Basics of Public Relations BA (JMC) - 204

Basics of Public Relations
BA(JMC)-204
1
BA(JMC) 204 Unit 1
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UNIT 1 Concept and Evolution of Public Relations

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LESSON 1 3
Defining Public Relations: Functions and Types of Publics
LESSON 2 25
Evolution of Public Relations
LESSON 3 30
Scope of PR: Issue Management, Lobbying, Corporate Social Responsibility,

Public Opinion, Advertising, Propaganda, Publicity and PR as a marketing
tool
LESSON 4 44
Ethics in PR, PRSI Code, IPRA
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BA(JMC) 204 Unit 1, Lesson 1
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LESSON 1: Definition of Public Relations - Its Need,
Nature and Scope

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STRUCTURE
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Defining Public Relation
1.3 Origin of Public Relation
1.4 Need for Public Relation
1.5 Components of PR
1.6 Importance of PR
1.7 How PR Influences People’s Attitude
1.8 Nature of PR
1.9 Functions & Elements of Public Relation
1.10 Scope of PR
1.11 Summary
1.12 Summing Up
1.13 Answers to Self-check Questions
1.14 Terminal Questions
1.15 Suggested Further Readings
1.16 Keywords
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BA(JMC) 204 Unit 1, Lesson1
1. Definition of Public Relations - Need, Nature and Scope

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In Unit 1 of the course on ‘Public Relations’ we shall discuss the meaning, nature,
scope, need and process of PR. We will also define public stating their importance.
Also distinguish PR from advertising and propaganda.
In the present lesson we shall study definition, need, nature and scope of PR.
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1.0 Objectives
The main objectives of this lesson are-
• To understand the basic concepts of public relations and understand

the definition.
• To acknowledge the development in public relation field and trace the

history.
• To understand the profession of public relations.
1.1 Introduction
Public Relations is Universal
It is only in the twentieth century that public relations came to be codified, formalized,
and practiced as a profession. Actually, however it is as old as the human race. Every
organization, institution, and individual has public relations whether or not that fact is
recognized. As long as there are people, living together in communities, working
together in organizations, and forming a society, there will be an intricate web of
relationships among them.
The greatest asset of any organization is its goodwill. A public that is well and
factually informed is not only important; without' it, an organization cannot long
survive. Therefore, the starting point for good public relations in any organization is
the development of sound policies that are in the public interest. Public understanding
and approval must be deserved before they can be earned.
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1.2 Defining Public Relations
Before analyzing the definition given by experts let us understand the

dictionary meaning of PR. Webster’s New International Dictionary describes
PR as:
a. “the promotion of rapport and goodwill between a firm or institution and

other persons, special publics or community at large, through the distribution
of interpretative material or development of neighbourly interchange and
assessment of publics”
b. “the degree of understanding and goodwill achieved between an

individual, organization or institution and the publics.”
c. “the art or science of developing reciprocal understanding and

goodwill.”
Key terms in above definition are:
i. Rapport is defined as close and harmonious relationship where people or

groups concerned communicate well and understand each other's
feelings or ideas.
ii. Goodwill is defined as established reputation of a business which is

regarded as a quantifiable asset and calculated as part of its value
when it is sold.
iii. Public is defined as is defined as group of people tied together,

however loosely by some common interest or concern.
iv. Distribution of interpretative material means that the messages

the organization designs in order to build its positive image,
rapport and goodwill amongst its public.
v. Development of neighbourly interchange focuses on the community

relations.
vi. Assessment of public means evaluating the attitude of people towards

the organization.
An interesting and modern definition of Public Relations in the Mexican

statement made at an international Conference of Public Relations institutions
held in Mexico City in 1978 defines “PR profession is an art of social science of
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analyzing trends, predicting its consequences, counselling organization

leaders and implementing planned programmes of action which will serve both
organization and public interest.” This definition firstly introduces the need for
research, to audit or assess the situation, and to consider the implications of
what is discovered.
Secondly, it stresses the advisory role of PR and its services to management.

Thirdly, it shows that PR programmes must be planned. Finally, it states that
PR action must not only benefit its sponsors but must be socially responsible,
i.e in public interest.
DEFINITIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
• “Public Relations is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish

and maintain mutual understanding between on organization and its publics.”-
Institute of Public Relations, USA
• “Public relations is the attempt by information persuasion and adjustment to

engineer public support for an activity, cause, movement or institution.”-
Edward L. Bernays
• “Public Relations is a combination of philosophy, sociology, economics,

language, psychology, journalism, communication and other knowledges into
a system of human understanding." - Herbert M. Baus
• “Merely human decency which flows from a good heart.”-Charles Plackard
• “Public Relations is Dale Carnegie - winning friends and influencing people -

writ large.” -Robert Heibroner
• "Public Relations is distinctive management function which helps establish

and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance and
cooperation between an organization and its publics; involves the
management of problems or issues; helps management to keep informed on
and responsive to public opinion; defines and emphasizes the responsibility of
management to serve the public interest; helps management keep abreast of
and effectively utilize change, serving as an early warning system to help
anticipate trends; and uses research and sound and ethical communication
as its principal tools."
- Rex F. Harlow
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"Public Relations is the management function that identifies, establishes and

maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the
various publics on whom its success or failure depends."
- Cutlip, Center and Broom
1.4 Need For Public Relations
Investing in Public relations activities helps the organisation to achieve its

objective effectively. An organization’s false image cannot sustain for a long
period therefore it PR does not tend to create a good image for a bad team.
Even if the product or services of the organisation are good, it will still need an
effective Public Relations campaign for attracting, motivating the public. The
organisation will gain the involvement of the public and will result in a better
image.
Public Relations activities, if properly done can create and build up the image
of an individual or an organisation or a nation. When the organisation faces
crisis, Public Relation can create mutual understanding between the
organisation and public by removing misunderstanding.
1.5 Components of Public Relations
Public Relations Society of America has identified following as the components

of public relations.
a. Counseling: focuses on the advisory role of PR i.e. role to advice

management regarding policies, programmes and on how to maintain
relationship and build on mutual understanding, rapport and goodwill.
b. Research: is the backbone of all PR activities. It begins with identification of

public then determining the attitude and behaviour of publics then designing
of PR message keeping 5 W’s and 1H in mind selection of media ( basis of
penetration, reach, accessibility and exposure) the disseminating the
message and evaluating it i.e. pre-testing, concurrent testing and post
testing.
c. Media Relations: it is used for seeking publicity via mass media and as well
as responding to their interests in the organization i.e. providing them with
the content which is newsworthy.
d. Publicity: Simply means disseminating planned messages using

appropriate media for the interest of the organization.
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e. Employee Relations: simply means fostering good employee relationship

by keeping them informed, showing concern towards them and motivating
them in order to attain the goals of the organisation.
f. Community Relations: It is an activity undertaken to strengthen the bond

between the organization and community thereby maintaining an
environment for mutual benefit between the two.
g. Public Affairs: deals with the development of public policy so as to help

organization to adapt expectations of public.
h. Governmental Affairs: it relates directly with legislature and regulatory

agencies on organisation’s behalf. Lobbying is an activity under
government affairs programme.
i. Issues Management: Diagnosing and solving issues of public concern that

affects the organization.
j. Financial Relations: This deals with developing and maintaining the

confidence and relationship with the financial community. Therefore it is
also known as Investor Relation or Shareholder Relation.
k. Industry Relations: This deals with relating with other firms in the industry
and with trade associations.
l. Development or Fund-Raising: It involves encouraging the public to

support an organization financially.
m. Multicultural Relations or Workplace Diversity: It deals with maintaining

relations with individuals and groups in various cultural settings.
n. Special Events: It often stimulates interest in a person, organisation,

product by means of a focused "happening". All these activities are
designed to interact with publics and listen to understand them.
o. Marketing Communications: Combination of exercises which are designed

to sell idea, service or product. These may incorporate advertising, special
events, collateral materials, trade shows, publicity, direct mail promotion.
1.6 Importance of PR
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PR contributes to bottom line in 9 ways.
1. It generates awareness and informs using publicity and promotional tools

which paves way for fund raising, sales and stock offering.
2. It motivates and builds on internal relations as well as communication

which build morale, increases teamwork and productivity.
3. It anticipates issues through research and liaison with public which serves
as warning signals on issues, political and social changes.
4. It identifies opportunity by interacting with the organisation’s external and

internal publics which in return helps in identifying new markets, products,
methods etc.
5. Manages crisis and protects the position, reputation and goodwill of the
organization.
6. Counsels the top management regarding various activities.
7. Acts as a agent of change by incorporating more conducive corporate

culture for smooth functioning.
8. Plans and chalks out CSR activities in order to generate positive image
and reputation.
9. Influences public policies through lobbying, grass root campaigns to win

public consent and remove political barriers.
1.7 How does PR Influences People’s Attitude?
PR involves understanding and analysis of people’s attitudes and

understanding towards the organization. Four phases are recognized by PR
practitioners to influence attitudes of the publics.
1. To ascertain the attitude of public towards the company/

organization: it simply means that it is essential for the organization to
know what image its public i.e. its employees, the customers, the
shareholders, or some other segment connected with the organization so
as to identify the key areas which need to be worked upon.
2. Analyzing the state of opinion: after ascertaining the attitude of the

public towards the organization one needs to analyze the public attitude so
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as to draw strategy to rectify it.
3. Formulation of policy: once we have analyzed the attitude we identify the

key issue and public which needs to be addressed. It often involves changes
and elimination of causes of misunderstanding and misinterpretation.
4. Planning methods of improving public’s opinion & attitude: Now that the
picture regarding the thinking and attitude of the public is clear activities that
explain the company and its products, overcomes misunderstanding and
promotes goodwill are planned.
Example: A Pizza joint has just been re-opened up in your locality. So

the step the joint has followed to change the attitude of the customers
are:
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1.8 Nature of Public Relations
It is very difficult to identify what kind of PR activities an organisation would

need. The techniques are numerous therefore due to time and budget
constraints the organisation might not pursue all the techniques of PR in one
go. Therefore, it is sensible to choose about specific tasks which are suitable
to specific PR programmes for a company. Public relations is a two-way
communication process that takes place between an company and its public.
It is necessary to listen to the constituencies on which the organization

dependent. It analysis and understand the attitudes, behaviours of their
audiences. Only then an organization will conduct an efficient PR campaign.
Public relations might also be considered as a management function. An
effective PR and communication plan is developed for an organization to
communicate to the audience (whether external or internal audience) in a
manner that the message corelate with organizational goals. Wherever
possible it tries to benefit mutual interests.
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With Forms of communication which are fundamentally directed to image

building and tends to manage issues rather than particularly with products or
services. Public Relation utilizes the art of publicity that does not require
payment in a wide variety of media and is frequently considered as news or
items of public interest.
It is better to prepare a checklist to figure out what the organization wants to

achieve and what the PR person wants to attain.
1.9 Functions & Elements Of Public Relations
• Public Relations related to setting up the relationship among the two groups
(organisation and its public).
• Art or Science of developing mutual understanding and organisation’s

goodwill.
• It examines the attitude, public perception and identifies the organisation

policy with public interest. It then executes the activities for communicating
with public.
• It is a planned effort or management function.
• Builds relationship between the organisation and its publics
• Assess public attitudes and their opinions.
• An organisation's policies, procedures and actions as they corelate to

organisation’s publics.
• Steps taken to ensure that said procedures, policies and actions are socially
responsible and in the public interest.
• Building rapport and goodwill along with mutual understanding and

acceptance as the end result by public relations activities.
1.10 The Scope of PR
PR is one discipline which is important for every organization right from small
to big corporate organization as well as celebrities.
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Public relation is eyes and ears of the organization which helps management
to monitor the external and internal changes as well as affect corporate policy.
The mismatch between the expectations of the employer and employees,
consumers and manufacturers, citizens and government etc. leads to conflict.
So PR advices management to advice and resolve the conflict.
For example: If a corporation introduces public relations activities, it will be

easier to acquire land from a community and bring in mutual understanding
with the community. The profession of public relation has emerged and
entered various fields and organisation. For example: Non-commercial
organizations, hospitals, government departments, universities and other non-
profit organizations.
Acc. to Edward L. Bernays, the fundamental laws and necessity of public

relation can be described in three words integration, adjustment and
information. The scope of public relation is vast and is needed in varied field.
Entrepreneurs, social workers, teachers, religious leaders, political leaders
are involved in public relations most of the time. In business sector, public
relation acts like a tool of management like marketing, production and finance.
It invests and create asset for an organization that is seen in improved
performance, profitability and growth of the company.
An effective public relation may be measured by its impact or ability to convert

negative situations into positive ones.
Public relations can do the following:
a. Helps in gaining support, influence, persuade public, individuals, groups

and in crisis situation build and maintain goodwill.
b. Establish and build image & reputation of nation, organisation and

individual.
c. Anticipate attacks by opponents or competitors.
d. Encourage and motivate employees and boost vertical and horizontal

communication.
e. The branches wherein public relation activities are used are crisis,
promotional opportunity, rumour, new image, competitive challenge,
conflict of interest, ineffective communication.
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TYPES of PUBLICS
Introduction
The term ‘public relations’, as known today, was first used in 1882 by Dorman
Eaton, a lawyer, while addressing the Yale Law School. Public Relations can
not exist without public. Now let us understand what does public mean?
Defining Public
Public relation is defined as a communication which aims to persuade or

influence people using ethical means. It is important to understand that
communication in public relations is a receiver phenomenon i.e. it is controlled
not by the sender but rather by the receiver or, in other words, the audience.
For e.g. if the speaker is gifted and delivers a speech effectively in Hindi but
the audience does not understand Hindi, no real communication takes place.
Therefore, the key aspect of public relations is to focus on the ‘key public’ or
in other words, the people who will receive the message. In public relations,
public is defined as any group of people tied together, however loosely by
some common bond of interest or concern and who have consequences for
an organization.
The challenge of public relations official is to identify target public by

answering following questions:
a. Who are the public that can influence and promote the organization?
b. What is the demographic profile of the public?
c. What is the psychographic profile of the public?
d. What is the public opinion about the organization?
e. Who are the opinion leaders and the decision- makers that can help
the organization?
f. How to reach public with the public relations message?
Definitions
1. Public is defined as group of people tied together, however loosely by

some common interest or concern.
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2. Public is also described as group of persons, especially one that is

interested in or affected by an action or an idea of an organization.
3. Longman Dictionary of Mass Media and Communication defines

public as people who all have the same relationship to same person or
group, constantly changing and not necessarily organized, the
individual of a public may or may not know or communicate with each
other.
4. Reader’s Digest Great Dictionary of English Language defines

public as people in general, the community.
5. John Dewey has defined publics as active social unit consisting of all
those affected who recognize a common problem for which they can
seek common solutions. Publics are therefore formed around issues
and publics are held together by communication.
Now the question arises that how public is formed? All the PR communication
begins with an individual and is received by an individual. People who are
interested in the message sent by the individual in terms of similar interest
and are affected by the action taken by the individual forms its public.
Types of Public
For an organisation the “public” or target audience is the customer or

prospect. But there are many others who contribute in your success like
resellers, suppliers, venture capitalists, strategic partners,
bankers,competitors, end users, investors, educators, employees and their
families, and the community in your business area.
Public relations can take many forms, for example:
1. PR can enhance new and improved products and services and elevate
them to customers or potential customers.
2. It can report changes within the organization.
3. It can act as instructive and informative.
4. It can address industry issues and offer organisation’s position.
5. It can highlight applications and the achievements of clients.
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6. It can advise the industry and the business community regarding

alliances and strategic decisions.
7. It can recognize and promote the local interests of workforce.
8. It can build enthusiasm among potential investors or give assurance to

the existing bankers, investors, and business partners.
The public is divided into two categories namely external and internal
public.
Employees of an organization represent internal public because they are

considered as insiders and are part of corporate family. They are also known
as captive public because they are available for communication at the known
addresses and at the time of choice by the organization.
External publics are scattered and far flung and are generally difficult to
communicate with as their whereabouts are not readily available. Mass media
plays a vital role to reach these publics.
Example: In case of health institution like a teaching hospital some of its

internal publics include doctors, nurses, para-medical staff doctors and nurses
in training resident doctors, academic staff, non-academic staff, etc while
external publics include the Medical and Dental Council, Ministry of
Education, Patients and relatives of patients, blood donors, providers of
municipal services like water and electricity, donor agencies (national and
international) etc.
The role of “public” in assuring a company’s success.
• Customers buy products and generate business for the organisation.
• The bigger business group and others in industry are aware to the change
organizational structure. Important personnel changes or structural growth
can signal where the organisation is moving. Its development status, and its
position in the industry. Hiring new talent is a statement of achievement and
stability and reflects the strategic planning of the organisation. Name
acknowledgement can spark an interest on the part of investors and
prospects to investigate about the company.
• Likewise, the strategic alliances and partnerships can tell publics a lot
regarding the strength and direction of the organisation and can gain
customers, investors, and other potential partners.
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• Informative PR will help educate publics about the type of business, the
issues of the organisation, their technological innovations and its product’s
position in the marketplace. It can also correct misapprehensions about the
organisation and present the organisation’s view in front of the publics in a
positive way.
• The clients acknowledge being highlighted in their respective industry. For

instance, a hospital’s IT department won’t get much attention in the
conventional medical press but its innovations can be appreciated in a
specialty IT industry forum.
• Employees like to see their organisation featured in media. It encourages

pride and makes them feel a part of their community and the industry.
Raising awareness about the organisation in the community means when the
employee says, “I work for XYZ Corporation,” their friends and families have
an idea what that means. To be known as a good place to work is a valuable
commodity.
• PR in the community where you do business shows your company as a good

corporate citizen. People like to work with other people who share common
interests and concerns and those who contribute to the communities where
they operate. Employees are motivated to work for companies that support
their communities. It’s a wining situation and one that your organisation can
take pride in and talk about it.
• So don’t consider PR as an approach to push your product or service.

Strategic PR is creative, flexible and a versatile tool to package and deliver
organisation’s message to its audiences. The more they are informed about
you, the more effectively they can help accomplish your organization’s’ goals.
Why should we know publics?
If we don’t know our Publics, it will not be possible to plan an effective PR

campaign. Mentioned below are the purpose of determining and defining the
Publics.
– To recognize all groups of people in respect to a PR program;
– To build priority within the budget & resources;
– To choose media & strategies;
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– To structure the message in acceptable & effective forms.
Consequences if we do not define publics?
Following consequences will be faced if we do not define or know our publics.
– Efforts & funds will be scattered in the endeavour to reach too many
publics;
– The same message will be spread irrespective of its appropriateness for

different groups of people;
– Work would not be coordinated to make the most savvy utilization of

working hours, materials & equipment;
So in short we should remember that if the above mentioned points take place
it then the management would be disappointed with the lack of results &
management would be justified in regarding PR as being intangible & worse
still, a waste of money and resultantly the PR specialist may be marked as
incompetent which will be a fail from PR point of view.
Importance of Publics in Public Relations
As Walter Lippman in his book Public Opinion (1922) observed that the
events create perceptions regarding events, things people and places that
cannot be directly experienced. In “The World Outside and the Picture in our
Heads”, he said “most of us cannot or do not have direct access to much of
the world; it is out of reach; out of sight; out of mind.” According to him mass
media communicates and builds a trustworthy and credible picture of the
world that is beyond the reach and direct experience of the public.
Therefore opinion is influenced by:
• What we think about includes what we know about (cognition) and
• What we think includes our opinions and feelings (predispositions).
The dilemma of public relations is that everyone inevitably is restricted to

imperfect images about everything. It is therefore the responsibility of public
relations to try to correct the misapprehensions that most people have about
many things, especially as it relates to the organization.
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Functions Public Relations
The following are the functions of PR:
1. Creating goodwill: goodwill of an organization is essential to perform well,

expansion of the market and to create positive attitude towards the
services and products.
2. Project better image: better image generates positive attitude. Corporate

ads, logos, emblems or signs are means through which we identify an
organization.
3. Creating mutual understanding: this includes understanding the needs

and necessities of the public and sorting out areas of mutual
understanding to establish trust, credibility and positive image.
4. Relations with various publics: it includes wide spectrum of internal and

external public. It involves understanding the attitudes of the public,
finding out their expectations and fulfilling it because all the segments of
the publics are important for the organization.
5. Creating PR messages: these messages are created to reach the publics

effectively and to bring about changes in their attitudes and opinions
which is positive for the organization.
6. Relation and use of media and other tools: in order to generate goodwill
and create positive image various mediums are used to reach the public.
The messages are designed keeping the key public in mind.
Public relations department monitors the attitude of the public in general in

favor of the company. It sends out information and spreads communication
to the public for building goodwill of the organization. The public relations
department counsels the top management to adopt positive programmes.
They eliminate questionable practices so that negative publicity does not
arise against the company.
A Public Relations Departments perform the following functions:
1. Press relations: A PR department performs the function of Creation and

dissemination of information to Press. This is known as publicity.
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2. Product Publicity: The product information presented in the ‘Paid space‘

of media is read or heard by a company’s customers or prospects. The
department publicizes the product through sponsoring efforts.
3. Corporate communication: PR Departments promote the understanding

of the company and its products and services. For this purpose, they
undertake external and internal communication.
4. Lobbying: Lobbying means dealing with legislators and government

officials to promote or defeat unfavorable legislation and regulation.
Professional lobbyists are employed in order to influence the key
decisions of the government affecting company’s prospects.
5. Counseling: Public Relations departments advise the top management on

matters related to public issues. This also includes advising the company
in the event of product mishap.
6. In-house journals: Many service organizations such as hospitals,health

care, beauty parlor etc., publicize their own magazines which are
circulated among customers. The role of PR Departments in developing-
in house journals.is significant. Apart from in-house journals,. companies
publish annual reports, brochures, articles, company’s newsletter and
audio-visual materials. Creating websites on the history of the company
and its present developments also influence the target markets.
7. Special events: PR Departments help organizations attract media

attention by arranging newsworthy organizations. These special events
are the backbone of service marketers.
8. Public service activities: PR Departments help companies build goodwill

by contributing money and time to good causes. Large corporate ask
executives to support community affairs.
PR as a management function
As a management function, public relation encompasses the following:
1. Anticipating, scrutinizing and interpreting attitudes, public opinion and

issues which may affect for good or bad operations and plans of the
company.
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2. Counseling the organization’s management at all levels in the company

with respect to policy decisions, communication, courses of action,
considering their public consequence and the organization’s social
responsibilities.
3. Researching, conducting and evaluating regularly, programmes of action

and communication to achieve public understanding required to achieve
the aim of the organization. These may include fund raising, marketing,
employee, community or government relations and other programmes.
4. Planning and executing the efforts of the company in order to influence or

change public policy. Setting up targets, planning, recruiting, budgeting,
and training staff, developing facilities. In short, managing the resources
needed to perform all of the above.
5. Examples of knowledge that might be required in the expert routine of PR

incorporate communication, social psychology, arts, psychology,
sociology, economics, political science and the principles of management
and ethics. Technical skills and knowledge are necessary for opinion
research, media relations, public issues analysis, institutional advertising,
direct mail, publications, special events, film/video productions, speeches
and presentations.
6. Helping to define and execute policy, the public relations professional
Uses an assortment of expert communication skills and plays an a major

part both within and between the company and its external environment.
Some Possibilities That Would Call For Public Relations
Promotional Opportunity:
To advise about the new service or policy which will need Public Relations to
make more extensive reputation and wider publicity.
Controversy:
To eliminate the opposing conditions between the company and its public.
Adverse publicity:
To advice truth or correct issues for removing misunderstanding.
Catastrophe:
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Announcement in crisis issues.
Crisis:
Whenever threats occurs.
1.11 Summary
Public relation is a fundamental attitude of mind, a philosophy of

management, which deliberately and with enlightened selfishness places the
broad interests of the public first in every decision attracting the operation of a
business. Public relations is an endeavor of information, persuasion and
adjustment to gain public support for an activity, cause, movement or
institution. The PR practitioners recognize that there is no such thing as one
homogeneous “public”. The major public that needs to be addressed include
the following: employees, stockholders, communities, the news media,
government, the investment community, and the customers. Public relations
began as “corporate publicity”. During the 1940s and 1950s, public relations
underwent a period of tremendous growth. Public relations now continues an
integral part of the operations of business- and there will be increasing
emphasis upon good public relations by business in the future. Public
relations as an organized function will expand internationally as business and
communications and political ties between nations increase.
______________________________________________________________
Self-Check Questions
Fill in the blanks
1. PRO manages crisis and protects the _____________, _______________

and_____________________of the organization.
2. __________________generates awareness and informs using publicity

and promotional tools which paves way for fund raising, sales and stock
offering.
3. ‘For a PR person it becomes important to gather information and analyze

the same in terms of what goes on in the mind of the investors,
employees, consumers and others.’ Is the statement true or false?
4. The most obvious _____________________for public relations is the

customer or prospect.
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1.12 Summing up
In this lesson we learned various definitions of PR. Its need, nature and
scope. We learned about different perspectives of PR and how we
understand Public Relations in different situations. In this lesson we also
learned about the profession of Public Relations and the major areas PR
practitioners should address. We also learned about the various Functions of
PR. With that we understood the role of “publics” in affirming a company’s
success. We also learned PR as a management function.
1.13 Answers to Self-Check Questions
1. Reputation, goodwill and image
2. Public relations
3. True
4. Public
1. Define PR. Also explain five definitions highlighting various aspects of PR

with relevant examples.
2. Explain different components of PR with relevant examples.
3. Define public.
4. Explain different types of public by stating relevant examples.
5. Explain the importance of public in PR.
1.15 Suggested Further Reading
1. Iqbal S. Sachdeva, Public Relations Principles and Practice, Oxford Higher

