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What is PR?

“Advertising is what you pay for – PR is what you pray for.”

PR – public relations – is about reputation. It’s the result of what you say and do, and what others say about you.

The job of PR professionals is to plan and manage reputation, to influence opinion and behaviour and to help create and maintain understanding and goodwill between an organisation and its public.

Many organisations – whether a private or public company, a government, a campaign or a small business or charity – need to spread their message and don’t know how. They may be trying to reach a narrow or broad group. They may need to stop a damaging misconception from spreading. Some have in-house PR departments whose job it is to do it for them. Others prefer to hire an independent consultancy.

Reputation management is a delicate and long-term undertaking. It takes a long time to establish trust, understanding and support with a public. It can require slow steps and much building of complex relationships, and it has to be done with honesty and care. A reputation can be shattered overnight and forever if the wrong actions are taken.

But where an organisation really merits a good reputation, and rises to meet the expectations raised, the results of properly managed, creative and focused PR can be very rewarding. And even a short, sharp campaign, well done, can make every difference.

Public relations isn’t a feel-good exercise. It pays its way – and more. It should make a real contribution to business success and result in real effects.

PR professionals use many different skills and techniques as part of a campaign to develop mutual communication and understanding with the target audience. It’s not just about press releases. Crucially, it’s about knowing exactly how the media works; who works where; what they’re looking for and when. It can include events; lobbying; damage limitation; increasingly, online presence and management; sponsorship.

PR isn’t always about the launch of a new product or service. It can also include long-term strategic areas such as advising companies on working with the local community or meeting their environmental responsibilities. In a chattering, wired world, PR is about seeing and being seen clearly, hearing and being heard accurately. It’s important.

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