Learn more about the structure and relationship of public relations to organizations in the U.S. This slideshow was prepared by Brett Atwood (clinical associate professor at Washington State University).

1. Organizational Settings in
Public Relations
Presented by
Brett Atwood

2. “A Seat at the Table”
• PR practitioners can function at many levels
within an organization
– Most effective to have direct line to top executives
• “A seat at the table” = high-level input to strategic
decisons
– Can be internal
vs. external to a
company

3. How Does an Organization View PR?
• Some companies are proactive in embracing
PR
– In some organizations, PR execs rank high on the
org chart
• Some reluctantly embrace PR after some form
of crisis
– Layoffs
– Legal troubles
– Customer backlash

4. PR & Top Management
• PR is a management function – whether an
organization recognizes that or not
– Examples:
• Perrier product contamination crisis
• BP Gulf oil spill
• TEPCO response to nuclear disaster in Japan
• Johnson & Johnson Tylenol product tampering crisis

5. Perrier Product Contamination

6. BP Oil Spill Crisis

7. TEPCO Nuclear Disaster

8. Johnson & Johnson Tylenol Poisoning

9. Outside Counsel vs. Internal Staff
• Organizations may decide to use internal, full-time
PR staff or use external agencies
– There are pros and cons to each

10. In-House vs. Agency
• Knowledge about Organization
– In-House: Stronger knowledge
– Agency: Needs to Learn

11. In-House vs. Agency
• Organizational Credibility (Can Vary)
– In-House: Can be good since they are already a
known entity and part of the existing team
– Agency: Outsiders might be seen as “experts”

12. In-House vs. Agency
• Objectivity
– In-House: Often lacks objectivity
– Agency: Provides a “fresh” look
• Less biased in communication
• May be more audience-oriented
• May have new ideas and insights

13. In-House vs. Agency
• Range of Skills/Resources/Contacts
– In-House: More Limited
– Agency: More Broad

14. In-House vs. Agency
• Flexibility
– In-House: Less Flexible
– Agency: More Flexible

15. In-House vs. Agency
• Costs
– In-House: More Cost Effective for Routine Work
– Agency: More Cost Effective for Non-Routine Work

16. In-House vs. Agency
• Agency Fees Can Vary
– Monthly Retainer (Fixed Cost per hour/Services)
– Minimum Retainer (for Overhead and Admin
Expenses) plus Actual Costs
– Hourly Fees plus Out-of-Pocket Expenses
– Fixed Project Fees

17. Pros of Using a Large PR Firm
• Pros
– Depth of Experience
– Broad Range of Expertise & Resources
– Geographic Reach
– Investment in Talent

18. Cons of Using a Large PR Firm
• Cons
– Profit-Driven
– Junior Staffers Often Do Legwork
– Formulaic Approaches
– You’ll Be One of Many Clients Competing for their
Attention

19. Evolution of PR in Organizations
Entry Level Skills
• Writing Press
Releases and
Newsletters
• Support for
Human Resources
department
Critical Thinking and
Specialized Skills
• Strategic Consulting
of Execs
• Crisis Management
• Maintaining Complex
Relationships with
Multiple Publics

20. Evolution of your Career
• When you start out, you’ll likely do many
“entry level” skill-based tasks
– Press release writing
– Assistance with event planning
– Social media

21. Evolution of your Career
• As you advance in your career, you will get
more leadership and/or management
opportunities
– More integration into key business decisions
– Must be 100% reliable and disciplined to succeed
– Work is evaluated based on quantitative outcome
more than emotions/gut feeling