Pennsylvania Railroad responded to the crash.

Edward Bernays: the founder of public relations

Opinions on who is the true founder of public relations is currently divided, and there are
many who surmise that it was Edward Bernays, who history should view as the forefather of
modern day public relations. Bernays, who was born in Austria but moved to the USA with
his family as a child, was the nephew of the pioneering psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. It was
his uncle’s theories on behavioural psychology that informed many of Bernays’ public
relations strategies.

Bernays believed that political propaganda utilised by governments to influence public

opinion during the Second World War could be used by corporations to influence public
behaviour in a more subtle form. Bernays is notable for approaching the topic of public
relations as a science, and for uniting Freud’s theories on psychoanalysis with other
sociological theories to develop his pioneering public relations methods.

Bernays is attributed to refining the art of the press release and developing much of the early
theory on public relations, most notably his ground breaking 1923 book Crystalizing Public
Opinion.

It is with great admiration that we look at these two men who shaped the PR industry
into what it is today. Their stories are remarkable, and certainly something that any
budding PR professional must familiarise themselves with.

PR Then and Now: The Evolution of Public Relations

Public Relations (PR) is often regarded as a relatively modern profession, only emerging in
the past few decades. However, the reality is that PR dates back as far as the ancient
civilizations with Julius Caesar, and Cleopatra as the earliest figures of public relations in
history. These practitioners had relished a massive PR success without the Internet or any
technology at their disposal.
PR in its earliest forms is all about press releases. Today, it has now rapidly transformed to
include social media and other modern platforms to adapt to the fast-changing society. PR
agencies are consistently finding new ways to establish connections to clients while the
consumer base is becoming smarter and more involved.