Education
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2. CV, Narashima Reddi, Effective Public Relations and Media Startegy,

PHI,Learning Pvt. Ltd
1.16 Keywords
1. Public: People of same interest, targeted by an organisation or a company

towards a product, service or institution.
2. Organization: A place where a group of people work together to achieve

same goals or objective, such as a business or government department.
3. Persuasion: A strongly held opinion; a conviction.
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LESSON 2: Evolution of Public Relation
STRUCTURE
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Origin of PR
2.3 Ancient origin of PR
2.4 Evolution of PR in India
2.5 Summary
2.6 Self- Check Questions
2.7 Summing Up
2.11 Keywords
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2. Evolution of Public Relation

____________________________________________________________________
This lesson shall study about the evolution of Public Relations. We will
study how public relations was started in companies in India and
eventually evolved as a profession.
_____________________________________________________________________
2.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson, you should be able to:
Understand the evolution of Public Relations.
2.1
Introduction
The Greek word sematikos is defined as representation to the public or how to

get people to believe in something. It is arguably the oldest definition of public
relations and the perfect description of what we do as PR people. We believe in
people, and we want others to believe in them too. Throughout the centuries, PR
has evolved into an industry built on trust, relationships and a positive outlook.
Many key people contributed to how we view public relations today.
2.2 Origin of Public Relation
• While writing the seventh address to the US Congress, Thomas Jefferson (1807)
used the phrase "Public relations" in the place of "State of thought".
• Ivy L.Lee, a reporter in 1903 and a press agent and personal advisor to John. D.
Rockefeller in 1914 used the term "Public Relations" in 1919 for the first time.
Lee contributed many of the techniques and principles that characterize public
relation and he was among the pioneers to realize the deception of publicity not
supported by good works.
• In 1928 Edward Bernay found the word "Public Relations council" and his book
which was named as Crystallizing Public Opinion, was the first full length book
dealing with Public Relations.
2.3 Ancient Origin of PR
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Although the term "public relations" was not yet developed, academics like James
E. Grunig and Scott Cutlip identified early forms of public influence and
communications management in ancient civilizations. According to Edward
Bernays, one of the pioneers of PR, "The three main elements of public relations
are practically as old as society: informing people, persuading people, or
integrating people with people." Scott Cutlip said historic events have been
defined as PR retrospectively, "a decision with which many may quarrel." A clay
tablet found in ancient Iraq that promoted more advanced agricultural techniques
is sometimes considered the first known example of public relations. Babylonian,
Egyptian and Persian leaders created pyramids, obelisks and statues to promote
their divine right to lead. Additionally, claims of magic or religious authority were
used to persuade the public of a king or pharaoh's right to rule.
Ivy Lee was the first public relations counselor and was hired by famous
industrialist John D. Rockefeller. Our friend Rockefeller was facing some serious
issues in Colorado, known as the “Ludlow Massacre,” a strike against his fuel and
iron plant. In the wake of his panic, Rockefeller turned to our good friend Lee to
get the problem fixed, using some traditional media outreach.
2.4 Evolution Public Relations in India
In the Ramayana there is a character called Bhadra who used to report to Rama
about popular feelings and perceptions. Employing professional bards to sing the
glory of the king was an ancient custom in India. Much of what is known today
about the exploits of the kings and ancient civilizations is the result of scribes
seeking to glorify the achievements of a royal patron.
A systematic and organised practice of public relations in India began with the
Indian Railways. The Great Indian Peninsular (GIP) Railways, for example,
carried on a campaign in England in the 20s to attract tourists to India. Within the
country, its Publicity Bureau introduced a travelling cinema which held open air
shows at fairs, festivals and other places. This Bureau also undertook extensive
advertising in newspapers and journals besides participating in exhibitions abroad
to popularize the Indian Railways and tourist traffic.
During the first World War (1914-1918), the Government of India set up a Central
Publicity Board. This was the first organized PR/Information set-up of the
Government of India. It was renamed as Central Bureau of Information,
afterwards renamed as Bureau of Public Information, and functioned as a link
between the Government and the Press. One of the items on its agenda was to
find out where the action of the Government was criticized. In today‘s parlance,
we call it "feedback". Public Relations exercises gained importance in both
private as well as Government sectors once the second world war got over.
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A ministry of I & B was created and the Directorate of Information which had
been formed already was amalgamated within the new ministry. The ministry
tries consciously through the use of PR techniques to create opinion in favour the
war effort. Just as in Europe and the US, the need for mobilizing the public
opinion in favour of the war effort gave a fillip to organised and conscious public
relations activities in India also. In the 1990’s the PR industry originated in India.
Several individuals and small companies were set up which offered the services
with limited scope of media relations. In the 2000’s was a growth era in the field
of PR. Buyout of Genesis by Burson Marsteller and formerd Genesis Burson
Marstellar. Harold Burson and Bill Marsteller established Burson-Marsteller on
March 1, 1953. The new jointly-owned Burson-Marsteller and its sister agencies
– Marsteller Advertising and Marsteller Research – are the first firms to offer what
becomes known as integrated communications. Edelman entered India . In 2002,
specialist agencies like Blue Lotus Communications took birth with a focus on
specialized sectors like Healthcare, Technology, Finance and Brands. By 2008 i9
Communications was born as a specialist in consumer communication, with
special focus on Brands, Lifestyle, Entertainment and Hospitality PR. Several
such boutique agencies also started in other parts of the country.
2.5 Summary
During the 1940s and 1950s, public relations underwent a period of tremendous
growth. Ivy Lee was the first public relations counselor and was hired by famous
industrialist John D. Rockefeller. A systematic and organised practice of public
relations in India began with the Indian Railways. The Great Indian Peninsular
(GIP) Railways, for example, carried on a campaign in England in the 20s to attract
tourists to India. Public relations now continues an integral part of the operations of
business- and there will be increasing emphasis upon good public relations by
business in the future. Public relations as an organized function will expand
internationally as business and communications and political ties between
nations increase.
________________________________________________________________
2.6 Self-Check Questions
Fill in the blanks
1. ______________ was the first public relations counselor and was hired by
famous industrialist John D. Rockefeller.
2. ___________________________was created and the Directorate of

Information which had been formed already was amalgamated within the
28
new ministry.
3. In 1928 __________________ found the word "Public Relations council"

and his book which was named as _____________________________
2.7 Summing up
In this lesson we learned various definitions of PR. Its need, nature and scope.
We learned about different perspectives of PR and how we understand Public
Relations in different situations. In this lesson we also learned about the
profession of Public Relations and the major areas PR practitioners should
address. We also learned about the various Functions of PR. With that we
understood the role of “publics” in affirming a company’s success. We also
learned PR as a management function.
1. Ivy Lee
2. A ministry of I & B
3. Edward Burney, Crystallizing Public Opinion
1. Explain the origin of PR
2. Explain the evolution of PR in India.

Education

2.11 Keywords
1. Sematikos: As representation to the public or how to get people to

believe in something
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LESSON 3: Scope of PR : Issue Management, Lobbying,

Corporate Social Responsibility, Public Opinion,
Advertising, Propaganda, Publicity and PR as a
marketing tool
________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Difference between Advertising & PR
3.3 Difference between PR & Publicity
3.4 Difference between PR & Propaganda
3.5 Self- Check Questions
3.6 Summing up
3.10 Keywords
30
3. Scope of PR : Issue Management, Lobbying,

Corporate Social Responsibility, Public Opinion,
Advertising, Propaganda, Publicity and PR as a
marketing tool
_____________________________________________________________________
This lesson shall study differences between public relations from various
other activities which an organization uses to project its image or to
convey a particular message to the target public. We will differentiate
public relations from advertising, publicity and propaganda. We will also
study Issue Management, Lobbying, Corporate Social Responsibility,
Public Opinion.
_____________________________________________________________________
3.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson, you should be able to
• Distinguish public relations with advertising, publicity and propaganda.
3.1 Introduction
In today’s market driven approach an organization’s goals and objectives

are best accomplished through an integrated approach. This approach
integrated variety of strategies and tactics to convey consistent message
in a variety of forms. One such form is PR that aims at building brand
equity, that is, goodwill for the brand. When a story appears in the
editorial/reportage columns of a newspaper or is covered in television
news/business programmes, it tends to have more credibility than it
would in an advertisement. The bottom line for all the forms remains the
same-higher sales and more profits. Let’s discuss how PR is different
from advertising, publicity and propaganda by learning more about them.
3.2 Difference between PR & Advertising
Public relations and advertising are often considered to be same but it is

not correct. The following definition will explain the differences between
the two. Advertising messages are persuasive selling messages which
target the perspective consumers at lowest cost for various product or
service.
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Definition
1. Advertising is defined as a paid form of non-personal

communication regarding a company, product, service, or idea by an
identified sponsor.
2. PR is defined as a two-way communication which aims to establishing

goodwill and build a sense of understanding between an company
and its public.
It informs, educates and creates mutual understanding between an organization

and its public. Advertising can be more successful if earlier PR activities has
added knowledge and understanding of the product or service. In other words, it
is also known as Market Education. Therefore, advertising is merely an
instrument of public relations, where through market research PR manager
chooses the type of advertising and on that basis decides choice and use of
media.
Difference between PR and advertising.
1. Paid Space or Free Coverage
• Advertising:
The company pays for ad space. You know exactly when that ad will air or be
published.
• Public Relations:
Your job is to get free publicity for the company. From news conferences to press
releases, you're focused on getting free media exposure for the company and its
products/services.
2. Creative Control Vs. No Control
• Advertising:
Since you're paying for the space, you have creative control over what goes into
that ad.
You have no control over how the media presents your information if they decide
to use your info at all. They're not obligated to cover your event or publish your
press release just because you sent something to them.
3. Shelf Life
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• Advertising:
Since you pay for the space, you can run your ads over and over for as long as
your budget allows. An ad generally has a longer shelf life than one press
release.
You only submit a press release about a new product once. You only submit a
press release about a news conference once. The PR exposure you receive is
only circulated once. An editor won't publish your same press release three or
four times in their magazine.
4. Wise Consumers
• Advertising:
Consumers know when they're reading an advertisement they're trying to be sold
a product or service. "The consumer understands that we have paid to present
our selling message to him or her, and unfortunately, the consumer often views
our selling message very guardedly," Paul Flowers, president of Dallas-based
Flowers & Partners, Inc., said. "After all, they know we are trying to sell them."
When someone reads a third-party article written about your product or views
coverage of your event on TV, they're seeing something you didn't pay for with
ad dollars and view it differently than they do paid advertising.
"Where we can generate some sort of third-party 'endorsement' by independent

media sources, we can create great credibility for our clients' products or
services," Flowers said.
5. Creativity or a Nose for News
• Advertising:
In advertising, you get to exercise your creativity in creating new ad campaigns
and materials.
In public relations, you have to have a nose for news and be able to generate
buzz through that news. You exercise your creativity, to an extent, in the way you
search for new news to release to the media.
6. In-House or Out on the Town
• Advertising:
If you're working at an ad agency, your main contacts are your co-workers and
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the agency's clients. If you buy and plan ad space on behalf of the client
like Media Director Barry Lowenthal does, then you'll also interact with media
sales people.
You interact with the media and develop a relationship with them. Your contact is
not limited to in-house communications. You're in constant touch with your
contacts at the print publications and broadcast media.
7. Target Audience or Hooked Editor
• Advertising:
You're looking for your target audience and advertising accordingly. You wouldn't
advertise a women's TV network in a male-oriented sports magazine.
You must have an angle and hook editors to get them to use info for an article, to
run a press release or to cover your event.
8. Limited or Unlimited Contact
• Advertising:
Some industry pros such as Account Executive Trey Sullivan have contact with
the clients. Others like copywriters or graphic designers in the agency may not
meet with the client at all.
In public relations, you are very visible to the media. PR pros aren't always called
on for the good news.
If there was an accident at your company, you may have to give a statement or
on-camera interview to journalists. You may represent your company as a
spokesperson at an event. Or you may work within community relations to show
your company is actively involved in good work and is committed to the city and
its citizens.
9. Special Events
• Advertising:
If your company sponsors an event, you wouldn't want to take out an ad giving
yourself a pat on the back for being such a great company. This is where your
PR department steps in.
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If you're sponsoring an event, you can send out a press release and the media
might pick it up. They may publish the information or cover the event.
10. Writing Style
• Advertising:
Buy this product! Act now! Call today! These are all things you can say in an
advertisement. You want to use those buzz words to motivate people to buy your
product.
You're strictly writing in a no-nonsense news format. Any blatant commercial
messages in your communications are disregarded by the media.
3.3 Difference between PR & Publicity
PR is often confused with publicity. PR, however, is broader term in scope.
1. Publicity and PR according to analysts, differ how they use media, the level of
control they have over message delivery, and their perceived credibility.
2. Publicity involves sending a message to someone because it is newsworthy

and is published or broadcast without charge to the sender. In contrast, if the
sender specifies the exact content of the message and pays for the time or
space required for publishing or broadcasting this message, it is advertising.
3. Publicity results from data or information being known. This known message
or event publicized is usually uncontrollable and can be good or bad.
4. PR guarantees that the entire organization communicates to its public about

the new program as it is a corporate strategic issue. The structure of the
message will contain professional, legal and ethical standards of writing
guided by objectives, mission and vision of the organization. On the other
hand Publicity may originate from any angle without control and even with a
bad impression.
3.4 Difference between PR & Propaganda
Propaganda as per (Jefkins 1998, p. 11) is the method of gaining support for
an opinion, creed or belief. The Propaganda exercises are different from
Public Relations activities.
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Few Propaganda activities are Band Wagon, Name Calling, and Card
Stalking.
1. Band wagon seeks to gain supporters of an idea or activities without

considering who they are to be influenced with the idea and usually the
majority support share few benefits from the ideology.
2. Name Calling is a technique where the owner of the message tends to

maximize his mention in the media to block his competitors message. He
tends to publicize only his good works, achievements to the public.
3. Card stalking is a technique where the owner of the message tries to

disclose weaknesses of his competitor in an offensive way so that the
public might lose favour of him. But Public Relations does not work this.
For instance, PR will try to create industrial relations rather than tarnishing
image of the competitor. There are many PR activities like Public Affairs,
Government Relations, Community Relations, Employee Relations,
Industrial Relations that works to build relationship with the public.
4. Testimonial Propaganda is when a famous person or figure endorses

and supports a product. It connects the famous person with that product.
• Propaganda is very different from PR because of its aims. Usually

Propaganda has primarily negative implications but it seeks to generate
more or less automatic responses. It is used by bad guys as well as good
guys. From this statement, it can be considered that the audience might
find it difficult to believe the message structured in propaganda. even if it
can be produced by a good guy or even if it can be of goodwill. The
publics don’t legitimise the reliability of the message which is in the form of
propaganda. It is different from PR where the message has reliability or
credibility and bad guys cannot find way to use it because it relies on
sustainable good relations.
• Another perspective is the looking of public response. According to

Baran 2002 Propaganda seeks automatic response from the public from
its messages. This is done to avoid the public to realize the motive behind
the message before the owner of the message gets the benefits. This
doesn’t promise benefits, mutual understanding and good relationship but
maximization of self-interest or egoism. PR is utilitarian in nature.
Utilitarianism (utilitarian ethics) ‘is a form of Consequentialism that views
good behaviour as any behavior that increases happiness’. Utilitarianism
holds that an activity is judged as right, good, or wrong on the basis of its
results or consequences.
36
• Propaganda sometimes does not call for ethical content. Propaganda may
include a message that is biased, intended for bad actions and only to
satisfy the inner selves. Public relations work for mutual understanding
whose mission or communication messages guarantee credibility,
objectivity and its aim is to make publics understand the organisation’s
mission, services, functions.
• Propaganda sometimes does not call for an ethical content. It is utilized to

depict those types of persuasion which depend on self- interest and in
which it might be important to distort the facts in order to accomplish the
purpose. Public Relations, on the other hand, perceives a long-term
responsibility and seeks to persuade and accomplish mutual
understanding by securing the willing acceptance of attitudes and ideas. It
can succeed only when the basic policy is ethical and the means used are
truthful. In Public Relations the ends can never justify the use of false,
harmful or questionable means.
Corporate Social Responsibility
A company's sense of responsibility towards the community and environment

in which it operates. It is a continuing commitment by businesses to behave
ethically & contribute to economic development while improving the quality of
life of the workforce & their families, local communities and society at large.-
World Business Council.
CSR is how companies manages the business processes to produce an

overall positive impact on the society. Businesses can invest their profits in
areas such as education, poverty, gender equality, and hunger.The concept of
CSR rests on the ideology of give and take. Companies take resources in the
form of raw materials, human resources etc from the society. By performing
the task of CSR activities, the companies are giving something back to the
society.India is the first country in the world to make corporate social
responsibility (CSR) mandatory, following an amendment to The Company
Act, 2013 in April 2014.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs has recently notified Section 135 and Schedule
VII of the Companies Act as well as the provisions of the Companies
(Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014 (CRS Rules) which has
come into effect from 1 April 2014.
India is the first country in the world to make corporate social responsibility
(CSR) mandatory, following an amendment to The Company Act, 2013 in
37
April 2014. Businesses can invest their profits in areas such as education,
poverty, gender equality, and hunger.
The amendment notified in the Schedule VII of the Companies Act advocates
that those companies with a net worth of US$73 million (Rs 4.96 billion) or more,
or an annual turnover of US$146 million (Rs 9.92 billion) or more, or a net profit
of US$732,654 (Rs 50 million) or more during a financial year, shall earmark 2
percent of average net profits of three years towards CSR. In the draft
Companies Bill, 2009, the CSR clause was voluntary, though it was mandatory
for companies to disclose their CSR spending to shareholders. It is also
mandatory that company boards should have at least one female member.
Section 135 of the Companies Act provides the threshold limit for applicability of
the CSR to a Company i.e. (a) net worth of the company to be Rs 500 crore or
more; (b) turnover of the company to be Rs 1000 crore or more; (c) net profit of
the company to be Rs 5 crore or more. Further as per the CSR Rules, the
provisions of CSR are not only applicable to Indian companies, but also
applicable to branch and project offices of a foreign company in India.
The 4 responsibilities of CSR.
 Economic Responsibilities
A company's first responsibility is its economic responsibility -- that is to say, a

company needs to be primarily concerned with turning a profit. This is for the
simple fact that if a company does not make money, it won't last, employees will
lose jobs and the company won't even be able to think about taking care of its
social responsibilities. Before a company thinks about being a good corporate
citizen, it first needs to make sure that it can be profitable.( produce goods &
services to earn profit)
 Legal Responsibilities
A company's legal responsibilities are the requirements that are placed on it by

the law. Next to ensuring that company is profitable, ensuring that it obeys all
laws is the most important responsibility, according to the theory of corporate
social responsibility. Legal responsibilities can range from securities regulations
to labor law, environmental law and even criminal law.( attain profits within the
confines of law)
 Ethical Responsibilities
38
Economic and legal responsibilities are the two big obligations of a company.
After a company has met these basic requirements, a company can concern
itself with ethical responsibilities. Ethical responsibilities are responsibilities that a
company puts on itself because its owners believe it's the right thing to do -- not
because they have an obligation to do so. Ethical responsibilities could include
being environmentally friendly, paying fair wages or refusing to do business with
oppressive countries, for example.( license to operate)
 Philanthropic Responsibilities
If a company is able to meet all of its other responsibilities, it can begin meeting
philanthropic responsibilities. Philanthropic responsibilities are responsibilities
that go above and beyond what is simply required or what the company believes
is right. They involve making an effort to benefit society -- for example, by
donating services to community organizations, engaging in projects to aid the
environment or donating money to charitable causes.( philanthropy)
Issue/Crisis Management
 An issue is a trend or condition, either internal or external which will affect

company’s operation over the period of it’s business plan.
 Issue management refers to the systematic examination of an organization with

their environmental concern.
 When a problem arises, the way the company handles the issues can have a
positive or negative effect on their brand. Public relations is the process of
providing information regarding the problem and the plans the company has to fix
the situation.
There are five steps to managing a public relations issue:
 1. Identify potential issues - When you identify a potential issue, you become
aware of a current or likely problem based on feedback from customers,
employees or vendors. As you learn of a problem, you can move forward to the
next steps to manage the problem.
 2. Set priorities - Take time to understand what needs to be done, which steps
need to be handled first, and how the issue will be managed.
 3. Establish a position on the issues - Create a plan for responding to the

problem, what the company will share about the problem, and how the issue will
be presented to the public.
39
 4. Develop the response - Once you have clarified your position in the problem,
you can now create a response that will be shared with the affected party and
media, if necessary.
 5. Monitor the issue - Watch the response to the issue, how the resolution is
working, and if changes need to be made to the plans.
Lobbying
The act of attempting to influence business and government leaders to create

legislation or conduct an activity that will help a particular organization. People
who do lobbying are called lobbyists.
Unlike campaigning, which aims to reach large numbers of activists or the

general public, lobbying is an activity to reach a small number of key decision
makers on a specific issue.
Lobbying can be used to achieve a number of legislative aims, including:
• Introduction of legislation
• Improvement of legislation
• Enforcement of existing legislation
• Any combination of the above
Public Opinion
40
Public opinion is the constant forming and revising of people’s opinions on

public figures, organizations and issues. Public opinion consists of the
desires, wants, and thinking of the majority of the people; it is the collective
opinion of the people of a society or state on an issue or problem. Opinion
leaders are knowledgeable experts who articulate opinions about specific
issues in public forums. An opinion leader is a well-known individual or
organization that has the ability to influence public opinion on the subject
matter for which the opinion leader is known. Opinion leaders can be
politicians, business leaders, community leaders, journalists, educators,
celebrities, and sports stars. They are people who, because of their interest
and knowledge of a subject, become experts and inform others.
PR as a marketing tool
What is marketing- Marketing creates an avenue of exchange between a

business and a customer.The action or business of promoting and selling
products or services, including market research and advertising
What is Marketing tool- The techniques and materials used by those who are
involved in the promotion of goods and services.Businesses use various
marketing tools to communicate information, stimulate customer interest and
motivate action.
 It is always best for a company to be visible and maintain open dialogue

with society. This has a great effect on the company’s ability to attract and
keep employees.
 Public Relations can be one of the most cost effective ways to

communicate your value to your target audience and market.
A good PR story about your company could be:
 news about new orders
 new products
 the relaunch of old products
 new employees
 financial results
 market trends
With the Usage of

41
 Social Media
 Websites
 Promotional Items
______________________________________________________________________
3.5 Self Check Questions
1. ________________________ is a tool of marketing that disseminates

information about the brand which is aimed at a large number of people at
the same time.
2. ‘Advertising is a controlled medium, in which advertiser buy space or time

and can freely say what they want, subject to the laws ethical codes
governing the profession of advertising.’ Is the statement true or false?
3. ______________________ is the means of gaining support for an opinion,

creed or belief.
4. Propaganda is as well different from PR because of its aims. Usually it has

primarily ___________________ connotations.
_______________________________________________________________
3.6 Summing up
In this lesson we learned about the essential meaning of Public Relations

and how it is different from advertising, publicity and propaganda. For
such an understanding we read about the three mediums to differentiate
them with PR.
1. Advertising
2. True
3. Propaganda
4. Negative
42
How PR is different from advertising, publicity and propaganda? Explain by giving

examples.

