Mass Media Advertising
Introduction
Advertising as the bridge of buyers and sellers, has been going on from the days people began exchanging goods and services. It's a major social and economic force.
Advertising includes those activities by which visual or oral messages are addressed to the public for the purposes of informing them and influencing them either by goods or services or to act or be inclined or to act or be inclined favorably towards ideas, institutions, or persons featured.
BN Ahuja & SS Chhabra, 2003
What is ad?
1. A form of mass communication
2. A powerful marketing tool
3. A component of economic system
4. A means to financing the mass media
5. A social institution
6. An art form
7. An instrument of business management
8. A field of management
9. A profession.
Definition
The simplest definition of an ad is that it is a public announcement. In earlier time, to advertise meant merely to announce or to inform like birth, death or engagement with little or no intention to persuade. Most of classified ad provides useful information about jobs, accommodation, sales of second hand goods etc.
Controlled, identifiable information and persuasion by means of mass communications media is an advertisement.
-John S. Wright/Me-grew Hill
Advertising serves as a communication vehicle for a society by making more available to many at less cost.
- John S. Wright/John E. Mertes
Advertising is paid non-personal communication from identified sponsor using mass media to persuade or influence an audience.
-Wells, Burnett and Moriarty
The paid definition of advertising has six elements:
1. communication
2. that is non personal
3. from an identified sponsor
4. using mass media
5. to influence or persuade
6. an audience.
Any, paid form of non-personal presentation of ideas, goods and services by the identified sponsor.
-American Marketing Association
Any form- Sign, Symbol, Illustration, Message
Non-personal- not person to person, if it is, it is not an ad.
Goods, services and ideas for action- Not only goods and services, sometimes the ideas for action e.g. Telecom office may inform how to use pre paid mobile.
Identified sponsor- Name, Brand etc. indicate that it was openly paid for.
Advertisements can be recognized as paid, non-personal communication forms used with persuasive intent by identified sources through various media.
Sandage, Fryburger, Rotzoll (1996)
Marketing vs. Advertising
Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.
The British Charter Institute
Advertising presents the most persuasive possible selling message to the right prospects for the product or service at the lowest possible cost.
The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising
Who's involved?
Advertising can be thought of as a five-part business.
1. Advertisers
Who some times use
2. Ad agencies
And sometimes assisted by
3. Support organizations
Send theirs messages through
4. Media
To potential
5. Consumers
of a product, service or idea promoted.
Advertisers
Producers, Retailers, Wholesalers, Distributors, Unions, Associations, Schools, Government, Political parties are the potential advertisers.
Ad agency
"Independent businesses composed of creative and business people, who develop, prepare and place advertising in media for clients seeking to find customers for their goods and goods and services."
Support Organization
Specialists, researchers
Media
CPM (Cost per thousand) Ad cost x 1000
Circulation
Consumers
1. Repetitive
2. Highly competitive environment
Some urge to spend and others to save.
3. Part of the culture
We accept many of the things that occur in ad as "the way things are."
In general Advertisement
q Not always studied in detail but at a glance
q Seen in passing or in TV
q Heard on radio very briefly
q Message must have instant impact
q Language sometime works as communication barrier.
Merits and Demerits of Advertisement
It is a paid form of non-personal mass communication by an identified sponsor.
Merits
1. Can reach many consumers simultaneously
2. Relatively low cost per exposure
3. Excellent for creating brand image
4. High degree of flexibility and variety of media to choose from.
Demerits
1. Many consumers reached are not potential buyers i. e. waste of promotion money
2. High visibility makes advertising a major target of marketing critics
3. Advertising exposure time is usually brief in terms of money.
Ad and publicity
Ad
1. Paid form- paid by sponsor
2. Presentation is programmed
3. Marketers exercise excess control
4. Always positive message
Publicity
1. Non paid form
2. Presentation is non paid
3. Marketers have less control
4. May be positive or negative.
Topic 1
Advertising as a communicative art
Marketing communication:
Advertising is a specialized form of communication because in order to satisfy the marketing function it has to do more than inform. It has to persuade people to complete the marketing strategy which is designed department believes people are willing to buy.
Advertising has to influence to choice and buying decision.
