On the ·ob_,..,.T ES lJBLIC REUT 0 S

Strategies ana Tactics

CHAPTER 1What Is Public Relations?

Insights: 100th Anniversary Kiss 3

Insights: Public Relations Society ofAmerica Official Statement onPublic Relations 11

Insights: The Wonderful World ofPublic Relations 13

Insights: Nine Ways Public RelationsContributes to the Bottom Line 24

Insights: What Employers Want:10 Qualities 27

Insights: Public Relations PersonalityChecklist 28

Insights: Job Levels in PublicRelations 30

Insights: An Overview of Salaries inthe Public Relations Field 32

Ethics: Whose Ethics? An UndercoverJournalistTakes on Public RelationFirms 17

A Multicultural World: Bank ofAmerica Reaches Out to theHispanic Community 8

CHAPTER 2The Evolution of PublicRelations

Insights: Four Classic Models of PublicRelations S3

Insights: Classic Campaigns Show thePower of Public Relations 60

Ethics: Making a Hiring Decision 65

A Multicultural World: The Beginningsof Public Relations in otherNations 43

CHAPTER.3~hics and Professionalism

Insights: PRSA's Code of Ethics 78

Insights: Use of" Front Groups" PosesEthical Concerns 88

Insights: PRSA Addresses Ethics ofPaying for News Placement inIraq 92

Ethics: Fake Blogs: New MarketingChannel or Really BadIdea? 82

A Multicultural World: Cash for NewsCoverage Raises EthicalConcerns 90

CHAPTER 4Public Relations Departmentsand Firms

Insights: So You Want to Make a Six­Figure Salary? 99

Insights: Expertise Required in aDepartment 104

Insights: The Functions of a CorporatePR/CommunicationsDepartment 105

Insights: Large Public Relations FirmsPart of Conglomerates 117

Insights: Comparing Work in a PR Firmand a Corporation 119

Insights: A Job at a Corporationor a PR Firm? 121

Ethics: When It's Ti me to Resign anAccount 112

AMulticultural World: Campaigns inother Nations Make aDifference 115

CHAPTER 5Research

Insights: Rules for Publicizing Surveysand Polls 131

Insights: Doing Research on theInternet 134

Ethics: 5ex and Alcohol :The AMt\sNews Release 141

A Multicultural World: Reaching aDiverse Audience About ElectricRates 137

CHAPTERtiProgram Planning

Insights: Amazon PRThought-ProcessModel 154

Ethics: Promoting High-ClassVodka 164

A Multicultural World: India ChangesAttitudes About Condom Use 161

CHAPTER 7Communication

Insights: Women Mobilize AgainstScruffy-Faced Men 177

Ethics: Word-of-Mouth Campaigns:Crossing the Line? 190

AMulticultural World: MicrosoftPromotes Child Safety in theUkraine 179

CHAPTERSEvaluation

Insights: Sales: For Many Companies,This is the UltimateEvaluation 207

Ethics: The New Math: Ad Rates versusNews Coverage 201

AMulticultural World: How to ReachEmployees in 63 Nations 205

CHAPTER~

Public Opinion andPersuasion

Insights: The Life Cycle of PublicOpinion 217

Insights: Motivation-Ability­Opportunity Model for EnhancingMessage Processing 227

Insights: Appeals that Move Peopleto Act 228

Ethics: Bottled Water: The Framingof an Issue 222

AMulticultural World: Persuasion inthe Marketplace: A New PickupTruck in Thailand 225

CHAPTER 10Conflict Management: Dealingwith Issues, Risks, and Crises

Insights: An Issues ManagementMatrix 257

Insights: Wendy's and the FickleFinger of Fate 266

Ethics: Issue Management: HomeDepot Tries to Build a Store 258

A Multicultural World: ManagingConflict: Wal-Ma rt Wades IntoShrimp Farming 248

CHAPTER 11Reaching a Mulitcultural andDiverse Audience

Ethics: Don Imus: Racist or Justa Victim of PoliticalCorrectness? 288

A Multicultural World: A Cruise ShipLine Builds Brand Affinity WithAfrican-Americans 284

A Multicultural World: ParamountReaches Out to HispanicAudiences 286

A Multicultural World: A Real FairyTale Wedding for Gays 290

A Multicultural World: Women as aSpecial Audience: Breast CancerAwareness in Pakistan 293

CHAPTER1~

Public Relations and the Law

Insights: Plagiarism versus CopyrightInfringement 309

Insights: Accenture:What's in aName? 315

Insights: Litigation PR: Quarterback­ing for Michael Vick 331

Ethics: Mattei Recalls Dora andElmo 302

A Multicultural World: Have You Read"Harry Potter and the HikingDragon"? 307

CHAPTER 13New Technologies in PublicRelations

Insights: Creating Winning WebSites 347

Insights: Getting Reporters to UseYour Web Site 349

Insights: Building RelationshipsOnline 357

Ethics: Who Is Concerned about theDigital Divide? 337

A Multicultural World: The UnitedNations High Commission forRefugees Draws on the Web forGlobal Reach 345

CHAPTER 14News Releases, Media Alerts,and Pitch Letters

Ethics: What to Write, or NotWrite 369

A Multicultural World: SensitivityReqUired for Global NewsReleases 372

CHAPTER 15Radio, Television, and the Web

Insights: Adding Music and Soundto a PSA 395

Ethics: Should Guests on TV TalkShows Reveal TheirSponsors? 409

A Multicultural World: Reaching Outtothe HispanicAudience 404

CHAPTER 16Media Interviews, NewsConferences, and Speeches

Insights: The Speech as NewsRelease 441

Ethics: Press Pa rty at Disney WorldCriticized 427

A Multicultural World: A ChineseApproach to Speechwriting 434

CHAPTER 17Corporations

Insights: Selection Criteria forCorporate Sponsorships 462

Ethics: Congressional CommitteeCriticizes Yahoo's Ethics 454

A Multicultural World: Olympic TorchFaces III Political Winds 465

CHAPTER1SPolitics and Government

Insights: The Centers for DiseaseControl 's National ImmunizationProgram 492

Ethics: Pay for Play: u.s.Military PlantsFavorable Stories in the IraqiPress 490

A Multicultural World: The Risks ofPolishing Venezuela's Image 479

CHAPTER 10Global Public Relations

Insights: The Image War: Israel versusthe Palestinians 512

Insights: Giving the "Ugly American" aMakeover 523

Ethics: Got a News Release? PleaseInclude Cash 520

A Multicultural World: Sta rbucks inChina: Cultural Sensitivities andthe Power of the Blog 509

A Multicultural World: A Beer FestPuts Belgrade on the Map 522

CHAPTER~O

Nonprofit Organizations

Insights: Charitable ContributionsReach a New Level 543

Insights: Writing a "Case forSupport" 546

Insights: Women and Heart Disease:The Red Dress Campaign 549

Ethics: Working Within the System orSelling Out? 536

A Multicultural World: Save DarfurCoalition Uses MultipleStrategies 533

CHAPTER 21Education

Insights: Virginia Tech EnduresMassacre; Lessons Evident forPublic Relations 558

Ethics: Doctoring Photos to ShowDiversity 563

A Multicultural World: AustralianSchool Rebuilds Its TarnishedReputation 566

CHAPTER'nEntertainment, Sports, andTravel

Insights: Celebrity Publicists Have ItEasy-Not! 573

Insights: Public Relations Magic forHarry Potter 582

Ethics: A Difficult SportsSecret 584

A Multicultural World: Major LeagueBaseball Reaching Out to DiverseStakeholders 585

In Public Relations: Strategies and TacticsNinth Edition

CHAPTER1.What is Public Relations?

Abundant Forests for All: AnIntegrated Public AffairsCampaign 34

CHAPTER~.

The Evolution of Public Relations

Constructive Public Relations for theNew York Subway 51

CHAPTER 3.Ethics and Professionalism

Instilling Values and Ethics: ATaleofTwo Companies 94

CHAPTER 4.Public Relations Departmentsand Firms

The Challenge of Corporate PublicRelations 107

Fleishman-Hillard Reaches Out toInner-City Children 124

CHAPTER 5.Research

Research Drives Ovarian CancerCampaign 147

CHAPTER~.

Program Planning

Sunkist Turns lemons Into LemonadeFor a Cause 156

CHAPTER 7.Communication

Early Adopters Ring Up iPhoneSales 188

CHAPTERS.Evaluation

ATexas Town Honors Kermit theFrog 199

CHAPTER!'.Public Opinion and Persuasion

Syphilis: Successfully Reachinga High-Risk Audience 233

CHAPTER1a.Conflict Management: Dealingwith Issues, Risks, and Crises

China Moves to Renovate ItsReputation 270

CHAPTER11.Reaching a Mulitcultural andDiverse Audience

Tailoring News Releases to BlackNewspapers Shows Promise 296

CHAPTER1~.

Public Relations and the Law

ASuggested Recipe for MarthaStewart: Litigation PublicRelations 320

CHAPTER 13.New Technologies in PublicRelations

Online Campaign Convinces Mento "Take it all off." 341

CHAPTER 14.News Releases, Media Alerts,and Pitch Letters

Creative Media Kit Launches KetchupCampaign 379

CHAPTER 15.Radio, Television, and the WebHurricane Katrina: AVNR Helps

Pregnant Women andBabies 400

CHAPTER1~.

Media Interviews, NewsConferences, and Speeches

A Press Party to Create "Buzz" 426

CHAPTER 17.Corporations

Dell Computers Turns Lemons intoLemonade 450

CHAPTER1S.Politics and Government

Google'M Goes to Washington 476

CHAPTER 1!'.Global Public Relations

U.S. "Public Diplomacy" Faces MajorObstacles 514

CHAPTER~a.

Nonprofit Organizations

Men Get the Message to EndRape 534

CHAPTER~.

Education

Duke University Defends Reputationin Lacrosse Scandal 562

CHAPTER~I

Entertainment, Sports, a 'T"ra el

Mel Gibson's Grea-tes-t Role : Restori ngReputation 516

What IsPublic

Relations?

The Challenge of PublicRelations

Global Scope

A Variety of Definitions

Public Relations as a Process

The Components of PublicRelations

Other Terms for Public Relations

Some Positive Descriptive Terms

Some Stereotypes and LessFlattering Terms

How Public Relations Differsfrom Journalism

Scope

Objectives

Audiences

Channels

How Public Relations Differsfrom Advertising

How Public Relations Differsfrom Marketing

How Public Relations SupportsMarketing

Toward an IntegratedPerspective

Careers in Public Relations

A Changing Focus inPublic Relations

The Range ofPublicRelations Work

PersonalQua/~cations

and Attitudes

Five Essential Abilities

The Value of Internships

Salaries in Public Relations

Entry-Level Salaries

Salaries for ExperiencedProfessionals

Salaries for Women:The Gender Gap

The Value of PublicRelations

2 P&RT .. . Role

:The Challenge of Public RelationsIt is 9 A.M. and Anne-Marie, a senior account executive in a San Francisco public rela­tions firm, is at her desk reading the local dailies and also scanning online news sites todetermine whether there are any stories about her clients or discussing an issue thatmay impact them.

She downloads a Wall Street Journal article about the increasing risk of taintedfood from foreign suppliers and makes a note to have her student intern do some moreresearch about this issue. One of Anne-Marie's clients is a restaurant chain, and shesenses an opportunity for the client to capitalize on the media interest by informingthe press and the public about what they are doing to ensure the quality and safety oftheir meals.

She then finishes a draft of a news release about a client's new software product ande-mails it to the client for approval. She also attaches a note that an electronic newsservice can deliver it to newspapers across the country later in the day. Anne-Marie's nextactivity is a brainstorming session with other staff members in the conference room togenerate creative ideas about a special event to raise funds for the local AIDS foundation.\Vhen she gets back to her office, she finds a number of telephone messages. A reporterfor a trade publication needs background information on a story he is writing; a graphicdesigner has finished a rough draft of a client's brochure; a catering manager has calledabout making final arrangements for a VIP reception at an art gallery; and a video pro­ducer asks whether she can attend the taping ofa video news release next week.

Lunch is with a client who wants her counsel on how to position the company asenvironmentally conscious and dedicated to sustainable development. After lunch,Anne-Marie heads back to the office. She asks a junior account executive to checkarrangements for a news conference next week in New York. She then telephones akey editor to "pitch" a story about a client's new product. Anne-Marie also touchesbase with other members of her team, who are working on a 12-city media tour by anOlympic champion representing an athletic-shoe manufacturer.

At 4 P.M., Anne-Marie checks several computer databases to gather informationabout the industry of a new client. She again checks online news updates to determinewhether anything is occurring that involves or affects her firm's clients. At 5 P.M., as shewinds down from the day's hectic activities, she reviews news stories from a electronicclipping service about another client, an association of strawberry producers. She ispleased to find that her feature story, which included recipes and color photos,appeared in 150 dailies.

But the day isn't quite done. Anne-Marie is on her way to attend a chapter meetingof the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) where the speaker will discuss theimpact of the new "Social Media" on public relations. It's her way of doing continuingeducation since her graduation from college four years ago with a public relations major.

As this scenario illustrates, the challenge of public relations is multifaceted. A pub­lic relations professional must have skills in written and interpersonal communication,research, negotiation, creativity, logistics, facilitation, and problem solving.

Indeed, those who want a challenging career with plenty ofvariety often choose thefield of public relations. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the fieldalready employs 350,000 nationwide and predicts a 39.8 percent increase in employ­ment through 2014 for public relations specialists. In addition, Money magazine (May2006) ranked the position of public relations specialist 20th on its list of "50 Best]obs"for job opportunity and potential salary. The magazine also graded various occupationson several factors; public relations got a "D" for stress levels, but a "B" on creativity.