Education

3.10 Keywords
Propaganda: Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to

promote a political cause or point of view.
Publicity: Notice or attention given to someone or something by the media.
Advertising: Advertising is a means of communication with the users of a

product or service.
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LESSON 4: Ethics of PR - IPRA Code - Professionalism,

PRSI
__________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
4.0 Objective
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Defining Ethics
4.3 Emergence of professionalism in India
4.4 IPRA Code of Professional Conduct
4.5 PRSI (Public Relations Society of India)
4.6 Summing up
4.10 Keywords
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4. Ethics of PR - IPRA Code - Professionalism, PRSI
___________________________________________________
This lesson shall talk about the need of ethics and codes in Public Relations. The
lesson shall talk in detail about IPRA Code of Professional Conduct and the role
of Public Relations Society of India (PRSI).
______________________________________________________________________
4.0 Objectives
• describe the need of ethics and codes in Public Relations
• describe IPRA Code of Professional Conduct
• describe the role of Public Relations Society of India (PRSI)
• describe the role of PR in crisis situation
4.1 Introduction
The practice of public relations can present unique and challenging ethical
issues. At the same time, protecting integrity and the public trust are fundamental
to the profession’s role and reputation. Bottom line, successful public relations
hinges on the ethics of its practitioners.
4.2 Defining Ethics
The word ethics is derived from Greek word ‘Ethos’ which means individual’s
character, belief and a community’s culture. Oxford English Dictionary
Thesaurus and Word Power Guide defines ethics as the moral principles
governing or influencing conduct. It is the way we should live with the
understanding of what is right or wrong.
4.3 Emergence of professionalism in India
The next phase saw the formation of professional organisation of public relations
practitioners in various parts of the country. The first PR conference was held in
Delhi in that an organised effort was made to win national recognition for public
relations circle in Calcutta reorganised itself as the local chapter of PR as a
professional It was at this conference that a code of Ethics was adopted.
45
The second public relations conference dwelt on the status of PR practitioners in

respective organisations. The next stage in the development of public relations
was a proper understanding of the nature of the environment in the country and
the changes that constantly take place.
The theme of the fourth public relation conference was towards a more
responsible citizenship. Underlining the need for meaningful and purposeful
contribution of PR practitioners to the development of a health society.
With the rapid growth of the PR profession in India and the entry of an
increasingly large number of men and women into the PR field .The fifth all India
public relations conference was devoted to discussion in depth on the ways and
means of achieving greater professionalism.
PR in the eighties was the theme of sixth all India public relations conference
held in Cochin in January 1978. The very choice the theme was a measure of
the growth and maturity of the profession in India.
The development of PR activities in India is inductive of the acceptance of PR

as an important function of management. Public Relations movement in India
has travelled a long way since the early days when it was fighting for recognition
as a profession. It was then regarded only as a junior partner of publicity and
was generally ignored and now it has come to stay with us .
Public Relations profession has earned the credibility of the govt. Also can be
noted from the fact that a 3 year degree course was inaugurated by the
University of Madras in 1975. India now stands at par with other western
countries in attaining professional excellence is proved by International Public
Relations Association (IPRA ) having accepted our invitation to hold the 9th
public relations world congress in Bombay.
In the background of these developments both the government and business

organisations had to adopt conscious and deliberate policies and programmes
of public relations. It is from this period of the fifties that the PR practice in the
modern sense of the term began in India.
Large international companies which already had their own expertise in Public
Relations, began to make use of these techniques in India so that they would be
able to survive and grow in the post independence environment .In the fifties
and early sixties companies like Burmah shell,
ESSO,Dunlo, Philips etc set up departments to execute programmes of public

46
relations to meet the new situation . Indian companies like the house of Tatas
also began to set up their own public relations departments to carry an
organised PR activity.
In the 21st century democracy is everywhere .If something happens in a

civilized democratic country the information about the incident spread all over
the world in just matter of seconds.
In today’s world, true two way communication has arrived .The emergence of
world wide web have radically intensified the spread of communication further .
Internet is a powerful push media because no one has any control on the pop up
window. The impact of web on public relations practice has been phenomenal. E
mail dominates not only internal communication but external communication too.
Knowledge of any facility with the internet is no longer an option for public
relations professional. It is a necessity, which is cheap, impressive, effective and
now massively available.
The practice of public relations in the 21st century tends as a potent, persuasive
force in society. In today’s world public relations is in the spot light, it is highly
paid profession.
4.4 IPRA (International Public Relations Association) Code of

Professional Conduct
The concept of establishing an international public relations association first took

concrete shape in November 1949 during a meeting in London between two
Dutch and four British public relations practitioners. As they discussed their
respective activities, the idea emerged of organising public relations
professionals into a transnational society with the objective of raising standards
of public relations practice in the various countries and improving the quality and
efficiency of practitioners.
As the International Public Relations Association has grown, the complexity of

its operations and the wide geographical representations of its membership
have necessitated structural adaptations and increased strategic planning.
Today IPRA constitutes the most genuinely international grouping of public
relations practitioners worldwide, active not only in promoting exchange of
information and co-operation in every sector of the profession, but also in
building a programme of professional development opportunities and other
initiatives aimed at enhancing the role of public relations in management and
international affairs.
Special emphasis continues to be laid on education and professional literature,
47
though the scope of this activity has been increasingly expanded to include
promotion of the profession in the developing countries and Eastern Europe and
in addressing key issues such as the environment or the assessment of quality
in public relations practice.
As such, IPRA’s own development over the past five decades has mirrored that
of the public relations profession as a whole. From its origins as a close-knit
fellowship of public relations pioneers to its current status as the most
representative international network of top-level professionals in the field, IPRA
has been the focus of an ever-evolving approach to management and social
communications.
The issues and personalities that have shaped the growth of the public relations
function have played a guiding role in the creation and expansion of IPRA. IPRA
today is a reflection of its members over the years, a dynamic professional body
that still retains the fellowship of its origins.
A. Personal and Professional Integrity
1. It is understood that by personal integrity is meant the maintenance of both

high moral standards and a sound reputation. By professional integrity is meant
observance of the Constitution, rules and, particularly, the Code as adopted by
IPRA.
B. Conduct towards Clients and Employers
1. A member has a general duty of fair dealing towards his clients or

employers, past and present.
2. A member shall not represent conflicting or competing interests without the

express consent of those concerned.
3. A member shall safeguard the confidence of both present and former

clients and employers.
4. A member shall not employ methods tending to be derogatory of another

member’s client or employer.
5. In performing services for a client or employers a member shall not accept

fees, commissions or any other valuable consideration in connexion with those
services from anyone other than his client or employer without the express
consent of his client or employer, given after a full disclosure of the facts.
6. A member shall not propose to a prospective client or employer that his

fee or other compensation be contingent on the achievement of certain results;
48
nor shall he enter into any fee agreement to the same effect.
C. Conduct towards the Public and the Media
1. A member shall conduct his professional activities in accordance with the

public interest, and with full respect for the dignity of the individual.
2. A member shall not engage in any practice which tends to corrupt the
integrity of channels of public communication.
3. A member shall not intentionally disseminate false or misleading

information.
4. A member shall at all times seek to give a balanced and faithful

representation of the organization which he serves.
5. A member shall not create any organization to serve some announced

cause but actually to serve an undisclosed special or private interest of a
member or his employer, nor shall he make to use it or any such existing
organization.
D. Conduct towards Colleagues
1. A member shall not intentionally injure the professional reputation or

practice of another member. However, if a member has evidence that another
member has been guilty of unethical, illegal or unfair practices in violation of this
Code, he should present the information to the Council of IPRA.
2. A member shall not seek to supplant another member with his employer or
client.
3. A member shall co-operate with fellow members in upholding and

enforcing this Code.
4.5 (Public Relations Society of India) PRSI
International Code of Ethics for Public Relations as adopted by the Public

Relations Society of India at the 1st All India Public Relations Conference, New
Delhi, April 21, 1968.
CONSIDERING that all Member countries of the United Nations Organization

have agreed to abide by its Charter which reaffirms "its faith in fundamental
human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person" and that having
regard to the very nature of their profession, Public Relations practitioners in
these countries should undertake to ascertain and observe the principles set out
49
in this Chapter,
CONSIDERING that, apart from "rights", human beings have not only physical
or material needs but also intellectual, moral and social needs, and that their
rights are of real benefits to them only in so far as needs are essentially met,
CONSIDERING that, in the course of their professional duties and depending on

how these duties are performed, Public Relations practitioners can substantially
help to meet these intellectual, moral and social needs,
And lastly, CONSIDERING that the use of techniques enabling them to come
simultaneously into contact with millions of people gives Public Relations
practitioners a power that has to be restrained by the observance of a strict
moral code,
On all these grounds the Public Relations Society of India hereby declares that it
accepts, as its moral charter the principles of the following Code of Ethics, and
that if, in the light of evidence submitted to the Society, a member of this Society
should be found to have infringed this Code in the course of his professional
duties, he will be deemed to be guilty of serious misconduct calling for an
appropriate penalty.
Accordingly, each Member of this Society -
SHALL ENDEAVOUR
1. To contribute to the achievement of the moral and cultural conditions

enabling human beings to reach their full stature and enjoy the indefeasible
rights to which they are entitled under "Universal Declaration of Human Rights";
2. To establish communication patterns and channels which, by fostering the

free flow of essential information, will make each member of the group feel that
he is being kept informed, and also give him an awareness of his own personal
involvement and responsibility and of his solidarity with other members;
3. To conduct himself always and in all circumstances in such a manner as to

deserve and secure the confidence of those with whom he comes into contact;
4. To bear in mind that because of the relationship between his profession

and the public, his conduct - even in private - will have an impact on the way in
which the profession as a whole is appraised.
SHALL UNDERTAKE
5. To observe, in the course of his professional duties, the moral principles

50
and rules of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights";
6. To pay due regard to, and uphold, human dignity, and to recognize the
right of each individual to judge for himself;
7. To establish the moral, psychological and intellectual conditions for

dialogue in its true sense, and to recognize the right of the parties involved to
state their case and express their views;
8. To act, in all circumstances in such a manner as to take account of the

respective interests of the parties involved: both the interests of the organization
which he serves and the interests of the publics concerned;
9. To carry out his undertakings and commitments which shall always be so

worded as to avoid any misunderstanding, and to show loyalty and integrity in all
circumstances so as to keep the confidence of his clients or employees, past or
present and of all the publics that are affected by his actions.
SHALL REFRAIN FROM
10. Subordinating the truth to other requirements;
11. Circulating information which is not based on established and

ascertainable facts;
12. Taking part in any venture or undertaking which is unethical or dishonest

or capable of impairing human dignity and integrity;
Using any "manipulative" methods or techniques designed to create

subconscious motivations which the individual cannot control of his own free will
and so cannot be held accountable for the action taken on them.
________________________________________________________________
Self Check Questions
1. “The development of PR activities in India is inductive of the acceptance of

PR as an important function of management.” Is the statement true or false?
2. “PRSA do not comment on relevant ethics-related issues through a variety

of forums, including op-eds, letters to the editor, blog posts, among others.” Is
51
the statement true or false?
3. PRSA stands for
____________________________________________________
4. PRSI stands for
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4.6 Summing up
In this lesson we learned about the need of ethics and codes in Public
Relations, IPRA Code of Professional Conduct, describe the role of Public
Relations Society of India (PRSI), describe the role of PR in crisis
situation.
1. True
2. False
3. Public Relations Society of America
4. Public Relations Society of India
Explain IPRA Code of Professional Conduct.
1. Iqbal S. Sachdeva, Public Relations Principles and Practice, Oxford

Higher Education

4.10 Keywords
1. Professionalism: The competence or skill expected of a

professional.
52
2. Conduct: The manner in which a person behaves, especially in a

particular place or situation.
3. Ethics: Moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the

conducting of an activity.
4. Rights: A moral or legal entitlement to have or do something.
______________________________________________________________________
53
BA(JMC) 204 Unit 2
____________________________________________________________________
UNIT 2 PR- Agency- Tools and Techniques

____________________________________________________________________
LESSON 1 55
PR agency: Concept, Structure and Functions
LESSON 2 62
Media Relations: Multi-Media Release (press, audio, video and

social media), Press Conference, Press Kit, Press Briefings and
Familiarizing Tours
LESSON 3 83
Tools &Techniques for Public Relations: House Journal, Bulletin

board, Visit by Management, Open House and Annual Reports,
Exhibitions
LESSON 4 108
Use of Digital Media and Emerging trends in PR
54
_________________________________________________________
LESSON 1: PR Agency: Concept, Structure and Functions
________________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 PR Agency
1.3 Functions of a PR Agency
1.4 PR Agency: Merits
1.5 PR Agency: Demerits
1.6 Structure of a PR Agency
1.7 Summing Up
1.11 Keywords
55
BA(JMC) 204 Unit 2,Lesson 1
1. PR Agency: Concept, Structure and Functions

_________________________________________________________
In Unit 2 of the course on ‘Public Relations’ we shall discuss the tools and
techniques of PR. We shall also study the concept of PR Agency. The structure
of the PR agency and their various functions. The unit shall discuss the
importance of News Release, press conference, press tours and external-
internal media for PR in detail.
_______________________________________________________________
1.0 Objectives
• define PR Agency
• The structure and the functions of a PR Agency
1.1 Introduction
PR agency are hired by organization to build and develop their image in

front of their target audience. Depending on the size of the organization,
the departments will vary.
1.2 PR Agency
PR agencies, as opposed to advertising agencies, promote companies

or individuals via editorial coverage. This is known as "earned" or "free"
media -- stories appearing on websites, newspapers, magazines and TV
programs -- as compared to "paid media" or advertisements.
• A good agency is a strategic partner who helps clients successfully talk

to and with their audiences
• Understanding what a client wants to achieve
• PR agencies will first try to understand what a client wants to get out of
the relationship.
• PR can be about changing negative perceptions, telling potential

customers about a new product or service and demonstrating that the
client company is trustworthy and one to do business with. The goal of
successful PR is to build long-standing positive rapport with the people
56
who matter, including customers, employees, investors and the public-

at-large.
• Developing a plan
• The PR agency works with clients to create a communications plan.

The plan may consider competitive advantage, position in the market,
challenges faced by the client, a PR strategy, timings, measurement and
tactics/methods and tools.
• Using PR methods to reach clients goals
• There are a number of tactics that a PR agency uses. The most

common is media relations. The PR agency will work with a client to
create content, from press releases, articles, research, whitepapers,
case studies and blog posts. With this content, PR agencies will target
media/bloggers by pitching them and offering information for a story.
The content can of course be used by sales teams and on the client’s
website too.
1.3 Functions of a PR Agency
• Writing Press Releases and articles
• Getting Coverage for clients
• Identify the beat journalists
• Media monitoring
• Feeding information to media
• Managing interviews
• Crisis management
• Social Media Management
1.4 PR AGENCY : MERITS
• Media expertise
• Huge network
57
• Creativity
• Budget
• Improves tarnished image
• Professional
• Credible
• Media insight
1.5 PR AGENCY : DEMERITS
• Expensive
• No guarantee
1.6 Structure of a PR Agency
58
Fill in the Blanks
1. The function of a PR agency is
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2. Name a few department of PR Agency
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_____________________
1.7 Summing Up
In this lesson we have studied that the basic structure of a PR Agency.

We also studies the various departments and their functions.
1. Build mutual understanding, maintain client’s good image and win

belief of its public.
2. Media, Creative Director, Business Development Manager, Account

Executive
3. What are the basic function of a PR Agency?
1. Iqbal S. Sachdeva, Public Relations Principles and Practice,

Oxford Higher Education
2. CV, Narashima Reddi, Effective Public Relations and Media
59
Startegy, PHI,Learning Pvt. Ltd
1.11 Keywords
1. PR Agency: This refers to any attempt designed to expose an

organization, its services or product to the public through any public
media.
2. Promotion: This involves moulding or mobilizing opinion favourably

to an organization to get it to support a worthy cause, e.g. the
mounting of events or fund raising programmes for motherless
babies’ homes.
60
LESSON 2: Media Relations: Multi-Media Release

(press, audio, video and social media), Press
Conference, Press Kit, Press Briefings and
Familiarizing Tours
_________________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Understanding Media Relations
2.3 Objectives of Media Relations
2.4 Benefits of a Public and Media Relations Program
2.5 Defining News Release
2.7 Summing Up
2.11 Keywords
61
2. Media Relations: Multi-Media Release (press, audio,

video and social media), Press Conference, Press Kit,
Press Briefings and Familiarizing Tours
__________________________________________________________________
In this lesson we shall discuss the importance of muti-media Release, how to

write effective press release and anatomy of press release. We shall also study
the various tools used to build and maintain media relations.
2.0 Objectives
• define news release

• understand anatomy of news release
• write an effective news release
2.1 Introduction
Press release, news release, media release, or press statement is a

written or recorded communication which is directed at members of the
news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having
news value.
Press releases can be issued on a variety of news announcements or

trend stories. A press release should tell the story or news you are trying
to deliver. Press Note is the statement announced by the state,
department or government to media for publishing or broadcasting. The
press note is issued by the government and its institutes, therefore the
editor is bound to publish it without any change. However these days
Press Release and Press Note are interchangeable terms.
2.2 Understanding Media Relations
Media relations is all about being responsive, honest, helpful, organized

and articulate I or communicative with media both in good and bad
times. Whenever you sit down to develop news story for press be it
developing story idea or responding to any media inquiry make sure you
have clarity of the message you want to convey to media. Clarity of idea
62
will also give you clarity to suggest people for interview to the reporter
this would lead to validation from the third party when the story is
validated by the third party it makes the point strong and establishes
credible image of the organization in front of its public. When dealing
with the negative story PRO must ensure that he has enough information
to explain and defend the organization in first go. Understanding
Reporters’
2.3 Objectives of Media Relations
• To give content to the reporters which is newsworthy.
• Put yourself in the shoes of the journalists, understand their

requirements and kind of stories covered by them. This will make it
easier for you to build relationships and manage internal
expectations.
• Objectivity and balance are the two principles followed by the

reporters so expect them to talk with people who don’t like you or
your programs.
• Suggest people who share your view and will validate your side as
other potential interview sources for the reporter.
• Reporters will dig for dirt. So when you are about to face press give
your spokesperson list of probable questions that reporter might ask
so that he is mentally prepared to face them.
• Look for ways to help color a story with explanation, sound bites or
other elements such as graphics and photos. Find interesting people
whose stories illustrate your messages.
2.4 Benefits of a Public and Media Relations Program
Public relations is necessary in today’s competitive world. There are

many ways by which a sustained public relations program can benefit
your organization:
• A constant initiative can construct the company’s profile in the
63
news media and the local community.
• Editorial coverage provides the organization better stakeholder

attention compared to paid commercials.
• Editorial copy produced by effective public relations is much more

credible and believable than paid advertising, due to media
objectivity.
• Public relations is an economical means of promoting your

organization.
• Regular media exposure authorizes and legitimizes the

organization's work and builds its reputation. There is a subtle but
nonetheless real perception that a coverage in the newspaper or
on television will be important.
• The media coverage conveys the organisaton’s qualification and

programs to the business community for a "serious look.”
Media Relations Activities
Let’s discuss them in detail.
a. Press Conference
Press Conference is a means of communicating with the media. It is

generally reserved for crisis situation, product launch or significant event to
attract the reporters from far and wide. It is generally used to disseminate
news simultaneously to all media, provided the subject is newsworthy.
64
When should one organize a press conference? The answer is – not very
frequently. It is generally organized in a crisis situation when media is
looking for or wants an immediate answer. Make sure that same message
runs in every media.
• Multiple sources must present newsworthy information at the same time and
place.
Consider the following carefully before holding a press conference:
1. The PR person himself should never address a press conference.

