Public Relations

Every business needs a good reputation to be successful and thrive.

as it grows, it becomes increasingly important to stand out in the field in which
opera

And although they depend on many factors, such as the quality and the
reliability, Public Relations are one of the pillars for managing the
reputation of a company.

This allows you to communicate your brand widely, along with the values associated with it.
and also, create narratives about your products and services.

A good public relations job allows the public to understand what you
business can offer.

Sounds incredible, right? But do you know what public relations are?

Studies in Social Communication are divided into three main fields:

Journalism,
Advertising,
and Public Relations (affectionately abbreviated as PR).
And while most people know — or at least have an idea — what
what does a journalist or publicist do, the question often arises: what does
What exactly is a public relations professional?

This is the topic we will address in this post!

We will see the following topics:

What are public relations?

How did they come about?
What does a public relations professional do?
What are public relations in marketing?
What is the labor market?
What is the public relations course like?

What are relationships?

public?
In a few words, the Public Relations Society of AmericaPRSA) has established
the definition of public relations as a communication process
strategic that builds mutually beneficial relationships between the
organizations and their respective audiences.

Let's break this down to better know and understand the elements that
define the PR

What are the 5 elements of the

public relations
Organizations

A group of people around a common cause. An organization

it can be a company, agovernment, an NGO, that is, it can adopt many
ways.

Publics

Like organizations, audiences are multiple and encompass various

social origins. We can think of them as groups of people that
they interact with a particular organization.

Communication processes

Like all forms of communication, public relations involve

less than two parts (in practice, there are multiple parts). These parts, which are the
organizations and the different audiences interact in various ways to
establish exchange processes.

Non-linear processes

On the contrary: they happen spontaneously and multilaterally.

Public Relations arise as a way to understand them and optimize the
links between thevarious actors involved.

Exchange relationships

Organizations and the public are connected all the time through
various dynamics that add value to both parties.
In this sense, Public Relations emerge as a way to organize the
links and the processes of exchange between organizations and audiences, generating
benefits and value for both parties.

Organizations benefit from being able to convey their message and generate
apositive brand perceptionand the services.

The public, on the other hand, can have a more transparent view of the
organizations and demand for the services offered and the positioning
completed.

How did relationships arise?

public?
One of the greatest scholars of public relations, James E. Grunig,
it points out that the Chinese aristocracy has been cultivating this art for 5,000 years.

Public relations as a professional field, however, have been studied

since the beginning of the 20th century, that is, about 100 years ago. As we can see,
this field of study is relatively recent.

It arose in the United States from the need that companies had to
communicate with your audiences to generate a positive image. In that
moment, an accelerated era of growth was underway, marked by the
mechanization of processes and the exploitation of workers.

The workers' movement became increasingly organized and manifested against the
large companies. This led these companies to perceive the need
to communicate to their audience a better image of themselves.

The first public relations professional that communication specialists

they consider Ivy Lee. In fact, he is considered the father of public relations.
public.

Ivy Lee founded his own PR office and worked for large corporations.
to improve your image and increase your profits. Reinvent the way in which the
organizations positioned themselves in front of the world.

Preached the humanization of thebusiness modelsand advocated for transparency,

preaching the maxim: 'The public must be informed.'
This still shapes the way communication scholars view the
public relations: an activity to optimize the link between publics and
companies aimed at improving the experience of these audiences.

Because it was a new area and there were no university courses or ways to
acquire that specialization, public relations were built from the
practice.

For the same reason, the professionals who worked for companies in this
their function generally had backgrounds related to the areas of
administration and management.

Thus, public relations, which didn’t even bear its name, emerged as
a technical position focused on a management aspect.

With the evolution of the field, the need to organize studies arose to
prepare new professionals. Then we will look at the structure of the courses of
public relations, but first of all it is important to clarify the next point.

What does the professional do?

public relations?
The PRP has the function of analyzing the organization in its various dimensions.
and possibilities to establishstrategic plansthat they convey the best
message and image of the company. He is the communications manager and works in the
more diverse fields of the company.

The professional who makes up this career is the key piece of a company:
centralizes the different communication demands that together affect
thebusiness environment.

All these demands make up the agenda of a public relations professional, who has
the task of ensuring that they are resolved in the best possible way. This means
protect, maintain and/or create a good image throughmeansfor the
public.

It needs to connect directly and clearly with the audience to strengthen the bond.
and avoid noise in the relationship.

The key activities of a PR include:

Develop the communication plan of a
organization
This may seem like a very broad topic... And indeed, it is! Developing the plan
Communication within an organization is not easy and requires dynamism,
critical thinking, responsibility, and a lot of flexibility.

The PR professional has the great responsibility of designing a plan that

it encompasses both the internal and external communication of the company.

Therefore, it is essential to have a holistic vision of the company,

suspiciousvalues, services andobjectivesand that, at the same time, can convey this in
its planning.

And this is achieved by aligning the company's communications team.

(advertising, marketing, design and journalists).

Of course, the publicist does not perform each of these functions and does not
needs to have a deep understanding of them, but it is he who will make these
teams work together in the same direction.

Finally, these efforts result in communication actions such as

thebranding(which includes the establishment of the logo and the company's name in the mind of
the audience), positioning on social media, the creation of vehicles
ofinternal communication(like corporate television and newspapers) and how
communicate with the press.