Making Known/Create Brand Image
Advertising is the means of making known in order to sell i. e. to established brand such as Coke, Surya and White Horse. It is not necessary to tell who is the producer or the price of the product. People buy the brand and believe on its quality.
Effective communication
It is said communication process would not complete until and unless the receiver respond. In terms of advertising Communication the direct impact of the message counts. Thai Population and community Development Associations issued T-shirts bearing a picture of Winston Churchill giving his famous two-finger V-sign Plus the words 'STOP AT TWO.'
THE VIPS Formula
David Bernstein has explained the need for directness with his VIPS formula: Visibility, Identity, Promise and Single mindedness. The AD must be visible, i.e., easily noticed.
Product or service must be mentioned. The offer (the promise) must be made clearly. To active all this, the advertisement concentrate on its purpose and not be confusing by trying to say so many different things.
VALUE OF SIMPLICITY
An AD can be so clever that all that is remembered is the gimmick or perhaps a very interesting picture- not the advertiser, the product or the offer.
One of the most brilliant advertising campaigns was based on the simple saying 'PLAYERS PLEASE' with its double meaning. It became so popular that most of the customers being encouraged to use these two words when buy any cigarettes.
Advertisements are not always studied in detail, but are glance at, seen is passing, or seen on TV or heard on the radio very briefly. The message must be instant impact.
CHANGING ATTITUDES
The object of advertising is usually to change or influence attitudes. It aims to persuade people to buy product A instead of product B or to promote the habit of continuing to say product A.
Many products, services plus causes and social issues, are advertised which would not have been acceptable or even permissible not many years ago. The prime examples have been the official campaign to educate people about Family Planning or AIDS and the commercial campaigns for condoms.
There is also a more intellectual attitude towards many products and some people are prepared to pay higher prices for purer, healthier or safer ones.
INDUCING ACTION
It is not just providing information. It must do so in such an interesting, original, characteristics and persuasive way that the consumer is urged to take actions.
This action may be to fill in a coupon, telephone an enquiry or order, go to a shop, or remember the product next time he or she needs to buy-say- a drink, the Coke.
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
If readers/listeners or viewers misunderstand the advertising message, the campaign is a waste to time and money. We have to careful not to set up unintentional communication barriers. We may know what we mean but do other people? We must never assume that people know what we are talking about and this is where market education work of PR can help to make communication effective.
Some barriers are as follow-
· Social barrier
· Age barrier
· Educational barrier
· Language barrier
· Vocabulary barrier
· Political barrier
· Racial barrier
· Ethnic barrier
According to Lippmann other types of communication barriers are
a. Artificial censorship
b. Limitation of social contact
c. Meager(insufficient) time available for paying attention to public affairs
d. Difficulty of making a small vocabulary express a big, complicated world
e. Fear of facing those facts that seem to threaten established routine of our lives
Topic 2
ADVERTISING AS INFORMATION
There are two possible ways by which advertising can increase sales: either advertising changes tastes or advertising provides information.
Nelson's theory of ad is the theory of advertising as information. Consumers have far less than prefect information about productions. Their concern is about the quality and price.
Some people look for quality product in the cheapest price. But some have the attitude that if the price is high, the quality is better.
Although advertisement might attract the prospective customer to the store it is the waste of money (for the ad) and time (of the sales person) if advertising claims and product qualities are not equal.
The purchases of experience goods exercises control through repeat purchases and to a lesser extent through recommending or not recommending the product to friend.
Two types of information
Direct- Message about the product
Indirect- Brand
Only brands of high quality and high repeat purchases potential can sustain heavy advertising over a period of time.
AIDA Model
If stands for
A- attracting attention
I- rousing interest
D- Building desire
A- Obtaining action
Attention- The layout typing and color
Contrast by white space is a good attention- getter. Movement is a vital element; it can be physical or emotional.
Interest- d seen does not mean ad read. Mostly people see the illustrations and do not read the copy. Even copy format is important for interest creation.
Desire- buying motives, physiological as well as psychological make people purchase in products.
Action- it is logical end of the ad by which people by the product.
1. Products are associated with the company
2. The message is repeated
3. Certain immediate action appeals are used
Topic 3
CLASSIFICATION OF ADVERTISING
Sandage, Fryburger and Rotzoll have classified the advertisement according to the users.