It should ideally be the head of the organization or a department.
2. Prepare a press kit or media kit which must contain a press

backgrounder, a news release or releases, pictures, literature about the
organization, a writing pad and a pen or pencil.
3. Make a list of invitees from media carefully. The list should

comprise those who cover your organization.
4. Decide a venue which is suitable for media persons to reach.
5. Make arrangements for the transport of media persons from a

convenient place to the venue and for the return journey.
6. Decide on timing. It should neither be too early nor too late in the
day. The conference should end at such a time that media persons are
able to get back to their place of work to file the story on time.
7. Arrange hospitality. In fact, as PR person, one should control the

press conference from start to finish. After the chief spokesperson and
the media persons have taken their seats, give your self-introduction and
introduce the spokesperson who will be addressing the conference.
8. After a brief address by the spokesperson on the subject matter, it

is thrown open to media persons to ask questions. Set a time frame for
the press conference to continue. Depending on the occasion, the ideal
duration should be between 45 minutes and one hour. When the time is
nearing completion, you can announce that there is time for, say, two
questions or so.
65
9. Establish a personal rapport with media persons. This cannot be achieved
in a day but requires concerted efforts over a period of time. Press
conference shouldn’t be the only chance or occasion when you meet the
press. Its serves your cause better if you have a friendly Press.
b. Press Briefing
Press briefings are different from press conference as they do not require
elaborate arrangements. It is both proactive and reactive. Proactive
because certain clarification or point of view is required to be given after
crisis situation and few media persons are invited. A written statement is
also handed over to avoid misquotation.
In case of reactive press briefings, a pressman seeks an audience with the

chief spokesperson for seeking certain clarifications or to have his point of
view before filing the story.
c. Press Tours/ Facility Visits
In a press tour or facility visit, much of the exercise is similar to organizing a

press conference. More elaborate arrangements are, however, required to be
made as it may involve transporting the press party to long distances. The
occasion could be a landmark achieved the commissioning of a project, or a
crisis situation like an accident.
While inviting a reporter to join your press tour, it is always advisable to write
to the editors or bureau chiefs of different newspapers. In normal
circumstances, sufficient notice must be given, because the concerned
reporter may have to be spared for a number of days from the place of work.
As PRO one should give detailed consideration to following before organizing

press tours:
1. List of media persons.
2. Make suitable travel arrangements.
3. Appropriate accommodation at site.
4. Organize brief press party at site.
5. Give background information.
Arrange appropriate hospitality.
66
d. Press Kit
A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-

packaged set of promotional materials that provide information about a person,
company, organization or cause and which is distributed to members of the
media for promotional use. There's no rule book on creating press kits that say
what components you must include. Your press kits will vary based on what
you're using PR to promote, and the type of venue where you'll be distributing
your press kit.
The main press kit components you'll want to consider are:
1. The Press Release Your press kit's press release announces the whole idea.
If you've got a new product, the press kit helps introduce it. If your company is
merging with another, the press kit champions it. You can include multiple
press releases in your press kit, or you can issue a press release before the kit
goes out. For example, a trade show press kit might contain a company merger
press release, three new product press releases, and a press release
announcing a new CEO.
A word of caution; don't pack your press kit with more than one press release
just because you can. If you're sending a press kit to an editor, you'll need just
one press release. If you're handing out your press kit at a trade show, multiple
press releases inside aren't uncommon. But remember, the more you include,
the more work you're making people do. You want to make their job as easy as
possible.
2. A Brief Letter/Table of Contents
This is especially helpful for any kind of press kit that included a lot of different,
but equally important, elements. Your letter can be addressed to the media
thanking them for their interest in your company, and then you can provide a
summary of what's included.
Be sure to make your media contact's name, and contact information, clear on
this page since it will be the first one he or she will see.
All of these elements help your content come together and feel much more
organized than papers and samples randomly stuffed into a folder.
67
3. A Brochure
PR pros use press kits to announce a new product, but you can also include
your brochure. Brochures are especially helpful to explain your product or
service outside of a simple press release. It's one thing to create a press kit for
a new type of health snack; it's something else entirely to create a press kit that
brings a new financial product to the investment market.
For a trade show press kit, you can include a number of brochures that give
the editor/reporter a large amount of information about your product/service.
This helps them determine if they even want to cover what you're offering up
for free media exposure.
4. Product Samples
If your product is small enough, and you can afford to do so, you should put a
sample inside the press kit. This gives editors and reporters the chance to test
the product out on their own, and give it a genuine thumbs up or thumbs down.
If your product is too big and you'll be holding a demonstration at your facility,
include that information so the editor/reporter can come to your location and
get their hands on your products. Or if your trade show booth is having a demo,
that's another great way to give a mass amount of editors and reporters from
around the country a way to see your product in action.
If you can only send a few samples out, created a tiered press kit mailing. The
top tier may only consist of five to ten prospects, but they'll be the most
important. They receive the actual item. The other tiers get less, based on their
influence. Some may simply get a postcard or letter that covers the basic
information.
5. Past Press Coverage
If you've received free media coverage before, you can include a sheet that
details those media outlets. Some companies like to include copies of articles
written about them in their press kit, and that adds a level of credibility to the
campaign. Just don't go overboard. Publicising past successes are one thing,
but a bragging session is offputting.
If you're including articles, a few pages will be more than enough content for
your press kit. Determine if a simple sheet identifying these outlets instead
68
would better serve your press kit and the editor/reporter.
6. A Fact Sheet
This can be a great addition to a press kit because it details features, benefits,
and other specific information in a way that educates the reporter or editor
about your company and/or products with quick hits of info. Fact sheets can be
used for product launches, press kits about new hires, news conferences and
other areas where you want to give the editor key facts that they may want to
use word for word.
7. Company Background
Writing a company history page can be valuable for current and future press
kits. This background details your company's beginnings; from where you've
been, to where you're going, and your plans for expansion and product
development. Be sure to update it with recent accomplishments and other good
news in your history.
8. Executive Bios
Whether it's a new CEO, a new PR executive, or a new member on your board
of directors, this is the place to inform people about them.
Executive bios, along with high-resolution images, give the editor much-needed
background information about the people behind the company. Some
publications print a bio word for word, so write the bio in the third person point
of view rather than first person point of view. And, it goes without saying, make
sure the bios are accurate and current. It can be embarrassing to include
contact information on people that have quit, or been let go.
9. A Quote Sheet and FAQ
Your media contact's info should be very easy for any editor to find for
additional questions about your press kit. But a quote sheet (featuring direct
quotations from the people in your company) can also be used to give busy
editors quotes they need to complete an article without tracking down a
company's PR person.
This sheet can feature quotes from your executives, product developers, and
even the PR contact. One sheet of quotes can answer the most obvious
questions an editor's likely to have, and can be put in a format that is
69
professional and informative. You want each quote to look good on paper since
that quote will most likely be used verbatim in print.
10. Hi-Resolution Images on a Flash Drive
Are images relevant to your press kit? If so, be sure they are high-resolution
images, stored on a very handy media device like a flash drive, or a CD/DVD.
You can also include high-res images on your Web site for the media to
download as well. Just be sure to include the direct link to your image gallery in
your press kit materials.
11. CDs, DVDs, Flash Drives, Software, and Video
These materials can be costly when you're creating press kits in mass
numbers. Are they required? Not always. But how effective they are
depends on what coverage you're looking for.
If you're creating a press kit for a band, a demo CD or link to downloadable

music is going to get you more mileage in a press kit than just a release
announcing it. If you're trying to get coverage for your company's video games,
a CD that has several demo versions of your new titles is a much better way to
get an editor's interest than five press releases. If you've just opened up a new
manufacturing facility and you're sending your materials to editors/reporters too
far away to travel for a tour, a DVD can offer a video tour of the facility. And, of
course, as technology evolves, so must your press kits. You could include a
QR code that sends people to a unique website, with a message tailored just to
them.
2.5 Defining News Release
A news release is often also called a press release. It is a very important

component to PR and to obtaining publicity. A news release can announce
information about your organization or project such as reaching milestones,
successes, new partnerships, events or provide other pieces of news to the
media.
The word Press should not be limited to press. It covers variety of news media
such as radio, TV & cinema. The goal of press relations is to ‘build
understanding & knowledge’. It is not the favourable information which the
employer or client wants to get printed. All press material that is printed or
given to the journalist should be of value & interest of the readers, listeners or
viewers. The material is likely to be utilized and the resultant publicity will
70
eventually satisfy the client or employer.
Whenever a news release is prepared following important points should be kept

in mind.
1. The test of a PR story.
It implies to contain news worthiness i.e. the information should be of

interest to readers and is thus worth publishing.
2. Bad releases are bad PR.
A news release makes an image of the organization in the critical eye of

the editors. A severely bad written release will make a terrible
impression of the sender’s organization.
3. Good presentations.
Following 4 things contribute in maintain good relations with the press.
Releases should be composed in the style which will be acceptable by

journalists.
Release should be submitted in manuscript style and not in business

letter style.
Releases should be appropriate for the journals in which they are sent.
Journals must be carefully selected in which the press releases are sent
and should be sent in advance from the time of publication.
The first thing that you must do before developing a news release is to
ask yourself:
• What is the news? (Is this newsworthy?)
• Who is the target audience?
• What are the key messages I want to communicate?
• What are the objectives of sending out the news release?
Now the question arises how the news releases should be written?
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The simplest way to write a news release is to study newspaper reports

and observe how they are written. Following two basic characteristics will
be apparent from reading newspapers.
i. The subject is explained in the opening words.
ii. The opening paragraph gives a summary of the whole story.
7 Point Formula
It is defined as the key elements that a PRO must not forget while writing
a press or news release.
1. Subject - What is the story about?
2. Organization - What is the name of Organization? Its logo.
3. Location - Where is the organization located?
4. Advantages - What is new? What are the benefits?
5. Details – What are the colors, sizes, prices, performance figures or

other details?
6. Applications – What are the uses and who are the users?
7. Source – Is this different from location, e.g. location might be where

the work is done, source will be the head office.
Learn by memorising – (SOLADAS)
Elements of News Release
1. Company Logo
2. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: These words should appear at the top

left of the page, in upper case. If you don't want the story to be made
public yet, write "HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL ...." instead. Headline:
Just like a headline in a newspaper. Make sure this describes the
content of the story.
3. City, State/Country - Month Day, Year: These details precede the

story and orient the reader.
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4. Body: This is where the actual story goes. There should be more than
one paragraph, each paragraph no more than a few sentences. if
there is more than one page, write "-more-" at the bottom of the page.
5. Company/organisation info: Include any background information

about the company or organisation featuring in this press release.
(BOILER PLATE)
6. Contact Information: Include contact person, company name,

phone/fax, email, physical/postal address.
7. ENDS or ###: This indicates the end of the press release.
6 Points to remember to maintain Good Press Relations
A PR expert will follow the below mentioned steps in order to maintain good
relations with the press.
1. He will build two- way relationship.
2. He will try and build reputation and a sense of reliability.
3. He will always produce and provide a good copy.
4. Cooperating with the press in providing material.
5. Whenever required he will provide Verification Facilities.
6. The PR practitioner should develop personal rapport with the Media
How to write a Good News Release.
The following points must be considered while writing a good news release.
• Good press release should have short paragraphs, short sentences &
simple words.
• The story should not be more than ONE page.
• The superlatives should always be avoided ,such as “the world’s
biggest”
• Avoid vague generalizations like ‘economical - money saving” etc.
• Do not use cliches like “unique, wide range, this point in time “etc.
• Do not quote remarks from leaders unless they have something special
and or original to say.
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Presentation of a News Release.
For effective and authentic news release following points should never
be ignored as the release is a manuscript.
• Press releases should be typed on printed letter head.

• Important points should be given headlines.
• Subheadings will help in emphasizing points.
• Indented paragraphs will always give good looks and effective response.
• Capital Letters should be used only when necessary.
• Full points or full stops in abbreviations should only be used when
necessary.
• Underlining special points will help in easy identification.
• Figures will substantiate your message or claims.
• Dates are important for up to date information.
• Continuations will inform the reader that the story is still continuing.
• Quotation Marks are essential for quoting sayings.
• Authorship gives the ownership of the story or release.
Audio News Release or ANR (sometimes called a Radio News Release or

RNR), is by definition a :30 or :60 second produced audio news or feature
segment about your product, service, company or brand, that is distributed to
radio stations and networks. The most effective ANRs are concise, focused
messages with compelling news.
Usually, the recorded news releases feature voices of the organization’s

spokesperson or representative.
By sending out PR-focused, broadcast-quality video and audio news releases

with your written press releases, you can provide journalists ready-to-use
content and significantly increase the chances of getting your message heard.
Leading organizations often include audio messages in their PR toolbox that

can also include social media promotions, blog posts and videos
A VNR is a Video News Release. Basically, a press release in the form of

video and or audio, that is given to television or radio newsrooms for them to
use and edit as they see fit.
A video news release can give your organisation a distinct advantage over a
written formal press release. It will give a visual and audio guide to your story
rather than a written description.
A video news release should include the following as a starting point:

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1. Interviews with the principal people involved. An interview with the best
person to describe your story. This may not necessarily be the most senior
person.
2. Plenty of video sequences showing your story. Video sequences, cutaways

and images that best describe the story. Give them plenty of video for them to
edit into a story.
3. What are the benefits. Just because you think your story is amazing, the
news producers may not. Your new product has a new widget that saves you
millions, but does the widget save the planet? Does it provide more jobs?
4. Remember : who, where, what, why and when. This is basic, but this is what
any journalist starts to look at when covering any story. Give them this and they
will love you for it.
A video news release can really be as simple as that. But of course, depending
on the story you wish to tell there are many variations on the above ....
a. Interviews with the workforce
b. Vox pops ( what does the public think )
c. Radio / audio interviews
d. Show the product in use / reveal the benefits
Producing a good video news release is based on releasing to the press what
they will want to know, which is the facts. The facts about you, your company
or organisation, and facts about the story that you wish to tell.
Online Press Release/ SEO Press Release
A press release written for the online media with active hyperlinks, keywords,
social media attachments is online press/news release. Writing SEO-friendly
press release always starts from the fundamental of SEO – choosing your
keywords. You need to aim for the keywords that people will search for
regularly. Then, you can rank your content for that particular keyword.
Use Google Keyword Planner to look for the search volume of our targeted
keywords. Once you have your targeted keywords, make sure to include it in
your headline, summary, and content.
Social media press releases live online, rather than inside a pitch email. This
means that journalists and other influencers can:
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➢ Find your press releases via a simple Google search
➢ Link to them
➢ Share them on social media
The resulting bump in views is far from trivial. In fact, two-thirds of traffic to
social media press releases comes from social media and search. And adding
multimedia on top of that can boost your traffic even more.
PR Newswire found that press releases with multimedia get up to 9.7 times as
many views as text alone.
Types of News Release
Types of press release can be classified on the basis of content and time of
release.
On basis of Content
a. Standard news release
b. Media advisory
c. Photo opportunity notice
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d. Photo release
e. Public Service Announcement
a. Standard News Release: A standard news release is written when

information that is relevant, timely, and of interest to the public. It will be
seen as information that should be shared by the media to their
readers/audience. Use the standard news release format as a basis for all
the various releases (media advisories, photo opportunities, photo
releases).
Tips
• Decide what organizational and project key messages you would like
to communicate to the media.
• Talk about the organization or any person(s) mentioned in the third

person.
• A news release should never be more than two pages long and if you
can keep it to one page, that is even better.
• Use a standard Arial or Times New Roman font and keep the font
size of the body copy to 11 or 12 points.
• Always double-check your spelling and grammar. Many editors won’t

read something that has errors in it. Some immediately delete it.
b. Media Advisory: A media advisory is developed when hosting a

significant event and the organization aims to encourage media to come out
and report on the event. An event to celebrate a new initiative, an important
milestone for your project or the launch of a program are examples of when
this type of release could be used.
Tips
• Decide what key messages you would like to communicate through the
media to your target audience.
• Keep the format the same as the standard news release.
• Keep it short. (The media advisory should not go over one page.)
• It is a good idea to summarize the event in bold after the first paragraph.
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• Explain the details of the event. The who, what, when, and where of the
event is crucial. (The newsroom receives hundreds of releases in a day,
making it easy on them will help.)
• This release must be in the third person.
• Feel free to add your logo to the document.
• If there is a high profile individual presenting at the event, make sure this
is clearly communicated and let the media know if this person will be
available for interviews.
c. Photo Opportunity Notices: There may be times when you will have a
photo opportunity (or “photo op”) that could interest the media. (A celebrity
endorsing your initiative or a large community participating in an event are a
few examples.)
Tips
• Ask yourself if you have a realistic opportunity to attract media with

your photo idea. (Is your photo op event and idea newsworthy, is it
highly visual, does it make a statement?)
• Decide on the best location (as central as possible to make it

convenient for media) and the best way to do the photo op to
generate the most publicity possible.
• Decide what organizational and event key messages you would like
to distribute to the media.
• Keep the format for the photo op the same as the standard news
release.
• Keep it short. (This should not go over one page. If you can’t explain
a photo op in one page, media most likely won’t be interested.)
• It is a good idea to summarize the photo op in bold after the first
paragraph. (The newsroom receives hundreds of releases in a day,
making it easy on them will help.)
• Explain the photo op. the who, what, when, and where of the photo
op is crucial.
d. Photo Release: A photo release is developed when one has captured

an image that tells a newsworthy story. The photo release and image
are sent to media that did not come to the photo op or event, to
provide them with a professionally shot photo and brief information
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that they may still publish. A photo release is distributed with an image
and the heart of the story is told through the image, not through the
news release.
Tips
• Decide what organizational and event key messages you would like to
distribute to the media.
• Keep the format for the photo release the same as the standard news
release, but much shorter.
• A photo release should never be more than one paragraph long.
• Offer a photo caption to help save time for the media. Ensure you have
the key messages you want publicized in this caption. Include names
and titles of anyone in the photo. The media may use this caption word
for word or write their own.
• Offer a photo credit. (List the person who took the photograph and the
organization they are from.)
e. Public Service Announcement: A public service announcement

(PSA) runs on television or radio and can be offered at no charge,
although changes in the media industry recently have seen media
outlets charging for this service.
Tips
• Write short and compelling content. These are usually 15

second spots, make each word count.
• Repeat the name of the event or organization two or three

times, if possible.
• Add a call to action. Ask for help, get people to contact you, ask
them to come to your event, etc.
• Provide contact information. Make sure the viewer or listener

has a website to visit and/or a number to call for more
information.
On basis of Timing
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There are two types of press releases: advance press release and follow
- up. Advance Releases: are released before the event. They generally
announce the event and/or serve as reminders in support of other
advertising efforts.
Follow-up Releases: present news that has happened.
Anatomy of News Release
Other tools of Maintain Media Relations
PRO acts as a bridge between his management and media as he is the one
responsible to understand the need of his organization as well as provide
newsworthy content to media. As the media coverage depends on the kind of
media relations an organization has.
Good media relations are maintained only through honest communication with
the readers, listeners and viewers. He has to develop skills in media relations
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such as writing for media, organizing media events like press conferences,
press briefings, press tours etc.
Media relations form the most basic activity of public relations. Media relations,
in fact, take a good part of the practitioner’s working day and are exacting in
their demand.
________________________________________________________________
1. A _______________________ is generally used as an occasion

for the release of news simultaneously to all media, provided the
subject is newsworthy.
2. Press briefings can be both _________________ and
_________________.
3. ‘An exhibition is an expensive medium.’ Is the statement true or

false?
_______________________________________________________________
2.7 Summing Up
Like public relations, media relations is also aimed at creation of mutual

understanding between an organization and the media as a measure to
get fair coverage for the activities of the organization. PR practitioner –
PR Manager/Media Relations Manager – is a link between the
management and the media. He has to understand the requirements of
both the organisation and the media to serve them effectively. Media
relations may be described as the art of persuading the press for
ensuring effective coverage through news oriented and creative
information service. Keep in constant touch with key media and media
persons. Keep the media contact lists up-to-date. Fulfill media requests
for information, photographs and send them on priority. Be friendly and
helpful to every media throughout.
1. Press Conference
2. Proactive and Reactive

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3. True
1. What is a Press Conference? When should one organize a press

conference?
2. Write short notes on the following:
a. Press briefings
b. Press tours
c. Exhibition
d. Open Days

Higher Education

3.10 Keywords
1. Press Conference: A news conference or press conference is a

media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them
speak and, most often, ask questions. A joint press conference
instead is held between two or more talking sides.
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LESSON 3: Tools & Techniques for Public Relations: House

Journal, Bulletin Board, Visit by Management, Open House
and Annual Reports, Exhibitions
________________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Internal Media
3.3 External Media
3.4 Summing Up
3.8 Keywords
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3. Tools & Techniques for Public Relations: House Journal,

Bulletin Board, Visit by Management, Open House and
Annual Reports, Exhibitions
____________________________________________________________________
In this lesson shall discuss different forms of internal and external media.
____________________________________________________________________
3.0 Objectives
• Describe the different tools and techniques for PR
• Describe the importance of each PR tools and techniques
3.1 Introduction
Public relations is the art of building mutual understanding between the

organization and its various publics. “Publics” in Public Relations parlance
mean those group or groups of people whose opinion has direct bearing on the
functioning of an organization. Publics will vary according to the type of
organization. Tin order to reach these “Publics” the PR expert has to choose
the media and the channels which will be most suitable and cost effective. In
order to make communication effective, you have to keep in view the
message, the media and the audience.
For reaching out to the public at large, we need to use the mass media like TV,
radio, the Press and films. Through the medium of house journals, we can
reach both internal and external publics. In order to promote the products or
the services of a company, various types of promotional literature like
brochures, point of purchase material and direct mail can be made use of.
Through exhibitions, trade fairs, special events and open houses, we can
attract people to appreciate our activities.
Media relations form an important part of the PR activity. It is through the

media that public relations can reach out to a large audience at a negligible
cost.
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PR also involves all the things we do to build a connection with people. You do
PR every day, through your actions, your attitude, your words, and your
reputation.
When we talk of PR tools, these are nothing but the means, media, and
practices PR persons use to communicate with public. And a PR person’s
communication is not only confined to the conventional communication, but it
is done through spoken words, written words, audio cassettes or video
cassettes, exhibition, etc. these also include actions, activities, incentives, etc.
3.2 Internal Media
Channels for employee communication: This probably is the only branch of

public relations in which the PR practitioner has complete control. Internal
communication often requires designing and producing and the media
material, which may include a whole range of employee magazines, films, AVs
instruction materials, safety manuals, corporate identity manuals, bulletin
boards, etc.
Communicating with the employees
The main purposes of employee communication are:
• To keep them informed about the developments through circulars,

notices, briefings, etc
• To keep the communication effective so that the employees develop a
sense of belongingness
Thus, this communication needs to be very honest, and must make the
employees feet that the organization belongs to them. It is essential that an
average employee should develop a feeling that his services are also
honoured in the organization.
Which medium is best for which message and vice versa are eternal questions
that haunt professional communicators. According to expert view, the
effectiveness of internal public relations largely depends on:
• Candid/Open management
• Recognition by management of the value and importance of employee

communication.
Let us look at some of the popular media for internal communication.
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1. Notice boards: Notice boards reflect organization’s life and mission. It is

the most effective, dynamic and powerful tool of organizational communication.
Notice boards can be used to help keep people in touch with your work offer
information, like minutes of meetings or remind people about dates of event.
They are the common tools of an organization where the office displays the
notices for its employees. Employees normally at least glance through the
notice board. This way it becomes a useful tool in reaching the employees.
Lengthy notices should be avoided because employees by nature do not
spend more time in front of the notice board.
For planning notice board it is essential that one identifies the purpose of
notice board by finding answers to following questions:
• Why do we want to have a notice board?
• What is our aim?
• What specific function or functions do we want our notice board to serve?
• Who will look at our notice board?
• What are their needs?