CHAPTER 1 • WhatIsPublicRelations? 3

Global Scope1;'- di ffi cult to estimate worldwide figures, but the G lobal Alliance (www.globalpr.org),..-irh about 60 national and regional public relations associations representing 160,000:-:-tembers, estimates that some 3 million people worldwide practice public relations astheir main professional activity. In the United Kingdom alone, for example, there are~m estimated 50,000 public relations professionals.

Indeed , there are an estimated 200 national and regional public relations organiza­nons around the world. A partial list that shows the geographic diversity includes theta llowing: Public Relations Instirute of Southern Africa (PRISA), the Spanish Associa­tion of Communicators (DIRCOM), the Public Relations Instirute of Australia (PRIA),me Public Relations Society of Serbia, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS),[he Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK), the Instirute of Public Relations (Unitedhingdom), the Romania Public Relations Association (RPRA), the Public Relations_-\gencies Association ofMexico (PRAA), Relaciones Publigas America Latina (ALARP),me Consejo Professional de Relaciones Publicas of Argentina , the Public Rel ations

•

100th Anniversary Kiss

pecial event planning, promo­tion, and publicity are impor­tant activities in public relations

work. A good example is how Her­shey's celebrated the loath anniver­sary of its popular Kisses Chocolate.Instead of baking the traditionalbirthday cake, the company con­structed a12-foot-high, 30,540-poundconfection that also took 16,460 feetof foil wrapping. The unveiling andbirthday party took place at Her­shey's Chocolate World attraction inHershey, Pennsylvania.

Here, Jane Boatfield from Guin­ness World Records stands at thepodium to give Michelle Buck, Her­shey's senior vice president, a warmwelcome and to deliver a certificatefrom Guinness declaring the newrecord for "The World's La rgest Pieceof Chocolate."The anniversary story,

and a photo of the giant Kiss,received extensive media coveragethroughout the country. In addition,a Web site (www.kisssomeone.com)was set up to give consumers the

history of Kisses Brand Chocolateand a slide show showing the con­struction of the giant candy. Photocourtesy of Cheryl Georgas,The Her­sheyCompany.

4 PART" · Role

Society of India (PRS!), and the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA).Anew organization, the Public Relations Confederation ofIslamic Countries (PRCIC),was founded in mid-2007 and is based in Tehran, Iran.

Large numbers of students around the world are studying public relations as acareer field . In the United States, about 34,000 students in 2005-2006 were majoringin public relations, advertising/public relations, or strategic communications, accord­ing to the annual survey of460 journalism and mass communications programs by theAssociation for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (AEJMC). Inaddition, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) now has chapterson 286 college campuses, with 9,600 members.

In Europe, an estimated 100 universities also offer studies in the subject. Publicrelations, for example, is becoming a popular course of study in the developingeconomies of Serbia, Romania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation.Many Asian universities, particularly those in Thailand, Korea, Indonesia, India, andthe Philippines, also offer major programs. China claims that more than 500,000students are studying aspects of public relations in colleges and training institutions.Australia and New Zealand have a long history of public relations education. In SouthAmerica, particularly in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil, public relations is a popularcourse of study at many universities. South African universities have the most devel­oped public relations curriculum on the African continent, but programs of study canalso be found in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. The Middle East, particularly the UnitedArab Emirates, introduced public relations into university curriculums during themid-1990s. In sum, public relations is a well-established academic subject that istaught and practiced throughout the world.

In terms of economics, the public relations field is most extensively developed inthe United States. A 2007 survey of the industry by Research and Markets Ltd. inIreland, for example, found almost 7,000 public relations firms in the U.S. with com­bined arumal revenue of over $6 billion. This figure, however, doesn't include morebillions spent by all kinds of organizations, including corporations, for public relationsstaffing and activities.

One difficulty with ascertaining exact numbers, ofcourse, is how "public relations" isdefined. Vernonis Subler Stevenson, a specialty banker in the communications industry,also reports that a combined $141 billion alillually is spent on public relations, in-storepromotions, direct mail, and sponsorships. Another $176 billion is spent on advertising.Public relations, in essence, is stiU a cottage industry compared to advertising and its vari­ations such as direct mail. There is considerable blurring of lines regarding whether cor­porate event sponsorships are public relations, advertising, or marketing.

Figures for the rest of the world are somewhat sketchy. It's estimated, for example,that European companies spend about $3 billion a year on public relations. Europeanfigures continue to increase because of the expansion of the European Union (ED) andthe developing market economies of Russia and the other independent nations of theformer Soviet Union.

Major growth is also occurring in Asia for several reasons. China is literally the"new frontier." Since opening its economy to market capitalism, China's economy isincreasing at the rate of 10 percent annually, and the public relations industry is thriv­ing. The China International Public Relations Association (CIPRA) reports there arenow 20,000 practitioners in the country. In 2006, there were also 2,000 public rela­tions firms, an increase of 500 from the previous year. The Economist reports that thepublic relations market in China will be $1.8 billion by 2010, second only to Japan inthe region.

C HAP TEll 1 • WhatIs Public Relations? 5

China's membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) also has led to:::1Ore public relations activity by international companies engaged in a fierce competi­::on for the bonanza of Chinese customers, numbering in the millions. The biggest~C'\°elopment, according to the Economist, is the soaring demand for public relations:::nong Chinese companies as they actively seek local consumers, foreig'n investments,LId international outlets for their goods. China will host the 2008 summer OlympicsL d the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. These events are expected to further fuel the~l1amic growth of public relations in China.

Other nations, such as Malaysia, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, anddia, are also rapidly expanding their free market economies, which creates a fertile

::-_\ironment for increased public relations activity. India has great economic and pub­~ - relations potential because, like China, it has over one billion people and is moving:oward a more robust market economy. Latin America and Africa also present growth: ? portunities. A more detailed discussion of international public relations is found inC hapter 19.

Variety of DefinitionsPeople often define public relations by some of its most visible techniques and tactics,~ ch as publicity in a newspaper, a television interview with an organization's spokes­?Crson, or the appearance of a celebrity at a special event.

What people fail to understand is that public relations is a process involving many,;;u btle and far-reaching aspects. It includes research and analysis, policy formation,?rogramming, communication, and feedback from numerous publics. Its practitioners() erate on two distinct levels-as advisers to their clients or to an organization's top:nanagement and as technicians who produce and disseminate messages in multiple:nedia channels.

A number of definitions have been formulated over the years. One early definition- at gained wide acceptance was formulated by the newsletter PR News: "Public rela­

ons is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the poli-o es and procedures of an individual or an organization with the public interest, and

plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and patience."Rex Harlow, a pioneer public relations educator who founded what eventually

ecame the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), once compiled more than.'00 definitions from almost as many sources. After mulling them over and talking with!eJders in the field, Harlow came up with this definition:

Public relations is a distinctive management function which helps establish and main­tain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance, and cooperationbetween an organization and its publics; involves the management of problems orissues; helps management keep informed on and responsive to public opinion; definesand emphasizes the responsibility of management to serve the public interest; helpsmanagement keep abreast of and effectively utilize change, serving as an early warningsystem to help anticipate trends; and uses research and sound ethical communicationtechniques as its principal tools.

More succinct definitions are provided by theorists and textbook authors. Scott.\1. Cutlip, Allen H. Center, and Glen M. Broom state in Effective Public Relations that"public relations is the management function that identifies, establishes, and maintainsmutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the various publics onwhom its success or failure depends." The management function is also emphasized

CHAPTER 1 · WhatIsPubIicRelations? 7

public relations as the "strategic management of competition and conflict for the benefitof one's own organization-and when possible-also for the mutual benefit of the orga­nization and its various stakeholders or publics."

This definition places the public relations professional first and foremost as anadvocate for the employer or client, but acknowledges the importance of mutualbenefit when circumstances allow. This definition should not imply that the publicrelations professional acts only in the self-interest of the employer without due regardfor honesty, integrity, and organizational transparency. Indeed, there is an ethicalframework that guides the professional in all his or her work, which is discussed fur­ther in Chapter 3.

It isn't necessary, however, to memorize any particular definition of public rela­tions. It's more important to remember the key words that are used in most definitionsthat frame today's modern public relations. The key words are:

• Deliberate. Public relations activity is intentional. It is designed to influence,gain understanding, provide information, and obtain feedback (reaction from thoseaffected by the activity).

• Planned. Public relations activity is organized. Solutions to problems are dis­covered and logistics are thought out, with the activity taking place over a period oftime. It is systematic, requiring research and analysis.

• Perfonnance. Effective public relations is based on actual policies and perfor­mance. No amount of public relations will generate goodwill and support if the organi­zation is unresponsive to community concerns. A Pacific Northwest timber company,despite a campaign with the theme "For Us, Every Day Is Earth Day," became knownas the villain of Washington State because of its insistence on logging old-growthforests and bulldozing a logging road into a prime elk habitat.

• Public interest. Public relations activity should be mutually beneficial to theorganization and the public; it is the alignment of the organization's self-interests withthe public's concerns and interests. For example, the ExxonMobil Corporation sponsorsquality programming on pubbc television because it enhances the company's image; bythe same token, the public benefits from the availability of such programming.

• Two-way communication. Public relations is more than one-way dissemina­tion of informational materials. It is equally important to solicit feedback. As JimOsborne, former vice president of public affairs at Bell Canada, says, "The primaryresponsibility of the public relations counselor is to provide (management) a thoroughgrasp of public sentiment."

• Management function. Public relations is most effective when it is a strategicand integral part of decision making by top management. Public relations involvescounsebng and problem solving at high levels, not just the dissemination of informa­cion after a decision has been made.

To summarize, you can grasp the essential elements of effective public relations byremembering the following words and phrases: deliberate ... planned ... performance... public interest ... two-way communication ... strategic management function.The elements of public relations just described are part of an interactive process thatmakes up what is called public relations activity. In the following section, public rela­cions as a process is discussed.

8 PART 1 · Role

,............_---------------....

A lO-foot-high Mexican piggy bank symbolized the Bank of America'sSafeSend program at an event in Los Angeles.

ties and provided materials in Span­ish so potential customers couldbecome better acquainted with itsproducts and services. other eventsalso were used. At a Los Angelesevent, for example, a lo-foot-highMexican piggy bank was used tosymbolize the savings that SafeSendcould offer. Piggy banks were alsoused at regional Cinco de Mayo festi­vals in California and Texas.

Bank of America Reaches Out to the Hispanic Community

More than half of the Hispan­ics living in the United

States regularly send moneyto loved ones in their home coun­

tries. At the sa me time,70 percent ofthem use w ire transfer services that

charge relatively high fees.The Bank of America (B of A) real­

izing the potential market of the 25million Latin Americans living in theUnited States, had a better idea .Thebank launched a program calledSafeSend, which allowed Hispanicsto send remittances free if theyopened a BofA checking account.

Fleishman-Hillard public relationswas engaged to generate awarenessamong the Hispanic communityabout the SafeSend program. Thekickoff focused on Mexican Mother'sDay because that traditionally wasthe time of year when remittanceswere the highest. A national newsrelease, a radio news release, and avideo news release (VNR) were dis­tributed to major Spanish-languagemedia outlets, as well as the generalpress.

In addition, the bank began host­ing Fiesta Fridays in its various facili-

As a result, the SafeSend programreceived considerable coverage inthe Hispanic press. More important,BofA opened 3,295 new direct­deposit accounts with SafeSend inthe initial weeks. Before this cam­paign, the bank had already beenthe first one to introduce Spanish­language ATMs, bilingual customerservice, and a Spanish-languageWebsite.

Public Relations as a ProcessPublic relations is a process-that is, a series of actions, changes, or Il.mctions that bringabout a result. One popular way to describe the process, and to remember its com­ponents, is to use the RACE acronym, first articulated by John M<lrston in his book TheNature ofPublic Relations. Essentially, RACE means that public relations activity consistsof four key elements:

• Research. What is the probl em or simation?

• Action (program planning). What is going to be done about it)

CHAPTER .. • WhatIsPublicRelations? 9

• Communication (execution). How will the public be told?

• Evaluation. Was the audience reached and what was the effect?

Pl rt Two of this text (Chapters 5-8) discusses this key four-step process..-\nother approach is to think of the process as a never-ending cycle in which six

:'1) ] ponents are links in a chain. Figllre 1.1 shows the process.

1. Step 1: Research ami Analysis. This consists of inputs that determine the::Jnlre and extent of the public relations problem or opportunity. These may includeo· dback from the public, media reporting and editorial comment, analysis of trend data,) er forms of research, personal experience, and government pressures and regulations.

~. Step 2: Policy Formulation. Public relations personnel, as advisors to top. .magement, make recommendations on policy and what actions should be taken by.' e organization.

3. Step 3: Programming. Once a policy or action is agreed on, public relations,,-1ft" begin to plan a communications program that will further the organization's_biectives. They will set objectives, define audiences, and decide on what strategies" ·11 be used on a specific timeline. Budget and staffing are also major considerations.

-1-. Step 4: Communication. Public relations personnel execute the program- iOugh such vehicles as news releases, media advisories, newsletters, L1ternet and Web?OS ting-s, special events, speeches, and community relations programs.

5. Step 5: Feedback. The effect of these efforts is measured by feedback from the-;.}me components that made up the first step. Did the media mention the key messages?

