Public relations is a planned effort to establish mutual understanding between an organization and its internal and external publics. It includes all activities aimed at improving understanding and maintaining a positive reputation. The ultimate goal of public relations is to protect and enhance an organization's reputation. Public relations provides a means of communicating with potential customers and specific market sectors to educate them about an organization's products and benefits. It also allows an organization to generate media coverage and act as an industry voice.

1. What is Public Relations?

2. Public Relations… Is a planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its public - both internally and externally Includes everything that is calculated to improve a mutual understanding between an organisation and everyone it comes into contact with If the aim of public relations had to be summed up in only one word that word would be … REPUTATION .

3. Public Relations… Although not an end in itself, is a management tool which must be fitted into the whole framework of an organisation’s internal policy to encourage and protect positive reputation and provide a consistent, integrated message

4. Public Relations can… Provide a means of communicating with potential customers, both trade and end-users Provide a means of communicating with specific market sectors Allow an organisation to educate the market on the benefits of its products Support above and below the line activity Generate qualitative and quantitative coverage across the target market Provide a means for the organisation to be a voice for the industry

5. Every activity within an organisation affects its reputation – positively or negatively Brand/Product identity Employees training etc Customer service Exhibitions Promotions Sponsorship Corporate identity PUBLIC RELATIONS Offices internal/external Research Media relations Advertising Newsletters Direct mail Annual report

6. Component parts of public relations programmes Strategic Consultancy Research & Evaluation Event Management Media Monitoring Newsletters Crisis Management Sponsorship Internal Communications Media Relations

7. Common media relations misconceptions Editorial coverage is guaranteed Editorial coverage can be secured by taking an advertisement Editorial coverage can be secured by taking the editor out for a long and expensive lunch Editors are desperate for copy to fill their blank pages

8. Common media relations misconceptions Editors will tell you if they are going to use your story A press release will not be changed or shortened Any publicity is good publicity Client/agency controls the editor Editorial can be seen prior to publication Editorial coverage is “free” advertising

9. Communications methods used to educate the media Feature support News stories Industry comment One to one meetings EDITOR Letters Case histories Pictures Research Tailor-made features Targeted stories

10. The PR campaign must educate the Editors by creating and building UNIQUE SOLUTIONS EDITOR EDITORIAL COVERAGE Knowledge INFORMATION Confidence Respect Awareness

11. Only you can make PR happen! The editor does not know what you know Contact media with relevant information

12. PR problems Deadlines No guarantees Misquotes Interpretation Rewrites No pictures available

13. Types of media National and international newspapers Consumer magazines Broadcast media Business magazines Trade and technical media New media/On-line media

14. PR opportunities Press conference Press days (visits) Face to face meetings Exhibitions Press releases Personal telephone calls Remember – a picture is worth a 1000 words Photography is worth the investment

15. Implementing a Media Relations programme Identify business goals Specify audiences Identify messages/issues (including negative messages) Campaigns Achieve business goals Evaluate