Public Relations Ba (JMC) Notes

Public Relations
UNIT 1
TOPIC 1: Defining Public Relations: Functions and

Types of Publics
Definition
● Public Relations is the way organisations, companies and individuals
communicate with public and media.
● Acc. to Edward Bernays, the three main elements of public relations are:
i. informing people
ii. persuading people
iii. integrating people
● Public relations can be defined as a ‘management function that helps achieve

organisational objectives, define philosophy and facilitate organisational change.’
-Baskin, Aonolf & lattimore
● It is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual
understanding between the organisation and its various publics (all groups of
people and organisations which have an interest in the service company).
- The British Institute of Public Relations
ELEMENTS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
1. Deliberate: Public relations activity is intentional. It is designed to influence, gain

understanding, provide information, and obtain feedback from those affected by the
activity.
2. Planned: Public relations activity is organized. Solutions to problems are discovered

and logistics are thought out, with the activity taking place over a period of time. It is
systematic, requiring research and analysis.

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3. Performance: Effective public relations is based on actual policies and performance.

No amount of public relations will generate goodwill and support if the organization has
poor policies and is unresponsive to public concerns.
4. Public interest: Public relations activity should be mutually beneficial to the

organization and the public; it is the alignment of the organization’s self-interests with
the public’s concerns and interests.
5. Two-way communication: P
ublic relations is not just disseminating information but
also the art of listening and engaging in a conversation with various publics.
6. Management function: P ublic relations is most effective when it is a strategic and

integral part of decision making by top management. Public relations involve
counselling, problem solving, and the management of competition and conflict.
FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

1. Counselling: Providing advice to management concerning policies, relationships, and
communications.
2. Research: Determining attitudes and behaviors of publics in order to plan public
relations strategies. Such research can be used to (1) generate mutual understanding or
(2) influence and persuade publics.
3. Media relations: Working with journalists and bloggers in seeking publicity or
responding to their interests in the organization.
4. Publicity: Disseminating planned messages through selected media, including social

media, to further the organization’s interests.
5. Employee/member relations: Responding to concerns, informing, and motivating an
organization’s employees or members.
6. Community relations: Planned activity with a community to maintain an environment

that benefits both the organization and the community.
7. Public affairs: Developing effective involvement in public policy and helping an
organization adapt to public expectations. The term is also used by government

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agencies to describe their public relations activities and by many corporations as an
umbrella term to describe multiple public relations activities.
8. Government affairs: Relating directly with legislatures and regulatory agencies on
behalf of the organization. Lobbying can be part of a government affairs program.
9. Issues management: Identifying and addressing issues of public concern that affect
the organization.
10. Financial relations: Creating and maintaining investor confidence and building good

relationships with the financial community. It is also known as investor relations or
shareholder relations.
11. Industry relations: Relating with other firms in the industry of an organization and
with trade associations.
12. Development/fund-raising: Demonstrating the need for and encouraging the public
to support an organization, primarily through financial contributions.
13. Multicultural relations/workplace diversity: Relating with individuals and groups in
various cultural groups.
14. Special events: Stimulating an interest in a person, product, or organization by
means of a well-planned event; also, activities designed to interact with publics and
listen to them.
15. Marketing communications: Combination of activities designed to sell a product,
service, or idea, including advertising, collateral materials, publicity, promotion, directs
mail, trade shows, and special events.
Public

Public may be defined as a group of people sharing a common interest or common
values in a particular situation. In PR, public encompasses any group of people who are
tied together, however, loosely by some common bond of interest or concern snf who
have consequences for an organization.
Longman dictionary of Mass Media and Communication defines, public as “people, who

have the same relationship to same person or group, constantly changing and not
necessarily organized, the individual of a public may or may not knew and communicate
with each other.”

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TYPES OF PUBLICS
Public in Public Relations management, by and large are divided into two broad
categories as internal public and external public. Internal public refers to the employees
and the external public is referred to customers. In the wake of globalization and
information revolution, international public has also emerged.
Categories of Public:
1. Employees – Internal Publics
Employees are the first in any organization. The functioning of any organization-be it a
commercial or government department-is linked with the employees working in the
organization. However, employees are the first among the public relations publics, for
the organization cannot function without employees in providing services either to
investors or to the customers.
2. Financial publics- The growth of any organization depends upon the financial
resources. Without initial investment, one cannot start any company. Investors who
purchase shares or invest money constitute financial public for an organization.
Investors rely on growth in share price over time and any sudden or consistent fall may
generate a merger or takeover of the company. The financial market is closely linked to
investors and bankers. The financial public can be divided into three broad categories:
a. shareholders
b. investment analysts, financial analysts, stockbrokers, institutional buyers of large
blocks of shares such as insurance companies, unit trusts, pension funds
c. financial media of both print and electronic
3. Suppliers- the suppliers of materials and services are of great importance to any
manufacturing company. Without raw material, no products can be manufactured. The
maintenance of good relations with suppliers and services will help in smooth running
of the organization.
4. Distributors- One of the Ps in marketing represents ‘Place’ where the product is sold
through distributors. For manufacturers and service providers, distributors mean
wholesalers, department stores, supermarket chains, malls and appointed dealers or
agents, franchises, hotels, internet retailers, exporters and overseas importers etc.
Distributor relations is an aspect of public relations and marketing support which no

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manufacturer or service provider can afford to neglect distributors are unlikely to sell a
new product in which they have no confidence.
5. Customers- “Customer is the master” and the “customer is always right” are the
adages that are followed by all organizations. A business will not be successful unless
people like its products. The customers are vested with rights under the Consumer
Protection Act 1986. One of the rights is the right to be informed, about the quality,
quantity, purity, standard and price of goods and services. The target of public relations
communication is not only the current customer but also the potential customer of the
future. The customers are to be carefully identified for communication purpose and
treated as very important persons. “Customers meet” is an important tool of customers’
public relations.
6. Government- Central, Local State Government Departments, Regulatory bodies,

Bureaucrats, Ministry of Petroleum
In government, bureaucracy is the key role player. All organizations need the support of
the government, consisting of several departments and regulatory authorities. The
government affects business through taxes and monetary policies and provides water,
power, sanitation and municipal services. Government departments, ministries,
secretaries, heads of the departments who run the public administration constitute the
key government public for most of the organizations both in the government and in the
private sector. In government relations, business organizations primarily are concerned
with weighing impending legislation for its impact on the company. Therefore, it is
necessary to identify government as a public and make contacts to improve
communications with government officials and departments. At the grassroots level,
village panchayat president and its secretary are the key government public.
7. Opinion Leaders- Community and Caste Leaders, M.P.s, MLAs
Opinion leader is an important person in a particular group of people who, as a ‘public
though leader’ will have an impact on thinking. They are knowledgeable and articulate in
specific issues and subjects and are also well respected in the society. Sociologists,
describe opinion leaders as intellectuals in their subject, well-informed on the issue than
an average person, avid consumers of mass media, early adopters of new ideas and
good organizers who can get other people to take action. Public opinion on an issue
8. Media public- Newspapers, radio, TV, films, Internet
9. General Community- Neighbourhood community
10. Special Public- Women, Farmers, Tribals, Minorities, Youth, Community Relations

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11. International Public
TOPIC 3: Scope of PR: Issue Management, Lobbying,

Corporate Social Responsibility, Public Opinion,
Advertising, Propaganda, Publicity and PR as a
marketing tool
A. ISSUE MANAGEMENT
● Issue management is a proactive process of anticipating, identifying, evaluating
and responding to public policy issues that affect organisation’ relationship with
their publics. Two points to remember:
● 1.Early identification of issues with potential impact on the organisation
● 2. A strategic response designed to mitigate or capitalize on their consequences.
● When issue management operates in areas of public policy, it is part of public

affairs.
● W. Howard Chase, 1976 stated that; Issue management includes:

1. identifying issues,
2. analyzing issues,
3. setting priorities,
4. selecting Programme strategies,
5. implementing program of action and communication and
6. evaluating effectiveness.
It is a process of closing the “gap between corporate action and stakeholder

expectation”.

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B. LOBBYING
Lobbying is described as a process of corporate advocacy to influence decision-making
by the legislators, regulatory bodies and government officials.
Lobby has been derived from the Latin word ‘Lobia’ which means ‘covered walk’.
Lobbying is a process in which individuals or groups seek to influence those in power.
Lobbying is aimed at directing attention to influence legislature and regulatory affairs in
government at a local, state and national level.
The term lobby agent appeared in the early 19th century meaning someone who visits
the lobbies of government administrative buildings to speak to officials or legislators.
A lobbyist is someone who acting on behalf of a special interest group tries to influence
various forms of government regulations. He/she is also a specialist whose prime
activity is directed towards ministers, politicians, legislators and the media persons for
getting things done.
Functions of a Lobbyist:
1. Background information
2. Interpretation
3. Company’s issues
4. Advocate
Attributes:
1. Access to decision makers and law makers with better image of lobbying company.
2. Research on the issue
3. Knowledge of government structures and hierarchy of officials
4. The public interest on the issue but not on clients’ interest only
5. Knowledge of government rules and regulations
6. Support of public leaders and opinion leaders

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7. Communication skills and presentation techniques
8. Effective targeting of officials and legislators
9. Good timing
10 Favourable media coverage
Difference between PR and Lobbying
1. Lobbying aims at reaching out to limited audience such as legislators and govt.
Officers while PR has diverse audience (internal and external)
2. Strategy of Lobbying is to get either the existing law amended or a new law passed,
while PR strategy aims at creating mutual understanding between an organization and
its public including the government.
C. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a self-regulating business model that helps a
company be socially accountable — to itself, its stakeholders, and the public.
The concept of CSR rests on the ideology of give and take. Companies take resources in
the form of raw materials, human resources etc from the society. By performing the task
of CSR activities, the companies are giving something back to the society.
CSR In India
CSR in India has traditionally been seen as a philanthropic activity. And in keeping with
the Indian tradition, it was an activity that was performed but not deliberated. As some
observers have pointed out, the practice of CSR in India still remains within the
philanthropic space, but has moved from institutional building (educational, research
and cultural) to community development through various projects. Also, with global
influences and with communities becoming more active and demanding, there appears
to be a discernible trend, that while CSR remains largely restricted to community
development, it is getting more strategic in nature (that is, getting linked with business)
than philanthropic.