1. Advertising by Producers
These are the business enterprises that originate the product and/or service for profit. They often offer the product or service for sale under a brand name, company name or simply one of the many brand offered by the company.
a. Trade advertising is directed toward retailers and whole salers.
b. Public relation advertising- Producers have many publics' to consider, including employees, customers and prospective customers, professionals, legislators and citizens. The means and ends of 'public relation' advertising by producers are diverse. Generally, there is a common purpose to favorably influence one or many of the firm's public, in an increasingly interdependent society.
c. Business advertising
d. Int'l advertising of multinational products or services.
2. Advertising by retailers and wholesalers
3. Advertising by govt., social institutions and groups
According to Chunwalla and friends, advertisements are categoried as:
1. PRODUCT ADVERTISING
Three types
a. Pioneering- An attempt is made to stimulate the primary demand of the product catagory rather than a specific brand.
b. Competitive - Selective demand of a specific product brand is stimulate.
i) Direct- It seeks to stimulate immediate buying action.
ii) Indirect-The benefit of the product are emphasised in anticipation of the consumer's final action of buying.
c. Retantive- The product is now having a firm footing in the market.
Types of products
Consumer Product for direct consumption
Industrial product like plant and machinery,
spare pants etc.
Consumer durable
Consumer nondurable
TV
dCreativity
u
tion
TV
dCreativity
u
tion
TV
dCreativity
Planning
u
tion
Refrigerator/ TV
Soaps, Pastes
2. SERVICE ADVERTISING
Services are activities, benefits or satisfactions offered for sale. They are intangible, inseparable, variable and perishable. So they, require strict quality control, supplier credibility and adoptability.
Personalized services like laundry, hair-grooming, beauty salon, automotive repairs, when advertised, place greater emphasis on the institution offering it and advantages in patronizing them.
Banks are looking at new ways to provide their services e.g. use of ATMs- automatic teller machines, telephone banking.
Objectives:
-To make the company known
-To make its products/ services known
-To make its achievements known
-To make its value known
-To make socio-political/economic moral statements
Corporate advertising is considered to be 'nice' rather than necessary.
4. PUBLIC RELATEION ADVERTISING
It is a part of institutional ad, public relation is the deliberate planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its public.
Public Relation advertising generally precedes the share issues to create a formable climate for investing public.
Public Relation advertising addressed to customers is about the price revision for whatever reasons, customer education ads, notice about change in address / phone numbers.
5. PUBLIC SERVICE AD
Let your daughter do you proud, let her Live.
Are you buying Death?
Say no to drugs save your family.
EK Ya Do, Bus!
(ONE or TWO, that's ENOUGH.)
PSA is emotional since it touches people's deepest fears, anxieties and values.
6. FINANCIAL ADVERTISING
OTHER TYPES OF ADS
Some other ads
1. Personal
2. Classified
3. Institutional
4. EDUCATIONAL AND NGO ADVERTISING
5. ADVOCACY ADVERTISING
One may argue that all advertising is advocacy or ought to be advocacy. Yes, in a broader sense is time. However the term advocacy advertising is used when an institution/ organization is aiming at a change if attitude to achieve a certain objective.
- GENERIC (shared by, including or typical of the whole group of things, not specific) ADVERTISING
It is the advertising that gains the acceptability for a product group rather for brand building.
On sees ads promoting the use of milk or eggs as healthful products.
'HAVE YOU HAD AN EGG TODAY?'
6. COMPARATIVE ADVERTISING
It aims at comparing specific product attributes with competitor's brands. Some analysts question such ads on an ethical ground.
Types of Advertisement
1. Consumer
q Consumer goods- foods, drinks and confectionaries are fast moving consumer goods whereas, pharmaceuticals which are packaged, branded and retailed are called over the counter goods.
q Consumer durable- motor, washing machine, TV etc.
q Consumer services- security, banking, insurance, investments, hotel, restaurant, travel agency
q Social grade- such advertising referred to the 'right prospects' and 'lowest possible cost.'
2. Business to Business
To promote non consumer goods and services
Goods
q Raw materials
q Components and accessories
q Plants and machineries
q Office equipments and supplies
Services
q Insurance
3. Trade
Address to distributors, wholesalers, agents, importers/exporters etc.
