CHAPTER V PUBLIC RELATIONS IN STRATEGIC PLANNING THE ROAD TO STRATEGIC PLANNING PRESENT STATUS impact increasing at top level

el of corporations and varies with corporate culture inclusion in top level corporate planning circles is by no means a standard practice in business and industry in some companies. PR is not part of strategie planning but is brought in when agreed upon strategies need to be implemented via internal and external communications in other cases, PR experts are brought in when a crisis occurs and a new strategy needs to be developed and implemented in a hurry. WHAT HELPS the skills and aggresiveness of a practitioner in a corporate setting can influence whether or not he or she gets on the strategic planning board. expertise in marketing or crisis management could be used as a means of attracting positive attention from top management and an invitation to the planning process networking and being at the right place at the right time might lead to a inclusion in corporate planning sessions. taking initiative and coming forward with suggestions and ideas and showing the CEO that you can play a vital role in this ongoing process. supporting strategic objectives in the early stages of his or her career, individual performance and relationship to the general strategist also helps to earn the chance to plan strategy in the future. STRATEGIC INFLUENCE BY PUBLIC RELATIONS Gaining entry at strategic planning sessions, where the opening moves are mapped out is the most effective way of helping management avoid a crisis in the first place. While handling a crisis is a valuable skill, it is better to get involved in strategic planning at the outset, rather than at the outcry." Vito A Turso. deputy commissioner, public affairs, New York City, Department of Corrections. Two elements govern the amount of strategic influence that public relations can exercise: Corporate Culture:

 Companies with a culture that recognizes the importance of the soft side of strategic development tend to include communicators on their strategic planning teams. The soft side of the development tends to formalise tasks as awareness building, creation of teams, free discussion of options, testing of ideas, consensus building, formation of coalitions and extant politics. Individual ability: The ability to transcend the boundaries of their own skills and analyse and understand the needs and strategies of their operating and supporting units also helps some public relations professionals gain a place at strategy sessions. However, while helping map corporate strategy is a worthwhile career move, it also involves political risk. To reduce this risk. gather, analyse and evaluate relevant data about the company extensively read both internal and external documents and studies. research

Among other issues, this help to better determine the needs and wants of the customer, how to get a bigger market share and how to deal most effectively with competition. PUBLIC RELATIONS - A SEPARATE ENTITY Public Relations can be effectively used to build personal relationships with customers - relationships that can lead to long term sales success and benefit the bottom line. Advertising revenues continues to decline as a percentage of total marketing budgets, while the growth area in the marketing mix is public relations. When public relations strategy is combined with the creative power of advertising, you have an unbeatable mix - the marketing communications of the future. Marketing has already gained recognition for its strategic value. Marketing can provide a lever useful for practitioners wanting to enter strategic planning. However, others caution about co-mingling marketing and public relations. CASE - GENERAL MOTORS In 1990, the public relations function was placed under the aegis of marketing. However, the merger of public relations and marketing at GM was a 'disastrous mistake'. In response to this, Alvie L. Smith, APR, former director of corporate communications at GM remarked:

"PR should not be under marketing. They're just two totally different functions. PR can't operate at a high professional level under marketing." In recognition of the strategic distinctions between public relations and marketing. GM in July 1991 announced that these two functions would again be treated as separate entities. GM realised that what it needed was a strong public relations vice president with walk-in privileges. REPUTATION MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING While contribution to risk management and marketing enhancement make powerful arguments for a public relations voice in strategy development, some practitioners hold that asset protection is the strongest argument. The Logic: The more valuable an asset is, the more strategically important it is. Those who manage valuable assets should help formulate the strategy for optimizing these assets. Buildings depreciate, patents expire, but, properly managed, a company's name and reputation grow in value every year. Customers, investors and prospective employees frequently base decisions on reputation. Therefore, reputation is a company's most valuable asset and it must be managed strategically by the public relations practitioner charged with its care. Describing strategic planning in public relation terms, S. Morgan Morton, president, Warner Lambert Canada Inc, Scarborough, Ontario says : "The successful implementation of any strategic plan relies on three very important considerations: Communication, Communication, Communication. The GM/CEO must seize upon every opportunity to reaffirm the strategic direction of the business and articulate where the business is going and the role of each unit in carrying out specific activities related to the achievement of the overall plan." Two points to remember about this communication process: while the longer-term vision of the business may be very clear to top management, For most of the organisation, the focus is on much shorter time frames, usually the 1 month operating plan. In addition to giving the long-term perspective, also concentrate on the linkage between the current operating plan or specific projects and the longer-term plan. Any communicator who can help senior managers with strategic communications will rapidly gain a place at the strategy planning table.

Edited & Extracted from the Public Relations Journal in 1992