PR and Comm Models

The Importance of the Four Models of Public Relations
The early days of public relations knew no theories knew, thus little to no thought was put into communication plans, tactics, strategies, or programs. With no theoretical foundation, public relations in many cases did more harm that good because legal ramifications, such as libel and fraud, were not considered. This oversight and bad judgment had dire consequences (i.e.profit loss and a tarnished organizational image) that had to be alleviated and avoided in order to insure public relations' survival.
Grunig's research has added many new theories to the body of knowledge that already exists. These theories have helped to improve the field of public relations in many ways. Public relations practitioners are better able to serve the organizational and public interest by using the best model or models listed below:
1. Press agentry/publicity model
One-way communication
Uses persuasion and manipulation to influence audience to behave as the organization desires
2. Public Information model
One-way communication
Uses press releases and other one-way communication techniques to distribute organizational information. Public relations practitioner is often referred to as the "journalist in residence".
3. One-way asymmetrical model
One-way communication
Uses persuasion and manipulation to influence audience to behave as the organization desires. Does not use research to find out how its public(s) feel about the organization.
4. Two-way symmetrical model
Two-way communication
Uses communication to negotiate with publics,resolve conflict, and promote mutual understanding and respect between the organization and its public(s).

Public Relations vs. Marketing Functions
The agendas of public relations and marketing are different. Marketing is interested in the market — consumers and demand. Public relations is interested in relationships — reducing conflict and improving cooperation.
Good public relations will create a healthy environment for marketing. But simply providing technical support for marketing is not the same as good public relations.
An important study* on excellence in communication management identified four major public relations models:
Promotion and publicity (one-way communication/hype)
Applied journalism (one-way communication/credible)
Research, persuasion (two-way communication, win/neutral)
Dialogue, mutual solutions (two-way communication, win/win)
(More than one model may be apparent in any public relations practice. Philosophy and vision will determine which one is dominant.)
The same study found that excellent organizations were associated with three factors:
Effective organizations treat PR as a management function.
The most effective model of PR involves dialogue and mutual solutions.
The commitment of key leaders and asking the right questions are critical.
The two critical questions were:
How do we manage our interdependence with the community?
How do we develop excellence within our organization?
The bottom line is a balance of receivables and payables. Marketing adds value by increasing income. Public relations adds value by decreasing the expenses that are necessary when issues are ignored.
Consider the alternatives to these situations:
Activist groups being satisfied with your performance
Customers comfortable that they can count on you
(or) Donors being loyal to you when money is tight
Employees respecting you as a good and fair employer
Fewer people feeling like suing you
Journalists knowing you to be responsive and credible
Legislators seeing you as ethical and having public support
Neighbors not minding your presence on their street
Shareholders regarding you as competent and competitive
Your industry considering you a leader
Faking it doesn't work. Not caring and then apologizing doesn't work. An old adage is that the "P" and the "R" in public relations stand for performance and recognition. Good relationships are genuine.
Marketing and public relations both work best when they're treated as distinct management functions. These two functions can pull together as equals on a team, and this works to integrate the business process.
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*These issues are thoroughly covered in the landmark IABC study, Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management, edited by James. E. Grunig.

