YES, you are not wrong PR has many definitions and NO, even though it has been around for many years no one has decided on an exact definition still.
Why.. you may ask?
Well Public Relations means different things to different company’s and people.Yet they all share the seem theme running through each defintion.
IT IS NOT HOWEVER ANOTHER TERM FOR ADVERTISING, who ever told you this has been severely misinformed or has never cracked open a book ( Warning: Using this defintion in an exam will result in complete and utter failure and a stern talking to from your lecturer , please be advised !!).
But do not fret my friends because I the author of "The Social Media Mind" do solemly swear that with all my power, I will explain(breifly) Public Relations to you to the best of my ability.
So the next time your aunt comes around asking "what is PR and why do you study it again ??, you can look her in the eye with the greatest of confidence and tell her exactly what's what !
Public Relations, for those who are PR professionals
or who are knowledgeable on the subject , you could say "is the
creation, distribution and dissemination of messaging and communications for
the purpose of promoting and fostering positive awareness, associations,
imagery, perception of a person, place or thing among a particular target
audience to effect a desired behaviour. "(Gersten,
Cohen, 2011)
This my friends is the correct, sophisticated definition.Now for those of you who are still just breaking ground in the world of Public Relations and still learning (like myself) or for those who haven’t a clue what PR is, let me break it down to you, PRSA style ;)
Public Relations "is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”(PRSA, 2016)
So a public relations practitioner is "the person who is responsible for the daily handling of the business's image(Reference,2016) . They will do everything they can for the company that will be benefically to the reputation and image of the company. This includes creating press releases,and photo calls about events your client is hosting ,to give to the media. Generating good publicity and handling bad publibty when it arises. Creating product launches and even "lobbying for political entities"(Reference 2016). The PR practitioner acts as the face of the company. (Reference 2016)
Now that you have understood the basics of PR and what a PR practioner does, I will now take you back a bit to answer the next question, that many people ask.
Where did PR come from?.
 | |
In 1904
Ivy Lee Ledbetter, known as the founder of public relations opened a
"counseling office"(SEO-PR, 2016) with his partner George Parker, the
office was known as Parker and Lee. Ledbetter’s business aim was to create
an image of "Accuracy, Authenticity, and Interest"(wiki, 2015).One of
their first clients was the Pennsylvania Railroad, and In 1906 Ledbetter
created the first ever press release to inform people of a rail accident
that had taken place in the company, his aim was to release the accurate facts
of what had happened before the media caught wind of different versions of what
had actually happened.(SEO-PR,2016)
It came
to prove that the press release was very successful. Because of what history
had found on Ledbetter , they believe he was the founder of Public relations,
“Ledbetter believed that his techniques and tactics used where used to help
clients on a short term level, and when he passed believed that PR would die
with him"(SEO-PR,2016)
Enter
Edward Bernays...
|
Bernays had a broader idea of public relations and what it could really do. He adopted scientific methods, which he learned from his uncle the well-known social psychologist Sigmund Freud. Bernays "applied his uncle’s concept of “mass psychology” to sell bacon, cigarettes and soap. He also staged “overt acts” (what would now be called “media events”) to awaken apparently subconscious feelings." (SEO-PR,2016) Not only did use science to delve in to the mind to figure out what makes a message attract an audience’s attention, he also created a well know tool used frequently in modern Public Relations today, creating media events/campaigns.
From this brief explanation and history of public relations, you can see how important it was and still is today. Without the skills and tools used by PR practioners then and now, the success of companies and their campaigns might not have been as successful or even still here today. Today Modern PR has expanded and gained more depth and momentum. Without the grounding work of Ledbetter and Bernays, Public Relations would not be where it is now.
Congratulations to you from getting through this blog, and bearing with me as I slightly explain this big topic into small bitesize pieces. It may seem scary to learn Public Relations because of all of its history, its modern rules and regulations.But I hope with this brief covering of the history and explanations of public relations, you can feel more confident entering you PR class with this basic knowledge and even more importantly, you can finally explain to all who ask what exactly it is your doing in your studies. ( I call that a #Collegegoal )
I will now leave you with a quote ..
Stay Social Media Minded Friends !
Sources:
Defintion of PR.
PRSA
What is a PR practioner
https://www.reference.com/business-finance/pr-practitioner-99b8398d3f7f0dc0
History of PR
IMAGES:
PR meme
Ivy Lee Ledbetter
psig=AFQjCNG84xl24le5cx3HXBK_Krlbld6GcA&ust=1478079534593576
Edward Bernays
Yoda
Quote:
The profession or practice of creating and maintaining goodwill of an organization's various publics (customers, employees, investors, suppliers, etc.), usually through publicity and other nonpaid forms of communication. These efforts may also include support of arts, charitable causes, education, sporting events, and other civic engagements.
Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/public-relations.html
No comments:
Post a Comment