Policy "formation

Communication

Feedback

Program"assessment and

adjustment

FIGURE 1.1

The conceptualizationof public relations as acyclical process,feedback-or

audience response­leads to assessmentofthe program, whichbecomes an essentialelement in thedevelopment ofanother public

relations project.

10 PART t . Role

Did people change their attitudes or opinions? Did sales go up? Did the organizationpreserve or enhance its reputation?

6. Step 6: Assessment. The cycle is then repeated. The success or failure of thepolicy or program is assessed as a way of determining whether additional efforts areneeded, or whether new issues or opportunities must be addressed. Thus, it is a con­tinuing loop process.

Note that public relations plays two distinct roles in this process, thus serving as a"middle ground" or "linking agent." On one level, public relations interacts directlywith external sources of information, including the public, media, and government,and relays these inputs to management along with recommendations. On a secondlevel, public relations becomes the vehicle through which management reaches thepublic with assorted messages.

The Components of Public RelationsThe basic components of public relations, according to a monograph issued by thePRSA Foundation, include:

• Counseling. Providing advice to management concerning policies, relationships,and communications.

• Research. Determining attitudes and behaviors of publics in order to plan publicrelations strategies. Such research can be used to (1) generate mutual understand­ing or (2) influence and persuade publics.

• Media relations. Working with mass media in seeking publicity or responding totheir interests in the organization.

• Publicity. Disseminating planned messages through selected media to further theorganization's interests.

• Employee/member relations. Responding to concerns, informing, and motivatingan organization's employees or members.

• Community relations. Planned activity with a community to maintain an environ­ment that benefits both the organization and the community.

• Public affairs. Developing effective involvement in public policy and helping anorganization adapt to public expectations. The term is also used by governmentagencies to describe their public relations activities and by many corporations asan umbrella term to describe multiple public relations activities.

• Government affairs. Relating directly with legislatures and regulatory agencies onbehalf of the organization. Lobbying can be part of a government affairs program.

• Issues management. Identifying and addressing issues of public concern that affectthe organization.

• Financial relations. Creating and maintaining investor confidence and buildinggood relationships with the financial community. Also known as investor relationsor shareholder relations.

• Industry relations. Relating with other firms in the industry of an organizationand with trade associations.

• Development/fund-raising. Demonstrating the need for and encouraging thepublic to support an organization, primarily through financial contributions.

CHAPTER .. • WhatlsPublicRelations) 11

Pu blic Relations Society of America Official Statement on Public Relations

ublic relations helps our com­plex, pluralistic society to reachdecisions and function more

effectively by contributing to mutualunderstanding among groups andinstitutions. It serves to bring privateand public policies into harmony.

Public relations serves a variety ofinstitutions in society such as busi­nesses, trade unions, governmentagencies, voluntary associations, foun­dations, hospitals, and educationaland religious institutions. To achievetheir goals, these institutions mustdevelop effective relationships withmany different audiences or publicssuch as employees, members, cus­tomers, local communities, share­holders, and other institutions, andwith society at large.

The ma nagements of institutionsneed to understand the attitudesand values oftheir publics in ordertoachieve institutional goals. The goalsthemselves are shaped by the exter­nal environment. The public rela­tions practitioner acts as a counselorto management, and as a mediator,helping to translate private aims intoreasonable, publicly acceptable pol­icy and action.

As a management function,public relations encompasses thefollowing:

• Anticipating, analyzing, andinterpreting public opinion, attitudes,and issues which might impact, forgood or ill, the operations and plansof the organization.

• Counseling management atall levels in the organization withregard to policy decisions, courses ofaction and communication,and tak­ing into account their public ramifi ­cations and the organization's socialor citizenship responsibilities.

• Researching, conducting, andevaluating,on a continuing basis, pro­grams of action and communicationto achieve informed public under­standing necessary to the success ofan organization's aims. These mayinclude marketing, financial, fund­raising, employee, community orgovernment relations, and otherprograms.

• Planning and implementingthe organization's efforts to influ­ence or change public policy.

• Setting objectives, planning,budgeting, recruiting and trainingstaff, and developing facilities-inshort, managing the resourcesneeded to perform all of the above.

• Examples of the knowledgethat may be required in the profes­sional practice of public relationsinclude communication arts, psy­chology, social psychology, sociol­ogy, political science, economics, andthe principles of management andethics. Technical knowledge and skillsare required for opinion research,public issues analysis, media rela­tions, direct mail, institutionaladvertising, publications, film/videoproductions,special events, speeches,and presentations.

In helping to define and implementpolicy, the public relations practi­tioner utilizes a variety of profes­sional communication skills andplays an integrative role both withinthe organization and between theorganization and the externalenvironment.

• Multicultural relations/workplace diversity. Relating with individuals and groupsin various cultural groups.

• Special events. Stimulating an interest in a person, product, or organization bymeans of a well-planned event also, activities designed to interact with publics andlisten to them.

• Marketing communica tions. Combination of activities designed to sell a product,service, or idea, including advertising, collateral materials, publicity, promotion,direct mail , trade shows, and special events.

These components, and how they function, constitute the substance of this textbook.

12 PART" · Role

<Other Terms for Public RelationsPublic relations is used as an umbrella term on a worldwide basis. Most national member­ship associations, from the Azerbaijan Public Relations Association to the ZimbabweInstitute of Public Relations, identify themselves with that term.

Some Positive Descriptive TermsIndividual companies and other groups, however, often use other terms to describe thepublic relations function. O'Dwyer's PR Services Report once surveyed Fortune maga­zine's list of the largest 500 corporations and found that the most common name iscorporate communications. Other common names are corporate affairs, corporate relations,exte17lal communications, public affairs, and just plain communication. Some companieslink public relations with marketing. Chase Manhattan, for example, has a corporatemarketing and communications unit.

Jack O'Dwyer notes that the organization for high-level executives is still calledthe Public Relations Seminar (PRS) but that few of its members have public relationstitles. Of the 33 senior executives who were inducted into PRS in 2007, for example,onlyJane Garvey of Convergys had the title "vice president ofcorporate communicationsand public relations." Ben & Jerry's, the ice-cream maker, prides itself on being a bitwacky, so its public relations staff calls themselves "Public Elations Multi-Mediologists."The CEO is called the "Chief Euphoria Officer."

Public information is the term most widely used by social service agencies, universi­ties, and government agencies. The implication is that only information is being dis­seminated, in contrast to persuasive communication, generally perceived as the purposeof public relations. Social services agencies often use the term community relations, andthe military is fond of public affairs. Increasingly, many nonprofits are also using theterm marketing communications as they reorient to the idea that they must sell their serv­ices and generate donations in a highly competitive environment.

In many cases, it is clear that companjes and organizations use public information,public affairs, or corporate communications as eupherrnsms for public relations. Tills, in part,is a reaction to the rrnsuse of the original term by the public and the media. On occasion,a reporter or government official will use the term public relations gimmick or ploy to implythat the activities or statements of an organization are without substance or sincerity.

The popularity of c01jJorate communications is also based on the idea that the term isbroader than public relations, which is often incorrectly perceived as only media rela­tions. Corporate communications, many contend, encompasses all communications ofthe company, including advertising, marketing communications, public affairs, com­munity relations, and employee communications.

Other organizations use a tenn that better describes the primary activity of thedepartment. It is clear, for example, that a department of investor relations deals pri­marily with stockholders, institutional investors, and the financial press. Likewise, adepartment of environmental affairs, community relations, or employee communica­tions is self-explanatory. A department of marketing communications primarilyemphasizes product publicity and promotion. The organization and functions of com­munications departments are discussed in Chapter 4.

Like departments, individuals specialize in subcategories of public relations. Aperson who deals exclusively with placement of stories in the media is, to be precise, apublicist. A press agent is also a specialist, operating within the subcategory of publicrelations that concentrates on finding unusual news angles and planning events or"happenings" that attract media attention-a stunt by an aspiring Hollywood actress,

C HAP TIER 1 • \Vhat Is Public Relations? 13

on the ·obThe Wonderful World of Public Relations

ublic relations is an excitingfield that offers variety, creativ­ity, and opportunity to work on

any number of projects. Here's asampling of outstanding campaignshat received PRSA's prestigious

Si lver Anvil award in 2007.

FedEx's Flight of the Penguins

When the New Orleans AudubonAquarium reopened in the aftermathof Hurricane Katrina, FedEx volun­teered to f1Y'9 penguins temporarilyhoused in California backto Louisiana.A well-organized homecoming cele­bration was planned. Media coveredthe penguins waddling on and offplanes and onto red carpets. A jazzband and city officials met the planein New Orleans and a FedEx motor­cade (complete with police escort)delivered them to the aquarium. Atthe reopening ceremony, FedEx pre­sented a $100,000 check forthe ongo­ing care ofthe penguin habitat.

Macy's Sale of Baskets from Rwanda

The department store chain formeda partnership with Rwandan womencalled "Rwanda: Path to Peace." Its

purpose was to help the women ofRwanda sell their one-of-a-kind bas­kets, profits from which would sub­stantially improve their social andeconomic situations destroyed bythe genocide of '994. Macy's goalwas to sell 20,000 baskets, and pub­lic relations specialists placed articlesin print and broadcast media aboutthe "baskets for peace." SeveralRwandan women were also flown tothe United States to talk with cus­tomers and do media interviews.Macy's sold out of the baskets in fourmonths.

Virginia's "Smart Beginnings"

The Virginia Department of SocialServices conducted a statewidecampaign to promote the impor­tance of investing in early childhoodeducation after research found thatchildren who enter kindergarten notready to learn are at a higher risk ofeventually dropping out of school.Public relations counsel helped thedepartment launch a public educa­tion campaign with the support ofthe governor and create a bipartisantask force of political and business

leaders to set up an Early LearningCouncil and foundation .

Dell's Battery Recall

The computer manufacturer and itsglobal communications team hadthe challenge of recalling 4.2 millionDell-branded lithium-ion batteries,with cells manufactured by Sony. Theglobal communications team con­centrated its efforts on reachingmedia with information about therecall and how customers could get areplacement battery. In addition, acompany blog about the recall wasexpanded, and there was constante-mail communication to analystsand investors. Within a week of theannouncement, Dell had receivedmore than 50 million hits on its Website, responded to '35,000 phonecalls, and had requests for 150,000

battery replacements .Dell's commu­nications staff was credited withensuring that the media and thepublic knew that the company hadvoluntarily issued the recall, and thatit was based on only six incidents (noinjuries) among the almost 20 mil­lion batteries in the marketplace.

'or example, or an attempt to be listed in the Guinness Book of Records by baking the''';odd's largest apple pie. Publicist is an honorable term in the entertainment andcelebrity business, but is somewhat frowned on by the maintstream public relationsindustry. Chapter 22 discusses the work of New York and Hollywood publicists.

Some Stereotypes and less Flattering TermsUnfortunately, the public and the media often have a much different image of publicrelations as a profession . A common stereotype is that public relations is a great fieldbecause you meet exciting and interesting people, go to parties, and generally spendthe day doing a lot of schmoozing.

Entertainment programs often presenta misleading image about the natureof public relations work. SamanthaJones (Kim Cattrall) portrays the ownerof a public relations firm in the tele­vision series Sex and the City. Real publicrelations work, however, requires morethan dressing up and going to dinnerparties.

14 PART 1 · Role

Many people gain these perceptions from television programssuch as Sex and the City, which is now in reruns. Ellen Tashie Frisna, aprofessor at Hofstra University, writes in wctics, "Samantha Jones(Kim Cattrall), the sexiest of the show's characters, owns a PR agency.And she is-shall we say-experienced. She talks about her career as away to meet men. (Her conquests include clients and temps.) Sorry,kids-the real world of public relations isn't like that." And DianeKrider, a professor of public relations at Central Michigan University,adds, "the show doesn't seem to show Samantha actually working."

Of course, other television programs and movies also give some­what negative stereotypes about public relations. ABC's Spin City, forexample, featured Michael J. Fox as the deputy mayor of New Yorkwho protected his bumbling boss from the media and public. Publicrelations was even the focus of a television reality show calledPowerRGirls on MTV. It featured a celebrity publicist in New York,Lizzie Grubman, who seemed to live quite the socialite life. The show,thankfully, died an early death.

The movies Phone Booth, The Sweet Smell of Success, and even TheDevil Wears Prada also add to the portrayals of sleazy publicists who havevirtually no personal or professional moral compass. Some films aresatires, but still project a negative image of public relations. Thank You forSmoking, a movie adapted from the book by Christopher Buckley, is aparticularly good satire about a public relations person defending thetobacco industry. fif7ag the Dog, starring Dustin Hoffman and RobertDeNiro, is also a satire focusing on how an embattled president creates afake war with the help of public relation pros to improve his image.

Other negative stereotypes are perpetuated by journalists. FrankRich, an influential colunmist for the New York Times, has used a num­ber of adjectives over the years to describe public relations. They

include "marketing," "sales," "sloganeering," "propaganda," and "lacking in principlesand substance." Gene Weingarten, a columnist for the Washington Post, seems to agree.In one column, he called public relations people "pathetic, desperate dillweeds." JoeNorcera, a business columnist for the New York Times, used less colorful language to

describe his frustration with Apple public relations reps when the i-Phone was intro­duced. He tried to find out how Apple was going to deal with the situation when thenonremovable batteries needed replacement. All he got was a standard answer that the"i-Phone's battery life was longer than any other smartphone." Norcera wrote, "Thisis another Apple innovation: the robotic spokesman who says only what he's pro­grammed to say."

