This document provides an overview of public relations, including its definition as a strategic communication process aimed at building mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and publics. It discusses key public relations concepts such as publics, the communication process, media relations, and the importance of social media. Public relations is defined as anticipating, analyzing, interpreting, counseling on policy decisions, researching and evaluating communication programs to achieve understanding between an organization and its publics.

1. Public Relations
Ellen Treanor
Personal Branding Pros
Professional in Residence SUU
ellentreanor@gmail.com
818-731-4880
Personalbrandingpros.com

2. Overview
• Definition
• Publics
• Communication Process
• Control
• About the Media

3. Overview
• Media Mentions & Opportunities
• Press Release
• Press Kit
• Non-media Connectors
• Social Media

4. Defined
• Public relations is a strategic
communication process that
builds mutually beneficial
relationships between
organizations and their publics.

5. Defined
• “Process” is preferable to “management function,”
which can evoke ideas of control and top-down,
one-way communications.
• “Relationships” relates to public relations’ role in
helping to bring together organizations and
individuals with their key stakeholders.
• “Publics” is preferable to “stakeholders,” as the
former relates to the very “public” nature of public
relations, whereas “stakeholders” has connotations
of publicly-traded companies.

6. Defined/PRSA
– Anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes and issues
that might impact, for good or ill, the operations and plans of the
organization.
– Counseling management at all levels in the organization with regard to
policy decisions, courses of action and communication, taking into account
their public ramifications and the organization’s social or citizenship
responsibilities.
– Researching, conducting and evaluating, on a continuing basis, programs
of action and communication to achieve the informed public understanding
necessary to the success of an organization’s aims. These may include
marketing; financial; fund raising; employee, community or government
relations; and other programs.
– Planning and implementing the organization’s efforts to influence or change
public policy. Setting objectives, planning, budgeting, recruiting and training
staff, developing facilities..

7. Publics

8. Publics
• Any group that has an interest in the
activities of a firm and that may also be
affected by those activities
• Who are yours?

9. Communication
Process

10. Communication Process

11. Communication Process
Determine the desired objectives of your efforts.
Target market selection
Decide on the media, groups, and individuals that will be
able to reach your target market most effectively.
(Connectors)
Communicate compelling reasons for consumers in
your target market to pursue exchanges with your
organization, and give connectors a reason to pass on
your information to the consumers within their
sphere of influence. (Message)

12. Control

13. Control
– Is the information worth spreading?
– Is this information actually news?
– Does this information matter to the
intermediary’s audience?
– Does spreading this information positively affect
the image or standing of the intermediary in the
eyes of its audience?
– Does disseminating this information benefit the
intermediary?

14. About the Media

15. Media
Advertising Media- Segment of the media business focused on
generating revenue through the sales of advertisements
News Media- Any person or entity that gathers information of
potential interest to a segment of the public, uses its editorial
skills to turn the raw materials into a distinct work, and
makes its products available to the general public through
purchase, subscription, or free distribution

16. Media
Content- All non-advertising elements of media, including but
not limited to articles, columns, feature stories, and
editorials
• Print
– newspapers, magazines, and trade journals
• Broadcast
– television and radio news
• Organizational publications
– newsletters, reports, and Web sites produced by companies and
associations
• Electronic
– news Web sites and blogs

17. Media Mentions
& Opportunities

18. Media Mentions
• Pitch- A marketer’s attempt to convince a
journalist to report on a topic relevant to
his or her product or company
• Press Release
• Media Alert

19. Media Opportunities
• Editorials
• Expert articles
• Cases
• Events
• Interviews
• Op-ed- opposite the editorial, common
placement on the page opposite an editorial

20. Media Opportunities
• Events- A special activity, showing, display, or
exhibit designed to demonstrate products or to
connect the product to favorable products or
activities
• What will you do?
• (When in doubt, give an award!)