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India is the first country in the world to make corporate social responsibility (CSR)
mandatory, following an amendment to The Company Act, 2013 in April 2014.
Businesses can invest their profits in areas such as education, poverty, gender equality,
and hunger.
Ways to practice CSR
Recognizing how important social responsibility is to their customers, many companies

now focus on and practice a few broad categories of CSR:
1. Environmental efforts: One primary focus of corporate social responsibility is the

environment. Businesses regardless of size have a large carbon footprint. Any steps
they can take to reduce those footprints are considered both good for the company and
society.
2. Philanthropy: Businesses can also practice social responsibility by donating money,

products or services to social causes. Larger companies tend to have a lot of resources
that can benefit charities and local community programs.
3. Ethical labor practices: By treating employees fairly and ethically, companies can
also demonstrate their corporate social responsibility. This is especially true of
businesses that operate in international locations with labor laws that differ from those
in the United States.
4. Volunteering: Attending volunteer events says a lot about a company's sincerity. By
doing good deeds without expecting anything in return, companies can express their
concern for specific issues and support for certain organizations.
Example
Unilever is a multinational corporation, in the food and beverage sector, with a

comprehensive CSR strategy. The company has been ranked ‘Food Industry leader’ in
the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes for the 11 consecutive years and ranked 7th
in the ‘Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World’.
One of the major and unique initiatives is the ‘sustainable tea’ programme. On a
partnership-based model with the Rainforest Alliance (an NGO), Unilever aims to source
all of its Lipton and PG Tips tea bags from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms by 2015.

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The Rainforest Alliance Certification offers farms a way to differentiate their products
as being socially, economically and environmentally sustainable
Importance of PR in CSR
Make the most of your corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities by
publicising them. Ensure that customers, suppliers and the local
community know what you are doing. CSR lends itself to good news stories
and is source positive public relations(PR).
Role of PR in promoting your CSR
Publicity can be a key part of using CSR to win contracts. People want to
buy from businesses they respect. CSR can be particularly effective for
targeting ethical companies, the public sector and not-for-profit
organisations.
At the same time, you should see CSR as part of a continuing process of
building long- term value. Everything you do should help improve your
reputation and encourage customers and other stakeholders to stay
involved with you. A business that buys recycled paper - but exploits its
customers and ignores the community - has missed the point.

as it turns out, 9
0% of consumers would boycott a company if they learned of
irresponsible or deceptive business practices.
So it should come as no surprise that brands are shifting their focus to
environmental and societal issues.

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Aside from the societal benefits, CSR practices provide them with an opportunity to
boost the bottom line, while strengthening their positive image in the marketplace
at the same time.
The challenge, however, lies in how to communicate those CSR efforts.
And that’s exactly where the complex relationship between corporate social
responsibility and PR becomes apparent.
A few years back a very interesting CSR effort was undertaken by a reputed finance
brand SUNDARAM FINANCE in Chennai. I am sharing this example to illustrate as
how this CSR effort was initiated and how successful was it. Sundaram Finance as a
brand has been a very trusted and dependable brand in the finance space. The
brand is almost present amongst most families mind , residing in the south. The
brand over a period of time as been part of many families in south by truly
demonstrating to its customers its correct brand values corporate vision. The
company hardly advertises and it has entered the consumers mind mainly through
strong word of mouth marketing and well networked distribution of their products
with strong focus on service across South India.
As a part of their CSR push the company along with Ogilvy PR came out with the
novel idea of promoting carnatic music among kids in Chennai. This move was
initiated, as it was found more kids in that part of the world were getting hooked to
computers, chats and TV shows and little recognition was given to the classical
carnatic music. The company saw a great opportunity here and branded this CSR
program as SUNDARAM FINANCE SUNDAY KUTCHERI ( Music concert ).The program
was held in a park and the concept was developed to provide young kids aged
under 15 to showcase their music talent. The idea was more to give a little back to
the society as a CSR effort. High on recall. Low on cost was the motive on this CSR

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effort. The audience for this program was the young and aspiring musical talent,
music connoisseurs and morning walkers in the park.
D. PUBLIC OPINION
Public opinion is the constant forming and revising of people’s opinions on public
figures, organizations and issues.
Public opinion consists of the desires, wants, and thinking of the majority of the people;
it is the collective opinion of the people of a society or state on an issue or problem.
Therefore, PR professionals attempt to influence the opinion leaders as they can

influence the public at large.
● Opinion leaders are knowledgeable experts who articulate opinions about

specific issues in public forums.
● An opinion leader is a well-known individual or organization that has the ability to
influence public opinion on the subject matter for which the opinion leader is
known.
● Opinion leaders can be politicians, business leaders, community leaders,
journalists, educators, celebrities, and sports stars. They are people who,
because of their interest and knowledge of a subject, become experts and inform
others.
E. ADVERTISING
Public relations and advertising are often considered to be same but it is not correct.
Definition
1. According to American Marketing Association (AMA) a dvertising is “any paid

form of non personal presentation or promotion of ideas, goods and services by
an identified sponsor”.

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2. PR is defined as a two-way communication which aims to establishing goodwill
and build a sense of understanding between an company and its public.
It informs, educates and creates mutual understanding between an organization and its
public. Advertising can be more successful if earlier PR activities has added knowledge
and understanding of the product or service. In other words, it is also known as Market
Education. Therefore, advertising is merely an instrument of public relations, where
through market research PR manager chooses the type of advertising and on that basis
decides choice and use of media.

Difference between PR and advertising.
1. Paid Space or Free Coverage
● Advertising:
The company pays for ad space. You know exactly when that ad will air or be
published.
● Public Relations:
Your job is to get free publicity for the company. From news conferences to press
releases, you're focused on getting free media exposure for the company and its
products/services.
2. Creative Control Vs. No Control
● Advertising:
Since you're paying for the space, you have creative control over what goes into
that ad.
You have no control over how the media presents your information if they decide
to use your info at all. They're not obligated to cover your event or publish your
press release just because you sent something to them.
3. Shelf Life
● Advertising:
Since you pay for the space, you can run your ads over and over for as long as

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your budget allows. An ad generally has a longer shelf life than one press
release.
You only submit a press release about a new product once. You only submit a
press release about a news conference once. The PR exposure you receive is
only circulated once. An editor won't publish your same press release three or
four times in their magazine.
4. Wise Consumers
● Advertising:
Consumers know when they're reading an advertisement they're trying to be sold
a product or service. "The consumer understands that we have paid to present
our selling message to him or her, and unfortunately, the consumer often views
our selling message very guardedly," Paul Flowers, president of Dallas-based
Flowers & Partners, Inc., said. "After all, they know we are trying to sell them."
When someone reads a third-party article written about your product or views
coverage of your event on TV, they're seeing something you didn't pay for with ad
dollars and view it differently than they do paid advertising.
"Where we can generate some sort of third-party 'endorsement' by independent media

sources, we can create great credibility for our clients' products or services,"
Flowers said.
5. Creativity or a Nose for News
● Advertising:
In advertising, you get to exercise your creativity in creating new ad campaigns
and materials.
In public relations, you have to have a nose for news and be able to generate
buzz through that news. You exercise your creativity, to an extent, in the way you
search for new news to release to the media.
6. In-House or Out on the Town
● Advertising:
If you're working at an ad agency, your main contacts are your co-workers and
the agency's clients. If you buy and plan ad space on behalf of the client

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like Media Director Barry Lowenthal does, then you'll also interact with media
sales people.
You interact with the media and develop a relationship with them. Your contact is
not limited to in-house communications. You're in constant touch with your
contacts at the print publications and broadcast media.
7. Target Audience or Hooked Editor
● Advertising:
You're looking for your target audience and advertising accordingly. You wouldn't
advertise a women's TV network in a male-oriented sports magazine.
PR audiences are segmented as employees, customers, shareholders, media
etc.
8. Limited or Unlimited Contact
● Advertising:
Some industry pros such as Account Executive Trey Sullivan have contact with
the clients. Others like copywriters or graphic designers in the agency may not
meet with the client at all.
In public relations, you are very visible to the media. PR pros aren't always called
on for the good news.
If there was an accident at your company, you may have to give a statement or
on-camera interview to journalists. You may represent your company as a
spokesperson at an event. Or you may work within community relations to show
your company is actively involved in good work and is committed to the city and
its citizens.
9. Special Events
● Advertising:
If your company sponsors an event, you wouldn't want to take out an ad giving
yourself a pat on the back for being such a great company. This is where your PR
department steps in.