In all these cases we cited, the journalists have expressed frustration when they feelthat public relations personnel are stonewalling, providing misleading information, ornot being readily accessible to fully answer questions. This is traditionally a problem ofeffective media relations and, quite frankly, incompetence occurs in all fields, includingpublic relations. Chapters 14 and 15 discuss the responsibilities of public relations per­sonnel to provide assistance to media personnel.

On occasion, public relations is referred to as spin. The term spin doctor is a morerecent entry into the lexicon of public relations. It first appeared in 1984, according toSafire's Political Dictionary by William Safire, in a Ne7D York Times editorial about theactivities ofPresident Ronald Reagan's reelection campaign. In the beginning, the mean­ing of spin was restricted to what often were considered the unethical and misleadingactivities and tactics of political campaign consultants. By the mid-1990s, however, the

C HAP T E R .. • What Is Public Relations? 15

. cdia widely used the term to describe any effort by public relations personnel to put a:J05itive slant on an event or issue.

Robert Dilenschneider, president ofrus own public relations firm in New York, once~Tote in a Wall StreetJournal article:

I think the time has come for public relations professionals to condemn 'spin' and label'spin doctors' for what they are: purveyors of deception, manipulation, and misinfor­mation. Spin is antithetical to legitimate public relations, which aims to enhance theimage of companies and individuals to generate public approval for the programs andpolicies they advance ... Spin is to public relations what pornography is to art....

Indeed, spin seems to have established itself as a popular slang term for any infor-:nation with a point ofview. It has even become popular as a title in books about public~cbtions, as in PR: A Social Hist01) ofSpin, by Stuart Ewan; The Father ofSpin: EdwardL Bmzays and The Birth of Public Relations, by Larry Tye; Spin Man: The 1Opsy-Turvyj I 'odd ofPublic Relations, by Thomas Madden; Spin Cycle: How the White House and the.Hedin Manipulate the News, by Howard Kurtz; and Spin: How to Turn the Power of thePress to Your Advantage, by Michael Sitrick. A more academic term for spin is the con­cept offraming. Multiple research studies show how media, as well as public relations::Joersonnel, "frame" issues. See Chapter 6 about the theory of framing.

Another derogatory term with a longer history is flak or flack. These words areerisive slang terms that journalists often use for a press agent or anyone else working

i.. public relations. It's like calling a journalist a "hack." Although in recent years most!Jublications, including the Wall StreetJOlwnal, have refrained from using the "F" wordill print, trade publications such as Editor & Publisher still occasionally use it.

:> blic relations is often stereotyped as simply " image bUilding" as expressed in thissomewhat humorous New Yorker cartoon. The image of an organization, however, is madeJp of many factors and public relations is only one of them. (Copyright © The New YorkerCollection 2004. Mick Stevens from cartoonbank.com.All rights reserved.)

16 PAIIT 1 . Role

The term has a mixed history. According to Wes Pedersen, a former director ofcommunications for the Public Affairs Council, the term flack originated in 1939 inVariety, the show business publication. It began using flack as a synonym for pressagent, he says, "in tribute to the skills of Gene Flack in publicizing motion pictures."Others say the word flak was used during World War I to describe heavy ground fireaimed at aircraft. At times, journalists consider the barrage of daily news releases theyreceive a form of flak that interferes with their mission of informing the public.

Within the public relations community, feeling also exists that PR is a slang termthat carries a somewhat denigrating connotation. The late Sam Black, a public relationsconsultant in the United Kingdom and author of several books on public relations,says, "The use of'PR' was probably originated as a nickname for 'press relations,'" theprimary activity of public relations in its early years (see Chapter 2).

Although PR is now more than press relations, the nickname is commonly used indaily conversation and is widely recognized around the world. A good compromise,which this book uses, is to adopt a style of spelling out "public relations" in the body ofa text or article but to use the shorter term, "PR," if it is used in a direct quote.

.How Public Relations Differs from JournalismWriting is a common activity of both public relations professionals and journalists.Both also do their jobs in the same way. They interview people, gather and synthesizelarge amounts of information, write in a journalistic style, and are trained to producegood copy on deadline. In fact, many reporters eventually change careers and becomepublic relations practitioners.

This has led many people, including journalists, to the incorrect conclusion thatlittle difference exists between public relations and journalism. For many, public rela­tions is simply being a "journalist-in-residence" for a nonmedia organization.

However, despite the sharing of many techniques, the two fields are fundamen­tally different in scope, objectives, audiences, and channels.

ScopePublic relations, as stated earlier, has many components, ranging from counseling to issuesmanagement and special events. Journalistic writing and media relations, although impor­tant, are only two of these elements. In addition, effective practice of public relationsrequires strategic thinking, problem-solving capability, and other management skills.

ObjectivesJournalists gather and select information for the primary purpose of providing thepublic with news and information. As Professors David Dozier and William Ehlingexplain, ".. . communication activities are an end in themselves." Public relations per­sonnel also gather facts and information for the purpose of informing the public, butthe objective is different. Communication activity is only a means to the end. In otherwords, the objective is not only to inform but to change people's attitudes and behav­iors in order to further an organization's goals and objectives.

Whereas journalists are objective observers, public relations personnel are advo­cates. Harold Burson, chairman of Burson-Marsteller, makes the point:

To be effective and credible, public relations messages must be based on facts .Nevertheless, we are advocates, and we need to remember that. We are advocates of a

C H.l\ PTE R .. • WhatIs Public Relations) 17

ose Ethics? An Undercover Journalist Takes on Public Relation Firms

oth journalists and public rela­tions professionals agree thatethical behavior is required,

eed expected, in their work. Oncasion, however, there is consider­

a Ie difference of opinion about, ho is being unethical.

Ken Silverstein, Washington edi­- I' of Harper's magazine, decided to

o a story about public relations andob bying firms in Washington, D.C.is premise was that these firms are

simply "for hire" and have no ethicaluaims about representing anylient with enough cash .

To prove his point, Silversteinosed as a consultant with a fie­

'ional London investment firm thatwas acting on behalf of the Turk­menistan government. He thenwent to two firms, APCO Worldwideand Cassidy & Associates, to find outhow they would improve the imageof Turkmenistan, a Central Asiancountry rich in energy resources but

with a repressive govern ment that isoften cited by activists for its poorhuman rights record. Both firms pre­sented ideas about a standard-typepublic relations program, such asarranging meetings with adminis­tration officials and members ofCongress, plus the placement offavorable opinion articles.

Silverstein's article, "Their Men inWashington: Undercover with DC'sLobbyists for Hire," was published inthe July 2007 issue of Harper's. Headmitted in the article that he lied tothe firms about his true identity butclaimed itwas a legitimate way to getthe story. APCO Worldwide, however,expressed outrage about Silverstein'sdeception, calling it a "violation ofrecognized journalistic principles."And even media reporter HowardKurtz in the Washington Post saidthat the deception wasn't worth it,serving only to further public dis­trust of the media's overall credibility.

Silverstein's article and method ofgetting it generated a lot of discus­sion in the blogosphere.Some calledSilverstein unethical; others said thefirms were. For others, it was not abig deal; lobbyist and Public Relationfirms are just representatives, notarbiters of justice. One lobbyist toldPRWeek that he would "represent thedevil if the price was right." Headded, "I wouldn't do anything ille­gal, but if a person or entity is lookingfor some help communicating withCongress, I will do it, and it doesn'treally matter to me who it is."

What do you think? Was Silver­stein unethical by lying about hisidentity to get a story? Or are thefirms unethical if they work onbehalf of a repressive government?As a reporter, would you lie to get astory? Or, as a public relations person,would you take Turkmenistan as aclient? Why or why not? We'll returnto this situation in later chapters.

particular point of view-our client's or our employer's point of view. And while werecognize that serving the public interest best serves our client's interest, we are notjournalists. That's not our job.

AudiencesJournalists write primarily for a mass audience-readers, listeners, or viewers of themedium for which they work. By definition, mass audiences are not well defined, and aiournalist on a daily newspaper, for example, writes for the general public. A publicrelations professional, in contrast, carefully segments audiences into various demo­§'Taphic and psychological characteristics. Such research allows messages to be tailoredto audience needs, concerns, and interests for maximum effect.

Channels.\lost journa[jsts, by nature of their employment, reach audiences through one channel­(.he medium that publishes or broadcasts their work. Public relations professionals use

18 PART 1 · Role

a variety ofchannels to reach the audiences previously described. The chalUlels employedmay be a combination of mass media outlets-newspapers, magazines, radio, and televi­sion. Or they may include direct mail, brochures, posters, newsletters, trade journals,special events, podcasts, blogs, Web sites, and even posting a video on YouTube.

How Public Relations Differs from Advertising

Just as many people mistakenly equate publicity with public relations, there is alsosome confusion about the distinction between publicity (one area of public relations)and advertising.

Although publicity and advertising both utilize mass media for dissemination ofmessages, the format and context are different. Publicity-information about an event,an individual or group, or a product-appears as a news item or feature story in themass media. Material is prepared by public relations persolUlel and submitted to thenews department for consideration. Editors, known as gatekeepers, determine whetherthe material will be used or simply thrown away.

Advertising, in contrast, is paid space and broadcast time. Organizations and indi­viduals typically contract with the advertising department of a mass media outlet for afull-page ad or a one-minute commercial. An organization writes the advertisement,decides the type and graphics, and controls where and when the advertisement will berun. In other words, advertising is simply renting space in a mass medium. The lion'sshare of revenue for all mass media comes from the selling of advertising space.

Other differences between public relations activities and advertising include:

• Advertising works almost exclusively through mass media outlets; public rela­tions relies on a number ofcommunication tools-brochures, slide presentations, specialevents, speeches, news releases, feature stories, and so forth.

• Advertising is addressed to external audiences-primarily consumers of goodsand services; public relations presents its message to specialized external audiences(stockholders, vendors, community leaders, environmental groups, and so on) andinternal publics (employees).

• Advertising is readily identified as a specialized communication function; publicrelations is broader in scope, dealing with the policies and performance of the entire orga­nization, from the morale of employees to the way telephone operators respond to calls.

• Advertising is often used as a communication tool in public relations, and publicrelations activity often supports advertising campaigns. Advertising's primary functionis to sell goods and services; the public relations function is to create an environment inwhich the organization can thrive. The latter calls for dealing with economic, social,and political factors that can affect the organization.

The major disadvantage of advertising, of course, is the cost. A full -page ad in thenational edition of the Wall StreetJournal, for example, is $164,000 for black and whiteand $220,000 for full color. Advertising campaigns on network television, of course,can run into the millions of dollars. For example, advertisers paid $2.6 million for a30-second Super Bowl ad in 2007. Because of this, companies are increasingly using atool of public relations- product publicity-that is more cost effective and often morecredible because the message appears in a news context. One national study, forexample, found that almost 70 percent of consumers place more weight on media

C H A. PTE II .. • What Is Public Relations? 19

,:'l)\ crage than advertising when determining their trust of companies and buying a~~ uct or service.

ow Public Relations Differs from Marketing?ublic relations is distinct from marketing in several ways, although their boundaries:O:1cn overlap. In fact, a poll of 1,015 U.S. adults by Harris Interactive/PRSA in 2006:') nd that 83 percent of the respondents agreed with the statement that public rela­:: )ns is "just another tool that companies can use to market their products or state:::'ei r positions on various issues."

The functions overlap, for example, because both deal with an organization's rela­=onships and employ simjJar communication tools to reach the public. Both have the::':o mate purpose of assuring an organization's success and economic survival. Public:.-::- b tions and marketing, however, approach this task from somewhat different per­~0Cctives or worldviews.. This difference is illustrated by the descriptions of each field that a distinguished

;tJ11el of educators and practitioners in public relations and marketing developed dur­:,"'g a colloquium at San Diego State University. After a day of debate, they formed this.:",ti nition of public relations:

Public relations is the management process whose goal is to attain and maintain accordand positive behaviors among social groupings on which an organization depends inorder to achieve its mission. Its fundamental responsibility is to build and maintain ahospitable environment for an organization.

The group defined marketing's goal in different terms:

.\1arketing is the management process whose goal is to attract and satisfy customers (orclients) on a long-term basis in order to achieve an organization's economic objectives.Its fundamental responsibility is to build and maintain markets for an organization'sproducts or services.

In other words, public relations is concerned with building relationships and gener­lo ng goodwill for the organization; marketing is concerned with customers and sellingJ oducts and services.

James E. Gnmig, editor of Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Man-.i!t' IIICllt, put the differences between public relations and marketing in sharp contrast:

... the marketing function should communicate with the markets for an organization'sgoods and services. Public relations should be concerned with all the publics of theorgani za tion. The major purpose of marketing is to make money for the organizationby increasing the slope of the demand curve. T he major purpose of public relations isto save money for the organization by building relationships with publics that con­strain or enhance the ability of the organization to meet its mission.

In this passage, Grunig points out a fundamental difference between marketingJnd public relations in terms of how the public is described. Marketing and advertising? rofessionals tend to speak of "target markets," "consumers," and "customers." Public~clatiOIlS professionals tend to talk of "publics," "audiences," and "stakeholders."T hese groups may be any publics that are affected by or can affect an organization ..-\ccording to Grunig, "Publics can arise within stakeholder categories-such as"'mployees, communities, stockholders, governments, members, students, suppliers,.md donors, as well as consumers."

20 PART" · Role

How Public Relations Supports Marketing

Philip Kotler, professor of marketing at orthwestern University and author of a lead­ing marketing textbook, says public relations is the fifth "P" of marketing strategy,which includes four other Ps-Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. A5 he wrote inthe Harvard Business Review, "Public relations takes longer to cultivate, but when ener­gized, it can help pull the company into the market."

