Transcript Public Relations

Chapter 11
Public Relations and
Framing the Message
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Public Relations Changes
Perception
In 1956, the nation’s top blue
jeans manufacturers formed the
national Denim Council “to put
schoolchildren back in blue
jeans through a concerted
national public relations,
advertising, and promotional
effort.”
Public Relations


Public relations: the entire range of
efforts by an individual, an agency, or
any organization attempting to reach
or persuade audiences
Social and cultural influence is
immense.


Convinced many American businesses of
the value of nurturing the public
Most significant impact has been on the
political process.
Early Developments in Public
Relations

Press agents



Advanced client through hype and stunts:
publicity
Most famous were P.T. Barnum and William
F. Cody.
Modern PR Agents

Ivy Lee

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Contained damaging publicity fallout for
Rockefellers during Ludlow Mine Massacre
Edward Bernays
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The father of modern PR
Taught the first class in public relations in 1923
The Practice of Public Relations
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More than 7,000 PR firms in the U.S.
Growing academic field since the
1980s
By 2011, Public Relations Society of
America (PRSA) had more than
10,000 members, and 322 chapters
at colleges and universities.
Approaches to Organized Public
Relations

$14.42 billion in PR revenue in 2011
for the WPP Group

Burson-Marsteller
139 offices in 99 countries
 Clients include Sony, Coca-Cola, and IKEA.
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
Hill & Knowlton
80 offices in 44 countries
 Clients include Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks,
and Nestlé.

Figure 11.1
The Top 4 Holding Firms, with Public Relations Subsidiaries,
2010
Performing Public Relations

PR involves providing a multitude of
services, including publicity,
communication, public affairs, issues
management, and government
relations.
 Propaganda
 Conduct research to focus message
 Convey message
 Done
through press releases
 Video news releases (VNRs)
 Public service announcements (PSAs)
Performing Public Relations (cont.)

Media relations



Promote a client by securing publicity or
favorable coverage in the news media
Recommend advertising to clients when it
seems appropriate
Special events


Raise the profile of corporate,
organizational, or government clients
Psuedo-event: any circumstance created for
the sole purpose of gaining media coverage
Performing Public Relations (cont.)

Community and consumer relations


Designed to sustain goodwill between its clients
and the public
Government relations and lobbying


The process of attempting to influence lawmakers to
support and vote for an organization’s or industry’s
best interests
Astroturf lobbying another form
Figure 11.3
Total Lobbying Spending and Number
of Lobbyists (2000-2010)
Public Relations Adapts to the
Internet Age



Web sites are the home base for PR
efforts.
Clients of PR professionals can
interact with audiences via social
media (Twitter, Facebook, blogs).
PR still needs to control messages.

Firms have edited company Wikipedia
entries, and paid bloggers to promote
products.
Public Relations during a Crisis

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PR firms must help companies handle
a public crisis or tragedy.
Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 was
benchmark for how April 2010 BP oil
spill was judged.
BP’s PR mistakes included multiple
underestimations of damage done and
the CEO’s lack of empathy.
Tensions between Public Relations
and the Press

Flacks

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PR people who insert themselves between
their clients and the press
Sources of conflict

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Facts brought to light by journalists are
spun by PR people.
PR people block access to important
officials.
Agents promote advertising as news.
Bigger agencies are able to secure a
disproportionate amount of coverage for
their clients.
Shaping the Image of
Public Relations

PRSA Member Professional Values
 Advocacy
 Honesty
 Expertise
 Independence
 Loyalty
 Fairness
Public Relations and Democracy

Politicians hire PR firms to improve
their images.

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
Richard Nixon
PR campaigns that result in free media
exposure raise questions regarding
democracy and the expression of ideas.
Journalists need to become less willing
conduits in the distribution of publicity.