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If you're sponsoring an event, you can send out a press release and the media
might pick it up. They may publish the information or cover the event.
10. Writing Style
● Advertising:
Buy this product! Act now! Call today! These are all things you can say in an
advertisement. You want to use those buzz words to motivate people to buy your
product.
You're strictly writing in a no-nonsense news format. Any blatant commercial
messages in your communications are disregarded by the media.
F. PROPAGANDA
Propaganda is defined as a deliberate manipulation by means of symbols, words,
gestures, images, flags, music- of other people’s thoughts, behaviour, attitudes and
beliefs.
Communication intended to influence belief and action, whether true or false is called
propaganda.
In white propaganda, the information source is identified, while in black propaganda,

information source is not divulged. The recipient of the propaganda is discouraged from
asking about anything outside the content area.
TOPIC 4: Ethics in PR, PRSI Code, IPRA

Ethics in PR
● The word ethics is derived from Greek word ‘Ethos’ which means individual’s
character, belief and a community’s culture. Oxford English Dictionary Thesaurus

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defines ethics as the moral principles governing or influencing conduct. It is the
way we should live with the understanding of what is right or wrong.
● The principle behind professional ethics is that one’s actions are designed to
create the greatest good for both the client and community as a whole rather
than to enhance the position and power of the practitioner. -Cutlip et al
● Public relations people must adhere to a high standard of professional ethics,
with truth as the key determinant of their conduct. -Seitel
● The professional status of public relations necessarily begins with ethics.
● A code of professional ethics separates professions from other skilled
occupations.They are the added importance because professionals with special
expertise have power in decisions that affect every aspect of
society.Professional power and impact do not stop at national or cultural
boundaries. Therefore, Ethics and Professionalism are global concern with social
responsibility.
● Practitioners and public relations scholars alike suggest that professional
organizations can play a key and powerful role in advancing ethical practice
PR Ethics includes values:
1. honesty,
2. openness,
3. loyalty,
4. fair-mindedness,
5. respect,
6. integrity, and
7. forthright communication.
Ethics are important to help gain:
1. public trust,
2. retain employees and
3. lead to greater innovation in the industry
4. earning credibility: Credibility, in turn, begins with telling the truth.
5. Transparency and avoiding conflicts of interest

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Ethical Issues in PR
There are various accusations on the PR Ethics:
1. as clever strategies maker to convince the public

2. as manipulators of the public mind,rather than conveyors of truth.
3. withholding information from the public
4. directly and indirectly paying for ‘independent’, ‘objective’ views and opinions
5. biased approach and loyalty
6. distorting the reality
7. propaganda
8. bailing out and promotion of questionable industries and organisations
9. pseudo-events (publicity events)
Unethical behavior can result in:
● Unethical behaviour of one client can affect both the PR agency and individuals in
their relationship with current and future clients and employees
● Trust and loyalty become undermined
● Withholding the information generate more interest and suspicion – this could be
more harmful than coming out clean
● Once lost, credibility and reputation are hard to get back
PRSI CODE
● Public Relations Society of India (PRSI), the national association of PR
practitioners was established in 1958.
● It was established to promote: the recognition of public relations as a profession
and to formulate and interpret to the public the objectives and the potentialities
of public relations as a strategic management function.
● The society functioned as an informal body till 1966 when it was registered under
the Indian Societies Act XXVI of 1961, with headquarters in Mumbai.
● The father-figure of professional PR practitioners in India, Kali H. Mody, was the
founder President of PRSI from 1966 to 1969.
● Chapters were launched in Mumbai, Delhi. Chennai and Kolkata till 1969.

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● The management of the Public Relations society of India is vested in the National
Council, consisting of representatives elected by all the regional chapters.
● The members of the society are public relations practitioners from
Multinationals, Govt,. Public and Private sector ,Academics and PR consultants
PRSI CONFERENCES
● The First All India Public Relations Conference was organised in Delhi on April 21,
1968. The theme of the conference was ‘Professional Approach’. This was a very
significant public relations meet in our country, when a professional approach
was given to public relations ( a change from publicity, press a gentry,
information) besides adopting a Code of Ethics for PR profession. In fact that
was the beginning of professional public relations in India.
● Ever since 1968, the PRSI has been organizing the All India Public Relations
Conference every two years
● The Conference serves two objectives: 1) To introduce Public Relations as a
management discipline in non-user organizations; and
● 2) It seeks to improve the professional ability of its own members by exposing
them to the usage of public relations. thereby, increasing the number of
members by attracting talented persons from allied professions, e.g., Journalism
and Advertising.
PRSI Organization.
The PRSI has a two-tier structure. It has the National Council at the Center as well
as the Regional Chapters at the grassroot levels. The Regional Chapters enroll
members, hold meetings and workshops and organizes training programs. Each
Professional Public Relations Chapter elects its own Chairman, Secretary and
members of the executive committee. Each chapter runs under the overall
guidance of the National Council.
Membership:
● The membership of the society is open to any person and also to any firm, body
corporate or association of persons.

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● Such membership take effect on admission and classification at the discretion of
the National Council.
● Each application for membership is forwarded by the Regional Chapter to the
National Council for consideration with their recommendations regarding
acceptance and classification, and forward the same to the Secretary-General for
consideration of the National Council.
There are following classes of members :
● Members;
● Life Members;
● Associate Members;
● Honorary Members; and
● Student Members
IPRA
● The International Public Relations Association was established in London on 1st
May 1955 with the adoption of constitution and the appointment of the first IPRA
Council.
● At that time, it has 15 members in 5 countries.
● The idea of organising public relations professionals into a transnational society:
● Raising standards of public relations practice in the various countries
● Improving quality and efficiency of practitioners.
● Today, IPRA headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland.
● It constitutes the international forum of public relations practitioners worldwide.
● Currently, it has 700 members in 80 countries.
● It is recognized by UN and the members serves as consultants to the UN
Economic and Social Council.
● In 1965, it adopted the Code of Athens, based on the UN Declaration of Human
Rights.
● In 1980, 25th Anniversary of IPRA, the French Post Office Authority issued the
first and only stamp dedicated to public relations.
● IPRA promotes:
1. Professional recognition
2. High standards

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3. Ethics among practitioners working in international aspects of public
relations
● IPRA supports development and recognition in parts of the world where PR is
developing and helps establish new national associations.
● IPRA engaged in promoting exchange of information and co-operation in every
sector of the profession and building opportunities for professional development.
● India has been actively associated with IPRA.
● IPRA works:
1. Meets twice a year
2. Recognizes outstanding contributions to better world understanding
3. Publishes quarterly: International Public Relations Review
4. Issues: ‘Gold Papers’ on major issues of interest to the global relations
community.
● Adopted in 2011 the IPRA Code of Conduct for the public relations practitioners
worldwide are:
1. Observance
2. Integrity
3. Dialogue (moral, cultural)
4. Transparency
5. Conflict
6. Confidentiality
7. Accuracy
8. Falsehood
9. Deception
10. Disclosure (use any organisation to serve an undisclosed interest)
11. Profit

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12. Remuneration (Do not accept any form of payment in connection with those
services from anyone other than the principal)
13. Inducement (Neither directly nor indirectly offer nor give any financial or other
inducement to public representatives or the media)
14. Influence
15. Competitors (Not intentionally injure the professional reputation of another

practitioner)
16. Poaching (Do not use deceptive means)
17. Employment (Take care to follow the rules and confidentiality requirements of other
organisations)
18. Colleagues (Code with respect to fellow IPRA members and public relations
practitioners worldwide.)
IPRA members shall, in upholding this Code, agree to abide by and help enforce the
disciplinary procedures of the International Public Relations Association in regard to any
breach of this Code.
One important aspect of media relations is maintaining long term relationships with
journalist and media publications and maintaining these long term relationships can
offer several advantages to a business.
One of these advantages is that a journalist who has a positive working relationship with
a public relations agency or a press office will be more likely to provide press coverage,
than a journalist who is being pitched to with no prior relationship. Perhaps more
usefully, having a positive long term relationship with a journalist may mean that the
journalist will approach you when they require a source for an article or feature and such
coverage can be incredibly useful in establishing your brand as a source of knowledge.