4. Retail
It lies between trade and consumer ad.
q Department stores
q Super markets
q Restaurants
q Petrol stations
5. Financial
q Banks
q Saving companies
q Insurance
q Investment companies etc.
6. Direct response- Shopping without shops through mail or telephone or brochure
7. Recruitment- recruiting the staffs
These types are considered by Frank Jefkins in Advertising, fourth edition 2000.
Topic 5
Economics of Advertising
1. Marketing Role- marketing is a strategic process a business uses to satisfy consumer needs and wants through goods and services. Four tools of marketing called marketing mix etc.
The 'Four Ps' concept of marketing mix, as introduced by E Jerome McCarthy, developed by Philip Kotler are Price, Product, Place and Promotion. Promotion could be done through marketing communication. There are four techniques of MC- Advertising, sales promotion, PR and personal selling.
2. Communication Role- Advertising is a form of mass communication. Advertising both informs and transform the product by creating an image that goes beyond straight forward facts.
3. Economic Role- The two major schools of thought concerning the effect, market power school and market competition school.
-John, M. Rernon
According to market power school (MPS), advertising is a persuasive communication tool used by marketing to distract consumer's attention from the price of product. By featuring other positive attributes, and avoiding price, the consumer makes a decision on these various non price benefits.
In contrast, the market competition school (MCS) sees advertising as a source of information that increases consumer's price sensitivity and stimulates competition.
Charles Sandage, an advertising professor, sees the economic role of advertising as 'Helping society to achieve abundance by informing and persuading members of society with respect to product, services and ideals.
4. The societal Role- It informs us about new and improved products and teaches us how to use this innovation. It helps us compare products and features and makes informed consumer decision. It mirrors fashion and design trends and contributes for aesthetic sense.
Is advertising wasteful?
It was the traditional concept that the consumers themselves are competitive to find out the product or service of their need. It is not necessary to advertising; it is just the waste of money and time.
But the concept has been changed. People do not have complete information about the best choice of their need without Advertising. It used to claim that advertising has proved to be a more efficient (less costly) source of information than any other sources.
1. The effects of Advertising on costs
Advertising is not the cause of high distribution costs.
2. The effects of Advertising on Department Stores
There is misconception that the larger firms like Dept. Stores has higher price than any other shops. But large firms have greater number of marketing functions than do the small one.
3. The effects of Advertising on total manufacturing costs
In many companies the large scale of operations made possible in part through advertising has resulted in reduction in manufacturing costs. But small non-advertising companies sometimes have as low production costs as large companies.
4. The effects of Advertising on Price
Advertising has the effect of slowing up the development of price competition but that it rarely succeeds in preventing price competition over long periods.
5. The effects of Advertising on quality range of Merchandise
Advertising tends to improve the quality and range of merchandise offered to consumers. Advertising and aggressive selling have led o a more rapid adoption of new major inventions than would otherwise have been possible.
6. The effects of Advertising on consumer's choice
Significant product differentiations provide satisfaction to the consumer through the advertising. But at the same time it persuades the consumer to by those items that are not immediately needed.
7. The effects of Advertising on Investments and level of national income
It is quite significant force in advancing the technology of production. It means you have to invest more to compete with other's product.
The higher is the transaction of advertising money, the higher the national income.
8. The effects of Advertising on business cycle
More business means more advertising. Far sighted business management might be able to employ advertising effectively in launching new products to combat cyclical downswings.
Dangers of advertising
1. There is a tendency among business to assume to readily that demand is inelastic and consequently refrain (avoid) from sufficient use of price as a competitive weapons.
2. Consumers sometimes do not have sufficient freedom of choice to buy non-advertising goods on price basis.
3. In some cases, because of the dominance of large advertisers there may be insufficient freedom of entry of new enterprises in to established industries.
4. Present day advertising does not provide sufficient information to enable them to buy with full economic effectiveness.
Topic 7
ORGANIZATIONS OF ADVERTISING BUSINESS
Ad agency
1. History
1800- Whites, first British ad agency
It worked as
- A space broker selling press advertising
- Copy writer
- Designer
2017- Nepal Advertisers, First Nepalese ad agency
2. Reader survey
1950s- Hulton Readership Survey
But ABC was working since 1931 in Britain.