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• How can we best go about meeting their needs?
• Who will take responsibility for maintaining an attractive, relevant and

updated notice board?
• How often will it be updated?
• How will we know if we have achieved our aims with our notice board?
Tips on keeping an effective notice board
1. It is important to keep a notice board that: Is newsworthy.
2. Has appropriate items on it for your audience.
3. Is regularly updated – know who in your organisation is responsible for

this.
4. Is attractive.
5. Is uncluttered.
6. Is clearly set out.
2. Exhibition
An Exhibition covers a very diverse series of events, ranging from major

international trade fair to small local activities organized by a community. An
exhibition can be general or specific in nature. E.g. India International Trade Fair
which is organized every year by the Indian Trade Promotion Authority at Pragati
Maidan in New Delhi.
Exhibition helps in publicizing the image of the company as well as the country. It
can become a meeting point potential as well as existing customers. They can
identify new sales areas/outlets. New products can be introduced and the
feedback of the customers can be collected instantly. It also helps assess the
performance of the competitors in terms of product, service and presentation.
Exhibition and fairs can also help in booking orders. In fact products can be
exhibited and demonstrated in a relaxed atmosphere. The prospective
customers are generally in a “buying mood”.
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An exhibition is an expensive medium. The costs include expenditure towards
space, designing, construction of stall, delivery, withdrawal of exhibits
hospitability, etc. Hence, it becomes necessary to plan it well to obtain
substantial returns in terms of exposures.
3. Open Days
An ‘Open day’ is an important tool to build rapport with the

community/neighbourhood where the plant is located. It is also a traditional way
of building up pride and morale among your employees and their families. The
PR Department organizes visits of employees’ families and of the community at
large to the plant to see the product manufacturing and other facets of a plant on
a few days in a year which are described as ‘open days’. Such visits are
accompanied by hospitality of the pant owners.
The Delhi Milk scheme, when it was set up, organized open houses for school
children. The children were treated to flavoured milk on their visits. Similarly,
Coca Cola organized such visits. The visitors were also given mementoes of
bottle openers or trays with “Coca Cola” logo imprinted on them.
Open houses and tours of the plant should be geared to a wide range of
audiences, from plant neighbours to elected representatives to parliament,
legislative assemblies share holders and special interest groups.
4. Special Events
Special events are the most visible component of a community relations

programme. The events, however, must be well chosen. A special event should
reinforce key messages that you are communicating at your target audience.
Special events can range from participating in a community related activity to

sponsoring a national or international event. The India Tobacco (ITC), one of the
leading corporate sector organizations in India, organizes a music concert every
year known as “ITC Sangeet Sammelan”. Similarly a number of companies
sponsor World Cricket Cup events.
Organizing a special event can be cumbersome. In order to make it a success,

the event has to be planned to the minutest detail. A checklist would include:
b) Deciding the objectives
c) Date, time and venue
d) List the celebrities and the guest of honour if one is to be invited.
e) List of invitees including the media

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f) Programme details
g) Organizers/volunteers with specific and clear-cut duties
h) Background material and press kit
i) Transportation
j) Hospitality
k) VIP security, if required
l) Informing the local administration, police and ambulance in case of

emergency
m) Working out entry and exit routes, parking, etc.
n) Stocktaking of the event once it is over
5. Internal Correspondence Memos: Memo is the short name for

memorandum. It is an accurate, brief, official written message that is sent within
an organization. It is used memos to send a message to people within your
organization to convey a short, clear message about one topic. It can be sent to
one person, a department, or all staff.
Memos are used to:
1. Remind or inform people inside your organization about something.
2. Asks people inside the organization to do something.
3. Ask for information.
4. Encourage, motivate or persuade.
Tips on writing effective memos
1. A memo should include, in this order:
• Who the sender is, including a department if appropriate.
• Who the receiver is, including a department if appropriate.
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• The date.
• A clear, short heading that captures exactly what the memo is about.
• The message – very clearly and concisely.
• The signature of the person writing the memo.
2. As it is an internal document, you do not need to include your organization’s

address and contact details.
3. Memo must be as short as possible – certainly not longer than a page.
4. It should to be direct and to the point.
5. Use a language, style and tone that will not offend.
6. Always bear in mind the objective of your memo. What do you want the
receiver/s to know, think, feel or do after they have read it.
7. Try not to use all CAPITAL LETTERS, underlining, bold lettering or italics for
the main part of your memo. The first three may come across to the reader as
if you are shouting at them. And italics is more difficult to read.
6. Minutes of the Meeting:
Minutes are important documents in the smooth running of the organization, so

the opportunity to write them in way that will helps the organization run more
effectively can be an exciting challenge. Minutes are an official record of a
meeting.
Minutes are important because they:
Are a record of your organization’s work – for present and future reference.
Reflect decisions made in a meeting.
Are like action notes that members of your organization can refer to in carrying
out their day-to-day work.
Help remind people to do the tasks they have been given responsibility for,
and help the organization to hold those people accountable.
Help the next meeting to pick up on matters arising to monitor progress.
Inform those who were absent from the meeting as to what decisions were
taken.
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Minutes should mainly record:
The agenda of the meeting.
Who attended the meeting and who sent apologies.
When and where the meeting was held, and at what time.
Whether previously decided actions were implemented, and if so, the

outcomes and consequences – as matters arising.
What was discussed (in brief).
Outcome of the discussion – decisions taken, points noted.
What action the meeting decided to take, by whom and by when.
Time of closure, date, time and venue for the next meeting.
Structure of minutes Model minutes:
1. Include an agenda.
2. Include who was present and who sent apologies.
3. Have clear numbering of main issues, and sub-numbering in line with them so
that they are easy to refer to.
4. Record action decisions in a way that they stand out, for example by using
italics or bold.
5. Action decisions should state who is responsible for doing something and by
when.
6. Minutes should include a summary of action decisions and referrals.
7. Minutes should be distributed within one week of the meeting.
Tips to help You will be able to write really effective minutes if you:
1. Are aware of the important role you play as minute-writer.
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2. Are familiar with the issues to be discussed.
3. Prepare yourself before the meeting – become familiar with the content area,
issues, previous minutes and agenda.
4. Clarify with the chairperson, at the beginning of the meeting, what kind of
minutes you are expected to take.
5. If a full recording of the meeting is required, suggest they organize a tape

recorder.
6. Suggest decisions-made and action-orientated minutes.
7. Clarify which documents presented at the meeting, or other relevant

documents, should be included as attachments.
8. Sit next to the chairperson so that it is easy to communicate.
9. Have a clear agenda.
10. Have a clear structure for your minutes, and, for regular meetings, standard
headings.
This Includes title, date, time, venue, names, agenda contents list, and other
relevant information e.g region, union of those present, nothing apologies and
matters arising.
11. Are clear about the purpose of each agenda item
12. Number each different agenda item in such a way that your reader can easily
refer to the number when raising an issue in the next meeting.
13. Circulate an attendance register and make sure that by the end of the
meeting, every person present has signed it appropriately.
14. Develop your own shorthand if you do not have one.
7. Induction Literature/ Information kiosks: For the new staff, an overview of

the organization, how it works, its various product ranges, locations, hierarchy
in management and functions can be explained in an introductory booklet.
With technological advances, one may also set up electronic information
kiosks, which function at the touch of a button.
8. House Journal: Known by various nomenclatures as news bulletin, news

magazine, employee newsletter, house journal or magazine is a means of
reaching a particular set of publics, with certain written material, at a particular
periodicity.
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A house journal is a very effective tool of employee relations. A good house

journal is always a complementary to the efforts of the public relations
department. A house journal reflects professionalism of a PR department and
mirrors the entire philosophy of the organization. House journal is a publication
of the organization for internal circulation and is made a platform for its
employees to:
• Ventilate the views of the employees
• Highlight their suggestions
• Accommodate their and their family members literary skill
• Publish about the talents among the employees by which they get due
recognition
• Facilitate two way communication among the authority and the employees
• Introduce columns which demands lot of participation from its audiences

(employees)
Normally, house journals carry the viewpoint of the top management. The
pages are filled with the speeches and photographs of the top brass of the
organization.
A house journal should also be a storehouse of all the information about the
organization. This way the house journal can provide all the relevant
information to the employees. There are no hard and fast rules as to what it
should contain. In fact, the content depends on the overall environment of an
organization.
The house journal of an open company will have a two-way flow of

communication between the management and the employees, while a look at
the house journal of a closed company will reflect one-way communication.
A PR practitioner should be careful to follow a conscious policy and formulate

objectives when he plans to publish a house journal. A house journal can
cover topics in a number of areas and can be sent to employees as well as
distributors, agents, opinion-makers and other external publics. Larger
companies can have separate journals for internal and external publics. The
bottom-line for a house journal, is to satisfy the needs and interests of its
readers.
A PR person in an organization is ideally the editor of the house journal. For

publishing a house journal, let us consider the following steps:
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Planning: Develop a concept that serves the country best. The decision about
size, format and periodicity may be taken. The popular formats are tabloids
and magazines. While getting management’s approval, a format presentation
should ideally include suggested titles, masthead design, some page
dummies, suggested paper and an indication of the expenditure envisaged.
Organizing: Organizing is all about putting together a network. Once the

management’s approval has been taken, the PR practitioner must set about
organizing staff to get going with the job. Depending on the size of the PR
Department at the corporate office and the availability of PR staff at projects,
proper networking for news gathering should be made. In the absence of
regular staff, it is advisable to develop a band of “freelancers’ for writing. One

can also take inputs from the employees. The immediate step is to work out a
strict schedule for collection, writing of stories, production and printing.
Publishing: A professional PR practitioner plans several issues ahead in

addition to the one being worked upon. As an editor, the PR practitioner must
inculcate the habit of reaching out to people and places. Every good house
journal should have a definite “personality” and that is the responsibility of the
PR man.
Distribution: A journal loses its value if it does not reach the targeted public
on time. The quickest and most economical means possible must be selected
to reach out to readers. Some organizations distribute the journal at place of
work, while others mail it to employees’ home.
A PR practitioner must appreciate the importance of feedback. Organized

feedback through a questionnaire survey could be undertaken to examine the
extent to which employees are satisfied with the publication. The house journal
can also have employee feedback through letters from readers.
9. Closed-circuit television: Closed circuit or in-house TV is a good medium

linking up a scattered audience. Visuals within an organization can be used to
train, inform, motivate, and entertainment.
Some of the leading organizations - to name a few, the National Thermal

Power Corporation, the Steel Authority of India, and the India Tobacco
Company, have gone foe video magazines for employee communication. The
content include management’s point of view on various issues, company
performance, welfare measures, human interest stories and community PR
glimpses. However, video magazines have not replaced printed house
journals. They complement each other.
10. Idea Boxes: Boxes are placed at vantage points for employees to put in
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their ideas for improving systems for better working or even for complaints.
When sifted and seen closely these serve as an important medium in tracking
employee perception.
11. Shop-floor discussions: Interpersonal communication, also referred to as

eyeball-to-eyeball communication, probably is the best form communication
but not always feasible. However, at shop floors it can easily be organized to
facilitate the staff to speak their mind to the higher echelons in the hierarchy.
During such discussions it is easy to see the feedback and the points of views
of both the management and employees.
12. Visits by management: The companies which have their projects at

many locations must ensure that their managements from the headquarters
visit the various units and speak to employees so that they do not have the
feeling of remoteness.
13. Clubs and Societies: In order to encourage fraternity and to cut across
official hierarchies, it is important that employees socialize and share common
interest through sports clubs, literary societies, etc.
14. Methods of Oral Communication: it is generally used as a medium in

employee communication for training them or informing them about company’s
policies. It is an effective, speedy and cheap means of communication within
an organization.
a) Meetings: is defined as coming together of two or more persons. It is planned

in advance by sending notices containing agenda well in advance to members
to enable them to prepare for the meeting. The chairman must initiate, direct
and control discussions and facilitate reaching at conclusion.
b) Speeches: the preparation and delivery of speeches is part of PROs job. PR
department must form speaker bureau from among the volunteer speakers
who are executives of the company and possess competence on relevant
subject. The department must help in research, speech writing and training the
executives. The topics should be newsworthy and of interest for the public.
Communication with Investors
People invest money in a company in form of shares. There are two types of
shareholders, first being the institutional investors and the other is an individual.
These institutional normally collect money from different individuals in the form of
savings, which they invest in a company. So these investors are very important
public. The primary job of the PR department is to communicate effectively with its
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investor’s explaining the background in order to attract understanding and
maintain the organization’s credibility. It is also important that this understanding
should extend to ensuring that the audience appreciates what is being done and
why. Because sometimes even successful businesses are not always fully
appreciated, so openness should always be maintained to appreciate the
investors regarding its strengths. In these days of image orientation, companies
always try to remain in the news. Time to time they make major announcements
about acquisition or disposal, changes in major shareholders, rights issues, and
whenever there is a major change at board level. Again, throughout the year,
except during the closing periods, the directors, meet the media, analysts, and
institutional investors to discuss the progress of the organization.
Annual general meetings: they give proper opportunity of talking about the
future. In the annual general body meeting, an investor, however small his holding
might be, gets a chance to ask questions and meet the directors of the company.
Newsletters: this is another medium to keep the investors and of course the
analysts and financial journalists (who write for different financial journals and
newspapers) abreast of developments. Newsletters need not carry all the financial
information or documents. However, it can update readers on new products, major
investments, etc.
Visits: these are always very effective tool of communication. To make a person
appraise of the prosperity or development of a company, he should be given an
opportunity to assess it for himself. To get a better deal from the analysts and
financial journalists they should be taken for a visit to the premises of the
company.
3.3 External Media
Media which is used for publicity are called the mass-media. As the name
suggests, Mass Media are those media which reach the mass spread over a
vast area simultaneously. The Press, TV, Radio, Films and documentaries
among others, comprise the publicity media. Choice of publicity media will,
however, depend on the needs of the organization and aims of publicity, kind
of audience to be reached and the aims of publicity, kind of audience to be
reached and available budget.
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Communicating with the Media
Communication with the press is very important. It is the media through which
people forms an opinion about a company. Again most of the public gets
information about the company through media. Thus, in most instances it is
through the media that the message is channelized to the ultimate target
audiences.
Research and planning: media relations begin with research. A PR practitioner

has to answer questions like, what makes the firm’s activities more interesting
than its competitors. What is the company’s expertise? Thus, a PR practitioner
should know which of these possible elements would translate most effectively
into a news story that will help achieve the overall communication goals. Once
the PR practitioner is confident of the objectives of the programmes and the
themes or ideas to be presented then the appropriate media is to be identified.
Media directories are available. However, one needs to go beyond this. Care
should be taken regarding stories that need to be dealt with some newspaper
exclusively according to the geographical area or field of interest.
1. Publicity Media
Referred to as the Fourth Estate, the Press wields enormous power and clout
in society. In the life of an organization it plays a significant role, enabling it to
reach out to various categories of external publics. Press relations are in fact
the proverbial acid test for PR practitioners. Many PR person has been fired
for mishandling the Press. To make PR and the Press complement each other
is not impossible.
The press in India has grown in size, circulation and specialization at all levels
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– national, regional and local. Besides the business/financial dailies the
national and local dailies tool have regular columns on industry, trade,
development etc. Thus, publicity through the press is a popular and effective
tool with maximum impact. The government, public and private sectors, and
non-profit organizations use columns of newspaper to disseminate information
to their publics.
There is growing crop of specialized magazines catering to professional

groups, business and industry. The explosion of magazines is seen even in
regional languages for new audience with new interests. Besides the general
circulation magazines and new magazine, there are periodicals catering to
lucrative market of consumers, shareholders, tourism, textiles, women,
computers, automobiles, etc. magazines have become livelier glossier and
interpretative in content.
In order to be credible, it is important to be knowledgeable. The first step which

a PR person should take is to acquaint himself fully with the organization he is
working for. To begin with, he should develop his own organization as his
“beat”.
Secondly, the PR person should need not to be a technical person, even if the
organization is technical in nature like companies producing scientific,
chemical or precision products. He being communication expert will help the
organization in putting across the most technical issues in the common man’s
language through the media. And the media appreciates contribution of this
nature.
Press relations cannot be built overnight. It is a continuous process. To be

successful in this respect, a PR person must go beyond and the Press release
relationship. Press briefing and informal meets help develop a lasting
relationship. Writing Press releases itself is an art.
PR through Press
1.PR person as a spokesperson of the organization decides on how and when

the activities of the organization are to be projected to the public through
press.
2.Information can be given in forms like press release, feature articles,

backgrounders, letters to the editors etc.
3.PRO must ensure that information is complete and newsworthy.
a. News/ Press Release: News from the organizations, also known as press
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releases is a common type of publicity material. Organization acts like a

source for media and therefore the organisation should provide the news and
facts which are of interest to the readers.
The following instructions should be kept in mind while preparing a press

release:
• Mention the name of the organization, address and telephone number

along with the sender’s name, designation, etc.
• The date of release should also be indicated.
• Content should be newsworthy, error-free and written in a journalistic
style and typed on one side of the sheet only.
• It should be brief and unambiguous.
• It should have a headline.
• It should be released well on time for publication.
News Kit: it includes news release, glossy black and white photographs (with
identifying information attached to each print), color film clips or slides for
television (also clearly identified), color transparencies with suggested captions
for magazines or newspapers that are printed in color.
Other things that should be included are maps, charts, graphs, speeches,
biographical information on individuals mentioned in the news release,
newsletters, company magazines, brochures, annual reports, list of sources to
contact for additional information. Distribution itself is very important. It could
be done during the press conference, or through regular mail, through special
messengers or personal delivery by the PR practitioner himself.
b. Editorials: A public relations person, having good rapport with the media
and having sufficient persuasive skills, can recommend subjects for editorials
by providing background material and suggesting possible lines of approach.
Newsworthy material on special events, anniversaries, landmarks achieved,
major policy changes or any controversial issues could serve as themes for
editorials.
Columnists are always on the lookout for newsworthy material. At the same time,
industry, trade and business houses often need publicity through feature articles to
fulfill their marketing objectives. A feature or article thus becomes an ideal tool to
talk about a common problem and suggest their product as the solution. These
articles could be prepared by the public relations personnel or got done through a
columnist by appropriate briefing.
c. Letter to the Editor: This yet another means that could be used by the public
relations person to put forward the views of the organization to inform people to
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correct a wrong impression. Since letters to the editors are a feedback from the
public those letters which make a forceful point do get published without difficulty.
d. Writing a Feature Story: A feature is meant to be evergreen. It can have an

indefinite shelf life to enable it to be used when needed by the media, and does
not rely on when it is sent out. Features are often about how we live, love, and
learn. Items on food, travel, pets, home improvement and health, for example, are
among the many topics that lend themselves well to features. However, features
can also be used by small businesses and entrepreneurs for business-to-business
messages or when a consumer focus is not applicable. Many trade and technical
magazines look for features that tell a compelling story or provide factual
guidance, and do not read like an advertisement.
General Guidelines for a Feature Story
1. Look for a feature angle that will interest readers
2. Talk to the source, uncover the story
3. Identify up to three types of editors you want to target
4. Keep most paragraphs to under 30 words
5. Make the feature useable verbatim if cut after the second paragraph
6. Write in laymen's language.
7. Avoid superlatives, jargon and excessive mentions of a brand name.
2. Television
The advent of television has been a watershed in the world of communication. A

force to reckon with, television has great scope as a publicity medium. A medium
which allows the use of printed word, the spoken word, pictures in motion, colour,
music, animation, and sound effects, all blended in one message.
How to prepare Publicity material for TV?
i. The starting point is to understand the working of various TV

channels available and their programme content.
ii. One needs to decide dispassionately what aspect of our company is

newsworthy.
iii. Arrange producer for the programme.
iv. Follow inverted pyramid style.

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v. As TV is a visual medium, the subject has to be colorful and action-

oriented.
vi. A dull meeting, a panel discussion or a laboratory discovery (unless it

has movements) are not subjects for making TV news releases.
vii. A video news release (VNR) will not be accepted if it is too sales-
oriented or looks and sounds like a commercial.
viii. The best approach is to make an informational clip which has news
value for the viewer.
ix. The name of the organization should appear incidentally.
x. Ideally a news release should not exceed 90 seconds.
xi. After the film footage is shot, the edited version will need a voice
cast, music, etc., which should be carefully selected.
xii. One can also send an edited chip with a written script indicating the visual
input in the film alongside to enable the newsreader to lend his/her voice.
xiii. On special occasions, say a landmark, a VIP visit, or a crisis situation like
an accident,fire or sabotage, the TV team may approach the PR person to
allow shooting.
3. Radio
The radio like TV can be a close ally of a PR practitioner. A mobile medium,

the radio receiver has a flexibility which no other medium can match.
How can the radio be used as PR medium?
1. News bulletins are broadcast over the radio at fixed intervals throughout
the day, both on national and local frequencies.
2. Organizations can use the medium to by sending Press releases

relating to their performance and development. AIR’s code, however, rules
out the mention of the name of a private company in news bulletin or news
reel. News is selected by the broadcast based on its newsworthiness to
listeners.
3. A radio news release or audio news release (ANR) should be written in

radio style so that it can it can be used by an announcer without much
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editing.
4. Besides news, AIR has a number of programs pertaining to industry,

current affairs and panel discussions which can be well utilized by a PR
practitioner. In fact, AIR especially the local stations look for development
stories.
5. Public relations personnel can serve as a news source for the

broadcasting stations. Popular programmes can be sponsored by the
company.
4. Films
The film, first the silent and then the talkie in the earlier part of this century,
represents one of the most significant landmarks in the development of mass
communication. Film/documentaries can be made on formats like 35mm,
16mm and video. As PR practitioner, one does not need to be an expert film-
make, but he should have a working knowledge of the medium. This will help
him decide the line of approach, the format treatment and, of course, the
budgeting and appropriation funds etc.
How films can be used for publicity?
i.It can be used for both internal and external public.
ii.It could be a corporate film or documentary on the organization.
iii.One can sponsor film for Film Division under ministry of I&B.
iv.PRO can provide guidelines on Content, aim of the film, length, background
material etc.
v. It can be used for training employees, educating consumers, safety

precautions or coverage of special occasion.
vi. Video tapes can be used for communicating with a variety of publics like
employees, shareholders, specially invited audiences or the general public
during exhibitions, etc.
vii. One can make news clips, documentaries or films to reach out to specific
publics as the occasion demands.
5. New Technology/ Internet
Social media is rapidly gaining popularity and its use is becoming more
widespread. The technology advances have provided a platform for
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communication, and on a global level, people have embraced this opportunity

to reach out, to collaborate, to speak and to listen.
a. Blog – The term "blog" is a contraction of "web log." Blog can also be used as
a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. A blog is a website (or a
component of a website) where entries are made in journal style and displayed
in reverse chronological order. Blogs often provide commentary or news within
a community of interest such as food, politics, or local news. Some blogs
function as more personal online diaries. They are most often written by
individuals, but attract others to post their thoughts in response to the blogger’s
ideas and opinions, creating interaction and discussion. Blogs may have few
readers or they may have hundreds, thousands or—for the “A” list blogs—
millions of readers. An effective blog encourages dialog with other bloggers
and readers. They combine text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages,
and other media related to its topic. Blogs are normally used as an external
communication tool, allowing the general public to access and respond to your
blog.
How blogs are used for publicity?
• Blogs are being used to effectively put forward new ideas and ask for
community response, to discuss changes and trends related to their
initiatives and to connect with their community in an open and honest
manner.
• Blogs are a two-way street and can help provide information, as well as
receive straightforward and honest feedback.
• Blogs open conversations.
• By writing about your industry, reviewing products, providing company

news, and commenting on various business and economics issues, your
blog is a ready source of news stories. By writing in a style that reflects
your personality, along with your expertise in the industry, journalists will
consider you to be an industry expert.
b. Forums – An Internet forum is a facility on the Web for holding discussions.

