Lexington, KY - Have you ever had to explain what you do for a living? For most people, that's not a difficult task, but for those of us in public relations, it can be. Recently I was asked to speak to the Independent/Small Business Owners (ISBO) group on the topic: What is public relations? Because a lot of business people don't understand what public relations is or how it can help them, it seemed Business Lexington's readers might be interested in an explanation as well.
Some people think public relations is synonymous with publicity. Although that's part of public relations, that's not all there is to it. Others believe PR is the same as advertising or marketing. It's not; however, those elements must work hand in hand with public relations for an overall campaign to be effective.
The heart of public relations is simply managing the reputation of an organization. This means public relations encompasses every part of a business or nonprofit from how they communicate with customers, employees, the community, government entities, the media and others to their brand management and customer service. All of these aspects work together to create an overall impression of an organization. If one part of it is misaligned, it affects the whole company.
The Public Relations Society of America developed a definition that is so long no one wants to read it, and there are many textbook definitions. So to get answers from people who practice it every day and know how to communicate in simple language, I called on some of my fellow Central Kentucky practitioners to provide their thoughts. Here's what they had to say:
"Public relations is conducting business in a way that advances your goals while ensuring your actions provide benefit to your key audiences - your members, your community, your customers. Communication is certainly a key component of the public relations function, but in order to be effective, it must be rooted in decisions that benefit everyone involved. In the purest sense, I believe every action by a company or individual should be considered public relations." - Sally Baker, APR director of marketing & public relations, American Association of Equine Practitioners
"Public relations is, in my experience, two-fold: being able to see and adjust to trends that will impact the public perception of a product, industry or cause; and building and maintaining a positive reputation among the public.
"A fellow PR professional once told me that being able to 'see around the corner' is an important aspect of defining public relations for your company, nonprofit or government agency and agenda. The ability to keep up with new trends and opportunities can help reach target audiences and build positive PR. A good example is the use of social media, i.e. Facebook and Twitter, to reach key audiences, particularly under the age of 35.
"Just as important as the ability to stay informed about new opportunities, building a positive reputation among key audiences is a key definition of public relations. Too many corporations place little importance on reputation building, not understanding that taking the steps necessary to build public goodwill would in turn help grow their business." - Michael Goins co-owner, Blue Sky Communications and former deputy communications director for Gov. Ernie Fletcher
"An organization that practices good public relations is one that listens - truly listens - and, based on that, builds and nurtures honest and open relationships with customers, employees, media and stakeholders." - Tim Hill, APR partner, Hill Communications
"I think the term 'public relations' is very often used synonymously with 'publicity' because at its core PR is about getting your message out to the public. What's so interesting about the advent of online forums, blogs, social media sites, and the like, is that those messages no longer have a simple start and end point, but rather become part of a dialogue. The two-way line of communication and building of relationships implied in the term are perhaps stronger now than ever before." - Todd Piccirilli communications manager, KET
"Public relations is the practice of managing the flow of information between an organization and its publics." - Lisa Smith, APR communications manager, Columbia Gas of Kentucky
So, listening, communicating, creating a dialogue, thinking two steps ahead, being flexible and building relationships are at the heart of public relations. And what about the people who go into the profession? They should be strong writers, strategic thinkers and creative problem solvers. More and more organizations are learning that their communications people deserve a seat at the table because they tend to be big picture people.
One more thing that should be noted about the profession: Good public relations people don't mislead or deceive the public. Honesty and truthfulness are hallmarks of this business, no matter how Hollywood portrays us.
Also, the APR designation means that the practitioner has passed a national, standardized exam sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America. So when you see APR, it tells you the PR professional has broad knowledge, strategic perspective, and sound professional judgment.
As you think about your marketing mix, consider making PR part of it. Having a good strategic PR person on your team can make a difference in the public perception of your organization in good times, and especially in bad.
Mary Hemlepp, APR, is co-owner of the Lexington-based public relations firm Wiser, Hemlepp & Associates. Contact her at mary@wiserhemlepp.com.