Public relations is important for businesses of all sizes to maintain a positive image and communicate effectively with key audiences. Small businesses can benefit greatly from public relations without needing an expensive agency. A good public relations plan for a small business focuses on key audiences like customers, local media, and employees. By communicating positively with these groups through timely and thoughtful messaging, a small business can build awareness and trust. It's also important for small businesses to have a crisis communications strategy and handle any issues openly and honestly to protect their reputation.

1. Public relations for any company is essential for maintaining a positive image with consumers and the
general public. Part of practicing good public relations means alerting the media to the company's
stance in response to public concerns, maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction and being an
active member of the local community. Written communication is an essential part of a successful
public relations plan. Understanding the importance of written communication in public relations
practice will assist you in making good corporate policies.
Continuity
With properly structured written communication, there is less room for misinterpretation than with
verbal communication. A single corporate statement on an issue that deals with public relations can
be circulated among company employees, the press and the general public. It allows the company to
be represented by a single statement and creates a sense of continuity. It is effective public relations
practice to make sure a company sends a single and consistent message.
Collaboration
When working on a single public relations statement, a company needs input from its departments.
For example, a public relations statement regarding an incident that occurred in the manufacturing
division needs to be reviewed by the management of the manufacturing division, the company's
executive team and the corporate attorneys before being officially released. A written statement
creates a common template that all involved parties can work with to create a coherent pubic relations
statement.
Broad Appeal
A public relations professional must often address several different types of target audiences at the
same time. For example, a statement regarding a defective home cleaning product would need to be
directed to the company's customers, the distribution network and company employees, to name a
few. A written public relations statement can be crafted by several public relations professionals to
appeal to several target audiences at the same time and address concerns collectively.
Reference
Public relations policies are important to the image of the company. A good public image means a
positive impression on your marketplace and your target audience. Written communication can be
circulated and referred to by any member of the organization at any time. A written public relations
policy or statement can be readily available for any marketing, sales or customer service staff
member who may need it. Oral communication is not as reliable in its accuracy , especially if it is
being repeated second- or third-hand, and is not as easy to refer to quickly.

2. 1. Introduction
The shifting of management focus towards 'stakeholders' rather than 'shareholders'
haslead to the change in business communication and public relations. Public relations
which is defined to be the strategic management function in most cases is now
focused on building and maintaining an impeccable corporate reputation.
Until relatively recently in many countries environmental issues rated little more than
an afterthought as governments looked for ways to compete in the global market and
provide sufficient food and healthcare.
Today enlightened governments are anxious that industry does not to repeat the mistakes
made by the most developed countries and are working towards sustainable
economic growth and environmental management.
At the same time both governments and industries are increasingly attentive to theimage problems
that can arise if a environmental considerations are ignored.
Public Relations is completely about communication. The job of a public relations professional is
to communicate information about a product or service to the public. There are several tools
used by public relations professionals. Writing press releases and engaging in proactive media
relations are some of the most imortant things you can do as a PR professional. Public Relations
encompasses all forms of publicity, from new product publicity to product placement, crisis
management and even the internet.
Publicity is instrumental in introducing new products or repositioning existing products. How an
organization handles crisis management is also very important. Product placement is another
tool that involves public relations because where and how you place a product in the market will
establish brand awareness and create favorable or unfavorable attitudes about the product or
service. Consumer education and sponsorships are two other forms of communicating a
message about your product or service. Many public relations professionals use these forms of
comunication to create a loyal customer that is not only well informed but also has a positive
image of the organization. The internet is becoming more and more important as well as more
popular. A company website can be used to inroduce new products, get customer feedback, and
communicate any number of things to the public.