Internet forums are also commonly referred to as web message boards,
discussion boards, discussion forums, discussion groups and bulletin boards.
Forums can be used both internally and externally. A sense of virtual
community often develops around forums that have regular users. Technology,
computer games, and politics are popular areas for forum themes, but there
are forums for a large number of different topics. Forums have been around for
a long time. A blog can actually be viewed as a class of forum with a single
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moderator and topic author.
Forums are like social mixers, where everyone is at equal level, milling
about and discussing with others. These many to many communication tools
allow anyone to start a topic and anyone to respond to one. Members are often
at equal level, and content is usually segmented by topic. (rather than by
people).
How forums are used for publicity?
• Often forums are the first step in connecting both local and geographically
diverse individuals with similar interests.
• Forums are often used to facilitate communications between members of an

online community.
• The second step is bringing them together in-person at an event or activity that
involves their interest.
c. Podcasts (audio) – It refers to an audio file distributed over the Internet using
similar syndication feeds as blogs. They are available for download, comment
and review. Its ability to be downloaded automatically using software capable
of reading feeds like RSS sets it apart from audio in other digital format.
d. Vodcasts (video) – Vodcasts applying video to podcast is referred to as

vodcasts. It gives an opportunity to use audio and video to communicate to a
large audience in a time-shifted manner. Vodcasts are a positive opportunity to
create a connection with an audience using visuals.
e. Vlogs (video logs) – Vlogs are a casual video diary. A vlog can provide a
personal visual glimpse into the life of a person working for a business or
organization, or it can provide a daily update of a project that feels like face-to-
face communication. Like a blog, a vlog also asks for feedback and input and
creates a collaborative environment.
f. RSS (really simple syndication) – RSS is a simple system that allows users
to subscribe to their favourite websites, blogs, podcasts or vodcasts. Using
RSS, webmasters can put their content into a standardized format, which can
be viewed and organized through RSS-aware software.
How RSS feeds are used for publicity?
• Subscriber gets the information through the feed he has subscribed.
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• It provides a headline and two or three sentences of specific articles and

information that is currently appearing on the Internet.
• It allows the subscriber to decide if this article may be of interest to them. If

it is, they click on the link and get the whole article, or they can choose to
bypass this information.
• RSS feeds enable users to see what’s new on a website without having to
visit the URL.
• New updates are immediately registered in the user’s RSS reader.
g. Facebook
Facebook provides you with an opportunity to engage with your target

audience in a relevant and meaningful way.
How facebook is used for publicity?
• By regularly updating the content.
• By sharing tweets and links to the blog and website.
• Get the fans commenting by asking them questions or include a poll in

your Facebook content.
• Ask for their opinion.
• Add new and interesting photos with captions regularly.
• Take time out to acknowledge the comments both negative and

positive.
• Social media is about conversations, not the one-way broadcast of

information from you to them.
h. Twitter
Twitter is a free social network and micro-blogging service that allows

participants to send 140-character tweets (messages) to connect with other
users (known as followers) who subscribe to them. Users can send and
receive tweets via the Twitter website, text messaging, or other online
external applications. By its nature, Twitter is a viral mechanism in that it
leverages the concept of word-of-mouth-marketing by enabling an
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immediate reach to followers, who then can reach their followers. Benefits
of Twitter include:
• Speed – information can be disseminated very quickly.
• Broad reach potential – a network of networks can be quite vast.
• Targeted reach potential – there is a growing number of niche

interest groups on Twitter, including environment and social
responsibility.
• Collaboration – more and more professionals are using Twitter to

network, build relationships, and look for mutually beneficial
collaboration opportunities.
• Continued growth as a conversation medium – developers have

open access to the Twitter program code and can create new
applications to better access, measure, and use Twitter.
i. YouTube
Set up a YouTube channel for your organization and upload videos that
stakeholders and your target market would be interested in seeing. Link to
the video from other social media tools like Twitter and your blog. You can
also upload the videos to your Facebook page.
___________________________________________________________________
1. List the Media for External Communication.
3.4 Summing Up
In this lesson we studied about tools a PR professional uses to reach its

internal and external publics.
3.5 Answers to Self- Check Questions
1. Annual reports, Printed literature, Brochure, Other publicity and promotional

literature, Direct Mail, Minutes of a meeting, Speech writing.
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1. What is the difference between Internal and External PR media?
2. What should be kept in mind while preparing a press release?
3. What do you understand by editorials and Letter to Editors?
4. Comment on some of the popular media for internal communication

Education

3.8 Keywords
1. Brochure: A small book or magazine containing pictures and information

about a product or service.
2. Minutes of the Meeting: Minutes, also known as protocols or, informally,

notes, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing.
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LESSON 4: Use of Digital Media and Emerging trends in PR

________________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Digital Media
4.3 The Digital Media takeover
4.4 Traditional PR
4.5 Digital PR
4.6 The Importance of Social Media for Web Traffic & the emerging Trend
4.7 Case Study
4.8 Summing up
4.12 Keywords
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4. Use of Digital Media and Emerging trends in PR

_____________________________________________________________
In this lesson shall discuss the emerging trends in PR and the use of digital
media.
_______________________________________________________________
4.0 Objectives
• Describe the different tools and techniques for PR
• Describe the importance of each PR tools and techniques
4.1 Introduction
Public Relations has trespassed the traditional boundaries of interacting with

the press through news releases and media interactions. These aspects still
form a major part of creating visibility and a solid reputation for the brand. But
in the age of digital media, PR goes beyond this and encompasses digital
marketing services as well. SEO services, marketing tactics and refine online
campaigns aggressively for the most widespread reach and engagement.
4.2 What is Digital Media?
As something so new in today’s world, digital media production is not

something often talked about. Yet it is such an integral aspect of today’s
society. You see digital media everywhere and all the time in our daily lives, on
our phones, our computers and our televisions. As such, it demands to be
talked about. Digital media is defined as digitized content that can be
transferred through the internet, computer networks and various electronic
devices. This includes websites, digital images, video and audio, as well as
video games and social media
4.3 The Digital Media Takeover
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Traditional media, such as television, newspapers and magazines, are on
the downfall. Why? A lot of it can be blamed on the displacement of
consumption to online websites, apps and videos. Instead of turning on cable
TV, the younger generation prefers to watch Netflix, Hulu and Youtube.
Instead of reading a newspaper, youth prefer to use their phones and read
online articles and share Facebook posts. It is now becoming increasingly
important for traditional media companies to become digitally relevant on
social media in order to reach out to a younger demographic.
The rise of digital media marks not only a worldwide movement, but also the
creation of an entirely new industry. This opens up a plethora of opportunity for
those seeking to work in the digital media industry, which includes the video
game industry, app development, graphic design and much more.
4.4 Traditional PR
The media tactics that fall under the umbrella of traditional public relations are
diverse, such as event coordination, crisis communications, reputation
management, trade shows, sponsorship opportunities and press release
distribution. The most prominent initiative of traditional PR is press outreach
with special focus in traditional media outlets such as newspapers, television
and radio. Professionals who work at traditional PR firms are likely to have a
rolodex of media contacts they engage with often who are familiar with their
clients.
Traditional PR can be very successful in terms of increasing brand awareness.

However, exact metrics on audience reach are much more difficult to track. For
example, broadcast and print numbers are estimations on potential audience
or the average number of readers per month, making the question of “how
many people actually read or saw my clients feature?” a bit hard to answer.
Traditional publicists will be looking to see how their client is portrayed, how
the message is communicated and how many times the brand is mentioned
throughout the placement.The traditional PR route also requires a bit of
patience, as print publications will require a long-lead time. This means
publicists need to research which topics are being covered in print magazines
in which month and the corresponding publishing date.
Traditional public relations is still relevant in today’s highly digitized world and
will be able to encompass a wide range of components attached to a PR
campaign. Positive, extensive brand building will be the main role of a
traditional PR and this is something that will always be worth it.
4.5 Digital PR
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Building relationships and securing placements are at the forefront of this

digital arm, however, digital PR has the added benefit of impacting SEO and
link building across the web. These measurable, digital tactics provide tangible
results and insight. SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” It is the
process of getting traffic from the “free,” “organic,” “editorial” or “natural” search
results on search engines.
A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist analyzes, reviews and

implements changes to websites so they are optimized for search engines.
This means maximizing the traffic to a site by improving page rank within
search engines.
Another key differentiator of digital PR is the able to build connections with

bloggers and influencers, who are key players in the digital space.These digital
influencers often have just as much authority, if not greater reach, than
traditional figures, and come with an extremely loyal following.Digital PR uses
measurement tools like Moz’s Open Site Explorer and Google Analytics to
track the power of a digital placement.
Google Analytics allows you to track how many users on a website are clicking
a link to your client’s site. You can completely track the user’s experience from
first clicking the link within a placement through to the brand’s site and how
they engage with the site.
Digital public relations is measurable, immediate and produces easily sharable

content. The realm of digital PR may be more specified than that of traditional,
but it will help grow your brand online and make waves in a constantly evolving
digital world
4.6 The Importance of Social Media for Web Traffic & the
emerging Trend
1. Social media posts can be used to drive targeted traffic.
2. Using social media for business boosts your site’s SEO
3. If you’re doing it right, social media will lead to real relationship building.
4. Users are receptive to your messages.
5. Social media ads allow targeting and retargeting.
6. Social media can help you get noticed at events, and even generate earned
media coverage.
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7. You can respond to problems immediately.
8. A strong social media presence builds brand loyalty.
9. Your competition is getting social, so you should too
4.7 Case Study: CCD - Magical Winter Brews
OBJECTIVE
To break through the clutter of other winter special menu launches by F&B
players and grab youth's attention and generate maximum buzz in minimal
budget.
SOLUTION/EXECUTION
Youth, which represents the primary target audience for CCD, want to be
associated with everything that is latest and in vogue, particularly on social
media. Hence we not only incorporated different mediums to reach out to the
youth, but also adopted latest technology like mobile apps which enhances
standard pictures and the right influencers on social media to promote Magical
Brews. We created mass awareness by reaching out to youth through different
mediums across all consumer touch points. Below are the different mediums
and digital technology we used to generate engagement, excitement and
product trials.
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1) Social media
• Identified and engaged six key lifestyle influencers with high youth following
on social media
• Explored and got influencers to use simple & cost – effective mobile app to
create effects that communicated the 'magical experience' of the product on
their Instagram posts.
2)Radio
• Associated with top radio stations across five key target markets on a pure
barter basis to promote Magical Brews using CCD vouchers.
3)Press release:
• Disseminated press release with sample vouchers to media across six
markets for coverage and to encourage product trials.
RESULTS
We generated over 23 lac Impressions and PR Media Worth INR 63 lakhs.
We garnered huge excitement and buzz through the simple use of Lumyer app
by influencers leading to high impressions and views on social media. The app
effectively communicated the 'magical experience' of the product offering
visually.
The posts not just garnered excellent traction but lead to consumers going to
CCD and posting pictures having Magical Brews using the app organically.
We cracked pure barter deals in five key target markets for week long
promotions on prime time radio shows.
We received a total of 78 RJ mentions, who are popular influencers

themselves, to communicate key messages about the offering at zero
influencer cost, just through CCD vouchers.
Due to PR efforts, Magical Brews received very good response from

consumers which added a substantial hike in sales.
Case Study: #LikeAGirl- Whisper
To launch the ‘Like A Girl’ campaign in India, two years after its global release.
The movement ‘Like A Girl’ was originally launched by ‘Always – the global
brand name for Whisper, outside India’ in the USA and select global markets in
2014 with an aim to turn the phrase ‘like a girl’ from an insult into a term of
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empowerment.
SOLUTION/EXECUTION
• The phrase 'like a girl' has been around forever and is used in derogatory
ways. In the wake of India’s success at the Rio Olympics 2016, the phrase
‘Like A Girl’ went through a positive transition and ensued heartening
conversations such as - “They fought #LikeAGirl” or “They played #LikeAGirl”,
but it was realized that there is still a long way to go before each and every girl
can do things “Like A Girl” and be proud of it. Hence, it was time that the
campaign strikes remarkable synergies with this resolve in India.
• Campaign Announcement and Survey Results Reveal We began with

conducting a survey with over 1100 girls aged between 14 – 24 years across
six metro cities in the country. The findings of the nationwide survey conducted
by the brand in association with Nielson showed that: o 1 in 2 girls in India
agree that the phrase ‘Like A Girl’ is still used as an insult o 7 in 10 girls in
India feel pressurized to conform to the way a girl is supposed to feel and act,
after having reached puberty o 6 in every 10 girls in India become less
involved in sports activities on reaching puberty o Nearly half of the Indian girls
feel that the phrase like a girl is mainly used to put boys down and about 1 in
every 2 girls in India believe that the phrase "Like A Girl" is hurtful and is a
form of bullying The brand released a moving video to empower girls to
reclaim the phrase, and proudly continue doing things ‘Like A Girl’. We
announced the campaign through the video release and shared the survey
results through PAN India press release dissemination for which we leveraged
strong voices of the Indian film fraternity.
• #LikeAGirl & Proud Challenge Announcement Taking this a step further, we

announced the commencement of the ‘Whisper #LikeAGirl & Proud’ digital
challenge at a media event held in Mumbai. To spread the message of the
movement, we effectively created innovative photo opportunities such as
brand influencers doing pull ups and the#LikeAGirl reveal by the influencers, to
create a long lasting effect in the minds of media and the masses. The event
culminated with the brand’s influencers announcing the ‘#LikeAGirl & Proud
Challenge’ which was open to all the girls in the country with a message to
take Pride in being a girl and display how they can do anything that they love
proudly #LikeAGirl, by sharing a short video or picture doing anything that they
have been previously discouraged to do, only because they are girls.
Strategic Implementation of Digital Engagement - #LikeAGirl & Proud

Challenge The media event was followed by successful digital engagement
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and challenge participation through an association with Chtrbox. In a span of

two weeks, over 3000 girls across the country came forward in support of the
#LikeAGirl campaign by participating in the digital challenge, including popular
influencers. Each of them showcased activities they have proudly done
#LikeAGirl across their social media platforms through videos and images.
RESULTS
• The #LikeAGirl campaign generated a total of 1240 million Impressions and

total PR Media Worth of $ 4.8 Million USD
• Through successful digital engagement- (sharing of the #LikeAGirl video +

participation of the Digital challenge) , the campaign garnered organic reach of
3.47 Million.
• Whisper India #LikeAGirl movement, designed to drive popularity, relevance,

brand consideration and purchase intent among younger audience, has
delivered strong results on equity fundamentals across the Path to Purchase
cycle as follows:
• Awareness & Engagement
• The video campaign was recognized as the Most Engaging Campaign on

Instagram across Asia Pacific
• Created exceptionally large share of voice through strategically driven

conversations across all media platforms.
• The hashtag #LikeAGirl was extensively shared across all media platforms.
1. List the use of digital Media.
4.8 Summing Up
In this lesson we studied about what digital media is and the emerging trends in
PR.
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4.9 Answers to Self- Check Questions
5. Promotion, image building .
Name a few platforms to promote PR of a company?

Education

4.12 Keywords
A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist analyzes, reviews and

implements changes to websites so they are optimized for search engines.
This means maximizing the traffic to a site by improving page rank within
search engines.
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BA(JMC) 204 Unit 3
_________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 3 PR in Different Sectors

_________________________________________________________________________
LESSON 1 118
Role and Responsibility of PRO
LESSON 2 124
PR in Public and Private sector (CSR)
LESSON 3 134
Role of PR in Education and Health sector
LESSON 4 140
Role of PR in Political Parties and Election Campaigns
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LESSON 1: Role and Responsibility of PRO
________________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Responsibilities of a PRO
1.3 Role of a PRO may be based in consultancies.
1.4 Summing up
1.8 Keywords
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1. Role and Responsibility of PRO

______________________________________________________
In this chapter we shall study about the roles and responsibilities of a Public
Relations Officer. In this unit we shall also study about the role of a PRO in
different fields.
_______________________________________________________________
1.0 Objectives
The main objective of this lesion are-
• Understand the basic role of a PRO
• To acknowledge the responsibilities of a PRO.
1.1 Introduction
Public relations (PR) is about managing reputation. A career in PR involves

gaining understanding and support for your clients, as well as trying to influence
opinion and behaviour. A public relations officer represents an organization or
company as
the face that the media sees. Most public relations officers have bachelor's
degrees in fields such as journalism, public relations or communications. A public
relations officer must be content working during tedious days but always ready
for a media firestorm following an unexpected crisis.
A public relations officer’s main job is to represent a company or individual in a

reputable and profitable way. The goal of a public relations officer is to advocate
for her client to the general public. Public relations officers use techniques such
as press kits, campaigns and events.
1.2 Responsibilities of a PRO
Crisis Manager
Organizations rely on their public relations officers to handle media inquiries

during a crisis. For example, if someone dies on the job or if a company's new
stock offering fails to generate interest, the public relations officer must have a
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plan in place for handling media questions and portraying his organization in the
best way possible.
Media Contact
A public relations officer is the media's main contact for news about an
organization or company. The PR officer writes press releases for the media
about upcoming events, and cultivates relationships with members of the local
and national media. The PR officer might also host media conferences when
special events happen. For example, an officer might host a press conference
after a university researcher makes a big discovery, or he might hold a press
event honoring the opening of his company's newest office.
Communication Skills
Public relations officers need excellent speaking and writing skills. One of the
many duties of a public relations officer is writing press releases showcasing
clients. These press releases or kits are sent to media members to create a buzz
around whatever issue or person the PR person represents. Much celebrity
gossip is started by a public relations specialist who wants to create publicity for
a client.
Manage Events and Programs
Another duty of a public relations officer is to arrange events and programs that
will bring exposure to a person or organization. This part of the job involves
getting your clients' ‘face’ out in the public through a variety of different
programs. For example, a public relations officer who is representing a celebrity
might get his client on a reality TV show for exposure or a part in a big film. A
public relations officer who is representing an author might have the writer go on
a national book signing tour or schedule him for speaking engagements.
Marketing
A public relations officer is also in charge of communicating information about

her organization to the community. Her job involves creating publications that the
community or members of her organization will read, and generating interest in
attending company-sponsored events.
Budget and Management
Some public relations officers oversee an entire communications department.

These individuals must also be in charge of their department's budget, making
sure hosted events and media outreach efforts are not too costly. They oversee
people who work in their department, which may include writers, secretaries or
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graphic artists. They participate in workshops to stay up-to-date on their field and
help their staff succeed.
A PRO will use all forms of media and communication to build, maintain and
manage the reputation of your clients.
As a PR officer, you'll monitor publicity and conduct research to find out the
concerns and expectations of your client organisation's stakeholders.
You'll usually work in-house in either the private or public sectors, from the utility
and media sectors to voluntary and not-for-profit organisations.
1.3 Role of a PRO may be based in consultancies.
➢ The role is very varied and tasks will depend on the organisation and sector.
Responsibilities often involve:
➢ planning, developing and implementing PR strategies;
➢ communicating with colleagues and key spokespeople;
➢ liaising with, and answering enquiries from media, individuals and other
organisations, often via telephone and email;
➢ researching, writing and distributing press releases to targeted media;
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➢ collating and analysing media coverage;
➢ writing and editing in-house magazines, case studies, speeches, articles and
annual reports;
➢ preparing and supervising the production of publicity brochures, handouts, direct

mail leaflets, promotional videos, photographs, films and multimedia
programmes;
➢ devising and coordinating photo opportunities;
➢ organising events including press conferences, exhibitions, open days and press
tours;
➢ maintaining and updating information on the organisation's website;
➢ managing and updating information and engaging with users on social media
sites such as Twitter and Facebook;
➢ sourcing and managing speaking and sponsorship opportunities;
➢ commissioning market research;
➢ fostering community relations through events such as open days and through
involvement in community initiatives;
➢ Managing the PR aspect of a potential crisis situation.
1. Why is the PRO responsible to manage the media?
1. 4 Summing Up
A Public Relation Officer is a person that deals with the media and manages the
reputation of the company or the client. PR practitioner – PR Manager/Media
Relations Manager – is a link between the management and the media. He has
to understand the requirements of both the organisation and the media to serve
them effectively.

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1. The PRO work is to get the media coverage. Therefore it becomes his
responsibility to maintain the relation and coordinate with the media with daily
story.
1.How can a PRO handle a crisis situation?
2. Roles of a PRO in a maintain media relation?