"When public relations is used to support directly an organization's marketingobjectives, it is called marketing communications. This was identified as a component ofpublic relations earlier in the chapter. Another term, coined by Thomas Harris in hisbook The Marketer's Guide to Public Relations, is marketing public relations. He says:

J make a clear distinction between those public relations functions which support mar­keting, which J call Marketing Public Relations (MPR) and the other public relationsactivities that define the corporation's relationships with its non-customer publics,which J label Corporate Public Relations (CPR).

Dennis L. Wilcox, in his text Public Relations Writing and Media 7i:chniques, lists eightways in which public relations activities contribute to fulfilling marketing objectives:

1. Developing new prospects for new markets, such as people who inquire after see­ing or hearing a product release in the news media

2. Providing third-party endorsements-via newspapers, magazines, radio, and tele­vision-through news releases about a company's products or services, commu­nity involvement, inventions, and new plans

3. Generating sales leads, usually through articles in the trade press about new prod­ucts and services

4. Paving the way for sales calls

5. Stretching the organization's advertising and promotional dollars through timelyand supportive releases about it and its products

6. Providing inexpensive sales literature, because articles about the company and itsproducts can be reprinted as informative pieces for prospective customers

7. Establishing the corporation as an authoritative source of information on a givenproduct

8. Helping to sell minor products that don't have large advertising budgets

Harris summarizes:

In its market-support function, public relations is used to achieve a number of objec­tives. The most important of these are to raise awareness, to inform and educate, togain understanding, to build trust, to make friends, to give people reasons to buy andfinally to create a climate of consumer acceptance.

.Toward an Integrated PerspectiveAlthough well-defined differences exist among the fields of advertising, marketing,and public relations, there is an increasing realization that an organization's goals andobjectives can be best accomplished through an integrated approach.

C HAP T E R 1 • What Is Public Relations~ 21

This understanding gave rise in the 1990s to such terms as integrated marketingImimtions, convergent communications, and integ1-ated communications. Don Schulz,

- ~ \- Tannenbaum, and Robert Lauterborn, authors of Integrated Marketing Com­i:dtions, explain the title of their book as follows:

c,. concept of marketing communication planning that recognizes the added value of acomprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communicationdisciplines-e.g., General Advertising, Direct Response, Sales Promotion, and PublicRe lations-and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency, and maxi­mum communication impact.

- e\-eral factors have fueled the trend toward integration. First is the downsizing of. -~.l.i1 i zations. Many of them have consolidated departments and have also reduced

;:; dedicated to various communication disciplines. As a result, one department, with- --r employees, is expected to do a greater variety of communication tasks.

-econd, organizational marketing and communication departments are making.:) \\i th tighter budgets. Many organizations, to avoid me high cost of advertising,

~- for alternative ways to deliver messages. These may include (1) building buzz viard of moum, (2) targeting influentials, (3) Web marketing, (4) grassroots marketing,

• media relations and product publicity, and (6) event sponsorship.Third is me increasing realization mat advertising, with its high costs, isn't me sil­

- -:o r bullet that it used to be. Part of the problem is the increasing clutter of advertising:me estimate is mat me American consumer is exposed to 237 ads a day, or about

.000 annually) and its general lack of credibility among consumers.

The IMC model

Marketing Objectives

I---

1 -Coordinated Communication Strategies-Targeting _ Big Idea - Media Timing

/-- ~ t --~

Public Sales DirectAdvertising Relations Promotion Response Packaging

! - I.---- !--. ..----

! - L.----" -. I-- ! ---Program Evaluation

-----

FIGURE ... \!

This illustration showsthe components of anintegrated marketingcommunication'smodel.

22 PART" · Role

---AI and Laura Ries, authorsof The Fall ofAdvertising and

The Rise ofPublic Relations

AI and Laura Ries, authors of the popular book (atleast among public relations people) The Fall ofAdvertisingand The Rise of PR, write, "We're beginning to seeresearch that supports the superiority of PR over adver­tising to launch a brand. A recent study of 91 new productlaunches shows highly successful products are more likelyto use PR-related activities than less successful ones."They go on to say, ".. . PR creates the brand. Advertis­ing defends the brand."

Fourth, it is now widely recognized that the market­ing of products and services can be affected by public andsocial policy issues. Environmental legislation influences

packaging and the content of products, a proposed luxury tax on expensive autosaffects sales of those cars, and a company's support of Planned Parenthood or healthbenefits for same-sex partners may spur a product boycott.

The impact of such factors, not traditionally considered by marketing managers,has led many professionals to believe that organizations should do a better job of inte­grating public relations and public affairs into their overall marketing considerations.In fact, David Corona, writing in the Public Relations Journal some years ago, was thefirst one to advance the idea that marketing's sixth "P" should be public policy.

Jack Bergen, senior vice president of corporate affairs and marketing for SiemensCorporation, agrees. He told PRWeek that public relations is the best place for leadingstrategy in marketing. He continued,

We're beginningto see research

that supports the superiority of

PR over advertising to launch a

brand. "'"

In developing strategy, you have multiple stakeholders. PR people understand the rich­ness of the audience that have an interest in the company; advertising just focuses on cus­tomers. Strategy is the development ofoptions to accomplish an objective. PR people candevelop these as they have the multiplicity ofaudiences and chaIUlels to use to reach them.

The concept of integration, therefore, is the increasing sophistication oforganiza-tions to use a variety of strategies and tactics to convey a consistent message in a varietyof forms. The metaphor might be tl1e golfer with a variety ofclubs in her bag. She mayuse one club (public relations) to launch a product, another club (advertising) to rein­force the message, and yet another club (Web marketing) to actually sell the productor service to a well-defined audience.

The golf metaphor also reflects a realization on the part of management and mar­keting executives that public relations is an effective strategy in several importantareas. Marketing executives in a 2006 PRWeek survey, for example, ranked the effec­tiveness of public relations higher than advertising or marketing in nine areas:

• Brand reputation

• Corporate reputation

• Cultivating thought leaders

• Strategy development

• Launching a new product

• Building awareness

• Generating word of mouth

• Message development

• Overcoming a crisis

CHAPTER 1 • 'WhatIs Public Relations? 23

reers in Public Relations?Cr5on entering public relations may develop a career in numerous areas of this"7<:-Jsingly diverse field. Similarly, the variety of personal traits and skills that bring~ -css is wide. Although certain abilities, such as writing well, are basic for all areas,::.~rienced public relations practitioners may go on to develop increased skills in a_~~. cular practice area, such as investor relations, governmental affairs, or brand man­··~--;:~ent, or even crisis communications and corporate social responsibility.

Changing Focus in Public Relations-=-:-..d.i tionally, it was widely believed that public relations practitioners should begin=-.:ei r careers as newspaper reporters or wire service correspondents to polish their.-:i. .ng skills and to learn firsthand how the media function. In an earlier era (seeC Jpter 2), a large percentage of public relations people did indeed have newspaper or:-:- fJdcast experience. In fact, many of the leading pioneers in public relations were: :-:~a lly journalists.

This, however, is no longer true for several reasons. First, the field of public rela­= ')DS has broadened far beyond the concept of "media relations" and placing publicity=-_ the mass media. Today, much writing in public relations is done for controlled=:tdia such as company publications, direct mail campaigns to key audiences, speech.. :iting, brochures, and material posted on the organization's Web site. No media:'2n~- or contacts are necessary. Writing skill and knowledge of the media are stilI vital,:'ur so is training in management, logistics, event management, coalition building,::'udgeting, and supervision of personnel. Consequently, a PRWeek survey found that:~S than a third of current practitioners are former journalists.

The growth of public relations as a career field distinctly separate from journalism::'JS spawned any number of public relations courses, sequences, and majors. The Com­::ussion on Public Relations Education, which includes public relations educators and:-tp resentatives from all of the major professional organizations, has set the standard by<,;]:ing that the ideal curriculum should have seven basic courses: (l) introduction to

:mblic relations, (2) case studies in public relations, (3) public relations research, mea­:'Ufement, and evaluation, (4) public relations writing and production, (5) public relations::lbnning and management, (6) public relations campaigns, and (7) supervised public:-clations internship. Increasingly, many universities are offering joint public relations/Jd\-ertising programs, in part because of the growing trend in integrated marketingorrununications, which was discussed earlier in this chapter.

Public relations, at least in the United States, has traditionally been taught in depart­ments and schools of journalism. But some professionals are even questioning whetherclUs makes sense in the 21st century because public relations is no longer exclusively ai,oumalistic-type activity that involves working with the media. James Lukaszewski, a\\elI-known consultant and speaker in the public relations field, is quite blunt. He wrotein The Strategist, "At minimum, PR programs belong in marketing sequences rather than;ournalism sequences. The sooner we can reflect a more managementlike perspective,the more quickly we'll find ourselves called in for our advice and counsel."

Indeed, many European universities offer a public relations curriculum in otheracademic areas. At the University of Belgrade in Serbia, for example, public relations islocated in the Faculty of Economics. And in Latvia, the strongest public relations pro­gram in the country is taught at the Turiba School of Business Administration.

24 PART 1 · Role

Nine Ways Public Relations Contributes to the Bottom Line

t is often said that public relations

is a management process, not an

event. Patrick Jackson, active in

the top leadership of the PRSA for

many years and one of the best­

known public relations counselors in

the United States, formulated the

following chart showing how public

relations can contribute to the suc­

cess of any organization.

PROCESS PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES OUTCOMES

I. Awareness andinformation

2. Organizationalmotivation

3. Issue anticipation

4. Opportunityidentification

S. Crisismanagement

6. Overcomingexecutive isolation

7. Change agentry

8. Socialresponsibility

9. Influencingpublic policy

Publicity, promotion. audience targeting.publications

Internal relations and communications.OD interventions

Research. liaison with all publics. issueanticipation teams

Interaction with internal and externalaudiences, "knowing the business"

Respond to or blanket issues, disasters, attacks;coalition building

Counseling senior managers about what's reallyhappening. research

Corporate culture. similar techniques. research

Social accountancy, research. mount public interestprojects and tie-ins, volunteerism, philanthropy

Constituency relations, coalition building, lobbying.grassroots campaigns

Pave the way for sales, fundraising. stockofferings, etc.

Build morale. teamwork, productivity.corporate culture; work toward One ClearVoice Outreach

Early warning of issues, social/political change,constituency unrest

Discover new markets. products. methods.allies. positive issues

Protect position. retain allies and constituents.keep normal operations going despite battles

Realistic. competitive. enlightened decisions

Ease resistance to change, promote smoothtransition. reassure affected constituencies

Create reputation. enhance economic successthrough "double bottom line;' earn trust

Public consent to activities. products. policies;political barriers removed

The Range of Public Relations WorkWomen and men entering public relations may work in company departments, publicrelations firms that serve clients, or a wide range of organizations that require publicrelations services. A 2006 national survey by PRSA and Bacon's Information, Inc. givesa snapshot of where public relations professionals are employed. The result:

Corporations (private and public) 34 percent

NonprofitslFoundations 19 percent

Public relations firms 17 percent

Government (all levels) 10 percent

Educational institutions 8 percent

Independent consulting 8 percent

Health care 1 percent

Professional Associations 1 percent

Other 2 percent

Detailed discussion of these areas appears in later chapters.

PR people are the story tellers.

It's our job to help find the

authenticity at the core of ou r

com pa nies and cl ients, and tell

those stories to the world in

real words that will really be

heard. "--- Fred Cook, president of

Galin Harris public relations

CHAPTE R 1 • \-VhatIs Public Relations? 25

onal Qualifications and Attitudes"""':' 2 empt to define a single public relations type of personality is pointless, because

::='t1d is so diverse that it needs people of differing personalities. Some practitioners~ \\ith clients and the public in person on a frequent basis; others work primarily at

: ~-<. planning, writing, and researching. Many do both.

Essential Abilities:-' : : - \\ho plan careers in public relations should develop knowledge and ability in five

' areas, no matter what area ofwork they enter. These are (1) writing skill, (2) researchITry. (3) planning expertise, (4) problem-solving ability, and (5) business/economics':-:C: DC rence.

_ '''riting skill. The ability to put information and ideas onto paper clearly and.:-:c :-isel ~' is essential. Good grammar and good spelling are vital. Misspelled words and3:?py sentence structure look amateurish. The importance of writing skill is empha­.;L.:': in a career advice column in U70rking U70man: "I changed careers, choosing pub­.K :-d ations as having the best potential, but found it difficult to persuade employers-::::.< : my writing and interpersonal skills were sufficient for an entry-level job in the

. , u:: ) :6SlOn.

~. Research ability. Arguments for causes must have factual support instead of~_ .e ralities. A person must have the persistence and ability to gather information from. -'--2rie ry of sources, as well as to conduct original research~- designing and implementing opinion polls or audits.~:.) many public relations programs fail because the:r-g-JIlization does not assess audience needs and percep--::-:ms. Skillful use of the Internet and computer databases is an:=portant element of research work. Reading current news­:l2!>trs and magazines also is important. See Figure 1.1 .

). Planning expertise. A public relations program involves a:::lJTlber of communication tools and activities that must be care­~.: lI y planned and coordinated. A person needs to be a good plan­::~ to make certain that materials are distributed in a timely::lanner, events occur without problems, and budgets are not::.\ ceeded. Public relations people must be highly organized,':d ail-oriented, and able to see the big picture.

-f. Problem-solving ability. Innovative ideas and fresh2pproaches are needed to solve complex problems or to make a? blic relations program unique and memorable. Increased"-l la ries and promotions go to people who show top management how to solve prob­:~ms creatively.