In the world of integrated marketing, the lines between advertising, communications and public relations have become almost non-existent. Just what role does Public Relations play in today's mix?
By: Renée A. Prejean-Motanky
Reputation and Why it Matters
Reputation can account for a large portion of a company's market capitalization, and can be its most important long-term asset. It affects non-profit organizations in a myriad of ways, including donor support, and the ability to attract and retain clients and employees. Non-profit reputation is based on factors such as:
Quality of services
Fund Management
Stability
Level of integrity in business practices
Degree of honesty and openness
What it gives to the community
Today, with distrust of the corporate world at an all-time high, credibility is an over-riding factor in every arena including the non-profit "business" world. Today all companies are at the mercy of public constituencies. There is growing recognition of the need to foster a good reputation by developing positive relationships with various publics. How Companies Can Restore Trust
There is a formal definition of the term "public relations", yet its meaning is self-evident; it is the management of relationships between an organization and the constituencies upon which it depends.
Quite literally, public relations is managing relations with various publics, a role that grows in importance as reputation becomes ever more critical to business success. Companies can restore trust in a number of ways, many involving traditional PR strategies, such as:
Using integrity and fairness as criteria for all business decisions
Maintaining an emphasis on quality of services
Openly sharing truthful information with all publics
Actively seeking input from publics and being responsive to concerns
Renewing a commitment to the community
Creating forums to encourage dialogue with constituencies.
An organization’s reputation, or the essence of how it is viewed by all of its publics, is the leading factor in its ability to achieve success. The battered image of an organization is no small matter. Restoring trust and helping an organization to earn a reputation for credibility will require sound public relations leadership. Indeed, with integrity central on the minds of average publics, the role of public relations today is more critical than ever before.
Research conducted by Jonathan Low and Pam Cohen Kalafut in their recently published book, "Invisible Advantage: How Intangibles are Driving Business Performance," overwhelmingly demonstrates that business institutional investors rely on much more than traditional economic indicators such as profit and loss. Interviews with buy-side investors, who control more than 80 percent of all stock that is purchased, pay significant attention to intangible assets such as culture, leadership, human capital, communications, brand and reputation. Public relations is uniquely equipped to manage these assets, setting the stage for an ever-increasing role in a variety of strategic areas beyond publicity.
PUBLIC RELATIONS FUNCTIONS:
PROGRAMMING
This involves analyzing problems and opportunities, defining goals, identifying the publics (or groups of people whose support or understanding is needed), and recommending and planning activities. It may include budgeting and assignment of responsibilities to the appropriate people, including non-public relations personnel. For example, an organization's president or CEO is often a key figure in public relations activities.
CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS
Successful public relations professionals develop skills in gathering information from management, colleagues in their organizations and external sources. Continually evaluating what they learn, practitioners formulate recommendations and gain approval for them from their managements. Many public relations activities require working with, and sometimes through, other organizational units such as personnel, legal and marketing staffs. The public relations professional who learns to be persuasive with others will be most effective.
WRITING AND EDITING
Since the public relations professional is often trying to reach large groups of people, an important tool is the printed word. Examples of its use are found in reports, news releases, brochures, speeches, video, scripts, trade magazine articles, product information and technical materials, employee publications, newsletters, shareholder reports, and other management communications directed to both organization personnel and external groups. A sound, clear style of writing is a must for public relations work.
INFORMATION
Establishing systems for the dissemination of material to appropriate newspaper, broadcast, general and trade publication editors, and communicating with them to enlist their interest in publishing an organization's news and features are regular public relations activities. This requires knowledge of how newspapers and other media operate, the areas of specialization publications, and the interest of individual editors. (Competition is keen for the attention of editors and broadcasters who have a limited amount of space and time at their disposal.) As a seasoned practitioner put it, "You have to get the right editor of the right publication with the right story at the right time." Although ideas are accepted on the basis of news and other readership values, an ability to develop relationships of mutual respect and cooperation with the news media can be useful to both the practitioners and the media.
PRODUCTION
Various publications, special reports, videos, and multimedia programs are important ways of communicating. The public relations professional need not be an expert in art, layout, typography, and photography, but background knowledge of the techniques of preparation is needed for intelligent planning and supervision of their use.
SPECIAL EVENTS
News conferences, convention exhibits, new facility and anniversary celebrations, contest and award programs, tours and special meetings are only a few of the special events used to gain attention and acceptance of groups of people. They involve careful planning and coordination, attention to detail, preparation of special booklets, publicity materials and reports.
SPEAKING
Public relations work often requires skill in face-to-face communication - finding appropriate platforms, the preparation of speeches for others and the delivery of speeches. The person who can effectively address individuals and groups will enjoy an advantage over those whose facility of expression is limited to writing.
RESEARCH AND EVALUATION
An important activity undertaken by public relations practitioners is fact-gathering. This can be highly personal, through interviews, review of library materials and informal conversations. It also can involve the use of survey techniques and firms specializing in designing and conducting opinion research.
After a program is completed, the public relations professional studies its results and evaluates the program's planning, implementation, and effectiveness. More and more, managements expect research and evaluation from their public relations advisers or staffs.
THE TYPICAL DAY AT WORK
Public relations offices are busy places; work schedules are irregular and frequently interrupted. The junior employee may answer calls for information from the press and public, work on invitation lists and details for a press conference, escort visitors and clients, help with research, write brochures, deliver releases to editorial offices, and compile media distribution lists.
Employees will brief their management on upcoming meetings, help write reports, speeches, presentations and letters, research case histories, help produce displays and other audiovisual materials, proofread copy, select photographs for publication, arrange for holiday and other remembrances, conduct surveys and tabulate questionnaires, and work with letter shops and printers.Public relations programs operate against deadlines. Under such high-pressure conditions, nine-to-five schedules go out the window. Public relations executives are not tied to their desks for long periods. Meetings, community functions, business lunches, travel assignments, special speaking and writing commitments, and unscheduled work on "crisis" situations often mean long hours.