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TOPIC 3: Tools & Techniques for Public Relations: House

Journal, Bulletin Board, Visit by Management, Open House
and Annual Reports, Exhibitions

Public relations is the art of building mutual understanding between the organization
and its various publics. “Publics” in Public Relations parlance mean those group or
groups of people whose opinion has direct bearing on the functioning of an
organization. Publics will vary according to the type of organization. Tin order to reach
these “Publics” the PR expert has to choose the media and the channels which will be
most suitable and cost effective. In order to make communication effective, you have to
keep in view the message, the media and the audience.
For reaching out to the public at large, we need to use the mass media like TV, radio,
the Press and films. Through the medium of house journals, we can reach both internal
and external publics. In order to promote the products or the services of a company,
various types of promotional literature like brochures, point of purchase material and
direct mail can be made use of. Through exhibitions, trade fairs, special events and
open houses, we can attract people to appreciate our activities.
When we talk of PR tools, these are nothing but the means, media, and practices PR
persons use to communicate with public. And a PR person’s communication is not only
confined to the conventional communication, but it is done through spoken words,
written words, audio cassettes or video cassettes, exhibition, etc. these also include
actions, activities, incentives, etc.
INTERNAL PR
Notice boards: Notice boards reflect organization’s life and mission. It is the most
effective, dynamic and powerful tool of organizational communication. Notice boards

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can be used to help keep people in touch with your work offer information, like minutes
of meetings or remind people about dates of event. They are the common tools of an
organization where the office displays the notices for its employees. Employees
normally at least glance through the notice board. This way it becomes a useful tool in
reaching the employees.
Exhibition: An Exhibition covers a very diverse series of events, ranging from major
international trade fair to small local activities organized by a community. An exhibition
can be general or specific in nature. E.g. India International Trade Fair which is
organized every year by the Indian Trade Promotion Authority at Pragati Maidan in
New Delhi.
Exhibition helps in publicizing the image of the company as well as the country. It can
become a meeting point potential as well as existing customers. They can identify new
sales areas/outlets. New products can be introduced and the feedback of the customers
can be collected instantly. It also helps assess the performance of the competitors in
terms of product, service and presentation.
Open Days : An ‘Open day’ is an important tool to build rapport with the
community/neighbourhood where the plant is located. It is also a traditional way of
building up pride and morale among your employees and their families. The PR
Department organizes visits of employees’ families and of the community at large to the
plant to see the product manufacturing and other facets of a plant on a few days in a
year which are described as ‘open days’. Such visits are accompanied by hospitality of
the pant owners.
The Delhi Milk scheme, when it was set up, organized open houses for school children.
The children were treated to flavoured milk on their visits. Similarly, Coca Cola
organized such visits. The visitors were also given mementoes of bottle openers or trays
with “Coca Cola” logo imprinted on them.
Open houses and tours of the plant should be geared to a wide range of audiences,
from plant neighbours to elected representatives to parliament, legislative assemblies
share holders and special interest groups.
House Journal: A company publication aimed at its employees and other target groups. It can
be internal, external or combination.
• The internal journal is one of the important tools foe effective communication. External house
journal, however, aim at some segments of external ‘public’ like dealers, shareholders.
• A third party is a combination of internal and external, meant for employees as well as external
publics.

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• The primary objective of a house journal is to create a forum for exchange of thought and
vision on various issues concerning an organization and its employees.
• A house journal, if carefully produced, serves as an important link between a management and
its various employees.
• Format of house journals differ depending on management philosophy and availability of
funds. Some may have a newspaper format and be just functional, while some others could have
a booklet form with varying degrees of lavishness.
Visits by management: The companies which have their projects at many locations
must ensure that their managements from the headquarters visit the various units and
speak to employees so that they do not have the feeling of remoteness.
An annual report is a comprehensive report on a company's activities throughout the

preceding year. Annual reports are intended to give shareholders and other interested
people information about the company's activities and financial performance.
EXTERNAL PR
Advertorials: Advertorials are advertisements in the form of news stories or reviews in

newspapers. Advertorials allow you to associate your advertising with the credibility of
the newspaper.
Many businesses employ advertising or marketing professionals to help them develop

TV advertorials - which are commonly used as a form of advertising and product
placement.
News conference – A media event organized by someone who wishes to make an

announcement directly to the news media. News conferences usually are called to
provide reporters with details on spot news. Media kits usually are given to reporters
who attend the news conference.
Brochures and catalogues: 'Take home' or mail-out brochures or catalogues can help
keep your customers thinking about your business and its products and services.
Properly designed brochures and catalogues give customers confidence in you and your
brand, and help drive customers to your website or store. Information contained in
business brochures and catalogues can be effectively reworked for your website,
helping you do business online.
Media Tour: Public relations experts publicize their organization and its products
through media tour where key people of the organization travel to important places and
locations and promote their products through various interviews to media people. They

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interact and share the benefits and USPs of their products/services with people from
various news channels, radio channels and even print media. Organizations also hire
celebrities or other people popular among the masses to promote and publicize their
organization.
TOPIC 4: Digital PR and Emerging Trends

Public Relations has trespassed the traditional boundaries of interacting with the
press through news releases and media interactions. These aspects still form a
major part of creating visibility and a solid reputation for the brand. But in the age of
digital media, PR goes beyond this and encompasses digital marketing services as
well.
3.5 Traditional PR
The media tactics that fall under the umbrella of traditional public relations are diverse,
such as event coordination, crisis communications, reputation management, trade
shows, sponsorship opportunities and press release distribution. The most prominent
initiative of traditional PR is press outreach with special focus in traditional media
outlets such as newspapers, television and radio. Professionals who work at traditional
PR firms are likely to have a rolodex of media contacts they engage with often who are
familiar with their clients.
Traditional PR can be very successful in terms of increasing brand awareness. However,

exact metrics on audience reach are much more difficult to track. For example,
broadcast and print numbers are estimations on potential audience or the average
number of readers per month, making the question of “how many people actually read
or saw my clients feature?” a bit hard to answer.
Traditional publicists will be looking to see how their client is portrayed, how the
message is communicated and how many times the brand is mentioned throughout the
placement.The traditional PR route also requires a bit of patience, as print publications
will require a long-lead time. This means publicists need to research which topics are
being covered in print magazines in which month and the corresponding publishing
date.

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Traditional public relations is still relevant in today’s highly digitized world and will be
able to encompass a wide range of components attached to a PR campaign. Positive,
extensive brand building will be the main role of a traditional PR and this is something
that will always be worth it.
3.6 Digital PR
Building relationships and securing placements are at the forefront of this digital arm,
however, digital PR has the added benefit of impacting SEO and link building across the
web. These measurable, digital tactics provide tangible results and insight. SEO stands
for “search engine optimization.” It is the process of getting traffic from the “free,”
“organic,” “editorial” or “natural” search results on search engines.
A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist analyzes, reviews and implements

changes to websites so they are optimized for search engines. This means maximizing
the traffic to a site by improving page rank within search engines.
Digital PR involves gaining high-quality backlinks from websites and online

publications and honest (hopefully good) customer reviews. Digital PR helps
you reach your target customers by featuring your business on websites they
read, podcasts they listen to and on social media accounts they love. It can
get you five-star reviews on Google and Amazon. Ultimately, Digital PR
positively impacts a website’s search engine visibility and ranking.
Google Analytics allows you to track how many users on a website are clicking a link to
your client’s site. You can completely track the user’s experience from first clicking the
link within a placement through to the brand’s site and how they engage with the site.
Another key differentiator of digital PR is the able to build connections with bloggers
and influencers, who are key players in the digital space. These digital influencers often
have just as much authority, if not greater reach, than traditional figures, and come with
an extremely loyal following. Digital PR uses measurement tools like Moz’s Open Site
Explorer and Google Analytics to track the power of a digital placement.
Digital public relations is measurable, immediate and produces easily sharable content.
The realm of digital PR may be more specified than that of traditional, but it will help
grow your brand online and make waves in a constantly evolving digital world7

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Here are some of the most common types of Digital PR strategy:
● Publishing articles online to gain high-quality backlinks

● Networking with journalists and editors to gain backlinks
● Press releases and syndicating newsworthy content to gain press
features
● Blogger outreach to gain backlinks and mentions on relevant blogs
● Influencer marketing to gain mentions on influential social media
accounts
● Affiliate programs that pay bloggers who refer customers to your
business a commission
● Offline press events or blogger events that aim to gain online coverage
● Sharing and syndicating infographics
Emerging Trends in Public Relations
Modern public relations has evolved from what traditional public relations used to be.
From the ages of banners, television, and clever marketing adverts, to today, a lot has
happened. That evolution might be missed by most companies if they are not careful.
Some PR agencies have also not quite caught up with the trends today. PR teams in
startups are struggling to get a hold of publicity for their companies. It is a never-ending
struggle for most companies due to lack of understanding what entails public relations
in 2017, and onwards.
a). Data
From big data to small data, modern public relations has become ever dependent on
data. Public relations is all about stories. To tell compelling narratives to the target
market, important data has to be collected and scrutinised. This is mainly because of
the internet age that has ensured there is so much information available at the click of a
button, so many businesses starting as quick as it takes to create a logo and website,
and therefore so many companies pushing for their own stories.
Everything will be easily measurable in future. Right from time spent on all the
screens, to cookies captured and nurtured for remarking. We will be easily

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managing the sales from PR activations & PR agencies will have business/sales
targets.
For startups, it has become more important to use data to define PR strategy. The
startups’ PR teams have to understand the importance of every piece of data they
collect, and how they can use this data to create compelling tales that interest their
readership, journalists, and market.
b). Pitching 2.0
Previously, mass emailing worked so effectively because journalists, writers, and

bloggers all received very few emails and pitches. That is not the same anymore.
Today, pitching is only effective if you take your time to study everyone in your press list,
their readership, and niches. You cannot get away with mass emailing among other
pitching mistakes anymore because journalists and bloggers now receive a ton of
pitches per day. They can also easily tell when the email was sent to a gazillion other
journalists.
In modern public relations, pitching has to be done keenly and backed by research. The
startups that are focusing on pitching based on collected data get media coverage
easily than those who are sending emails trying to pitch their new launch or product
feature.
c) Influencers
Modern public relations can no longer be controlled or defined only by media. The game
is changing. The whole world is now a global village courtesy of the internet and
improved technology. Previously, the press defined and governed brand awareness.
However, in the current world, that neighbour of yours who has 100k followers on
Instagram can give lifechanging impact to your brand.
The rise of Influencer is a hot trend. Today it's more about finding the right
influencer to get your story through. They have started to evolve digital marketing
and communications. An influencer can reach consumers via their blogs and
social networks which helps the brand to a wider audience with personal touch.