5. Business/economics competence. The increasing emphasis on public relations15 a management function calls for public relations students to learn the "nuts andXl lts" of business and economics. According to Joel Curren, senior vice president ofCKPR in Chicago, "The greatest need PR people have is understanding how a busi­:-Jess and, more importantly, how a public company operates." Rachel Beanland, a pro­fess ional interviewed by Public Relations Tactics, noted that almost all of the recentPublic Relations grads she talked to wished they had taken a marketing course. In sum,srudents preparing for careers in public relations should obtain a solid grounding by[Jking courses in economics, management, and marketing.

26 PART" · Role

We Need PR Pros Who Think Outside the Big Box

\ 1,'.l!·,\ :,1l1 As~e, :'11,", ,1( (' ~t'.""illlkd ,.\ilh ~u1(Jnn,mc(-(J"\f.'''(OnlpCllhttlon .md

l-",lil\,\ pil(iwgf'~. CQfllr'fH..n.'(I'.,\'t' l~('elih, ,\nJ erpPo':l..f';TifoS for ':lIj.i1f:(C'm.'nt

WII~,," .J \wblt" ,n!l'r!1i1:ioll~l)yglDwin!j lomp..my.

..., .. ~~ .. ! ,' I "", t< •• rJt, I "" ,,1 n "r 'T'P;O .rrll'· )1 (I ( r )~,~ 0-1 ' It'

""I w . \P~U...:(,tP(-"!." rJ 'lq,. f' cl"l>-' ~ (I-" .. ! r ,I~' J '~"." "" .. ".I "

..t"J' ,·"....v' ''1"' t.

" , - I' ' ),

To apply or fo r more information:E-mail your resume wi th the subject line PRWPRMto eresume@.'o..val~l11arLcom

• Visit our Web site at www.walmartstores.comjcareers

It should be noted, of course, that all jobs in publicrelations don't require all five essential abilities in equalproportion. It often depends on your specific job respon­sibilities and assignments. See the Insight box (WhatEmployers Want: 10 Qualities) for more tips fromemployment specialists.

Systematic research has shown that there is a hierar­chy of roles in public relations practice. Professors GlenBroom and David Dozier of San Diego State Universitywere among the first researchers to identify organiza-tional roles ranging from the communication technicianto the communication manager.

Practitioners in the technician role, for example, areprimarily responsible for producing communication prod­ucts and implementing decisions made by others. Theytake photographs, write brochures, prepare news releases,and organize events. They function primarily at the "tacti­cal" level of public relations work; they do not participatein policy decision making, nor are they responsible for out­comes. Many entry-level positions in public relations are atthe technician level, but there are also many experiencedpractitioners whose specialty is "tactical" duties such aswriting and editing newsletters, maintaining informationon the company's intranet or Web site, or even workingprimarily with the media in the placement of publicity.

At the other end of the scale is the communicationmanager. Practitioners playing this role are perceived byothers as the organization's public relations experts. They

make communication policy decisions and are held accountable by others and them­selves for the success or failure of communication programs. Managers counsel seniormanagement, oversee multiple communication strategies, and supervise a number ofemployees who are responsible for "tactical" implementation.

Other studies conducted since Broom and Dozier's have indicated that the differ­ences between managers and technicians aren't that clear-cut. In smaller operations, apublic relations professional may perform daily activities at both the manager and thetechnician level. Another way of looking at job levels in public relations is given in theInsights box on page 30. In addition, the Wal-Mart ad gives a real-world example ofthe kinds ofskills and experience that employers are seeking.

We need experts in the following area'S:• D"o't'IN)' (ommunic,Jllnn (St>ni01 lFV'~:)

C~u~{.~Re:,ltt"d (.:lmfllCf!I( .Hion (~l'nior It''.fl;)'I,I.~ln,J.bllily/lo~-,(-rnl i)~l.<{-\ (St:niOf le.,-;)~;n(l:lCtJI ((';'liT1110i(";l(l(tTl (St'niOf lev!:'!)

Onh,,!: Cl;,rrp",;!',:(at:cnEdlturiill Sr'''''K('~

SreakN\ Bur..""~"tN1ld R('\at;omInternal COlOlnuo'(-dli.j')

H'~I;or.li \krt:. l Reliltlon\ Djf<'{LLlr~ (Lo, ,,1"'1 "1 ChIClI)" or lo~ A'l(Jt'~(-\)

':IIJ((l'\\!ul C-Jllo,J.ilt'\ ',"1:1 11.1V"".l1 !',o\! ':J.t' "'''.Jr~ · H'(('ot f'xpt: rtf"nl"':rl ,1 Pit

,j(J~" '( ,', (Dtpur;l\(' IH:bli ~ t{'j,t li(:>n~< 81 :(;tlr~i1I,\n': 'mi~J;rr.W ; l Of J IJ.:Ilh("or'~

d"'}ff't· in d r~!i1t('d !:foll'!: <1110 <l h;\lOry u' produci;'lJ quillit\' '.'.f':\(':' . <;' ~

CilHJ:t1.J{I'S \hr::.;id bf' l,illing III r('!lAdte tl) (I\J~ (orpor,ll" QH~e i'l .... 'C!rl~_,,(·.,\Ark.ln~,I\ Q(1p rA 11lt-l'lp 10 f<1~tf',I-grcJl'V1nq(l){·tr..-..> dfbH ,n Il:e U,S

With unprecedented med ia interest in our company. we afeexpandmg our base of ull ra ·tafen ted PR professional'S whowork hard, thrive in it constantly changing atmosphere, andha.... ·,? d passion for high-profile reputation management.

WAL*MART

This Wal-Mart employment ad illustrates the varietyof public relations jobs available in a large retail chain.

The Value of InternshipsInternships are extremely popular in the communications industry, and a studentwhose resume includes practical work experience along with a good academic recordhas an important advantage. The Commission on Public Relations Education believesthe internship is so important that it is one of the seven basic courses it recommendsfor any quality college or university public relations curriculum.

An internship is a win-win situation for both the student and the organization.The student, in most cases, not only receives academic credit, but also gets firsthandknowledge of work in the professional world. This gives the student an advantage ingetting that all-important first job after graduation. In many cases, recent graduates

CHAPTE R .. • \VhatIs Public Relations) 27

on the jobt Employers Want: 10 Qualities

RTactics, the monthly publica­t ion of the PRSA, asked job­placement experts what set of

- Is and experience was needed in- a, 's employment market. Here

"" " t he top 10 suggestions:

d Writing

-: ellent writing skills are more nec­

?Ss.a ry now than ever before.

elligence

. ough the descriptions vary from• right," "clever," and "quick-witted,":: I placement executives agree that""ooern public relations isn't a refuge- r those with a mediocre mind and

Iy a good personality.

~ultural Literacy

:: ployers want individuals who areell rounded and well educated

aoout the arts, humanities, and cur­-ent events. According to PR Tactics,

ou can't expect management to:ake your advice if you have nohared frame of reference."

now a Good Story When YouSee One

he ability to manage your organiza­ion's image-in both large and small

ways-starts with the identificationand management of good storiesthat give the organization visibility,build brand recognition, and enhancethe organization's reputation .

Media Savvy

Media convergence means thatthere are now multiple platforms­print media, Webcasts, Internetnews sites, radio and television, andso on . Each platform has differentdeadlines, formats, and needs.Understanding this and being ableto work with editors in each area isessential.

Contacts

"Cordial relationships with people inmedia, government, industry groups,and non profits, as well as colleaguesin other companies will serve youwell .The ability to pick up the phoneand get crucial information or makethings happen is essential."

Good Business Sense

The best companies weave publicrelations into their overall businessstrategy. To work at that level, how­ever, public relations practitioners

need to have a firm understandingof how the business operates in gen­eral and an employer's industry inparticular.

Broad CommunicationsExperience

All midlevel and senior positionsrequire the individual to have famil­iarity with all aspects of communica­tions, from the in-house newsletterto media relations and investorrelations.

Specialized Experience

After getting some general experi­ence, the individual should considerdeveloping a specialty. Health care,finance, and technology are some ofthe promising areas.

Avoid Career Cliches

Ifthe only reason for getting into thebusiness is because you " like people"and enjoy organizing events, youshould think about another field .Employers are looking for broad ­based individuals with multiplecommunication and problem-solvingskills.

50u(ce: Hulin , Belinda ." 10 Things You Need to Succeed." Public Relations Tactics, April 2 0 04, p. 11 .

:te n are hi red by thei r former internship employers because they have already provedIllse lves .In deed, PRU7eek reporter Sara Ca labro says:

:\ gencies and corpora te communica ti ons departments are beginn ing to see interns asthe future of their companies, no t merely as gophers that they can pass the grunt workoff to. \"'hile a few yea rs ago, it was typica l for an intern to work for nothi ng, it is

28 PART. · Role

almost unheard of for an internship to be unpaid these days. Examples of the essentialwork now entrusted to interns include tasks such as media monitoring, writing pressreleases, financial estimating, and compiling status reports. In many cases, interns arebeing included in aJi team and client meetings, as well as brainstorming sessions.

Many major public relations firms have formal internship programs. At EdelmanWorldwide, for example, students enroll in "Edel-U," an internal training programthat exposes them to all aspects of agency work. The summer internship program atWeber Shandick in Boston is called "Weber University." Calabro cites Jane Dolan, asenior account executive, who says that upper management is always incrediblyimpressed with the work that interns do for their final projects. "It is amazing to seethem go from zero to 100 in a matter of months," says Dolan.

Hill & Knowlton also has an extensive internship training program in its New Yorkoffice, taking about 40 interns a year from an applicant pool of about 600 to 700 stu­dents. In its view, the internship program is "the cheapest and most effective recruitingtool available." Ketchum also gets about 800 resumes each year for 12 to 14 summerpositions, which pays a weekly stipend. According to Scott Proper, SVP at Ketchum,"You can walk the halls any day and find former interns in pretty senior positions."

It's not always possible, of course, for a student to do an internship in Chicago orNew York. However, many opportunities are available at local public relations firms,businesses, and nonprofit agencies. It is important, however, that the organization haveat least one experienced public relations professional who can mentor a student and

Public Relations Personality Checklist

his checklist, based on careful

evaluation, can measure the

effectiveness ofyour personal-

ity in terms of the public relationsprofession.

Rate each item "yes" or "no." Each

"yes" counts for 4 points. A "no"

doesn't count. Anything below 60 is

a poor score.A score between 60 and

80 suggests you should analyze your

weak areas and take steps to correct

them. Scores above 80 indicate an

effective public relations personality.

Good sense of humor

Positive and optimistic

Friendly, meet people easily

Source: PRSSA Forum.

Can keep a conversation going

with anybody

Take frustration and rejection in

stride

Able to persuade others easily

Well -groomed, businesslike app-

earance

Flair for showmanship

Strong creative urge

Considerate and tactful

Adept in use of words

Able to gain management's con­

fidence

Enjoy being with people

Enjoy listening

Enjoy helping other people resolve

problems

Curious about many things

Enjoy reading in diverse areas

Determined to complete projects

High energy level

Can cope with sudden emer­

gencies

See mistakes as learning experi-

ences

Factual and objective

Respect other people's viewpoints

Perceptive and sensitive

Quickly absorb and retain infor­

mation

C HAP T E R .. • What Is Public Relations? 29

" Internship programs can be

much more than a means to

get young, inexpensive talent.

Designed properly, they can

offer a significant return on

investment for agencies. "

---Mark Hand, reporter forPRWeek

_ e that he or she gets an opportunity to do a variety of.'" to maximize the learning experience. For More infor­

::;::.::. ·on on guidelines and programs, see the online Intern­~. Guide posted by a Public Relations Society of_.:::pc rica task force (www.prsa.org).

.-\lthough national and international firms routinely pay:crns, this often is not the case at the local level. Many smaller

panies claim that they cannot afford to pay, or that the oppor--ry to gain training and experience should be more than ade­

:;t:8tc compensation. Dave DeVries, a senior public relations~, ager for the PCS Division of Sprint, disagrees. He wrote in? -Xs Tactics, "Unpaid internships severely limit the field of:- -ential candidates" because, as he points out, the best and. . ;ghtest students will always gravitate to employers who pay.

Indeed, there seems to be a strong correlation between paid internships and starting-;.alaries in the field. Most public relations firms and departments usually provide some:B -d of paid internships, and entry-level salaries are comparatively high. On the other- , d, television stations are notorious for not paying interns, and entry-level salaries are~ e lowest ($24,400) in the communications field. Salaries will be discussed shortly.

Salaries in Public RelationsPublic relations work pays relatively well compared to other communications profes­,:ions. Many practitioners say they like the income and opportunities for steady_ q ncement, and they also enjoy the variety and fast pace that the field provides.

Entry-level Salaries-~\ -eral surveys have attempted to pinpoint the national average salary for recent gradu­:: res in their first full-time job in the public relations field. Probably the most definitive

-ey is the one conducted by Lee Becker and his associates at the University of Geor­:; 3_ They work with journalism and mass communications programs throughout the. arion to compile a list of recent graduates who are then surveyed (www.grady.uga.edul2JlJlualsurveys/).

