Why public relations?

Not so long ago organisations had marketing personnel, human resources officers, technicians and shop floor staff, etcetera but no public relations person. All of a sudden, the PR post is now prominent in non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Government ministries, companies and even voluntary organisations like churches.

Why is this so? Is it a case of the corporate world trying to find a scapegoat or is it because they see the real need for this post?

Quite often, though, the PR post has a distinct job description of managing the corporate image, we find that all sorts of objectionable and unpleasant tasks are passed to the PR for a solution.

The PR post cuts across the entire spectrum of activities and departments and also links with critical external stakeholders including the media.

By virtue of the communications web that this post controls PR personnel are some of the most informed people in the organisation in terms of privileged data.

They therefore have their eye on the ball in terms of both organisational and national developments.

PR is a managerial task regardless of the status of the PR person. PR manages the human relations side of business which is as important as product quality issues.

The creation of the PR post was necessitated by the changing world which we can be defined as “the CNN world’’.

This literally means whatever happens is news and hence it is everyone’s business! The common man out there has become a master of criticism and assessment on what goes on around him.

And that has resulted in citizen journalism where the ordinary man can do anything with any piece of information whether it is about organisations or individuals and quite often this lands on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.

For instance, today’s celebrities market themselves with death hoaxes and organisations in turn maximise on celebrities’ ambassadorial roles which all open up to information manipulation on social media platforms.

Recently, gospel icon Mathias Mhere was embroiled in a death hoax marketing gimmick which rocked the social media platforms.

Another musician, Suluman Chimbetu, is in a dispute with ZINARA over his ambassadorial role with the organisation.

Again, this has quickly found its way to the social media channels. Complaints about treatment of clients are not only channelled through the suggestion boxes of the organisation but also through various free media which is accessible to all.

Organisations therefore have taken the pre-emptive measure to hire a PR practitioner for image and reputation management.

PR personnel are sensitive to brand issues and hence are useful in brand building and brand management.

PR plays a supportive role to marketing, managing the human relations portfolio in a way that helps build critical relationships for the benefit of the organisation.

While the sales and marketing personnel are busy chasing after targets; it is the PR person who ensures that critical stakeholders are kept informed and happy.

PR persons are confident, eloquent, presentable and tactful. Their personality helps smoothen the business terrain in a way that is important but is often taken for granted.

They are able to open doors which otherwise would be closed due to their emotional intelligence and negotiation skills.

They have an eye for opportunities because of their network and knowledge management skills.

While they may present a simplistic look; they often provide crucial solutions in times of crises.

They also advise management on strategic issues to help organisations avoid pitfalls. The need for publicity of organisational achievements and strategic intent has never been more critical.

An organisation has to be known for something. It is the job of PR to ensure that messages emanating from the organisation are clear, coherent and consistent.

PR is about enhancing customer service and ensuring that the organisation’s website, face-book page and other communication channels are responsive to the customer.

In a world where emotions determine buying behaviour, PR has become an essential tool in the crafting of business architecture.

The above roles of the PR practice make it essential for every organisation, group, institution, corporate or individual to consider harnessing the practice for image and reputation management in this dynamic, changing and challenging contemporary world.

This article has been compiled by the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Relations. For feedback, comments and inquiries please email [email protected].