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The world today consists of people who are trusted and highly followed by people.
Bloggers too have become extremely influential and those who are credible can be the
go to person when you need to send the word out about your company.
g). Content strategy
It is nearly impossible to succeed in the current world without having content strategy. A
definite and elaborate content creation and marketing plan sets you apart from the
companies that are just focused on their products.
Long gone is the belief that publicity only comes from media. As we have seen earlier,
influencers and bloggers have become integral to brand awareness. More fundamental,
however, is social media. Just about a decade ago, it was an immense struggle to get
noticed by your market if the media didn’t cover your company. Enter Facebook and the
game changed. The social network now has more than 1.5 billion users worldwide. Then
followed Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google Plus – with more than a billion users
interacting in these 4 social media networks every month.
The only way to be noticed on this social networks is to prioritise content creation and
marketing. That, my friends is the modern public relations. The success of this strategy
is highly dependent on hiring a creative PR team or chief in your startup. When you
succeed in getting your company noticed on social media, even the media notices. Your
content can include articles, videos, infographics, graphics, and audio, among other
choices.
Social media is amazing because it creates a joyous loop: customer comes to your
website/company page —> finds interesting content —> shares it —> checks out what
you offer —> probably buys it and leaves —> another customer finds your content shared
on social media —> clicks it and goes to your website/company page to read it —>
shares itn, and the loop continues.

2. An overall rise in PR spending
According to a joint report from the Association of National Advertisers and the USC
Center for Public Relations, spending on PR will change. More specifically, marketers plan

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to increase internal staffing and overall spending on public relations over the next five
years.
This is due to the evolution of PR over the past decade and the increased importance it has
had for marketers.
Think of some primary PR components that make it so valuable to a business’s growth.
Digital communications, for one, has never been more important for business, and PR is at
its center.
Another big component of business growth is social media. You can’t be in business today
without a social media presence. PR provides the strategy and content to amplify your
social media presence.

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UNIT 3
TOPIC 1: Role and Responsibility of PRO

A public relations officer (PRO) also known as Media Specialist, is the spokesperson of
a company or any organization. The role of a public relations officer is to convey the
policies and interests of the organization to the public through various forms of media.
The need for public relations officer can be found in almost all sectors, including
advertising companies, government agencies, election commissions, etc.
The main job of a public relation officer is to develop and maintain the reputation of the
company or organization. It is the responsibility of the PR officer to promote the products or
services of the establishment he works in.
Responsibilities of a PRO

Reputation Management:
The prime function of a public relations officer is to create, maintain and enhance the
reputation of an organization. It is the responsibility of the PRO to promote the people,
products, services or solutions of the establishment he works for.
A seasoned PRO should not only manage and maintain reputation, but should also
continuously work towards creating and ameliorating the goodwill of the organization. This
will help in creating a favorable public image of the organization by strengthening its
credibility.
Crisis Manager
Organizations rely on their public relations officers to handle media inquiries during a crisis. For
example, if someone dies on the job or if a company's new stock offering fails to generate
interest, the public relations officer must have a plan in place for handling media questions and
portraying his organization in the best way possible.
Media Contact

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A public relations officer is the media's main contact for news about an organization or company.
The PR officer writes press releases for the media about upcoming events, and cultivates
relationships with members of the local and national media. The PR officer might also host
media conferences when special events happen. For example, an officer might host a press
conference after a university researcher makes a big discovery, or he might hold a press event
honoring the opening of his company's newest office.

PR Strategies and Campaigns:
A PRO should constantly look out for opportunities to present the organization in a positive
light. He needs to come up with different PR strategies that will lead to easy acceptance and
appreciation of any new move by the organization. When a company has to launch a new
product, announce a new scheme, enter a new MOU or JV etc.; it is the job of the PR official to
make arrangements to promote a new corporate move. He has to plan promotional strategies,
keeping the target audience and desired result in mind.
Internal Communications:
He has to work closely with the internal communications team, for devising a objective bound
communication for employees located at one or several locations. He has to play an
instrumental role in communicating a single message throughout the organization. This can
also impact the employee engagement effectively.
Manage Events and Programs
Another duty of a public relations officer is to arrange events and programs that will bring
exposure to a person or organization. This part of the job involves getting your clients' ‘face’ out
in the public through a variety of different programs. For example, a public relations officer who
is representing a celebrity might get his client on a reality TV show for exposure or a part in a big
film. A public relations officer who is representing an author might have the writer go on a
national book signing tour or schedule him for speaking engagements.
Marketing

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A public relations officer is also in charge of communicating information about her organization
to the community. Her job involves creating publications that the community or members of her
organization will read, and generating interest in attending company-sponsored events.
Budget and Management
Some public relations officers oversee an entire communications department. These individuals
must also be in charge of their department's budget, making sure hosted events and media
outreach efforts are not too costly. They oversee people who work in their department, which
may include writers, secretaries or graphic artists. They participate in workshops to stay
up-to-date on their field and help their staff succeed.
A PRO will use all forms of media and communication to build, maintain and manage the
reputation of your clients.
As a PR officer, you'll monitor publicity and conduct research to find out the concerns and
expectations of your client organisation's stakeholders.
You'll usually work in-house in either the private or public sectors, from the utility and media
sectors to voluntary and not-for-profit organisations.

CSR Activities:
Organizations across the world are increasingly waking up to the idea of environmental
sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). It is expected from the PRO to give an
impetus to such activities and provide them good publicity by utilizing various platforms of
communication.
Responsibilities often involve:
1. planning, developing and implementing PR strategies;

2. communicating with colleagues and key spokespeople;
3. liaising with, and answering enquiries from media, individuals and other organisations,
often via telephone and email;

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4. researching, writing and distributing press releases to targeted media;
5. collating and analysing media coverage;
6. writing and editing in-house magazines, case studies, speeches, articles and annual
reports;
7. preparing and supervising the production of publicity brochures, handouts, direct mail
leaflets, promotional videos, photographs, films and multimedia programmes;
8. devising and coordinating photo opportunities;
9. organising events including press conferences, exhibitions, open days and press tours;
10. maintaining and updating information on the organisation's website;
11. managing and updating information and engaging with users on social media sites such as
Twitter and Facebook;
12. sourcing and managing speaking and sponsorship opportunities;
13. commissioning market research;
14. fostering community relations through events such as open days and through involvement
in community initiatives;
15. Managing the PR aspect of a potential crisis situation.
TOPIC 2 : PR in Public and Private sector (CSR)

TOPIC 3 : Role of PR in Education and Health sector

Education Sector
If PR made inroads into the country about five decades ago, the education sector has
started engaging full-time PR professional hardly two decades ago.
People at the helm of affairs in national and state educational institutions or
universities-barring a few exceptions-are yet to fully comprehend the potential of a

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planned and sustained effort establishing and maintaining a mutual communication
process with their public.
The Educational sector is a very large sector in India. It includes primary and high
schools, undergraduate and post-graduate colleges, B-schools etc. Though a large part
of India is still rural, the education institutions at that level include small government
and private schools and vocational colleges.
Key Publics in Educational institutions-
1. Faculty and Staffs- Able college presidents involve their faculty and staff in decision
making to the fullest extent possible, given the complexities of running major institution.
Good morale, a necessity, is achieved in large measure through communication.
2. Students- Because of their large numbers and the many families that they represent,
students make up the largest public relations arm—for good or bad—that a university
has. The quality of the teaching they receive and their overall experience are the
greatest determinants of student allegiance to an institution.
3. Alumni and Other Donors-The loyalty and financial support of alumni are crucial to the
ongoing operations of a college or university. Alumni are considered the major
foundation of any fund-raising effort because of their immediate association with the
institution. Donors who are not alumni also are cultivated for major gifts based on their
interest in particular fields or disciplines. Colleges and universities raise money for such
projects as recruiting new faculty, buying equipment, building student residence halls,
providing scholarships, and upgrading campus computer networks. Social media is
increasingly utilized to build alumni loyalty and networking.
4. The Community- A college or university must maintain a good relationship with the
members of the community in which it is situated. The greatest supporters that an
institution may have are the people within its immediate geographic area.
5. Prospective Students- Suffering from declining revenues, increased operation costs,

and a dwindling pool of prospective students lower birthrates and competition from
online degree programs, many colleges have turned to highly competitive recruiting
methods.
PR has seven major roles to perform for any educational institution:

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•Expanding the number of applicants to the institution
•Helping the institution to become better known
•Helping the institution to gain an enhanced reputation
•Influencing decision makers to smile upon one’s institution
•Improving internal relations
•Maintaining good relations with the community
•Maintaining positive relations with the alumni
These aims are used in any kind of educational institutions be it schools, colleges or
senior colleges offering professional courses. They seem to apply in large measures to
such institutions, although their relative importance may be different.
“Create an image for your company or your competitors will do it for you.” In the higher
education sector this statement by Keever is equally true; as competition for students
increases and funding decreases, making it necessary for universities to create and
maintain a distinctive image in the market place.
Higher education institutions are becoming increasingly aggressive in their marketing

activities to convey an image that is favourable and in all aspects beneficial to their
public, be they prospective students, employers, funders etc.
The education sector can benefit a lot by using great PR firms to create a positive
impression about their Institute in the minds of the targeted audiences. The public
relation has become very important for educational institutes to attract new students,
function successfully in the society, improve their brand recognition and also inform the
students and their parents what kind of courses they are offering and their fees
structure.
What a PR firm does successfully is to improve the visibility of the educational institute
so that more people know about it when they are planning for the admission of their
children in schools and colleges. PR firms spread the positive image of the institute by
stressing about its infrastructure, courses, fees structure, job potential, and so on.