TV commercials were started with the advent of TV in 1955.
3. Location
Mainly capital
Industrial area
4. Public relation
Advertisers as well as media
5. Role
-To plan, create and execute ad campaigns for client. If the advertiser defaults, the agency is responsible for paying debts incurred on the client's behalf.
- Middle position, as a mediator
Ad department
The advertisers
Ad manager
The agency The media
Account executive Ad sales manager
Ad agency and its world
The advertisers
Media Specialists
AD AGENCY The media
Professional orgs Suppliers
Training
Fair Trading Rules
Commission
15%- National
10%- Regional
TYPES OF AD AGENCIES
1. Service agencies
It provides a whole range of services to the client, both advertising and non advertising.
Advertising Services include Planning, creating and producing advertising campaign which broadly encompasses account planning, research, creative service, media planning and production of ad materials to different media even out door.
Non ad functions may include PR, making corporate identity plans, packaging, organizing fairs, exhibitions and training -materials.
According to Frank Jefkins, Service agencies are categorize as,
1. Full service agencies
a. Marketing research
b. Public relation
c. Recruitment advertising
d. Sales promotion
2. Medium size agencies
a. Freelance job
b. Copy writing
c. Creativity
3. Business to business
a. Trade exhibition
2. A La Carte Services i.e. order according to choice, can be hard from a full service agency or small specialist out fits which go by the nomenclature a la carte or boutique.
It often works on ad hoc assignments having separate identity.
Such outfits specialize in creative concepts, strategy development, media planning etc. Their services are at times called for by small and medium size agencies which may not be in a position to offer the high paid creative writers or media planers.
They are also categorized as
a. Creative agencies: These produce copy platform or themes and create campaigns for different media, perhaps inventing characters and writing jingles and music for broadcasting commercials.
b. New product development agencies: They may influence the original concept of the product, and certainly participate in naming products, packing designs, pricing and market segmentation, distribution, test marketing and selling-in to the trade operations as well as the main consumer advertising campaign.
c. Direct response agencies: These agencies have responded to demand, and direct response in all its form, including the use of media. The technique is to sell direct, by post, telephone, fax and the internet.
d. Incentive scheme agencies: Both buy and supply goods and services which are offered as gifts or premiums to customers or as incentive award to the employees.
e. Sales promotion agencies: A modern sales promotion scheme is very often an original exercise created for short term operation. Big prize competition, money off flash pack, charity promotions are some examples of it.
f. Sponsorship agencies: Sponsorship may be for marketing, advertising or public relations purposes, and quite often may embrace all three.
3. The House Agency
It is an agency established by a company to look after its advertising requirements.
AD AGENCY STRUCTURE
AccountDirectors/Account Executive
Marketing
TV
Production
TV
MMarketing
Administration
Media
ng
Marketing Research
Media
Creative
Planning
Space buying
Airtime buying
Copy writing
Studio
Script writing
Art buying
Storyboards
Hiring Production Company
Print buying
Traffic
Accounts
Library
Vouchers
Secretarial
FUNCTIONS OF AD AGENCIES
1. Consumer research to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the product in household use.
2. Market research to describe the best prospects.
3. Development of marketing strategy and budget
4. Help in naming and packing.
5. Develop and pre testing of the creative concept
6. Media planning to reach target markets efficiently
7. A plan for launching the product to the trade.
8. Application of the creative concept to promotion and point-of-sale materials
9. Publicity plan for exploiting the product's news
10. A Plan for generating enthusiasm within the sales force.
Media planning
Function of media planning:
Media planning is a blend of marketing skills and familiarity with mass communication. The planning decisions includes: which audiences to reach, where (geographic emphasis), when (timing), for how long (campaign length) and how intense (frequent) the exposure should be.
- Wells, Burnett and Moriarty
4 W'S in Media Planning
Who- Who requires a precise description of target prospects? Radio and TV stations also have their own type of audience.
WHERE- Local and regional advertisers confine their media choices to those that best cover their particular trading areas.
WHAT- What message is to be communicated has considerable importance in deciding which media to use?
WHEN- When to advertise can be planned in terms of seasons of the year, month, day, week, hour or minute.