3. Public relations refers to the practice of enhancing an organization’s reputation in the eyes of public, stakeholders, employees, inves
and all others associated with it. Public relations experts are specially hired by organizations who work hard towards maintaining bra
image of organization.
Communication plays an essential role in effective public relations. Two way communication between both the parties is essen
and information must flow in its desired form between the organization and public. The receiver must understand what the sender int
to communicate for an effective public relation. The receivers (public, target audience, stakeholders, employees, investors) must cle
understand the sender’s message. (organization in this case).
The message/information needs to create an impact in the minds of customers for an effective brand positioning.
Communication needs to have a strong influence on the target audience for them to remain loyal towards the organization.
In public relations, the receivers play a crucial role than the sender. The sender (organization) must ensure that
the receivers interpret the information correctly and also give necessary feedbacks and reviews. It is really
essential for the sender to understand its target audience. Public relations experts must do extensive research
and gather as much information as they can before planning any public relation activity. Public relation activities
would go unnoticed if receivers to not understand it well. Public relation activities must be designed keeping in
mind the benefits of the target audience for a better brand positioning.
Example
In cases of hospitals, public relation activities would ensure a smooth flow of information between the hospital
authorities or management and the patients and their immediate family members or relatives. Public relations
experts from a hospital in a rural area must plan and design their activities in the local language for receivers to
interpret and respond well. If the hospital authorities interact in a language not understood by the patients, no real
communication takes place and eventually the effect of public relation activities get nullified.
Further the needs of the target audience must be understood well. Remember public relation activities are
designed to position an organization in the best light. This happens only when the target audiences are fully
satisfied with its services/products. Understand what your target audiences expect from you to design public
relations activities for the maximum and desired impact. Make sure your target audiences understand what you
intend to communicate.
Let us understand the role of communication in public relations through a simple example.
Peter planned for a vacation with his family to an unexplored destination. He made sure he had map of the
particular place which would help him with the directions and roads of the place.
What is the map doing in the above example ?
It is just guiding Peter about this new place. In other words, the map is communicating in an effective manner so
that Peter does not get lost.
What if Peter does not understand the map ?
Communication is incomplete
What if Peter understands the map ?
This is a case of two way communication where Peter is able to interpret what the map intends to communicate.
A simple example of two way communication.
Public relation experts must ensure:
 Message reaches the receiver (public) in its correct form.
 Audiences agree to the message
 They respond accordingly and give necessary feedbacks.

4. The Importance of Public Relations to Businesses of
All Shapes & Sizes
How does a small business do PR? Public relations is not just for large
corporations—even a small business benefits from good public relations. To have
good public relations does not mean you need to hire an expensive PR firm. To
develop a plan, think about your audience. This includes more than just customers.
Additional members of your audience may be local media or employees. Use these
additional resources to communicate your message.
Don't shy away from media, but instead use it as another tool to communicate and
reach a larger audience. By hearing positive information from a third party,
consumers are more likely to engage in communications with your business. If an
employee enjoys working for a company, that person may tell others about the good
work of your business. Your internal communications are just as important as your
external communications.
Also, think about how your audience wants to communicate with your company and
receive information. Your message must be timely and well thought-out to impact
your audience. Be sure to include a crisis communications strategy in your plan. In a
crisis, PR can go a long way to show the public that you are open and honest. How
you handle a crisis will determine how your business or brand is viewed in the
aftermath.
Join a professional organization. Professional organizations in any field offer
opportunities to learn more about current and upcoming trends in your profession.
Such organizations are great opportunities for business professionals to gain
knowledge on multiple topics through regular organizational meetings. These
organizations provide knowledgeable speakers and resource links to assist
professionals. A professional organization also allows you to network with individuals
in your field and find out what other companies are doing to enhance their public
relations. Research an organization or attend a meeting before joining to find the
best organization that meets your needs

5. The Importance of Public Relations
Public relations professionals do more than draft press releases and build relationships with key
media representatives. They must also be familiar with the attitudes and concerns of consumers,
employees, public interest groups, and the community in order to establish and maintain cooperative
working relationships.
In addition to fulfilling their traditional role of getting a company's message out to its audience, those
who have completed their studies in communications and public relations may also be responsible for
developing and running programs designed to keep the lines of communication open between
company and organization representatives and their various audiences. This might include such
activities as scheduling speaking engagements for key company staff and speech writing.
Why is Public Relations Important?
At its core, public relations revolves around this universal truth: people act based upon their
perception of facts. By managing, controlling, or influencing people's perceptions, public relations
professionals hope to initiate a sequence of behaviors that will lead to the achievement of an
organization's objectives. When those in public relations successfully create, change, or reinforce
opinion through persuasion, their primary objective is accomplished.
How Does Public Relations Work?
Public relations professionals follow a set of principles in order to achieve success. Most campaigns
begin with the identification of the problem or challenge, then move on to setting the public relations'
goal. In order to achieve the goal, the public relations specialist crafts persuasive messages and
implements key communication tactics while monitoring progress and fine tuning as necessary.
Career Opportunities in Public Relations
Those who have either earned their degree from an accredited communications and public relations
educational program, or obtained a public relations graduate certificate, have a wide variety of career
options. Jobs range from being employed by an individual, such as celebrity publicists, to large firms,
such as corporate public relations managers and executives.
Public Relations for the Stars: Publicists
Publicists can turn a little known actor into a household word. In essence, they are responsible for
nurturing and shaping a star's career by creating an image though various public relations activities.
Sometimes known as publicity agents, publicists work to get their clients the right kind of press
coverage and help them to restore or "reinvent" their public image if it's been damaged. One of the
best known publicists is Lois Smith. Over the course of her career she has worked with stars and film
directors including Marilyn Monroe, Meryl Streep, Rosie O'Donnell, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Hopkins,
Martin Scorsese, Robert Redford, and Steven Soderbergh.
Working For Companies: Public Relations Firms
While some companies keep the function of public relations entirely in house, others opt to outsource
all public relations functions. Others strike a balance in which in-house public relations efforts are
complemented by the work of an outside agency. A good example of an agency campaign that has
increased product sales while raising awareness and establishing a company as a concerned
corporate citizen is Yoplait's "Save Lids to Save Lives" campaign.