Education

1.8 Keywords
1. Media Coverage: The stories that the media cover in their newspaper section
that gives promotion to the client.
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2. PR in Public and Private sector (CSR)

___________________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Need of Public Sector
2.3 Why do Public Sector Need PR?
2.4 Summing Up
2.8 Keywords
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___________________________________________________________
2. PR in Public and Private sector (CSR)

___________________________________________________________
2.0 Objective
• Understand role of PR in public sector & private sector
2.1 Introduction
Public sector is defined as organizations owned primarily by the government

which run on business lines. These enterprises are set up to sound
infrastructure. The government-owned corporations are termed as Public Sector
Undertakings (PSUs) in India. In a PSU majority (51% or more) of the paid up
share capital is held by central government or by any state government or partly
by the central governments and partly by one or more state governments.
2.2 Need of Public Sector
1. Public sector exists not to earn profit as such but to meet social needs.
2. It belongs to the people and is financed by involuntarily savings of people.
3. It offers maximum employment and requires large work force.
4. It policies, operations, recruitment, quality of products, profitability are under

constant public scrutiny.
5. It is also accountable to Parliament.
6. Primary function of PR is to build image of public sector companies and tell

the world about contribution made towards the economic and social well
being of the people.
2.3 Why do Public Sector Need PR?
The PR activity has the function of projecting the others, less known, but positive,
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micro image of public sector that is:
a. Contributes to national economy
b. Is profitable and productive core sector.
c. Has social commitment
d. Contributes to revival of sick units
e. Is self reliant in key sector of economy.
■ What is a Public sector?
■ Public Sector- A state-owned enterprise in India is called a Public Sector

Undertaking (PSU) or a Public Sector Enterprise.
➢ The public sector has a number of distinct roles to play in the CSR agenda:
➢ Endorsing and supporting the concept of CSR in enterprises
➢ Adhering to good CSR practice in its own operations
PR In Public sector
■ DURING the last decade, we seem to have suddenly become aware of the
need for public relations in every field of activity
■ PR is still considered a fire-brigade operation and just a communication

problem.
■ One should keep in mind the following objectives while dealing with PR in
modern times-
– to stress the importance of PR in public enterprises,
– to define its role in relation to the organization and the public
– to emphasize the vital need for a planned and sustained two-way

communication and effective PR techniques
■ Communication is only a tool of public relations. This is really what is meant

by the oft-repeated statement: "Ninety per cent doing good and ten per cent
talking about it". And yet, the only "doing good" that is discussed in modern
times is from the commercial point of view.
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Relevant regulatory roles
➢ The public sector delivers many services in the community and environment
and has various regulatory roles. These are part of their policy remit and
separate to CSR activity. All public bodies exist to provide a service to the
public or communities. They have a complexity and variety of functions, but
all provide a service and are responsible to different sets of stakeholders. The
very nature of public service reflects many principles of social responsibility –
accountability, transparency and respect for differing stakeholder's interests.
➢ The public sector also has a leadership role to ensure that its own way of
operating is in line with good CSR practices in its multiplicity of roles as
employer, purchaser, service provider, and in its engagement with
communities.
➢ The public sector also has various regulatory roles that are relevant to CSR.
Many of the recommendations outlined in international CSR frameworks are
already embedded in national legislation and policies and therefore are often
not regarded as CSR activities by companies, given their legislative basis.
Examples include Employment and Equality Rights legislation, Company
Law. Once legislative and regulatory frameworks are in place, the
Government has the continuing role of monitoring their implementation,
ensuring that breaches are dealt with properly, and offering opportunities for
redress for those who are impacted when the statutory requirements are not
complied with.
Case Study 1- GAIL(Public Sector)
■ GAIL believes, it is in responding to the needs of the people, benefitting

communities and protecting the environment that will ultimately determine the
sustainability of continued progress
■ GAIL (India) Ltd., with a turnover of 7.2 billion US $ is India’s largest natural
gas company and ranked as the top gas utility in Asia.
■ The rigour and strategic thought that drives GAIL to be consistently ranked
among the top gas utilities in the world, also drives its CSR initiatives
■ GAIL allocates 2% of the avg. net profit (PBT) of the preceding 03 financial
years towards achieving its CSR objectives through implementation of
meaningful & sustainable CSR programmes. The same is in alignment with
the provisions of Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013.
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Hriday Initiatives
■ To boost the outreach of education among the lesser privileged, GAIL has
contributed for creation of school infrastructure like class rooms, IT facilities,
libraries, science labs, provision of equipment and stationery to schools to
enhance creativity among students and improve attendance of children.
■ GAIL is making proactive efforts to address the issues of health and sanitation,
by introducing interventions that make at least primary health care facilities
accessible and affordable to the rural and marginalised communities.
■ It is operating 20 Mobile Medical Units across the states of Madhya Pradesh,

Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab,
covering more than 391 villages and a population of almost 5,00,000.
■ Enabling and empowering the marginalized, so that they become agents of

change lies at the very heart of GAIL's Skill development centric initiatives.
■ GAIL is operating 3 GAIL Institute of Skills in Guna (MP), Dediapada (Narmada,

Gujarat) and Nagaram (Andhra Pradesh) for imparting job linked skills training in
Auto CAD, Web Designing, Domestic BPV/BPO, Welding, Industrial Electrician,
CNC Operator, Instrument Technician, retail associate, masonry to 3000 rural
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and semi urban youth in the remote/backward districts.
■ GAIL's inclusive development philosophy makes education for children with

special needs a possibility, through provisioning of hearing aids and other
assisted aids to help such special children join the mainstream.
■ GAIL firmly believes that a woman's position is a true reflection of a society's

progress.
■ While women were always included as part of the beneficiaries, GAIL has now
created a new thrust area specially focused for the empowerment of women.
■ This is also in line with the guidelines of DPE and the rules of the Companies
Act, 2013. SEWA – a new initiative introduced in Ujjain, M. P. this year, has
provided skill training based training to 3200 women in courses in Computers,
Beauty & make-up, tailoring, karchok, Tiffin service, financial literacy training.
Etc
What is a Private sector?
■ Private Sector - The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes
referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups,
usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the State
Case Study 2- Reliance Foundation ( Private Sector)
■ A winner in the Platts Global Energy Award for CSR
■ We contribute to the wellbeing of people by introducing sustainable measures

and providing assistance to institutions and welfare organisations, across India,
reaching well beyond our business locations, impacting the lives of marginalised
communities.
■ Our initiatives have reached millions over the years and nearly 4,00,000 people
benefit from our continuing programmes every month.
■ Community Infrastructure & Environment
■ A large number of initiatives are focused on developing community infrastructure

and protecting the environment. Reliance has developed infrastructure for water
conservation and constructed community halls, schools, and health centers in
various locations.
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■ Some of Reliance's initiatives to promote environment protection include

investing in renewable energy sources, promoting green plantations and
spreading environmental awareness.
Education & Skill Enhancement
■ Reliance supports local schools with logistical and financial support, capacity
building of teachers and infrastructure development.
■ Reliance also organises skill development and income-generating programmes

for local communities. Assistance is also given to such communities by helping
them to start Self Help Groups and empowering them with marketing knowhow.
Women & Youth Empowerment Programmes
■ Reliance nurtures and sponsors many projects designed to educate, employ and
empower women and youth in and around the catchment areas of its operations.
■ Reliance Community Development Programmes
■ Reliance conducts several livelihood training programmes and has provided aid
and equipment to the physically challenged
Project Jagruti
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■ A project to uplift and bring dyslexic students from the underprivileged segment
into the main stream.
Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani Protsahan Scheme
■ A scheme for supporting meritorious students and providing financial aid to the
toppers for pursuing higher studies in engineering and medical streams.
■ Community Healthcare
■ Reliance provides affordable curative and preventive healthcare services to the

community through various healthcare programmes. It has constructed health
centres, operates mobile medical clinics and emergency ambulance services,
and conducts various camps on health awareness.
■ Reliance is also focusing on specific areas like providing support to patients

suffering from chronic ailments such as AIDS and TB.
Reliance Primary Health Centre
■ Reliance adopted a PHC in Gujarat for catering to the community health needs
under the National Rural Health Mission Programme.
Reliance Employee Health Care Services
■ Reliance Occupational Health Centres, located at plants and offices, are

equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and manned by specialists to take care of
the staff and their families.
Reliance HIV Therapy Centre
■ This centre’s programme for the underprivileged is run with the support from
various governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital
■ The hospital plays a significant role in improving the quality of life with its prompt
131
and specialized services and by providing free lifesaving treatment.
Reliance Foundation
■ Reliance has always made sustainable development the cornerstone of its

business strategy to achieve sustainable and profitable growth, creating in its
wake thriving eco-systems around all its businesses. To provide impetus to
various developmental initiatives of RIL, Reliance Foundation was set up in 2010
as an expression of its vision towards sustainable growth in India.
■ India is a nation of a billion dreams, a billion aspirations and above all great
opportunities. To turn these dreams into reality, especially for the vulnerable
sections of the society, Reliance Foundation has taken the path of inclusive
development to address their basic needs. Reliance Foundation has cumulatively
touched the lives of 15 million people in over 13,500 villages and various urban
locations.
________________________________________________________________
Fill in the blanks
1.________________ is defined as organizations owned primarily by the

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government which run on business lines.
2.4 Summing Up
In this lesson we have studied the role of PR in government sector. We also

studied the function of various media units of the government.
1. Public sector
1. Discuss the role of PRO in government sector.

Education

2.8 Keywords
1. Public sector: is defined as organizations owned primarily by the

government which run on business lines. These enterprises are set up to
sound infrastructure.
133
3. Role of PR in Education and Health sector

___________________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Areas needing PR efforts
3.3 Summing Up
3.7 Keywords
134
3. Role of PR in Education and Health sector

____________________________________________________________________
In this lesson shall discuss the role of PR in Educational and Research Institutions.
The lesson shall also discuss the case studies and examples related to PR in
educational institutes.
____________________________________________________________________
3.0 Objectives
• describe the role of PR in Educational and Research Institutions
• understand the case studies and examples related to PR in educational

institutes
3.1 Introduction
PR in Educational and Research Institutions or Institutionalized PR
If PR made inroads into the country about five decades ago, the education sector
has started engaging full-time PR professional hardly two decades ago.
People at the helm of affairs in national and state educational institutions or

universities-barring a few exceptions-are yet to fully comprehend the potential of
a planned and sustained effort establishing and maintaining a mutual
communication process with their public.
It educational institutions are to function as vibrant organizations as they have to

become PR-oriented.
PR departments in most of the organized sector in the educational discipline

need to inculcate this professional approach to PR.
3.2 Areas needing PR efforts
• The apathy towards PR in education springs from an inadequate

perception of what good communication can accomplish towards
establishing a smooth relationship among the various publics e.g.
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parents, teaching faculty, non-teaching staff, local authorities like sports

institutions, transport service, post office, book publishers, business
houses, doctors etc.
• The student community has a lot of grievances against authorities –

compulsory language, outdated syllabus, career guidance.
• On the other hand there are complaints galore against students – student
indiscipline, politics in campus, ragging of fresher, drug abuse etc.
Tools and Media
Case study 1: NCERT’s Open House
• NCERT organizes open house programmes, each of one week duration.
• Before organizing these events, the organization carefully analyzed the

public reaction to all the programmes it has undertaken over the years and
tried to assess what gaps in communication needed to be filled.
• The ‘Open House’ exercise was also aimed at eliciting feedback from
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public besides providing them information.
The elements of open house programme were:
a. Corporate exhibition
b. Corporate film
c. Display of materials produced
d. Continuous screening of educational video programmes developed by

organization
e. Allowing visitors to see the facilities available in the institution and how
institution works
f. Organization of public interest lectures, followed by question-answer

sessions.
• The open house programmes were organized in all constituent units of

NCERT located in Delhi, Bhopal, Bhuwnehwar, Ajmer and Mysore.
• A general invitation was extended to all the interested groups to

participate in the programmes.
• For this, prominent advertisements were issued in almost all the

newspapers; topics and discussion were those that concerned the opinion
groups most.
• A careful planning effort was behind all these exercises. The programme
helped the various groups to see themselves what was happening in the
NCERT.
• The public also had many of their questions answered and doubts cleared.
Thus several misconceptions were removed.
• It also helped the faculty and the personnel of NCERT to understand the
expectations of various groups from the organization itself.
• This proved to be guidance to the organization in shaping some of its

future programmes to answer the needs.
• It would also be interesting to record that there was an initial criticism on

both sides about the open house programme.
• But, this slowly gave way and as each day passed, it was discernible that
137
the programme was worth the effort.
Case study 1: University of Delhi’s Open House
• Huge participation of students and their parents

• Discussion regarding DU’s new four year undergraduate programme and
its implementation.
• Students at the open house asked a variety of questions that were related
to FYUP, the multiple-exit format , admission for international
baccalaureate students, drop-out cases, admissions through sports and
ECA, CATE, Bachelor of management studies, etc.
• Concerned parents and students also asked questions to understand if
their college will provide a list of minor subjects at the time of admission
or not. Questions on switching subject streams and cut-offs were also
asked by students.
• The dean, deputy dean resolved the queries and informed about the fee
structure and the process of the programme.
• For convenience of its publics the Colleges were divided into 4 zones.
Education Institutes and PR

• For prospective students, current students and pass-outs
• Events, seminars, conferences, annual functions
• Alumni Meet for interaction
• Inviting investors, stakeholders and new clients
• Very essential in both primary and secondary education
• Use of print, electronic and social media

____________________________________________________________________
1. Enlist elements of open house
_____________________________________________________________________
3.3 Summing Up
138
In this lesson we have studied the role of PR in education and research sector.
We have also discussed the example of open house of NCERT.
1. Corporate exhibition, Corporate film, Display of materials produced,

Continuous screening of educational video programmes developed by
organization
1. Discuss the role of PR in education and research.

Education

3.7 Keywords
1. Education: the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction,

especially at a school or university.
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LESSON 4: Role of PR in Political and Election Campaigns
_______________________________________________
STRUCTURE
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Assessment
4.3 Communications
4.4 Some Useful Hints
4.5 Summing Up
4.6 Answers to Self Check Questions
4.9 Keywords
140
BA(MC) 204 Unit 3, Lesson 4
4. Role of PR in Political and Election Campaigns
In the present Unit we shall discuss the role of PR in Political and Election Campaigns.
The lesson shall discuss about various forms of communication used in Political and
Election Campaigns.
_____________________________________________________________________
4.0 Objectives
• describe the role of PR in Political and Election Campaigns
• learn about various forms of communication used in Political and

Election Campaigns
4.1 Introduction
PR in Political and Election Campaigns
The tools and techniques for an 'Election' campaign vary between developed
and developing countries. In a developing country like India, the process of
conducting election campaigns, notably to the Central and state Legislature is
a demanding exercise to the Government and the people. With the
emergence of new political parties which tend to be on going 'political

business', more and more enlightened and successful men, and now even
women, in the world of business and industry taking to politics.
Where democracy is understood by the people and practiced by the

governments in the west and in Japan, candidates seeking public office
entrust their campaigns to Public Relations Agencies public who have
specialized knowledge and experience in similar or other related campaigns.
In India, such Public Relations Agencies are few and far between; though a
few are coming up, yet they are in the formative stage; with the result that
'Agents' of the contestants employ such home-grown techniques that at times
141
even character assassination forms a part of the 'techniques'! Illiterates as the

bulk of the population are, they have learnt to live with it!! However the
credibility which PR professionals have earned, of late, is such that farsighted
people who contest 'elections' have begun to approach PR Counselors for
help and guidance.
PR is a process to create voting behavior in favour of political party and its

ideology to win elections, to govern or retain power. It intends to build image of
leader but also corporate image of party by creating desired political
awakening in people.
4.2 Assessment
The candidate gets about five weeks of effective campaigning between the day
of filing a nomination and the date of election. This calls for quick planning,
decision and effective action. It is, therefore, very essential to assess the task to
devise ways to fulfill it within available means:
(a) To conduct a survey of the constituency
(b) To study past performance of opposing candidates and their sponsoring

parties, and
(c) To analyse the current problems of the people so that the same may be
discussed in the light of the candidate's election manifesto.
(a) The Constituency:
(i) Physical—to study the geographical area—the terrain— network of roads
and rail lines—their schedules that will enable you, as PR Agent, to plan
your communication*.
(ii) The People—The voters from the audience for the communications and a
deeper study about their educational/ occupational pattern, community
and religious, political learning, etc., to be worked out in detail.
(b) Past Performance of the candidates and their sponsoring party is more to
do with politics than with Public Relations. Yet the PR has to advise on
which aspects to stress, and how to communicate them to be more
142
effective.
(c) Similarly, your candidate's election manifesto is a matter socio-economic

philosophy and the PR man comes in when they have to be translated into
a few home truths and communicated t the folks in a convincing manner.
4.3 Communications
(a) Newspapers: Newspapers are more effective where there is high

standard of literacy among the people. They could be used for direct
advertising and for release of "press notes" about news worthy items of
your campaign.
Newspaper advertising has a very limited effect in an election campaign,

and it is really essential to organize sound press relations.
For this purpose a team of young men were entrusted to cover the election
meeting and send in their reports to the Press from day to day. Although
the speakers at an election meeting may cover a number of important
points in their speeches, the Press assistants were briefed to emphasis
just one or two major points in the scope of the Press note so that the
newspapers could extend detailed coverage to these points.
(b) Posters and Banners: Posters and banners in an election campaign are
very important. It is these that impart an image of the candidate and the
campaign.
A series of colourful posters were also prepared to suit the individual

requirements of co-runners for the State Assembly. The display of these
posters was staggered in such a way that a new design of posters
appeared periodically. This imparted a freshness to the campaign every
week when new posters appeared on the walls.
(c) Cloth Banners and Wall Paintings: Banners of a standard design were
painted and displayed at important road junctions in all important towns
and villages. Wall paintings were also used.
(d) Leaflets: Leaflets are a must for every campaign. Printing should be bold
and wordings simple.
(e) Spot Announcements: The best form of communication in an election

campaign is direct personal approach of the candidate to the people. Spot
announcements should have very catchy slogans which will attract the
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attention of the people on the road.
(f) Processions: Processions are very good for propaganda by themselves

but all the more important as they attract participation of the people.
Sometimes elephants, horses or camels are hired. It is felt that such
decorated animals add prestige to the candidate's status as the
procession wends its way on road attracting passersby.
(g) Cinema Slides: Well produced and colourful slides could be effectively
used to communicate your message to captive audience. Cinema slides
with designs that can be changed frequently, say every week produce
their own impact on the captive audience.
(h) Flags and Bunting: A stock of flags and bunting should be carried so that
all the propaganda vehicles of the candidate could be decorated from time
to time. These also must be used to decorate the platforms of election
meetings.
(i) Badges and Balloons: Badges depicting the election symbol of the
candidate are very effective in attracting the young people. Small balloons
with the election symbol were also distributed among the children and
these were also very effective in creating a tempo.
4.4 Some Useful Hints
It is advisable to know the strong points of the campaign conducted by your

opponents. Information about the success and failures of your opposing
candidate at different places could be had from friendly journalists or through
your own workers, but it is essential to plan your counter-measures based on
these reports and execute them in good time.
If the opponents resort to personal allegations on the life and work of your
candidate, it is most advisable not to retaliate but to maintain dignity, decorum
and a positive approach. Thereby you get more appreciation and sympathy and
more votes while the candidate resorting to such allegations tends to lose faith of
the voters.
Round Up
We now enter the most important phase of the campaign which is the last few
days of the election. During this, last phase, we have to employ mass
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communications:
(i) To attract more people to the ballot box, and
(ii) To ensure that our message was conveyed during the, last three days
prior to the elections when propaganda had to cease
________________________________________________________________
Fill in the blanks
1. _____________intends to build image of leader but also corporate image of

party by creating desired political awakening in people.
2. ________________ are very good for propaganda by themselves but all the
more important as they attract participation of the people.
4.5 Summing Up
In this lesson we have studied the role of PR in politics and election campaign.
We also studied various media used for the purpose.
1. PR
2. Processions
1. Discuss the role of PRO in politics and elections.
2. Discuss various media used in political campaigns.

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Higher Education

4.9 Keywords
1. Poster: a poster is defined as a large printed picture used for decoration.
2. Leaflet: is defined as a printed sheet of paper containing information or

advertising and usually distributed free.
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BA(MC) 204 Unit 4
UNIT 4 Corporate Communications and PR

_____________________________________________________________________
Lesson 1 150
Evolution of Corporate Communications
Lesson 2 156
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
Lesson 3
Defining PR Pitch and Campaign 161
Lesson 4
PR campaign: Research, Setting Objectives, Programme Planning, Budgeting,
Implementation, Feedback/Evaluation 171
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LESSON 1: Evolution of Corporate Communications
_______________________________________________
STRUCTURE
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Two types of Public
1.3 Objectives of Corporate Communications
1.4 Need of Corp Communication
1.5 Channels of Communication
1.6 Reporting Structure
1.7 Evolution of Corporate Communication
1.8 Summing Up
1.12 Keywords
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Lesson 1 Evolution of Corporate Communications

________________________________________________________
In this lesson shall discuss what is corporate communication and the basic
aspects that surround it. We shall also study the evolution of Corporate
Communication.
____________________________________________________________________
1.0 Objectives
o Describe the evolution of Corporate Communication
o Describe the importance of Corp Comm in the corporate set up.
1.1 Introduction
• Corporate communication is a management function or department, like

marketing, finance, or operations, dedicated to the dissemination of information
to key constituencies, the execution of corporate strategy and the development
of messages for a variety of purposes for inside and outside the organisation.
• Corporate communication is a management function that offers a framework for

the effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the
overall purpose of establishing and maintaining favourable reputations with
stakeholder groups upon which the organization is dependent
1. 2 TWO TYPES OF PUBLIC
• INTERNAL PUBLIC - Communication activities and processes undertaken

within an organisational context may be defined as 'internal communications
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• EXTERNAL PUBLIC- Individuals or groups outside of, and not closely

connected with an organization at whom its communications and promotional
efforts are aimed. It includes customers and potential customers, other
complementary organizations, competitors, Industry community, local
Community, government, media, financial community etc.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATION
• To build, maintain and protect the company’s reputation is actually the core
task of corporate communication practitioners.
• To develop and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders and internal

and external audiences.
• To undertake research, develop vision statements, key messages, and

speeches, presentations, employee engagement activities, crisis
management and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
1.4 NEED OF CORP COMM
• It is voice of an organization.
• It speaks internally, to employees, as well as externally, to suppliers, vendors,

media, investors and other stakeholders.
• It speaks when things are going well in the corporation and when there is a
crisis.
1.5 CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
• A channel of communication is simply the way the organization transmits its

message.
Communication channels include:
• Face-to-face communication
• Print media, such as newspapers, magazines, fliers, and newsletters,

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• Broadcast media, such as radio and television, and
• Electronic communication, such as websites, social media, such as

Facebook and Twitter, and email.
1.6 Reporting Structure
CEOs world over spend anything between 50-80% of their time

communicating.
• Strategy
• Mission
• Operating Initiatives
• Community Involvement
• Both Externally (investors media) and Internally (employees)
• Investor Communication would include company results
1.7 Evolution of Corporate Communication
The Corporate Communication Department - An Army in Peacetime
To understand the need for Corporate Communication it becomes imperative to

understand what Corporate Communication is.
• Corporate communication is a corporation's attempt to communicate with all key

stakeholders. It is the voice with which corporate institutions interact with the
outside world and is inclusive of communications with investors, government,
labor and employees.
• Corporate communications is the process of facilitating information and

knowledge exchanges with internal and key external groups and individuals that
have a direct relationship with an enterprise.
• So why not hire a PR agency to communicate with the relevant stakeholders?

Why spend the money to maintain a full-fledged department that could be seen
by some as a source of drain on the company resources?
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• To answer this a little history lesson is in order. Post liberalization, in the 90s the
MNCs brought with them the culture of ‘Brands’ and as brands vied for consumer
attention, PR companies vied for the business of these brands.
• The need for Public Relations to be more strategic, rather than tactical, led to the
evolution of corporate communication in India. With sharp focus on the inherent
need for brands to be performing assets, communication needs became more
sophisticated. Perhaps for the first time, communication strategies became more
industry specific. With industry specific communication and PR requirements and
the increasing need for accountability at various levels, Corporate
Communication followed a natural birth plan in India.
• Thus began an era of a holistic, strategic approach to communication with

stakeholders (or Corporate Constituencies).
• What essentially began as an internal function, slowly and surely spread its
wings to envelope a larger more all-encompassing role…in that, it was required
to be answerable to many constituencies at once.
• With the media maturing in India, the need for more sophisticated spokespeople
who were more invested in the health of the corporate in question, was on the
rise. Such a mature role was not the terrain of a PR company any more. A
dedicated department that was not distracted other clients and size of business,
started becoming the norm.
• Today more than ever, when companies are constantly put through the litmus
test by the media and other stakeholders, Corporate Communications is a
functional imperative not an operational option.
• So, for example when a special interest group forces an MNC to react on the
pesticide levels in their cola, what is required is a seasoned company official
from the highest echelons of the company responding with confidence rather
than PR speak from a third party, whose only vested interest is the retainer its
being paid. Or for that matter, when your favorite instant snack is accused of
being laden with the vilified MSG, the assurance and accountability, in response,
expected from the company is possible and plausible only when it comes from
within the company.
• In order for communication to be effective and efficient it has to be part of a

larger process that should be in place,before, a crisis like situation develops. The
need to preempt a crisis is the keel of the crisis communication ship, to ensure
smooth sailing on the Corporate Communications water. With social media being
an all-pervading demon that raises its head at the most inappropriate of times,
having a crisis communication plan at hand is now inescapable.
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• A three-step process that can help prepare a company for any impending crisis
would be such… Prepare, Execute and Recover. It’s therefore important
to consider probable warning signs (in order to Prepare) so that one can face the
crisis head on in the execution stage. While in the Recovery stage, one needs to
proactively communicate and track effectiveness, via the tools at our disposal.
• With Corporate wars being fought in the virtual space, knowledge of social media
is inexplicably important. Social media engages audience as opposed to
informing it. It is unstructured and decentralized. It talks directly to the customers
and fosters citizen journalism and can hence be a double-edged sword. Having
said that, a smart corporate communicator will get ahead of the story and mold
the narrative to suit the interest of the constituencies of the corporate in
question.
• In order to do that, one needs to establish online presence early, post timely
updated content, use analytics to monitor media and finally evaluate and adjust
the company response accordingly?
• Unfortunately the lack of awareness about the inherent benefits of corporate

communication leads to lack of communication, untimely responses and
eventually companies that have penny pinched in peacetime lose the war during
a crisis.
• The invaluable lesson here is to have an organisation structure that supports

corporate communication as an organic function, not merely a cosmetic one.
Self- Check Questions
Fill in the blanks
1. Corporate communication is a _________________ function
2. Corporate communication has _______________ and ______________

public
1.8 Summing Up
Corporate communication is a management function that offers a framework for the

effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the overall
purpose of establishing and maintaining favourable reputations with stakeholder
groups upon which the organization is dependent. It is voice of an organization that
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has 2 types of public.
1. management
2. internal and external
1. Discuss the evolution of Corporate Communication.
2. Discus the need of Corporate Communication.