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One such example where you will see the PR firms working overtime to attract students
is the career fests. Several educational institutes have Educational Public Relation
officers who assist students by informing them about various events that are organized
on the campuses and also keep in touch with the alumni. Professional institutions like
engineering, management and medical colleges aggressive push through innovative
marketing activities in which a good PR exercise plays a vital part in attracting aspiring
students towards the institute.

Case study 1: NCERT Open House
● For two successive years now, the NCERT has organised 'open house'
programmes, each of one week's duration. Before organising these
events, tlie organisation carefully analysed the public reaction to all the
programmes it has undertaken over the years and tried to assess what
gaps in communication needed to be filled. The 'Open House' exercise
was also aimed at eliciting feedback from public besides providing them
information.
● The elements of the open house progrannie were (a) corporate exhibition,
(b) corporate film, (c) display of materials produced (d) continuous
screening of educational video programmes developed by the
organisation, (e) allowing visitors to see tlie facilities available in the
institution and how the institution works and (0 organisation of public
interest lectures
● Public Relations in Government followed by question - answer sessions.
The faculty was available during the week for and Industry consultation.
● The open house programmes were organised in all the constituent units of
NCERT located in Delhi, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Ajmer and Mysore.
● A general invitation was extended to all the interested groups to
participate in the programmes which were organised during its
anniversary celebrations. For this, prominent advertisements were issued
in almost all the newspapers; the topics and discussion were those that
concerned the opinion groups most. A careful planning effort was behind
all these exercises. This was borne out by the results as the response was
overwhelming with thousands of participants taking advantage of the
opportunity. The two programmes arranged during the years 1991 and
1992 helped the various groups to see for themselves what was
happening in the NCERT. The public also had many of their questions
answered and doubts cleared. Thps several misconceptions were

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removed. It also helped the faculty and the personnel of NCERT to
understand the expectations of various groups from the organisation itself.
*his proved to be a guidance to the organisation in shaping some of its
future programmes to answer these needs. It would also be interesting to
record that there was an initial criticism on both sides about the open
house programme. But, this slowly gave way and as each day passed, it
was discemble that the programme was worth the effort. 6
Health Sector
Healthcare is one of public relations biggest growth areas and it covers a number of
sectors, including biotech, pharmaceuticals, animal health, vaccines, medical
technology, and health care providers. With healthcare constantly evolving public
relations are proving to be needed now more than ever. People working in healthcare
public relations specialise in handling internal and external communications for
healthcare companies, from helping promote products that improve quality of life to
helping clients navigate some of the world’s dilemmas, like AIDS in undeveloped or cost
management in developed countries.
Factors affecting the Healthcare Industry
1. Competition:The development and availability of higher-end technology has

made this industry brimming with competition. The rising competition has made
it more difficult for the industries to stand out from the crowd. The need for brand
recognition, a strong consumer reach and extensive network is at an all-time
high.
2. Scrutiny:These days, strict scrutiny and guidelines are being applied on the
industry. Unawareness about these rules can hamper the company severely. A
proper guidance is vital to tackle the obligations.
3. Knowledgeable patient community:With the influence of Internet, the patient
community is more informed about the diseases and the symptoms. Medical
forums and group discussion on online platforms are providing answers for the
patient’s numerous queries. Patients come forward to hospitals only to gather
information about pharmaceutical practices and drug usage.

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In this case, Public Relations play a major role in establishing prominence of Healthcare
providers in this dynamic and complex market.
1. COMMUNICATING:
Healthcare industry has multiple audiences to address to and each audience demands
customized messages which are emphasizing importance to them in different tones
and different use of language. For instance, in communication with clients/consumers
about certain products focus should be on possibility for better and healthier life that
product offers, on the other hand while communicating to physicians focus should be
on products ease-of-use, patient compliance or possible issues.
2. BUILDING THE BRAND:
Healthcare sector runs importantly on credibility. A reputation of a Healthcare provider

forms the fate of the company’s enhancement. Public Relations incorporate its
advantage of third-party endorsement to show the company in good light. When a
person, not even remotely related to the company, speaks in favor of it, the impact on
the audience is higher. Through articles and reviews, Healthcare Public Relations form a
positive opinion.
In this sense, Brand recognition plays a crucial role. Public Relations agencies
specialized in Healthcare provide superior counsel and strategic planning in creating a
strong brand.
As in any industry, organisations come in all different sizes and type. This is the same
within healthcare, and it is therefore important to make your business stand out from
the rest. This can be achieved by building a brand presence. Attending networking
events and exhibitions is a great way to start, but another way is through PR.
Professionals can build up the brand using their specific skills.
3. COMPANY ADVISOR:
Because of constant changes and bold advancements in healthcare industry there is
rising risk for potential crisis.
Therefore public relations offer outsiders perspective and different outlook on problems
to assist during crisis. This more objective and very often creative view can also be

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helpful in making everyday recommendations and advises for more effective business
communication.
4. MEDIA RELATIONS
To make the company’s presence felt, Healthcare Public Relations firms utilize their
extensive network of media relations to make the company’s presence felt. Introducing
the brand in industry events, news articles and business meets spikes the interest of the
consumers, resulting in more recognition.
4. ENHANCE BUSINESS GROWTH:
Through building strong brand and spreading messages and information that audience
demands, healthcare companies are attracting new customers, maintaining good
relationships with old customers and nourishing trust that builds them. Customer
relations, as all public relations tasks, require strategies that needs to be integrated with
sales, marketing and management divisions in company. If done correctly, these
strategies can be time and thought consuming but worth the effort. They can enhance
the brand, lead to bigger media coverage and generating demand which all in the end
leads to generating bigger revenue.
Public Relations is a creative, fast-paced industry developing in many different branches

of industry, from music and sports to politics and diplomacy. In my opinion one of the
most interesting and rewarding areas of PR industry is healthcare public relations. Even
though it can be stressful through times of heavy workload or unforeseen
circumstances which lead to longer working hours, career within a healthcare agency
can offer endless opportunities since, as earlier written, healthcare is one of public
relations biggest growth areas and it covers a number of sectors. Of course, to be able
to handle all PR tasks and key roles of healthcare PR, you need to posses a certain set
of skills [communication skills (writing and social media), research skills, international
perspective, time management and creative thinking] and it would be helpful to have an
experience, relevant qualification or degree within the field of healthcare industry.
In conclusion, although its a hard work with a hard path to it, reward is worth the effort.
Health is the most important thing and by helping people understand how to make their
lives better, easier, healthier or happier (or helping medical professionals communicate
easily with patients/clients) we ourselves are becoming better and happier people for it.

42

TOPIC 4: Role of PR in Political Parties and Election

Campaigns
Perception in politics is a key driver to take a successful election campaign home.
Contextually, PR has emerged as an indispensable tool that ensures the idea is
perceived in the manner it should be.
PR driven and technology backed political campaigns have buzzed the world over the
past few years. From national political bigwig to regional satraps, no political outfit is
untouched with changing new dimensions of PR.
PR has successfully used technology driven strategy for political candidates during
election campaigns. The main purpose behind these technology-driven campaigns is to
help voters make informed decisions while casting their votes. Voter responses to these
electoral campaigns helped individual candidates and political parties (via their
technology teams and consultants) to rework messaging their agenda till the very end.
In India, political parties are rapidly using different mediums to execute their plans in
order to win political power. The accomplishment of any political party today totally
depends upon the way of communication between the political party members and
general public. PR is now an important for the political organisation in order to
communicate and share the tasks with both internal and external public. Media has
become more important, they cover the opinion of public which hep political parties to
make changes. PR also helps to receive and record knowledge from public to political
organisation. The Public must be informed about what is going on in the government
structures, which is the foundation of every democratic society, but at the same time
politicians must have an insight into public opinion.
Media Management and information management are the most crucial activities of the
Political PR. These activities are connected with the non-ethical communication, which
aims on media manipulation and manipulation of the public.