21. Media Opportunities
• Timing, Timing, Timing
– Know about lead times and deadlines for
publications
• Long Leads for magazines =1 to 2 seasons
ahead
– Sometimes a year in advance
– Find out the schedule and pitch for a good fit
• Short Leads
– Newspapers and calendars

22. Media Opportunities
• Make your own NEWS
– Add something NEW – mix up your event
– Bring NEW partnerships, sponsors, non-
profits
– Be Unique
• Examples: what makes your ______ cooler
than any other event of business just like
yours
– Be Relevant
– Be timely

23. Press Release

24. Press Release
1. Press release label
2. Release date statement
3. Contact information
4. Headline
5. Sub-heads
6. Body
7. The lead
8. Boilerplate
9. Conclude with # # #

25. Press Release
• Press Release Headline Here
Optional subhead is placed here, usually in sentence format.
• CITY, State, Month Day, Year (Releases) --The opening sentence is the most important element in a press release where you
should succinctly summarize what is being announced. The opening paragraph should clearly get the reader's attention through a
strong hook while providing the most important facts. As a best practice, write your press release first then come back and develop
the opening paragraph as a summary of the press release. Then compare this new opening paragraph with your initial first
paragraph.
• A press release should consist of three to six paragraphs where you provide all the relevant facts and information a reporter should
use to write a story. The most important information should be listed first, with the least important information appearing in the final
paragraph
• "A great press release should include a great quote from a company executive or industry expert," says eReleases President
Mickie Kennedy. "An important thing to know about quotes is that the media generally won't use them unless they are evocative,
fresh or state something in a way that would be very difficult to paraphrase.
• Optional Boilerplate
• A boilerplate is a short paragraph that explains the identity of a company and what it does. Boilerplate is optional, but it doesn't hurt
to have one to help identify your business. Think of boilerplates as a thumbnail sketch of your company that provides a little
background information to the press. Once you've written a boilerplace, you can use it in all of your press releases.
• Contact:
• Name of Media Contact
Title of Media Contact
Company Name
Contact Phone Number
Contact E-mail
Website URL
# # #

26. Press Release
• What NOT to do
– Don’t write in all caps – it has to be changed
– Don’t FAX or bring it in - email is best
– Don’t wait until the last minute - ask about
deadlines
– ET process- call/e-mail/call/call

27. Press Kit

28. Press Kit
• Information compiled by organizations for the
purpose of informing media outlets and other
connectors about their firm, brands, products,
employees, and activities
• Backgrounder- Fact-oriented, takes the form of a
narrative about a company, product, or person
• Factsheet- A list of facts designed to entice
connectors to cover a firm or its products, while
supplying them with information to support their
coverage

29. Press Kit
• Press Releases
• Company literature
• Executive biographies
• Photos
• Expert contacts
• Clippings

30. Non-media Connectors

31. Connectors
• A person who monitors, analyzes, and
shares information about a product or
industry. An NMC may be paid for her
efforts, but she is not employed by a media
organization.

32. Connectors
• Reference Groups
– Formal Organizations
– Informal organization
– Trade organizations
– Political parties
– The American Medical Association
– The Better Business Bureau

33. Connectors
• Opinion Leader
– An individual whose attitudes, opinions, and
behaviors greatly influence a group or society
• Expert-
– A person with education and/or experience in a
particular field, who is, typically, not a journalist
– Industry professionals
– Self-proclaimed authorities

34. Social Media

35. Social Media

36. Social Media
• Answer these questions
– Set clear goals?
– Human resources to commit?
– Quality content?
– Which sites and platforms?
– Website is ready for sm attention?
– Incorporate social marketing strategies throughout the
buying process?
– EVERY campaign is social?

37. Social Media

38. Social Media
• Must Have- Blog+
• Measure using KLOUT

39. Social Media
• Content- CREATION & CURATION
• You are COMPETING for attention in a
NOISY environment
– Add value
– Conversation
– Engagement
– Involvement

40. Social Media
• Content- CREATION & CURATION
• You are COMPETING for attention in a
NOISY environment
– Add value
– Conversation
– Engagement
– Involvement

41. Social Media
• Twitter
– # @
– Followers
– Mentions
– Retweets
• Facebook.com/marketing
• Facebook.com/ads/manage
– Power editor

42. Social Media
• Platform Choices
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• Tumblr
• Presentation
Sharing
• MySpace
• Quora
• CafeMom
• MeetUp
• 43 Things

43. Social Media
• Syndication sites
StumbleUpon
Digg
Reddit
Delicious
IFTTT
BlogCatalog
NetworkedBlogs
Alltom
Syndic8
Outbrain
BuzzFeed

44. ?