The change in the role of media within Ad agencies from a clerical function to a management function was the result of several factors.
a. The first was the demand by the advertiser for more accountability.
b. The second was the adoption of marketing concept with its emphasis in consumer research and strategy planning.
c. The third has been the sheer explosion of media.
Aperture concept of media planning
The goal of the media planner is to expose consumer prospects to the advertiser's message at critical point. This ideal opening is called an aperture. The most effective advertisement should expose the consumer to the product when interest and attention is very high. Only the accurate marketing research, appreciation of the message concept and a sensitive understanding of mass communication could succeed this complex and difficult assignment.
Media planning operations:
Information sources and analysis
Media planning
A. Marketing Sources
· Distribution patterns
· Market sales
· Rival promotions
B. Creative sources
· Theme
· Message
· Research
C. Media sources
· Popularity
· Profiles
· Cost forecasts
Setting objectives and strategies
A. Finding Target audience
· Demographics- People are described by their age, income, education, occupation, marital status, family size and several other tags.
· Psychographics- It looks for more sensitive measures of motivation and behavior.
· Product use segmentation- Audiences can also be classified according to their consumption habits (usage). Media planners obtain information on which products the audiences buy or how often they use or consume these products.
B. Where to advertise: Geographic area
C. When to advertise: Timing
· Seasonal Timing
· Holyday Timing
· Day-of-the week timing
· Hour-of-the-Day timing
D. Duration: Find the best campaign length
· The advertising budget
· Consumer-use cycle (It is the time between purchase and repurchase).
· Lack of brand loyalty
· Competitive advertising
E. Find acceptable media environments
· Media content-product compatibility (Shoes on sports program)
· Media-created mood: Food product will not allow its commercials to run during the program that ia not fully for family audiences.
Media selection procedure
A. Audience Measure
B. Media reach
C. Frequency
Staging the media plan
Media plans are interwoven with all other areas of advertising: the budget, the target audience, the advertising objectives and the message demands.
A. Situation Analysis
B. Aperture opportunity
C. Strategy to select the media
D. The flowchart: Scheduling and budgeting allocation
MEDIA SELECTION
4. Circulation (Print)
ABC
5. Audiences (Electronic)
ABC performs three functions
1. Audits the circulation figures of member publisher and certifies to the accuracy of publishers statements.
2. Establish standard for reporting the quantity, quality and distribution or circulation.
3. Serves as a clearinghouse, gathering statements from member publishers and disseminating circulation reports to the advertising agencies.
6. Media cost efficiency
Most of the media quote their rates in terms of a standard unit of space.
-Editorial or Program content
Ad media Mix
4 Ms
· Money
· Market
· Media
· Methodology
Media strategies
Class selectivity
Coverage
Flexibility- frequency
Cost Budget
Editorial environment
Favorable? People read?
Production quality
(Reprint)
Permanence (The abilities of the media to keep ads before prospect eyes)
Trade acceptability (is it accepted trade) no to kantipur
Merchandising cooperation
Topic 8
ADVERTISING MEDIA
Each type of medium has its own character and each specific medium, in turn, differs from the next. Each media decision must be made in light of the particular requirements of particular situation.
Ad Media
Above-the-line
Above-the-line media are those paid commission to the advertising agency.
1. The Print
2. Radio
3. TV
4. Alternative TV
a. Cable
b. Digital
c. Satellite
d. Video cassette
e. Video games
f. Home computers
5. Cinema
6. Outdoors
7. Transportation
Below-the-line
Below-the-line media usually paid no commission to the ad agency.
Sales literatures
a. Leaflets
b. Folders
c. Brochures and booklets
d. Catalogues
e. Postcards
f. Diaries
2. Point of sales display
3. Aerial ad
4. Calendars
5. CDs, CD Rom
6. Ad bags/Carrier bags
7. Body media/Cap, T-shirt
8. Flags
9. Cards
10. Paper clips
11. Book ad
12. Badges
13. Stickers
Different types of print media
National
Regional
Local
Free
Special interest magazine
Consumer interest magazine
Trade journal
Technical journal
Professional journal
Directories and yellow pages.
Advantages of Print media
Cheapest means of reaching large numbers of unidentified prospective buyers
Can be inserted quickly- less time for designing than radio, TV or printing posters
Response can be achieved by means of coupons or giving of fax or telephone or e-mail
Can be targeted to certain people
Capacity to accept a large number of ads compared with limited time on TV or radio
Can be re-read and retain.