43

Domains of Political Public Relations With the definition of political public

relations established, we now turn to exploring major domainsof political public
relations.We define domains asmajor areas of practice or specialties within political
public relations. While it is important to recognize this is not a comprehensive list, it
does offer a starting point for academic inquiry to better explore the antecedents,
processes, and consequences of political public relations. As a preface, we will consider
the following areas: (1) news management and agenda building, (2) issues
management, (3) event management, (4) crisis management, (5) assessment in political
public relations, (6) and digital communication
1. News Management
Against this backdrop, political public relations efforts focus on engaging journalists
and news outlets in order to engender media coverage regarding topics of key priority to
the political organizations they represent or to convey their point of view on political
matters affecting their organization. In its simplest form, this may involve the
dissemination of news releases or it may involve more complex activities such as
holding special news conferences or producing video footage to assist journalists in
developing stories.
For any political candidate, media exposure is critical in a lot of ways. It allows a
politician to reach a large audience, especially one that can be targeted to improve
standing. Public relations professionals are often charged with organizing media
engagements and ensuring that their candidate’s public profile stays strong.
This is especially helpful when a campaign is trying to target a particular subset of
voters. If a candidate is struggling among younger voters, an interview with an outlet
particularly popular among youth might be an idea. If a candidate is attempting to court
a particular geographic area, appearing on a regional television or radio show can be
beneficial.
2.3 Event management
In addition to traditional communication activities of information dissemination and

exchange, another major domain of political public relations lies in event
planning,management,andexecution.A range of activities and events are used to

44

support political public relations efforts. Among the most prominent are debates,
speeches, news conferences, party conventions, and town hall meetings when it comes
to supporting campaigning and governance.Other types might include fund raising
dinners and groundbreakings.
Political speeches, though clearly a communication activity, also can be viewed as
events. They are used both for campaigning (e.g., in the form of stump speeches) and
governance (e.g., the State of the Union)..Research suggests that speeches can be
effective for agenda-setting, increasing political knowledge, and stimulating support for
a cause, policy, or candidate.
2.4 Crisis management
Beyond event management, another primary area of political public relations is crisis
communication and management. While all types of organizations and groups face
crises, the management of this process within the realm of political public relations is
somewhat unique. Among the ways it differs are in terms of crisis managers, crisis
types, crisis communication constraints, and definitions of success (Coombs 2011).
The locus of management of crises in political public rela
tions falls into four broad groups: politicians, bureaucrats, elected agencies, and
bureaucratic agencies.Thus,the variation of responsibility can shift from th eindividual to
organization a level.In addition, differences ariseas to whether the individual or agency
is appointed or elected.
Perhaps the most important difference with respect to crisis management and crisis
communication in politics and the corporate sector is that in politics, many crises are
actively sponsored or even manufactured by political opponents. While crises in the
corporate sector occur and may have their origins outside as well as within the
organization, in politics, both competitors and the media have an active interest in
sponsoring frames that suggest that a political organization or its representatives is
facing major problems and that these constitute a crisis or even a scandal (see also the
chapter by Stanyer). This may hold particularly true for incumbent governments and
during election campaigns, because of the increased scrutiny governments are facing
and that all political actors face in the run-up to elections
2.5 Evaluation management Another important topic of significant interest in the

general public relations literature, and consequently in the domain of political public

45

relations, concerns evaluation and assessment. In brief, such work concentrates on how
public relations activities contribute to advancing the overall mission of an organization.
When applied to political public relations, the question of effectiveness becomes more
complicated because effectiveness needs to be thought of beyond the organizational
level to also include normative implications. In particular, organizational effectiveness
of political public relations efforts can be viewed as strategic while those at the societal
and political system level can be thought of as normative. A tendency in early public
relations research and practice for measuring effectiveness was simply in terms of
message outputs resulting in media coverage and publicity (Hon 1998). Both
Tools of Political Public Relations
Public Relations is an important aspect in politics, tools are used for gaining publicity
through mass media, events and direct communication. Important tools include :
1. Websites- Every political organisation needs a website which consist database

and information for general public. Content plays an important role in increasing
traffic on website to outreach maximum people.
2. Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms are most
efficient tools to drive traffic among voters and used to create buzz in general
public for candidates. Social Media helps in direct communication which includes
replying to comments, live videos and instant reply to queries.
3. Brochures and Print Ads- In the world of modernisation, internet has taken over
traditional media but now also a percentage of public and voters are still
influenced by the print publicity by candidates.
4. Events- Events provide political people to gain exposure and promote themselves
and their organisation. From a candidates or political organisation point of view,
events like rally helps them to communicate with public and earn the trust of
voters.

Elections in India 2014
General election in 2014 saw a first in many ways. It was the first election when PR
driven strategy was used in the biggest way to build brand ‘Modi’. Top names in the
business including Ogilvy & Mather's Piyush Pandey, McCann Worldgroup’s Prasoon
Joshi and Sam Balsara of Madison World were leading the charge for Modi’s 2014

46

campaign. Advertising agency Soho Square, part of the WPP Group, handled television,
radio and print campaigns with catchy slogans such as ‘Ab ki Baar Modi Sarkar’.
The famous ‘Chai-pe-charcha’ campaign
The famous campaign coined to reflect the humble background of Narendra Modi, was
one of the most successful PR campaigns ever. ‘Chai-pe-charcha’ campaign was
organised at multiple venues, garnering huge public interest.
unique platform devised to discuss and highlight local issues with senior leaders from BJP
and Narendra Modi over a cup of tea, this indeed is a revolutionary step towards direct and
participative democracy. The theme for the first edition of Chai Pe Charcha was Good
Governance.
DIGITAL PR
With more than 45 million followers on his Twitter account and over 42 million on
Facebook — today Narendra Modi has one of the largest brand connectivity and online
presence.
During these years in office, the Indian Prime Minister’s Facebook posts have witnessed
many million interactions.The ability to address such a big constituency by just putting a
tweet out is not only cost effective but also swift, efficient and fast to reach out to
supporters.
Through these social media campaigns BJP was able to sway many young voters in
2014. Army of supporters were deployed on Twitter and Facebook during his successful
election campaign.
PR in social media times has evolved the way polls are fought and won. With the new
perception machinery at work, it will be interesting to see what is in store ahead.

47

UNIT 4
TOPIC 1: Evolution of Corporate Communications

Public relations (PR), the predecessor to the corporate communication (CorpComm)

function, grew out of necessity. Although corporations had no specific strategy for
communications, they often had to respond to external constituencies whether they
wanted to or not. As new laws forced companies to communicate in many situations
they hadn't previously confronted, the constant need for a response meant that
dedicated resources were required to manage the flow of communications.
This function, which was tactical in most companies, was almost always called either
"public relations" (PR) or "public affairs.
typically, the effort was focused on preventing the press from getting too close to
management. Like a patriot missile, designed to stop incoming missiles during war, the
first PR professionals were asked to protect the company from bad publicity, often by
"spinning" damaging news in a positive light. Thus, the term "flak" came to be used to
describe what PR people were actually doing: shielding top managers from "missiles"
fired at them from the outside.
The "flak" era of public relations lasted for a number of decades, and when companies
needed other communications activities, public relations personnel were the obvious
choice to take them on. In the 1960s, for instance, it was not unusual to find public
relations officials handling speechwriting, annual reports, and the company newsletter.
Given that the majority of work in this area involved dealing with the print media
(television wasn't truly a factor until the
early 1970s), many companies hired former journalists to handle this job. The
former-journalist- turned-flak brought the organization the first dedicated expert in the
area of communication.
Until recently, the top managers in large companies came from backgrounds such as
engineering, accounting, finance, production, or, at best (in terms of understanding the
company's communication needs), sales or marketing. Their understanding of how to

48

communicate depended on abilities they might have gained by chance or through
undergraduate or secondary school training rather than years of experience. Given their
more quantitative rather than verbal orientation, these old-style managers were
delighted to have an expert communicator on board who could take the heat for them
and offer guidance in times of trouble.
PR professionals often were seen as capable of turning bad situations into good ones,
creating excellent relations with their former colleagues in journalism, and helping the
chief executive officer become a superb communicator. In some cases, this reputation
was true, but for the most part, the journalists were not the answer to all of the
company's communications problems. When situations turned from bad to worse, they
were the obvious ones to blame─easy scapegoats for irresponsible managers.
The legends of the public relations field-such as Ivy Lee a

nd E
dward Bernays and, later,
Howard Rubenstein a nd Daniel Edelman—helped the public relations function develop
from its journalistic roots into a more refined and respected profession.
For many years, PR agencies dominated the communications field, billing companies
hefty fees for services they could not handle in-house. Few large companies were willing
to operate without such a firm for fear that they might be missing an opportunity to
solve their communications problems painlessly by using these outside "spin doctors."
A ew Function Emerges
By the 1970s, the business environment required more than the simple internal PR
function supplemented by the outside consultant. The rise in importance and power of
special-interest groups, such as Ralph Nader's Public Interest Research Group (PIRG),
and environmentally
oriented organizations, such as G

reenpeace, forced companies to increase their
communications activities. During the Arab oil boycott and embargo in the 1970s, the
entire oil industry came under fire as consumers had to wait hours for a tank of gasoline
while big oil companies reported what many consumer groups felt were "obscene"
profits running into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
This situation led Mobil Oil to develop one of the most sophisticated public relations
departments of its time. Mobil's Herb Schmertz r evolutionized the field by solving
communications problems with strategies that no one had thought of before. His series