The latest data available, published in 2007, shows that the median entry-level salary.' r aU recent graduates working in the communications field was $30,000. Public relations=aduates, as the chan below indicates, made more than print and broadcast journalists but~lightly less than those working on trade publications or the World Wide Web. Themedian annual salaries reponed by recent graduates in the various fields are as follows:

Public relationsDaily newspapersWeekliesRadioTelevisionCable televisionAdvertisingConsumer magazinesNewsletters/tradesWorld Wide Web

$30,000$27,000$24,700$27,000$24,400$30,000$30,000$28,000$31,000$31,500

30 PART 1 · Role

Another survey, conducted by PRweek, places a more optimistic figure on startingsalaries in public relations. Its 2007 survey of salaries, for example, found that entry­level salaries-professionals with less than two years' experience-averaged $40,000. Inits annual career guide, PRweek estimates that entry-level jobs in corporations rangefrom $32,000 to $48,000. In public relations firms, the range is $28,000 to $40,000 for0-3 years of experience.

Job Levels in Public Relations

Source: Adapted from the Public Relations Professional Career Guide.Public Relations Society of America, 33 Maiden Lane, New York, NY100 38.

Salariesfor Experienced ProfessionalsKey components of PRweek's 2007 salary survey are listed in the Insights box onpage 32, which shows the national average for all practitioners is about $81,000.SaJaries are somewhat higher for those with 21 or more years' experience: The mediansalary then jumps to $155,000. When salaries are compared by gender, however, thereare some major differences, which will be discussed shortly.

Salaries, of course, depend on a number of factors, including geographic location,job title, the industry, and even the type of public relations specialty. Major metropoli­tan areas, for example, generally have higher salaries, but there are some regional differ­ences, according to the PRweek survey. Practitioners based in the Western United

States, for example, have median incomes of$90,600, which is slightly above the $90,100in the Northeastern states. Practitioners inthe Midwest have a median income of$79,200, but those living in the Northwestearn about $74,000. The Southeast comes inat $68,800, about a $1,000 more than thelowest-paid area of the nation, the southernCentral states ($67,700). Differences, to adegree, somewhat coincide with the cost ofliving in these areas.

Job title also means a lot. A senior vicepresident (SVP) receives a median salary of$192,650 whereas an account manager at apublic relations firm gets $59,800. Thelowly account coordinator, usually theentry-level position for recent graduates,gets a median salary of $30,300. In terms ofwork setting, corporate median salaries are$94,190 and nonprofits/charities are at thebottom of the list with $63,190. Surpris­ingly, self-employed consultants report goodincomes in PRweek's survey of practitioners,with median incomes of$95,620. In terms ofspecialty areas, work in telecommunicationstops the chart ,1t $105,800. On the otherhan d, me area of travel/tourism pays theleast with £56,600 as a median income.

Ll terms of specialty <lreas, practitionersspecializing in reputation management reportmedian incomes of$115,500, followed by cri­sis management ($95,830). Financial public

• Entry-Level Technician Use of technical "craft" skills todisseminate information, persuade, gather data, or solicitfeedback

• Supervisor Supervises projects. including planning,scheduling, budgeting, organizing, leading, controlling,and problem solVing

• Manager Constituency and issue-trend analysis; depart­mental management, including organizing, budgeting,leading, controlling, evaluating, and problem solving

• Director Constituency and issue-trend analysis; commu­nication and operational planning at departmental level,including planning, organizing, leading, controlling, evalu­ating,and problem solving

• Executive Organizational leadership and managementskills, including developing the organizational vision,corpo­rate mission, strategic objectives, annual goals, businesses,broad strategies, policies, and systems

C HAP TEll .. • What Is Public Relations? 31

:-::Iations is also a good specialty if you want to maxirrUze income. Community relations,: :l the other hand, may be good for personal satisfaction but not financial rewardSQ,170).

You should be aware that PRU7eek's salary figures are based on responses from 1,500_:-Jctitioners, and the salaries reported may not be indicative of the entire field. For.:xa mple, the median salary for executive vice presidents was based on only 25 responses.The average salary for a senior vice president was based on 42 responses. In the absence)f more complete salary data, however, surveys by publications such as PRU7eek have~come a standard reference in the industry.

The Arthur W Page Society, a group of senior communication executives represent­:ng many of America's Fortune 500 corporations, also conducts an annual survey of its:nembers regarding budgets and executive compensation. In general, compensation for:he top communications officer in the organization ranges from $269,000 to almost5~00,000. In general, salaries increase with the size of the corporation. There are, of~"'Ourse, other forms of compensation. Former Edelman Worldwide vice chairman Leslie

dch received $3 milljon in Wal-Mart shares for taking the executive vice president post at:he retail giant, accorrung toJack O'Dwyer's Newsletter. His annual salary was not djsclosed.

A good source for checking current salaries for public relations in major cities:hroughout the United States and around the world is www.workinpr.com. It posts~rrent openings and also provides the salary ranges for various job classifications.

Salaries for Women: The Gender Gap~ational statistics, compiled by the U .S. Deparonent of Labor, show that women in alloccupations earn about 76 cents for every $1 earned by a man. Another study, by the_\merican Association ofUnjversity Women, says recent female college graduates earn.)nly 80 percent of what male graduates earn. The public relations field is no exception.The PRU7eek survey found the median salary for men was $105,450, whereas women:::1dde $70,800, or about a thjrd less than their male peers.

Indeed, this discrepancy in salaries erists across several levels of experience. Menl11 d women, with less than five years' experience, have median incomes of$48,000 and543,810 respectively. The gap becomes larger after more than five years' experience:'d en earn $124,222 compared to $85,470 for women.

A number of studies have probed the pay differential between men and women in;lUblic relations. The first studies, starting in the 1980s, simply noted the gap without-J. king into consideration the multiple factors that could lead to discrepancies. Some of:.hese factors included (1) the number of years in the field, (2) techrucian duties versus:J1 .magerial responsibilities, (3) the nature of the industry, (4) the size of the organiza­oon, and (5) women's attempts to balance work and family. The 2007 PRU7eek survey,[-or example, notes that the average male respondent has worked in the field for 13.6\-.;ars as compared to the average female respondent with only 8.6 years in the field .O ne respondent (a male, of course) explained the salary difference by saying,- .. . women tend not to negotiate very well on their behalf."

Julie O'Neil, a professor at Texas Christian University, has another explanation.She says, "Women are segregated into the lower-level technician role, spending timeon routine activities such as writing, editing, and handling media relations. Con­\-efsely, more men are promoted into the more powerful managerial role, engaging in, uch activities as counseling senior management, and making key policy decisions."

Others have tried to explain the salary differential in other ways. Women, forexample, tend to take more time off than men to raise children or for other personal

32 P~RT f · Role

on the jobAn Overview of Salaries in the Public Relations Field

RWeek conducts an annual survey of salaries. The following tables are excerpted from the 2007 survey, which

received responses from 1,500 practitioners in the field.

Median Overall Salaries

All respondents

Men

Women

Respondents by Gender

Female 64 percent

Male 36 percent

$105,800

$102,700

$ 72,600

$ 96,900

$ 95,100

$ 94, 100

$ 89,200

$ 87,500

$ 69,500

$ 66,900

$ 66,800

$ 63,800

$ 60,000

$ 56,600

Median Salary by Job Level

Executive VP $192,650

SeniorVP $170,700

VP $150,000

Account Supervisor $ 71 ,100

PR Manager $ 70,300

Account Manager $ 59,800

Account Coordinator $ 30,300

Median Salary by Sector

Telecommunications

Food & Beverage

Arts/Entertainment

Financial Services

Health Care

Manufacturing

Tech/Internet

Sports

Government

Education

Trade Associations

Nonprofit/Charity

Retail

TravellTourism

Median Salary by Discipline

Reputation Mgt $115,570

Crisis Mgt $ 95,830

Financial PR $ 95,310

Employee Comm $ 87,500

Brand Mgt $ 82,260

Government Relations $ 76,960

Marketing Comm $ 76,910

Community Relations $ 54,170

$ 80,930

$105,450

$ 70,800

$124,222

$ 85,470

$ 48,000

$ 43,810

Median Salary byYears of Experience

Less than 2 years $ 40,380

3-4 years $ 49,680

5-6 years $ 61 ,790

7-10 years $ 80,060

11-15 years $101,190

16-20 years $126,840

More than 21 years $155,000

Women

Mare than 5 years

Men

Women

Salary by GenderfYears of Experience

Less than 5 years

Men

Median Salary by Work Setting

Self-Employed $ 95,620

Corporation $ 94,190

Public Relations Firm $ 77,500

Trade Association $ 75,000

Government $ 73 ,610

Education $ 65,790

Nonprofit $ 63,190

Source: "Salary Survey 2007." PRWeek, February 26, 2007, pp. '5-22. www.prweek.com

CHAPTER 1 • WlntlsPublicRelations? 33

:-::--Jsons. Others have pointed out that women have a tendency to work in areas of public:-d ations that traditionally have low salaries, such as community relations, employee:ommunications, or nonprofits. In contrast, a large percentage of practitioners in=.nance and investor relations-which pay well-are men.

Professors Linda Aldoory (University of Maryland) and Elizabeth Toth (formerly) . Syracuse University and now at the University of Maryland) also explored discrep­m cies in salaries in an article for the Journal ofPublic Relations Research (2002). They:::xplored a number of factors, but essentially concluded:

The difference in the average salary ofmale respondents compared to female respondentswas statistically significant. Regression analysis revealed that years of public relationsexperience accounted for much of the variance, but that gender and job interruptions alsoaccounted for the salary difference. Age and education level were not found to be a sig­nificant influence on salary.

The role of women in public relations, and the increased feminization of the field-0 percent of the practitioners in the United States are women), will be discussed as a

:najor trend line in the next chapter.

The Value of Public Relations

---Public Relations Societyof America, defining the role

of public relations in today's society

" We proVide a voice in the mar­

ketplace of ideas, facts, and

viewpoints to aid informed

public debate.

This chapter has outlined the size and global scope of public relations, provided somedefinitions, discussed the various activities of public relations, and explored how it differsirom and is similar to journalism, advertising, and marketing. The case for an organiza­jon integrating all of its commtmications for maximum effectiveness has also beenmade. We've also discussed careers in public relations, the qualities needed in public,c1ations professionals, and the salaries that can be earned in the field of public relations.

Today more than ever, the world needs not more information but sensitive com­municators and facilitators who can explain the goals and aspirations of individuals,organizations, and governments to others in a socially responsive manner. Experts incommunication and public opinion must provide their employers and clients withknowledge of what others are thinking to guide them in setting their policies for thecommon good.

Indeed, in this era of heightened environmental con­cern, accountability, and transparency, no organizationexists solely for its own purposes; it must also serve societyas a whole. Another way of expressing this point is the ideamat no organjzation can exist without the express permis-sion of the government and society at large.

Tom Glover, writing in Profile, the magazine of the Instituteof Public Relations in the United Kingdom, believes "[c]lear andconsistent communication helps organizations achieve theirgoals, employees to work to their potential, customers to makeinformed choices, investors to make an accurate assessment of anorganization, and society to form fair judgments of industries,organizations, and issues."

Public relations provides businesses and society with a vital service. On a practicallevel, Laurence Moskowitz, chairman and CEO ofMedialink, says that public relationsis ". . . informative. It's part of the news, the program, the article, the stuff readers and

34 PART 1 · Role

0 ' fo res ts i s t hat e '.. e n whe n yov l ea ve them,

This is one of the appealing ads that the AbundantForest Alliance placed in magazines such as FamilyCircle to publicize its Web site,

f_t+~IIl<:o.,"":>r-onIO.P4W">:"aila..,1\~".~lI,:;:woi!/fI'I'~Il'J1::I:uot'''oJ<>$IM'I\

~p..o"\lOO7>::IJ"eog.'I~'_IO~oI~P"'~""'I'w.w~,_",...i..t .....!,.._......"".1"'1_'tlQru~,.,.. .......:I~.-l'lc:u~ l".f':\~t~ .. pt!ot(""'{ll'>o~¥l~f'·<'d./"""M' 1Sf<"l~ · """rJ,-"l.o.._,....,(,,·....,~ .._. ~ I"D"~~"<\""-II·tt~,;o!'bOf>d"" """~

''''''''"<; So:>"""'.Mf~."", ...."nol,llJ'~' j .}""..> )'.... 1...",,,, ..~.:~f~~~O/'SI

The true m agic

area destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.AFA also worked with

Project LearningTree (PLT), a nonprofit, to fund environ­

mental outreach programs in Dallas and Los Angeles.

The second com ponent of the AFA ca m pa ign focused

on the use of wood and paper products. It commissioned

lifestyle expert Katie Brown to develop gift ideas made

of wood and paper that children could make for Mother's

Day. Another tactic was in-store scrapbooking demonstra­

tions at 500 Wal-Mart stores that attracted more

than 60,000 participants. A series of podcasts, called

"Scrapcasts," were developed by professional paper artist

Lynette Young and made available on AFf\s Web site. Each

episode features tips and ideas on creating scrapbooks.

The podcasts were publicized in lifestyle magazines and a

radio media tour. The highlight was an interview with

Young on Live with Regis and Kelly.

Paid advertising also was a part of the AFA campaign

(see exa mpie on th is page). A series of lifestyle-oriented

ads featured special moments and occasions such as a

PRCA E Of"':;'''''' :''\.Abundant Forests for All: An Integrated Public AHairs Campaign

DoYO'U know that the United States is covered by

750 million acres offorestland, an amountthathas remained essentially:unchanged forthe

past centLiry? Or that the annual net growth of u.s.forests is 36 percent higher than the volume ofannual

tree removals?

Probably not. And that's why the wood and paper

products industryformed the Abundant Forests,Alliance

(AFA). The industry faced the challenge of correcting

common misconceptions about forest management and

aIso tel Ii ng it,s story about susta inable forestry practices.