Disadvantages
Short life
Poorly printed
Passive medium
Static medium- no sound or movement.
Advantages of Radio
Cheapness- It costs little to own and run aradio set by battery. It is also cheaper to produce a radio commercial than a TV commercial.
Penetration- Radio can reach large audiences over great distances and is a means of reaching people who may have access to no other media. It also may works for multi-language and multi- ethnic society.
Transmission times- Radio programs are usually broadcast for many hours of the day, often round the clock.
Human voice and music- The use of sound, sound effects, whether vocal or musical, makes it a live medium compared with passive and static media.
Does not require sole attention- Unlike reading a newspaper or watching TV, radio does not demand the listeners' sole attention. He or she can do other things at the same time from working to driving car.
Companionship- Radio is often listened to as a form of companionship.
Who are the consumers?
Age
Income
Sex
Education
Race and nationality
Religion
Location
The family life cycle
Social class.
Topic 9
PRE TEST FOR AD
A) Measures of Initial Effectiveness
1) Attention getting power and interest
a) Questioning respondents.
Ask reaction to dummy to the respondents.
b) Observing respondents.
Watching respondents looking through a portfolio of ad and nothing amount of time spent reading each ad.
c) Instruments test
i) Behavior Recording – Recording eye movements as the respondents views the ad.
ii) Recording Subjective Reaction – Measuring degree of interest by tuning radio or TV.
iii) Film and instruments presentation followed by questioners.
2) Clarity of Ideas
a) Question of the respondents as to what ad conveys.
b) Instrument test: Timing devices, which control the length of exposure to the ad.
c) Devices, which measure the distance at which a poster of billboard can be read.
B) Measure of Knowledge
1) Awareness test, which measure what respondents, know about the company or product.
2) Recall test
a) Unaided - What products of this class do you remember seeing advertised?
b) Aided - Do you remember seeing an ad for such and such product?
3) Measuring Impact – Determining
(i) Significance of Idea
(ii) Extent to Understand
(iii) Believability
(iv) Emotional Impact.
C) Attitude Measurement
1) Conscious Vs Preconscious attitudes
Direct QuestionAccount Directors
ng scale
Account Directors
interviAccount Directors
nd Account Directors
test
2) Opinions and feelings about companies and product.
3) Opinions and feelings about advertising ideas and test ads.
D) Predicting the probable action advertising which generate.
1) Product uses and sales
2) Responses other than sales
4Ws in media planning
1. Who do you want to reach?
2. Where they are located?
3. What is the message?
4. When do we run the Ads?
THEME – What to say and how to say it varies on the characteristics of media,
Product demo – TV
High involvement product – print
MESSAGE – It varies media to media and also program to program.
RESEARCH – monitor audience reactions,
- The number of number of message to be used.
- The continuity pattern of the ad.
POPULARITY – Size of the audience and characteristics of target market.
PROFILE – It includes social and economic profiles of audience including demography, interests, and lifestyle purchasing pattern.
COST FORECASTING – A careful and accurate estimate of what the advertiser will pay for space and time.
Topic 10
MARKET RESEARCH ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING RESEARCH
It is a Branch of marketing research. It is both a sort of insurance to avoid wasting money on ineffective advertising and a means of monitoring the effectiveness of a campaign while it is running and after the campaign is ended.
Marketing Research
1. Reactive
a. Experiment
-test marketing field experiments
7. lab. Experiments
8. b. Questioning
- Questionires
-Group discussion
- In-depth interview
2. Non-reactive
a.observation Non- Participative consumer, panels, Retail audits
b.Existing/ a formation
- Laternal data
-De... research
-syndicated surveys
Reactive Research- Information about the market place and the consumers his it. This is derived from experiments and questions.
Non-reactive- The interpretation of existing data or observed phenomena. It does not depend on data derived direct from respondant.