6. Effective Communication and Public Relations
3. The Ten Golden Rules of Public Relations
3.1 Plan ahead, set out the long-term goals of the organization and determine
the image you wish to convey to others.
3.2 Assign responsibility for Public Relations matters with clear objectives and
accountability. Do not assume that in a crisis someone will know what to do
and how to do it.
3.3 Nominate the spokesperson for all or each of the various likely issues, so that
everybody knows and understands their role.
3.4 Be proactive, not reactive. Don't work in a vacuum and behave like a "cuttle
fish" only reacting when you are attacked and about to be eaten alive. Today
assume that in our business there is always the potential for criticism. Use
"early warning radar" to gather information and seek out likely problems. At
the same time don't hesitate to broadcast the outstanding achievements of
the organization, especially in the areas of quality, care and concern.
3.5 Instigate outreach programs to the community, the schools, local authorities
and welfare organizations. Assist these groups with fund raising and expert
resourcing to meet special needs.
3.6 Don't hesitate to report achievements, for good environmental performance,
new product lines and most important involve others so that there is a wide
range of activities to broadcast.
3.7 Join the Industry Organizations applicable to your business sector. These
organizations provide an invaluable legal and advocacy service to their
respective sectors ensuring that your interests are represented at the high
est levels both nationally and internationally.
3.8 Have procedures in place to respond to any complaint or crisis in a timely
manner.
3.9 To facilitate an effective response to any situation, good or bad, maintain an
up to date media database so that the "shakers and movers" can be contact
ed easily.
3.10 Above all in the normal course of business make time to meet with commu
nity and government leaders, media professionals and employees. Do this
without an agenda and use the time to listen and get to know the people that
are important messengers. The time will come when you need their help and
it is important when that time comes that they know you are a person they
can trust.

7. Importance of Corporate Public Relations
in Businesses
A corporate entity, like any other individual, exists in a society. It needs to establish, nourish and
maintain relationships with various members of the society for its existence. For establishing,
nourishing and maintaining healthy and sustaining relationships one needs to communicate effectively
and consistently. Here comes the role of Corporate Public Relations. According to the book Essentials
of Corporate Communication by Cees van Riel and Charles Fombrun the term Corporate
Communication can be defined as “the set of activities involved in managing and orchestrating all
internal and external communications aimed at creating favorable starting points with stakeholders on
which the company depends.”
The role of a Public Relations Officer (PRO) in communicating the right information, in the right way to
the right group of people is very crucial. A PRO must be able to disseminate accurate information on a
timely basis to the concerned group of “Public”. By doing so he/she will earn reputation, credibility and
authenticity for the respective corporate entity. A PRO deals with various “Publics”. “Publics” include
employees, stakeholders, government, channel partners, educational institutes, media, industry
bodies and institutes, agencies, customers and general public. A PRO is in short the face of a
corporate entity and helps build a Corporate Image that is unique to the company.
Corporate Public Relations sometimes act like a firefighter for the company. It emerges as a savior at
the time of crisis. It was just because of a strong PR strategic campaign that the Cadbury worm
controversy was put out. Similar is the case with Nokia battery blast case. A PR campaign begins with
the identification of the problem or challenge, setting the public relations’ goal and priorities, and
executing the plan efficiently and accuracy. In the process of executing the PR campaign a PRO must
be swift in conceptualizing relevant messages and disseminate them through proper channels to the
concerned party.
Corporate Communications Department of a company helps to connect with the pulse of its public. It
can be personified as five senses, as far as a company is concerned. It feels, communicates and
senses, the joy, threats and opportunities lurking in the society, waiting to be explored.