49

of advertisements, called "issue ads" (see Chapter 4 for more on this subject), which ran
on The ew York Times and The Wall Street Journal op-ed pages once or twice a week,
directly attacked the allegations of both "obscene" profits and hoarding of oil to inflate
prices. Instead of merely reacting to these allegations, the Mobil issue ads put the
blame on the government, explained why the oil companies needed hefty profits for
exploration, and refocused discussion on other issues the company's CEO thought were
important to shareholders.
With a budget in the tens of millions of dollars, Schmertz created a new

communications function that changed the nature of Mobil's communications effort
from old-style public relations to the first significant corporate communication
department. A senior vice president of the corporation, Schmertz was also one of the
very few communications executives with a seat on the board of directors—further proof
of Mobil's commitment to enhanced communications.
Thus, as individual corporations and entire industries were increasingly scrutinized and
had to answer to a much more sophisticated set of journalists, the old-style public
relations function was no longer capable of handling the flak. As a result, what at first
had been deemed a waste of resources at Mobil in the early1970s became the norm in
corporate America. The focus now shifted to structuring these new corporate
communication departments effectively to fit the function into the existing corporate
infrastructure.
In more recent years, the corporate communication function has continued to evolve to
meet the demands of the ever-changing business and regulatory environments. At the
outset of the millennium, a string of financial scandals at corporations including
WorldCom and Enron resulted in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which made full
disclosure, transparency, and corporate responsibility the expected norm for companies
large and small. The need to maintain this level of transparency has elevated the
corporate communication function within companies to a new strategic level.
TOPIC 2:

50

here is hardly any difference in course curriculum for those opting for a career in Public
Relations and Corporate Communications. In fact, both job streams are heavily
dependent on high level communication skills – the written and the spoken word.
However, to demystify the thinking that the two are different let us look at them
holistically.
Origin of Corporate Communications
A PR professional typically works in a PR firm or PR consultancy (there is nothing called

a PR agency. That is a term that is used incorrectly). These companies work on multiple
client assignments. As Public Relations companies evolved in the middle of the last
century in the west and in the later part of the last century in India the companies began
to create an internal position for the person who would interact with the PR consultancy.
To differentiate this person from the external firm, the Corporate Communications
department was created, and the person came to be known as the Corporate
Communications executive. Depending on the seniority the executive would be replaced
with Manager or Director. Highly evolved organisations have called this person Chief
Communications Officer or in some cases Chief Reputation Officer. Well, there are
organisations that only have an in-house department and do not engage a PR company.
However, some people sometimes incorrectly assume PR is Personnel Relations (the

erstwhile term used for Human Resources). Well, Public Relations is an
all-encompassing umbrella term of all activities an organisation undertakes using
various tools – mainly communication, to reach out to stakeholders.
Similarities and Difference
In India, in the initial years Public Relations firms focused largely on helping clients
connect with media outlets. That evolved to reaching to another important stakeholder
– the government. Some firms have Public Affairs departments to do government
outreach on behalf of clients. And few others have Corporate Responsibility divisions
that help clients in their social outreach through grants and activities. In recent times, a
new division for Employee Engagement has emerged in PR firms that offers companies
strategies and tactics to engage better with its most important stakeholder.
On the other hand, a powerful corporate communications job includes overseeing all the
four areas mentioned above. These include media, government and society through

51

CSR. These three are external in nature. Employee engagement and internal
communications are inward facing and in some cases are part of the HR mandate or a
separate person is in charge of the same depending on the strength of the employees.
Typically, a person spends a few years in a PR firm working on multiple clients honing
her or his skills before moving into a corporate communications job which focuses on a
single organisation. Corporate Communication jobs instantly makes the person a client
which means added power and responsibility. It also comes with better salary and more
perks. In recent times a person with 15-20 years’ experience in a PR firm and an
in-house corporate communications department could potentially have a similar
designation of a Senior Vice President or Executive Vice President and draw a similar
salary ranging anywhere between 60 lakhs to a crore per annum.
The only thing one does in a PR consultancy job that may not be needed in a Corporate
Communication job is new business development. And the only thing that one may get
an opportunity to do in a Corporate Communication job which may not be easily given to
a PR company representative is to be the spokesperson. Besides these, on either side of
the aisle the professional is expected to have fairly good writing skills and the ability to
weave stories. Crisis preparedness and management is critical whether you are the
consultant or the client. An understanding of how brands operate, and corporates work
is important for both PR consultancy professionals and the corporate communications
executive.
These days a lot of journalists with experience ranging from one year to twenty years
are shifting to Corporate Communications and in some cases to PR consultancies. This
is another interesting path to follow.
Organisational Hierarchy
In a Corporate Communication job, one typically reports to the Chief Executive. If the
designation is Brand Communications or Marketing Communications the reporting
maybe to the head of Marketing. Quite often the Chief Marketing Officer oversees
communication as well. In this case the Head of Communications along with Head of
Marketing reports to this person. In the case of a PR consultancy the reporting is
internal and ends at the branch level of the consultancy level, but PR teams work closely
with the client and sometimes end up reporting to the client who is typically a senior
professional.

52

While a lot of youngsters like to start at corporates in the communication department I

would strongly recommend spending at least three to four years in a PR consultancy
before making the shift. It’s good to be a generalist working on clients from multiple
sectors before settling for one specific sector. It also helps in becoming a better client.
In the end to each their own.

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TOPIC 1: Defining Public Relations: Functions and

● Public relations can be defined as a ‘management function that helps achieve

-Baskin, Aonolf & lattimore

- The British Institute of Public Relations

ELEMENTS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

1. Deliberate: ​Public relations activity is intentional. It is designed to influence, gain

2. Planned: ​Public relations activity is organized. Solutions to problems are discovered

3. Performance:​ Effective public relations is based on actual policies and performance.

4. Public interest:​ Public relations activity should be mutually beneficial to the

6. Management function: P ​ ublic relations is most effective when it is a strategic and

FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

4. Publicity: Disseminating planned messages through selected media, including social

6. Community relations: Planned activity with a community to maintain an environment

10. Financial relations: Creating and maintaining investor confidence and building good

Longman dictionary of Mass Media and Communication defines, public as “people, who

1. Employees – Internal Publics

c. financial media of both print and electronic

6. Government- Central, Local State Government Departments, Regulatory bodies,

7. Opinion Leaders-​ Community and Caste Leaders, M.P.s, MLAs

8. Media public- Newspapers, radio, TV, films, Internet

9. General Community- Neighbourhood community

TOPIC 3: Scope of PR: Issue Management, Lobbying,

● 1.Early identification of issues with potential impact on the organisation

● 2. A strategic response designed to mitigate or capitalize on their consequences.

● When issue management operates in areas of public policy, it is part of public

● W. Howard Chase, 1976 stated that; Issue management includes:

It is a process of closing the “gap between corporate action and stakeholder

2. Research on the issue

3. Knowledge of government structures and hierarchy of officials

5. Knowledge of government rules and regulations

6. Support of public leaders and opinion leaders

7. Communication skills and presentation techniques

8. Effective targeting of officials and legislators

10 Favourable media coverage

Difference between PR and Lobbying

C. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Ways to practice CSR

Recognizing how important social responsibility is to their customers, many companies

1. Environmental efforts:​ One primary focus of corporate social responsibility is the

2. Philanthropy:​ Businesses can also practice social responsibility by donating money,

Unilever is a multinational corporation, in the food and beverage sector, with a

Role of PR in promoting your CSR

The challenge, however, lies in how to communicate those CSR efforts.

Therefore, PR professionals attempt to influence the opinion leaders as they can

● Opinion leaders are knowledgeable experts who articulate opinions about

1. According to American Marketing Association (AMA) a ​ dvertising​ is “any paid

1. Paid Space or Free Coverage

2. Creative Control Vs. No Control

"Where we can generate some sort of third-party 'endorsement' by independent media

5. Creativity or a Nose for News

6. In-House or Out on the Town

7. Target Audience or Hooked Editor

8. Limited or Unlimited Contact

10. Writing Style

In white propaganda, the information source is identified, while in black propaganda,

TOPIC 4: Ethics in PR, PRSI Code, IPRA

PR Ethics includes values:

Ethics are important to help gain:

Ethical Issues in PR

There are various accusations on the PR Ethics:

1. as clever strategies maker to convince the public

Unethical behavior can result in:

There are following classes of members :

1. Deliberate: Public relations activity is intentional. It is designed to influence, gain

2. Planned: Public relations activity is organized. Solutions to problems are discovered

3. Performance: Effective public relations is based on actual policies and performance.

4. Public interest: Public relations activity should be mutually beneficial to the

6. Management function: P ublic relations is most effective when it is a strategic and

7. Opinion Leaders- Community and Caste Leaders, M.P.s, MLAs

1. Environmental efforts: One primary focus of corporate social responsibility is the

2. Philanthropy: Businesses can also practice social responsibility by donating money,

1. According to American Marketing Association (AMA) a dvertising is “any paid

TOPIC 3: Tools & Techniques for Public Relations: House

An annual report is a comprehensive report on a company's activities throughout the

Advertorials: Advertorials are advertisements in the form of news stories or reviews in

Domains of Political Public Relations With the definition of political public

The legends of the public relations field-such as Ivy Lee a