PUBLIC RELATIONS???

 It is a management function
 It helps to achieve organisational objectives,
define philosophy and facilitate organisational
change.
 Practitioners communicate with all relevant
internal and external publics to develop
positive relationships and to create
consistency between organisational
objectives and societal expectations
 ……PUBLIC RELATIONS???

Practitioners develop, execute and evaluate

organisational programs that promote the
exchange of influence and understanding
among an organisation’s constituent parts
and publics.
…….however practice of public relations is
most often not in totality of the above
definition
THE PROFESSION
HISTORY
HISTORY

THEORY

ORGANISATIONAL
DECISION
MAKING

LAW, ETHICS
AND
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
THE PROCESS

RESEARCH

PLANNING

ACTION

EVALUATION
THE PUBLICS
MEDIA
CONSUMER

EMPLOYEES
FINANCIAL RELATIONS
COMMUNITY RELATIONS

GOVERNMENTAL
BODIES AND
AGENCIES
 THE PRACTICE

NOT FOR PROFIT

GOVERNMENTAL PUBLIC RELATIONS

COUNSELLING FIRM

CORPORATION
Case study Pepsi….
 A crisis management team was set up headed by
the vice-president for public affairs.
 First and foremost, the objective was to identify the
source of the problem.
 Further, key points of the crisis plan were as
follows…..
 Put public safety first
 Find it….fix it….
 Communicate quickly and frequently
 Take responsibility for solving the crisis
Source:
Public relation by Otis Baskin, chapter 1.
 Public Relations as
Communication
 Skills possessed by practitioners; technicians
in communications
 Tasks performed; production of a media
release, an annual report, an employee
magazine, an electronic newspaper; creation
and management of a campaign to achieve
awareness of an issue or change opinions
about a subject.
 Public Relations as
Communication

 Systems established to ensure ongoing

communications
 Systems operations; usage of systems once
established.
Public Relations as a means of
influencing public opinion

 3 persuasion objectives to be borne in mind

when developing strategies
1. Maintain favourable opinion
2. Create opinion where none exists; or where
it is latent
3. Neutralise hostile opinion