Porter Noverli, anational public relations firm, was

given the assignment of developing an inte!5rated

communications program that would reach consumers,

customers, and opinion leaders.

The slogan ofthe AFA campaign was "Renew, Reuse,

and Respect." Research indicated that the key target

audience should be 3S-to-S4-year-old college-educated

women with kids at 'home because they are networked

in their cOmniunities and have some interest in the

environment. They also place value on leaving a legacy of

making the planet a better place for future generations.

Porter Novelli dubbed them "legacy moms."

The AFA campaign was launched with the publication

of a children's book, The Tree Fd'rmer,vvritten by Chuck

Leavell, the keyboardist for the Rolling Stones who also

happens to be a tree farmer. The-book used the theme of

"Renew, Reuse, Respect" and was positioned as an actiVity

for legacy moms and their childr.en to do together.

To support the launch, three basic public relationstactics were used: (1) the establishment of a Web site

(www.thetreefarmer.org), (2) media outreach to

publications such as Re,al Simple and Ladies Home Journal,

and (3) a'satellite media tour with Chuck Leavell, which

included an interview on CNN.ln addition, Leavell

appeared on the Today show on behalf of AFA where he

talked with Matt Lauer about the importance oftrees, tree

farms, and how wood contributes to our daily lives. At the

end ofthe interview, Leavell made a donation of 200,000

books to Todaj's HolidayToy Drive which was met with

cheers and applause from the crowd gathered on the

plaza.AFA also organized several other charitable and

environmental education projects. In Gulfport, Mississippi,

Leavell donated 10,000 books to local children living in the

Odt on..... 1DPlCDQlllGIM. n.onNnblgllllla ......-.pool:lIar_ Oc:...~anddlcks..:t\.~_llIl!I!!lllllll

"* -....1aJniIX_...._llIII!Jllmll~_

......--...~_-=:'"...=.=-_____llIObllllI

IIZIRaiiIdIIMIiIIlQ 1m!OM~...

".,.. ih ~ ~r , e-.

""""""' -......... --..--

age from AFf:\.s Web site.

"3 i1y camping trip,a mom stealing a moment to read a

- k,and a woman gift-wrapping an elegant present. The

_ea was to convey the beauty of wood and paper, but also

d ude facts about the industry'sefforts to properly

an age the nation's forests.Ad placements were made in

CHAPTER .. • WhatIs Public Relations? 35

such publications as Ladies Home Journal, Time, Newsweek,

and Vanity Fair.There was also online banner advertising.

Another form of integration was the development of

an extensive Web site, www.abundantforests.org.ltis a

resource for legacy moms and is filled with tips and tools

to help them stay engaged with environmental

responsibility and to learn more about paper and wood as

a renewable resource. In addition to the Scrapcast already

mentioned, the site includes such items as a download­

able hiking journal, a "Know Your Trees" page that tell

viewers what kind oftrees are used for such items as

baseball bats and pencils, and how to make your own

gifts with paper and wood.

The most recent development on AFt\s Web site is an

interactive Plant It Forward program. Here, visitors can

create a "playlist" oftheirfavorite ideas, post their

comments and ideas, and even find others who are

registered on the site.The site was highlighted by

Parenting Magazine as "A Site We Love."

AFA'scampaign,which is ongoing, has been a success.

In the first year, the campaign generated 234 million

impressions (a number based on the.circulation of

publications and estimated size of broadcast audiences)

and 118,000 unique Web visitors, spending an average of

4.38 minutes at the site. More important, survey research

shows improved public perceptions about the state of

forests in North America, the number oftrees cut versus

the number grown,and the commitment of the wood

and paper products industry to preserving forests in

North America .

The $10 million campaign was named the Public

Affairs Campaign ofthe Year (2007) by PRWeek,and it

also received several awards ofexcellence from the

advertising industry for multimedia campaigns.

\l e'\\"ers want.... " Indeed, the H arris Interactive/PRSA survey previously mentioned.l lso found that 71 percent of its respondents agreed with the sta tement that public rela­j ns professionals can "help raise awareness about important issues that the publ ic

ight not know about. "Patrick J ackson, a former president of the PRSA and publisher of PR Repol7er, said

\- best:

As soon as there was Eve with Adam, there were relationships, and in every society, nomatter how small or primitive, public commwlication needs and problems inevitablyemerge and must be resolved. Public relations is devoted to the essenti al function ofbuilding and improving human relationships.

36 PART 1 · Role

Global ScopePublic relations is well established in the United Statesand throughout the world. Growth is strong in Europe andAsia, particularly China.

A Variety of DefinitionsCommon terms in most definitions of public relations aredeliberate, planned, performance, public interest, two-waycommunication, and a strategic management function.Also popular is the concept of building and maintainingmutually beneficial relationships.

Public Relations as a ProcessThe public relations process can be described with theRACE acronym: Research, Action, Communication,Evaluation. The process is a constant cycle; feedback andprogram adjustment are integral components of the over­all process.

The Components of Public RelationsPublic relations work includes the following components:counseling, media relations, publicity, community rela­tions, governmental affairs, employee relations, investorrelations, developmentlfund-raising, special events, andmarketing communications.

Other Terms for Public RelationsPublic relations is an umbrella term; many large organiza­tions prefer such terms as corporate communications,corporate affairs, public affairs, or even global communica­tions to describe the public relations function. Less flatteringterms include flack and spin doctor.

How Public Relations Differs from JournalismAlthough writing is an important activity in both publicrelations and journalism, the scope, objectives, and chan­nels are different for each field.

How Public Relations Differs from AdvertisingPublicity, one area of public relations, uses mass media todisseminate messages, as does advertising. The formatand context, however, differ. Publicity goes through mediagatekeepers who make the ultimate decision whether touse the material as part of a news story. Advertisinginvolves paid space and time and is easily identified asbeing separate from news/editorial content.

How Public Relations Differs from MarketingThe functions of public relations often overlap with mar­keting, but the primary purpose of public relations is tobuild relationships and generate goodWill with a variety ofpublics.Marketing focuses on customers and the selling ofproducts/services.Public relations can be part of a market­ing strategy; in such cases, it is often called marketingcommunications.

Toward an Integrated PerspectiveAn organization's goals and objectives are best achievedby integrating the activities of advertising, marketing, andpublic relations to create a consistent message. Integra­tion requires teamwork and the recognition that eachfield has strengths that complement and reinforce oneanother.

The Changing Face of Public RelationsIn the past, those entering public relations were often formerjournalists, but that is no longer the case because publicrelations has evolved beyond publicity and media rela­tions. In addition, public relations is now widely recog­nized as its own distinct academic discipline in collegesand universities throughout the world .

The Range of WorkPublic relations professionals are employed in a variety offields: corporations, nonprofits, entertainment and sports,politics and government, education, and internationalorganizations and businesses.

Five Essential AbilitiesThose who plan careers in public relations should be com­petent in the follOWing areas: writing, research, planning,problem-solving, and business/economics.

Internships Are ValuableStudents should participate in internships throughout col­lege as part of their preprofessional training in public rela­tions. Paid internships are the most desirable.

Salaries in Public RelationsEntry-level salaries are higher in public relations than inmany other communications fields. An entry-level personcan earn a salary in the $30,000 to $40,000 range,whereas a more experienced professional can earn into

_ six figures. Although the gender gap has somewhatNed, in general, women earn less than men.

alue of Public Relations• orld today doesn't need more information; it needs

">. ive, well-educated individuals who can interpret the

CHAPTER .. • WhatIsPublicRelations? 37

information and determine why and how it is relevant topeople's lives. Public relations people must explain thegoals and objectives of their clients and employers to thepublic and, at the same time, provide them with guidanceabout their responsibility to the public interest.

SE ACTIVITY What Would You Do?~ 'J Stone Creamery is a relatively new ice-cream com­

hat faces stiff competition in the marketplace fromestablished brands as Ben & Jerry's, Baskin-Robbins,

-'-' aagen-Dazs.The first store was established in Tempe, Arizona, in.Since then, the company has expanded to more than

~ stores (franchises) nationwide. Its market niche is that~ omers can personalize their serving by choosing a-~~e flavor and then mixing it with a number of toppings.

loyees do the mixing by hand on a frozen granite-- e (hence the company name).

The challenge, of course, is to generate more store: _n ue and to increase market share. Research shows

that the typical Cold Stone customer is a woman betweenthe ages of 24 and 35, but that she also brings her friendsand other family members with her.

The company has decided to do an integrated com­munications program for the next year that would involvepublic relations, advertising, and in-store marketing pro­motions for some new products, such as ice-cream cqkesand nonfat flavors. The focus would be on enhancing thevisibility of its stores at the local level and making it a distinctbrand among the clutter of other ice-cream franchises inthe community. Do some brainstorming. What ideas andactivities would you suggest? You have to be creativebecause you don't have a big budget. '

UESTIO~S for Review and DiscussionHow many people are estimated to work in publicrelations around the world? Is public relations grow­ing as a field in terms of employees and revenues?

•. There are many definitions of public relations. Ofthose listed, which one do you prefer? Why?

3 What key words and phrases are found in most defi­nitions of public relations?

__ What does the acronym RACE stand for?

> Public relations is described as a loop process. Whatcomponent makes it a loop rather than a linear process?

D. Review the official statement on public relations bythe PRSA. In what way did it change your initial per­ception of public relations as a field?

7. What are the components of basic public relationspractice? Which one sounds the most interesting toyou as a possible career specialty?

8. What other terms are used by organizations todescribe the public relations function? Do you havepreference for any ofthem? Explain.

9. How do you think portrayals of various careers infilms and television shows shape public perceptions?Do you think series such as Sex and the City paint anegative or positive image of public relations as acareer? Or do such portrayals make public relationsappear to be more glamorous than it actually is?

10. What is spin? To some, it has negative connotationsthat conjure up images of manipulation and dishon­esty.To others, it's simply a slang word for telling theorganization's perspective on an issue or product.What do you think? Would you like to be called a"spindoctor"?

11. Do you consider PR to be a slang term that should beavoided? Why or why not?

12. How does public relations differ from the fields ofjournalism, advertising, and marketing?

13- How does public relations support marketing? Someexperts say that public relations can launch a newproduct or service better than advertising. Do you

38 PART" · Role

agree or disagree? It's also asserted that public rela­tions creates brands, and that advertising can onlyreinforce and defend a brand. What are your thoughts?

14. What is the concept of integrated communications,which some people also call integrated marketingcommunications (IMC)? What four factors have led tothe growth of integrated campaigns?

15. Public relations people work for a variety of organiza­tions. What type of organization would you prefer ifyou wanted to work in public relations?

16. The text mentions five essential qualities for workingin public relations. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would yourate yourself on each ability?

17. Why is it important for a student to complete an intern­ship in college? Do you think interns should be paid?

18. Job placement directors say that employers are look­ing for 10 qualities in applicants. Can you name atleast 5of the 10 qualities?

19. Discuss entry-level salaries in public relations. Do youthink they are too low, or are they about what youexpected? What about the salaries for experiencedprofessionals?

20. Is there still a gender gap in salaries? If so, do youthink that it is caused by overt discrimination or doother factors explain the salary gap?

21. The PR Casebook on the Abundant Forests Allianceoutlines an integrated campaign. What tactics wereused? Do you think this campaign was well done?Why or why not?

SUGGESTED READI~GSBowen, Shannon A. "I Thought It Would Be More Glamorous:

Perceptions and Misconceptions Among Students in the Public

Relations Principles Course." Public Relations Review, Vol.29,NO.2,

2003, pp.199-214.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Occupational Outlook Handbook: Public

Relations Specialists."www.bisgov/ocolocos086htm.Excelient

overview with facts and figures.

Bush,Michael."The PR Industry from the Outside: PR Pros Rightfully

Tout the Discipline's Role in the Marketing Mix." PRWeek,

Septemberll, 2006,p. 15.

Capozzi,louis. "Moving Forward: A Blueprint for Ensuring the PR

Industry's Future Success." The Strategist, Winter 2006,pp.37-39.

Gordon,Andrew. "Winning Teams:Integrated Marketing Is More than

aVague Concept or a Buzzword." PRWeek, March 29,20°4, p. 17.

Grunig,James E."Furnishingthe Edifice:Ongoing Research on Publ ic

Relations as a Strategic Management Function."Journal ofPublic

Relations Research, Vol. 18, No.2, 2006, pp. 151-176.

Guiniven,John. "Majoring in Public Relations:The Pros and Cons."

Public Relations Tactics,July 2006, p.6.

Hand, Mark. "Making Internships Beneficial for Both Students and

Agencies."PRWeek,August 1,2005, p. 10.

lukaszewski, James E."What's Next?The Relationship of Public

Relations to Management,Journalism,and Society." The Strategist,

Winter 2007, pp.21-23-

Noble, Stacy."TV portrayals ofwomen in PR are bad forour industry."

PRWeek,August 1, 2005,p. 3-

Paluszek,John."looking Forward:AGlobal leadership Opportunity

for Public Relations in the 21st Century." The Strategist, Fall 2006,

PP·29-31.

"Salary Survey 2007." PRWeek,February 26,2007,pp. 16-22.

Seitel,Fraser."What Is the Difference Between Marketing, Advertising

and PR? O'Dwyer's PR Report,May 2006, pp. 39.42.

Statesman,Alison."From Columns to Clients: As More Print Journalists

Turn to Public Relations, What Will It Mean for the Profession?" The

Strategist,Winter 2006, pp. 6-8.

Trickett,Eleanor. "Outside look Shows PR's Role in Marketing Gaining

Respect." PRWeek, September", 2006,p. 9.