All of this contributes to the organization being able to position itself before the public and
reach their goals.

Draft press releases

The press release, as its name indicates, is a
announcement or information for themediaabout the activities of the
company. While it may seem simple, writing and publishing a statement of
press is not an easy task.

Thepress releaseit could be something that the company wants to communicate, like
a new service or brand positioning, but it can also be a
reaction to some previous fact (a controversy, for example).
In both cases, it is essential to choose words carefully, the spokesperson of
message, the tone of voice, and even the moment when the announcement is made
press.

A poorly written press release can cause misunderstandings, adverse reactions.

and even crises in the organization.

However, if done well, it results in great moments for the company.

linked to a good image and positive comments in themass mediaand among the
public.

Organizes events
The internal and external events of the company have a variety of objectives and
It is essential that they are well executed and pleasant.

The public relations officer organizes all the logistics to ensure it works as well as possible.
and meet the event objectives for the company.

Conduct market studies

Understanding the marketit is fundamental for public relations work.

Must understandconsumer behavioryclients

potentialsthat interact with yourbrandthrough audience mapping.

That is why market research is very useful. It is carried out along with others
professionals and teams and the public relations officer is fundamental in the process of
preparation and management.

The research will show what audiences you are dealing with, as well as the
market trends and preferences.

Therefore, the actions taken in the company will have more potential for
function, since they will be based on facts.

Manage contacts and relationships

A company needs good relationships. And, after all, this couldn't
stop being a public relations task, right? It's important to highlight
that when we talk about relationships — in plural — there is a good reason.

An organization does not relate to a single group of people. There are several.
groups, which we call audiences. Therefore, diverse relationships are established.
interconnected between organizations and their audiences.

What audiences are those? We can divide them into three large groups:

internal community, that is, the employees;

external community, which includes consumers, potential customers,
enthusiasts of the products and anyone else who in some way
way it relates to the company and/or the brand;
media, which are the vehicles of communication and the
people who represent them.
All these audiences must be worked on carefully throughnetworking,
associations and strategic actions.

Content production
Yes, thecontent marketingis closely related to the work of
public relations.

Writing content is part of a public relations routine. But, for

supposedly, the content production process is not limited to that. The RP
understands the language and positioning of the brand and conveys it in
different channels, both internal and external.

Although public relations is not responsible for all production of

contents, it deals with the entire process that encompassesblogssocial networks, sites
web and videos, as well as the publication of materials about the company on
external media.

Manage crisis
No company is free from mistakes and, consequently, from criticism and crises, already
internal or external. The PR must deal with adverse reactions.
and control the damage, working on the situation as best as I can so that it doesn't
It can have serious consequences for the organization.
Dealing with opinions, comments, and criticism
This topic is related to the previous one.

Every day it is easier for people to express their opinions. This is very
positive both for theconsumersas for companies, so that the
the relationship is strengthened and both can achieve a mutual understanding.

At the same time, the ease for users to express their opinions can
generate unexpected scenarios for the company. Respond to comments
Positive feedback is easy, but negative criticism is not so simple.

The speed to make public social media and complaint sites, for
example, it creates the need to speed up response time. And it goes a lot
beyond that: attention to language, the information passed and the
the participation of others is crucial.

Accepting opinions and criticisms and resolving situations that arise from them can be
much more complex than you think.

And the most difficult part involves anticipating the impacts of actions. Much more
To deal with criticism, the PR must assume that every action of the company
It will have reactions. It is their duty to anticipate the scenario and avoid situations.
unpleasant.

Communication consulting
Finally, many of these activities are included in the advisory of
communication, which is often led by a public relations professional.

Communication consulting is a sector that establishes the connection between the

company and the public. A company can have its own advisory team or
hire a company to do this.

The communications advisory is responsible for all the communication aspect of

an organization, so it is necessary to plan an RP. Among the
activities of the communication advisory include: advisory of
presssocial media managementand image management.
What are public relations?
in marketing?
A well-done PR job is one that helps the public understand a
company, its values, its objectives and what it has to offer. Any good
A marketing professional can identify with this phrase.

In fact, these two activities are connected. Both aim to establish

trust relationships and exchange between the company and the public through
charm. And most importantly, they provide lasting benefits.

But each one has its own operating logic.

Public relations function in a more direct, logistical, and strategic manner. The
marketing, on the other hand, mainly acts with the new, the risky and, also,
with indirect elements.

But the important thing is that both are essential for a company and it is
it is essential for teams to work together.

We can think that, although a PR professional works directly with employees, the
marketing employee is concerned about strategies ofinternal marketing, by
example.

Labor market of relationships

public
Many people claim that the job market in any field of
communication is getting worse and smaller every time.

But the truth is that the ease of communication makes many companies
understand the urgency of hiring professional solutions for this sector. This
It is no different with the PR professional.

The market is constantly professionalizing, as it is an activity

relatively new and points to more opportunities.
We have already described the main activities performed by professionals of
public relations, we will also tell you what positions you can hold next
a public relations professional:

communication advisor
press advisor
event manager;
customer relationship;
institutional communication;
brand journalist.
These are just a few options. Of course, as in any other profession,
The PR will not perform all these functions. We are presenting possible
fields of activity of this professional.