Education

1.12 Keywords
Corporate communication is a management function that offers a framework

for the effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the
stakeholder groups upon which the organization is dependent.
154
LESSON 2: Corporate Communications & Public Relations
_______________________________________________
STRUCTURE
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 PR Versus Corporate Communication
2.3 Common starting points
2.4 Summing Up
2.8 Keywords
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Lesson 2 Corporate Communications & Public Relations
In the present Unit we shall discuss the role of corporate communication

and the difference between corporate communication and Public relations.
_____________________________________________________________________
2. 0 Objectives
• Differentiate between PR and Corporate Communication.
2.1 Introduction
Corp Comm is essentially about three or four imp things:
• 1. Investor relations and employee value which means giving employee a

sense of value or worth so that the client- company is able to draw in employees
from higher values at lower cost.
• 2. it is about buying insurance, treating it as a bulwark against future problems.
• 3. PR is about here and now approach where as corp comm is about putting
forward a series of guarantee to prevent trouble in future.
• 4. Corp Comm has a sense of long term vision which may not be the focus of
public relations.
• For ex- why are we headed in a certain direction, the vision, long term goals.
• Corp Comm is a huge investment which may or may not give returns.
• Corporate communications are generally written communications that occur

among the different departments of a company or any higher authority.
• For example, corporate communications include internal reports to different

employees about the whereabouts of the company and communications with
media etc. to forecast their growth reports.
• Public Relations in turn, is more related to communications between company

and public.
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• This may include communications related to brand promotion, to know

requirements of the public and more often to make the brand recognized by a
large audience.
• Corporate Communication works as an integrated function designing strategies

and implementing of the same in the time crisis communication, internal
communication, CSR, financial communication, media relations, stakeholders &
investors, event planning and management, sponsorship, advertising and direct
marketing among others now.
• The art of synchronizing all the information going out of each department which
ultimately will affect or present organization needs to be channeled and
organized as one. so the job of gate-keeping is of corporate communicating
managers.
• IT IS WIDELY SEEN THAT COMMUNICATION FIELD HAS POSITIONS AT ALL

THE LEVELS OF HIERARCHY IN AN ORGANIZATION.
• These managers are integral members of the strategic team and act as an
advisory to CEO’s largely. Vice-President (communications), directors are the
top-line job designations.
2.2 PR Versus Corporate Communication
Anyone following recent developments in public relations, particularly in English,

has noted the increasing use of the term corporate communication. It has
become a popular title for communication executives, some schools are offering
master’s programs in it, it has developed its own field of study, and there are now
academic journals dedicated to its study. At least three business schools in
Europe (in the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway) have research centers
dedicated to researching corporate communication, including my own at the
Norwegian School of Management.
I’m wondering, however, if there is a universal understanding of what exactly

comprises corporate communication. Is it just public relations with a new name?
Is it integrated communication or integrated marketing communication?
It is safe to say that the discussion on corporate communication really took off
with the publication of Cees van Riel’s 1992 book Principles of Corporate
Communication. The Dutch professor defines corporate communication as the
harmonizing of all internal and external communication in the organization “in
such an attractive and realistic manner as to create or maintain a positive
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reputation for groups with which the organization has an interdependent

relationship (often referred to as stakeholders).”
He suggested that the instruments of corporate identity – communication

(including marketing communication, PR and management communication),
symbols and behavior – be orchestrated or harmonized in order to project a
consistent positive image in the minds of the organization’s stakeholders.
2.3 Common starting points
This is done by anchoring the organization’s communication in what he calls

common starting points (CSP’s). These are seen as central values that provide
the basis for the consistency in all forms of communication used by an
organization in order to build the organization as a brand.
It is the idea of harmonizing communication activities that led to the rise of

corporate communication. The hope was that as a field it could combine the
expertise and practices of multiple communication disciplines, including public
relations, marketing, organizational communication, and human resource
management, in order to handle and integrate different messages under one
banner.
While viewed by some as evolving from public relations, it is also seen as

removing the ‘stigma’ from PR, which for many is synonymous with press
relations or publicity.
Already in 1969, Levy and Kotler foresaw a type of marketing that would include
organizations and relationships not traditional to marketing, i.e. others than
customers. They described this activity as ‘furthering’. They recommended that
firms needed a furthering officer, whose job is to mesh the organization’s aims
with those of the groups it serves in a way that will advance both . . . (With a)
primary orientation toward groups that the organization relates to and toward
skills in promoting either the common aims of the organization and its groups or
their exchange of values.
Harmony through orchestration
The corporate communication function fulfills this prophecy as it is seen as

focusing on the entire organization and thus should be responsible for making
sure that communication is harmonized and the corporate identity mix
orchestrated well. The problem is that orchestration must consider the
communication structure and the various communication functions within
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organizations.
While attempting to harmonize all communication through one department may

sound sensible, it is difficult to realize in practice. The discussion of the structure
and roles of PR and marketing departments has been going on for more than 40
years, culminating in the 1990s with integrated marketing communication and
integrated communication.
There is evidence that more PR executives are reporting to CEOs but still are not
seen as formal members of the leader group through providing real input to
strategic decision making. Marketing and PR often cooperate but the relationship
is normally more informal than formal and is frequently dependent on the
relationship between employees in these departments.
The discussion goes on. But to answer at least one question – is corporate
communication just PR with a new name? No. Public Relations as a function is
still necessary within most organizations as is marketing and marketing
communication.
The next question is not quite so easy to answer – who is the ideal leader for the
corporate communication function? The answer for me is easy, those with a PR
background. The reason? Marketing is too focused on customers. Corporate
communication needs leaders with a broader perspective and a clearer
understanding of the role of their organizations within society.
Fill in the blanks
1. __________________is a huge investment which may or may not give returns
2.4 Summing Up
• Corporate Communication works as an integrated function designing strategies

and implementing of the same. PR is about here and now approach where as
corp comm is about putting forward a series of guarantee to prevent trouble in
future. Corporate communications are generally written communications that
occur among the different departments of a company or any higher authority.
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2.5 Answer to self check questions
1. Corporate Communication
1. Differentiate between Corporate Communication and Public Relations

Education

2.8 Keywords
Corporate communication is a management function that offers a framework

for the effective coordination of all internal and external communication with the
stakeholder groups upon which the organization is dependent.
160
LESSON 3: PR Pitch and Campaign
_______________________________________________
STRUCTURE
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 PR pitching can be done
3.3 What is a campaign?
3.4 Some common features of a PR campaign
3.5 Summing Up
3.6 Answer to self check question
3.9 Keywords
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Lesson 3 PR Pitch and Campaign
In the present lesson we shall discuss the meaning of pitching and how it is done in
the field of Public Relations. We shall also understand what is a campaign by
understand and going through a case study.
_____________________________________________________________________
3. 0 Objectives
• Understand what is Picthing
• Describe how it is done to media and clients
• What is a campaign
3.1 Introduction
What is a pitch?
• A pitch is basically delivering a business plan verbally.
• A pitch typically takes the form of an entrepreneur or group of

entrepreneurs presenting or describing their ideas to prospective
investors.
3.2 PR Pitching can be done to
• To Clients
• To Journalists
To clients
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• A part of Business development
• Approach new clients
• Show past record
• Old clients
• Existing clients
• Coverage
• No of clients
To media
• Know your client
• Target writers
• Target right beat
• Follow them on social media platforms
• Invest in relationships
• DO NOT email multiple people from the same media company, especially
on the same day
• Write a good media pitch- Creating a pitch that makes a journalist’s eyes
light up like kids opening presents, you need these three things:
• An angle that piques their curiosity.
• An attention-grabbing subject line.
• A short, crisp email that instantly gives them value.
1. Find the Right Angle
• To create a read-worthy pitch, you need to make sure it’s:
• Relevant to the journalist’s interests
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• Timely (with respect to a recent story)
• And has the potential to get a lot of traffic
2. Relate the pitch to a recent story
• Find a recent story the journalist has covered and relate your product or
content to it.
• The idea here is that if a journalist has covered this same topic in the past, he
might be interested in covering it again.
• For this approach to work:
• Your story has to align with the writer’s beat.
• Your story should relate to a recent story.
3. Newsjacking
• “Newsjacking” is when you piggyback on a big news story and tie it to your
product. It’s now become a standard play in PR but was a groundbreaking
approach.
• To use this approach in your business:
• Pick a major news story that’s being covered by most media outlets
(think election results, a big sports event, or a controversial story, etc.)
• Create content related to the news story that aligns with your
knowledge and business.
• Send the story to relevant media outlets.
4. “X worked, so here’s Y”
• Everyone is looking for more traffic these days. And if you can offer
something that will potentially get a lot of traffic, journalists will definitely perk
up.
But how do you prove that a story will generate traffic?
• Simple: show the journalist you’re pitching how a similar story performed well
in the past. And back it up.
• With this approach, you:
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• Find a story that has performed exceptionally well in the past.
• Create content related to this story or tie your product to the story.
• Pitch your story, referencing the older, well-performing story.
5. Craft the Perfect Subject Line
• Your story might have a great hook, but if journalists don’t even read the
pitch, it won’t do you any good.
• This is why you need to spend time crafting the perfect subject line.
• In fact, two-thirds of journalists decide whether to open an email or not based

on the subject line alone.
3.3 What is a campaign?
• A public relations campaign is a series of activities that are planned in

advance and relate to a specific goal.
• This contrasts with other areas of PR, such as general ongoing publicity
tactics, paid advertising, and reacting to events
• Public Relations campaign has three characteristics:
• identifying an objective,
• finding the message that will help achieve that objective and
• communicating that message to the appropriate audience.
Objective
• A good public relations campaign will have a clear objective. In theory this
could simply be to raise awareness of a product, service or brand, but ideally
it will be more specific. This could include a company increasing sales of a
product or a pressure group changing public or government behavior. A
specific objective not only makes it easier to focus the planning and execution
of a campaign, but also to quantify its success
Message
• Public relations requires a clear message for the organization to

communicate. A good rule of thumb is to make the message as clear and
concise as possible without losing precision. Ideally the message will not just
inform the audience of a particular fact or viewpoint but will spur them into
165
taking a particular action.
Targeting
• Public relations campaigns occasionally target the entire population but

usually need to target a specific group. This should be the group most likely
to respond as desired to the message. For a company, this could be the type
of consumer most likely to buy a particular product or service, which takes
into account interests, tastes and spending power. For a membership group,
this could be potential members. For a campaign group, this could either be
potential activists and supporters, or it could be people in authority with the
ability to make decisions that promote a cause.
3.4 Some common features of a PR campaign can include:
• Key messages –
Key messages are designed to ensure that the target audience hear and
remember the most important aspects of your business. Key messages are, in
essence, a description of your competitive advantage and are commonly known
as elevator statements.
• Target audience –
Knowing your target audience is one of the simplest ways to achieve your
marketing communications goals and to save money. When defining your
audiences, really drill down to specifics.
• Media program
Although developing a comprehensive media plan can be difficult, you can start
with a few easy steps. Think about which media outlets your target audience gets
their information from. Make a list of the media outlet and journalist and start
reading/watching. A well-defined target media which reflects the target market
and includes realistic activities will be more likely to succeed.
• Media releases
The most important element about media releases is not so much the quantity of
them, but the quality of the stories and ensuring they are written for target media.
Media release topics can include the work your business is doing, issues and
trends in your industry, launch of new product, new office opening or a new
contract win.
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• Contributed articles and editorials
Many publications are stretched for resources and welcome contributed articles
as long as they aren’t heavily branded. They are also a very effective generation
of sales leads as they position your business as an industry expert.
• Customer case studies
Case studies provide ideal opportunities to leverage business successes and

reinforce your business’ key messages through “story telling”. They provide
audiences, including journalists, an idea of how your business products actually
work through the perspective of your customers.
• Sponsorships
Targeted sponsorships are an excellent way of building brand awareness in key

markets. It is recommended that any sponsorship is very targeted. Two of the
most effective opportunities are sponsoring industry awards and conferences.
• Advertising
Advertising can be one of the most effective ways of generating sales leads and
building brand awareness. It also can be the most expensive! One way of
avoiding dedicating huge budgets to advertising is using vertical market
publications such as industry association and trade publications. In many of
these publications, it is possible to negotiate free editorial if paying for an
advertisement.
Case Study- Vivel
• #absamjhautanahi
• Say It Right highlights that compliments specifically for women are often
rooted in gender and stereotypes.
• Despite their achievements, they continue to be seen as women first and

not as someone who has achieved success due to their sheer hard work
and persistent efforts.
• Vivel, from the house of ITC and Culture Machine’s Lifestyle digital
channel ‘Blush’ is once again back with a powerful campaign titled
#AbSamjhautaNahin, featuring Amitabh Bachchan. The new campaign
inspires every woman to say ‘NO’ to a life full of compromises.
167
• Vivel's #AbSamjhautaNahin campaign urges women to question

stereotypes.
• Vivel, from the house of ITC and Culture Machine’s Lifestyle digital
channel ‘Blush’ is once again back with a powerful campaign titled
#AbSamjhautaNahin, featuring Amitabh Bachchan. The new campaign
inspires every woman to say ‘NO’ to a life full of compromises.
• According to a statement released by Blush, “It’s very important to voice

your opinion and believe in yourself. This belief is lost somewhere; we aim
to revive this trail of thought in our latest video. Vivel was the best brand to
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partner with for this video as the concept is a perfect blend with their
brand ideology."
• The video encourages women to challenge time-worn mindsets that

stereotype and at times impede their lifestyle choices. It encourages them
to live a life equal to their male counterparts and features women from all
walks of life who are facing an inner conflict with their real emotions.
• The campaign is designed to encourage discussion around age-old

gender biases, inspire young women to question the limits that they have
been conditioned into accepting and empower them to live fuller and more
169
equal lives.
Fill in the blanks
1. __________________ campaign is a series of activities that are planned in

advance and relate to a specific goal
3.5 Summing Up
170
A pitch typically takes the form of an entrepreneur or group of entrepreneurs

presenting or describing their ideas to prospective investors. In the filed of Public
Relation we pitch the media to get our client’s story covered and we also pitch
new client to grow our business.
3.6 Answer to self check questions
1. Public Relation
1. What is pitching to media?

Education

3.9 Keywords
A PR Campaign is A public relations campaign is a series of activities that are

planned in advance and relate to a specific goal.
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LESSON 4: PR Campaign - Programme Planning, Evaluation

________________________________________________________
STRUCTURE
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Defining Campaign
4.3 RPCE Model
4.4 Summing Up
4.5 Answers to Self-check Questions
4.8 Keywords
172
4. PR Campaign - Programme Planning, Evaluation
_________________________________________
This lesson shall discuss about the first step towards designing the PR
campaign. The lesson shall discuss as how to define the problem for which PR
solutions are increasingly sought and also we shall learn about Informal research
Techniques for defining the problem.
______________________________________________________________________
4.0 Objectives
• Discuss the steps involved in PR campaign
4.1 Introduction
PR has to adopt a campaign approach to achieve organization in a

scientific manner. A campaign is the strategic design of a series of
messages sent to one or more targeted populations for a discrete period of
time in response to a positive or negative situation affecting the
organization.
4.2 Defining Campaign
When the principals, techniques and media of public relations are applied
in a campaign approach to accomplish a particular goal or goals of an
organization, it is termed as PR Campaign.
Multimedia PR Campaign: as a planned and action- oriented public

relations programme based on a judicious media-mix aimed at persuading
the target audience in accomplishing set corporate objectives.
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4.3 RPCE Model
This process basically has of four steps: first is doing research to define the
problem or situation, framing and developing objectives and strategies that
address or solve the situation, implementing the strategies which were made and
finally evaluating or measuring the results of the PR efforts. Few models like
John Marston’s RACE (research, action planning, communication, evaluation) or
Jerry Hendrix’s ROPE (research, objectives, programming, evaluation) can be
used to describe the process. You can see that the process always start with
research and ends with evaluation.
The four steps are essential which can be described in the following way:
1. Research- The first step of the process is research. One can use
research to analyze the situation the organization is facing and to define
the problem or opportunity in a manner that the public relations efforts
can efficiently address the reason of the issue and not just its symptoms.
2. Strategic Action Plan- The second step is to develop a strategic action

plan that will address the issue which was analyzed in the first step. This
includes the overall goal, measurable objectives, identified publics,
targeted strategies, and effective tactics.
3. Communication Tools- The third step is to execute the plan with

communication tools and tasks which contribute to reach the objectives.
4. Evaluation- The final but the most important step is to measure whether
you were successful in meeting the goals using evaluation tools.
Four stages of PR process involves four roles played by PR practitioners.
174
PR Activity
Research/ Planning Communication/ Evaluation/ Measurement
Fact-finding Programme Implementation
Role of PR Manager
Analyst Advisor Advocate Antenna
Let us discuss the RPCE model step by step
Step I: Research/Fact finding/ Situation Analysis
First step is research or fact finding to elicit public opinion or reaction

towards policies and programmes of organization and also to identify
problems confronting the organization.
Methods
175
1. PEST (Political Economic Social and Technological) Analysis:
Provides environmental factors affecting an organization.
Divides overall environment of an organization into four broad areas

like political, economic, social and technological
2. SWOT (Strength Weakness Opportunity and Threats) Analysis:
Strength and weakness are the internal factors that are concerned with
the organization. The other two opportunities and strength are usually
external and will have to be largely identified through PEST analysis.
Step II: Planning
1. Objectives: Once you have identified the problem(s) which your

organization is facing, the next step is to define the objectives of the
campaign. The objectives are those which are hoped to be the end result of
the PR activity. Objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable and
realistic.
2. Identifying publics: Publics are that segment to which you want to

communicate. The research which is carried out in the initial step of the
planning process should identify each public which is relevant to the
campaign. This is very important so as to ensure that your key messages
are communicated efficiently.
176
3. Strategy: It is the step that will take you from your current situation to
where you want to be. The strategy is generally the overlying mechanism
of a campaign from where the tactics are deployed to achieve the
objectives.
4. Timescale: A timescale allows you to co-ordinate your tactics efficiently

and helps you to be aware with the deadlines. Also, if there are few future
events that relate to your campaign, you can tailor made a tactic in your
timescale to coincide.
Step III: Communication/ Implementation
It means that the message is communicated via different media.
Prepare media list.
Media plan must contain information, client or PR executives needs

such as circulation and audience size, demographic plan etc. it not
only helps to reach audience but helps to reach correct audience.
Media Strategy will include selection of appropriate media and

designing of PR messages.
Multimedia approach can be used to reach both urban and rural public.
Step IV: Evaluation
Evaluation deals with checking and measuring the effectiveness of ad

campaign. the evaluation methods are as follows:
Let’s discuss each one of them in detail.
1. Formal Research: it may be classified as qualitative and quantitative

research.
2. Informal Research: it makes use of opinion and its communication

audits to evaluate various public responses to an organization’s
communication programmes.
177
3. Questionnaire: it is data gathering device which is often used in face-to-

face interview with the respondent.
4. Interview is yet another of data collection.
5. PR Analysis: clippings from print and transcripts from broadcast media

are analysed to determine quantity and quality of media coverage. The
space given and the position of the item in the newspaper often give an
idea of the coverage.
6. Website: it acts as an important source of information. Evaluation is

often undertaken against objectives.
1. RPCE Stands for __________________________________.
2. Mention two evaluation methods__________________________
4.4 Summing Up
178
The RPCE model can be summarized as
1. Research Planning Communication Evaluation
2. Questionnaire and Interview
4.6 Terminal Question
1. Define Campaign. Explain different stages of PR campaign.
4.7 Suggested Further Readings
179

Higher Education

4.8 Keywords
1. Campaign: series of planned activities to achieve set objectives.
180

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Basics of Public Relations

UNIT 1 Concept and Evolution of Public Relations

Defining Public Relations: Functions and Types of Publics

Evolution of Public Relations

Scope of PR: Issue Management, Lobbying, Corporate Social Responsibility,

Ethics in PR, PRSI Code, IPRA

LESSON 1: Definition of Public Relations - Its Need,

Nature and Scope

1.2 Defining Public Relation

1.3 Origin of Public Relation

1.4 Need for Public Relation

1.7 How PR Influences People’s Attitude

1.9 Functions & Elements of Public Relation

1.13 Answers to Self-check Questions

1.14 Terminal Questions

1.15 Suggested Further Readings

1. Definition of Public Relations - Need, Nature and Scope

The main objectives of this lesson are-

• To understand the basic concepts of public relations and understand

• To acknowledge the development in public relation field and trace the

• To understand the profession of public relations.

Public Relations is Universal

1.2 Defining Public Relations

Before analyzing the definition given by experts let us understand the

a. “the promotion of rapport and goodwill between a firm or institution and

b. “the degree of understanding and goodwill achieved between an

c. “the art or science of developing reciprocal understanding and

Key terms in above definition are:

i. Rapport is defined as close and harmonious relationship where people or

ii. Goodwill is defined as established reputation of a business which is

iii. Public is defined as is defined as group of people tied together,

iv. Distribution of interpretative material means that the messages

v. Development of neighbourly interchange focuses on the community

vi. Assessment of public means evaluating the attitude of people towards

An interesting and modern definition of Public Relations in the Mexican

analyzing trends, predicting its consequences, counselling organization

Secondly, it stresses the advisory role of PR and its services to management.

DEFINITIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

• “Public Relations is the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish

• “Public relations is the attempt by information persuasion and adjustment to

• “Public Relations is a combination of philosophy, sociology, economics,

• “Merely human decency which flows from a good heart.”-Charles Plackard

• “Public Relations is Dale Carnegie - winning friends and influencing people -

• "Public Relations is distinctive management function which helps establish

"Public Relations is the management function that identifies, establishes and

1.4 Need For Public Relations

Investing in Public relations activities helps the organisation to achieve its

1.5 Components of Public Relations

Public Relations Society of America has identified following as the components

a. Counseling: focuses on the advisory role of PR i.e. role to advice

b. Research: is the backbone of all PR activities. It begins with identification of

d. Publicity: Simply means disseminating planned messages using

e. Employee Relations: simply means fostering good employee relationship

f. Community Relations: It is an activity undertaken to strengthen the bond

g. Public Affairs: deals with the development of public policy so as to help

h. Governmental Affairs: it relates directly with legislature and regulatory

i. Issues Management: Diagnosing and solving issues of public concern that

j. Financial Relations: This deals with developing and maintaining the

l. Development or Fund-Raising: It involves encouraging the public to