Anatomy of Ad Research
Pre Campaign Mid Campaign Post Campaign
Defining copy platform Reading and Notice -final result and evaluation
-Copy pre test -Continuing Research
-Plan the media - TABS
-Publisher's Research
- Media Research
Media Research
· Independent survey
· ABC
· National readership survey
Publishers Research
THREE STAGES OF RESEARCH
1. Define the copy platform or theme
2. Pre-test proposed ads
3. Plan the media schedule
Define the Copy Platform
What will make the most effective appeal- price, quality, something new, a special offer? Should there be a lot of copy or mostly picture? Should it be serious or ....?
To know these things basically there are two types of research
MOTIVATIONAL RESEARCH.
Dr. Ernst Dichter
Whats' the motive of the buyer to the specific product?
Is it safer, healthier or to satisfy her husband or his wife?
DISCUSSION GROUP
Discussed with the buyers community. The participants will select randomly. But it is difficult to handle the large group.
Both poverties interact and find out the problems.
Copy-testing
9. This is the second step of ad marketing.
10. After getting the ideas from those two researches the script of the ad prepare. There it will be tested on a sample of people representative of the market.
In a lasting process ads can be shown to respondents, then with drawing and questions asked to test what is remembered. This is known as the FOLDER technique.
Research during Campaign
Reading and Noting
In this process, the audiences are asked whether they have read newspaper and have they seen any advertisement. After finding the strengths and weaknesses, the final ad is produce to launch.
RESEARCH AFTER CAMPAIGN
· Reading and noting tests may be held
· Assess the total number of enquiries or orders obtained.
· Review the market position
Continuous Research
· It is a regular research
· Can do an .... survey
· Can do in other two ways
Consumer panel Dealer audit
Consumers are carefully recruited and consist of housewives or house holders who agree to keep a diary of their purchase. The diaries are posted to the research company for tabulation. The final report show what social grade buy which brands in which quantity, how often and where.
Dealer audit requires a recruited cross section of retailers who are visited regularly and their invoices and stocks checked to record the movement of brands and the shares of the market held by each brand.
TABS
Tracking, Advertising and Brand Strength
By combining computer technology and very efficient self-completion questionnaires, TABS monitor the strength's of reactions about ad brands.
The respondents place tick marks on scaled and other questions covering brand buying, brand usage, brand awareness, ad awareness, brand goodwill, price image and detailed brand image.
These marks are read by an Optical Mark Reading computer which converts them into scores and percentages among the target market for each of the various products or service covered.
Topic 11
MEDIA RESEARCH
-Independent Media Survey
-Readership and circulation
-ABC
-Verified Free Distributions (D-T-D/struts nest for free newspapers)
- National Readership survey
-Postar-Poster Audience Research (out-door media)
- Radio Joint Advertising Research
-Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
Topic 12
MEDIA STRATGEY
Planning Cycle
Why are we there?
Are we getting there?
Where are we?
How can we get there?
Where could we be?
WHY ARE WE THERE?
-In the mind of consumer un/familiar, mis/conception or perception?
- In the market sales situation of the brand and products of its category
WHERE COULD WE BE?
Analyze the reasons for the currant market standing or lack of it, distribution/ problems/ competitor's better strategies, brand image, corporate mage.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM THERE?
Determine not just "where would it be desirable to be?", but "where could we realistically be?"
HOW DO WE GET THERE?
"How TO DO" is the must crucial part of plan-the strategy to achieve the objective, the intended route to fulfill the aims.
Strategy must cover both creative and media planning including the economics of the exercise.
· What is the problem/opportunity?
· What is the role of ad?
· Who are we talking to?
· What is the desired key-response?
· What is the personality of the proposed advertising?
WHERE ARE WE?
Find out the market position and review the strategy different than it was before. You might not be changed it drastically if you got your position quite satisfactory. Otherwise, you've to rethink your media strategy. It means you might have start from zero level.
Media Strategy criteria
THREE CRITERIA
Medium as Message
-Which contribute most?
Medium as Medium
-Best suited to the target
Medium as Vehicle
-Work as a tool
It defines the target audience and the priorities of weighting them, the specific reach, frequency and continuity goals.
1. Specify target audience against the weights that need to be delivered.
2. Determine the overall media weights to be delivered that the target audience over the course of year.
3. Decisions about the distribution of these weights across time and markets.
4. The mix of brand media types that should be used to deliver the weights.
D. Sriram, Director
DMB and B Advertising P.L.
Another approach
1. Aim to cover a substantial portion of the brand's target group once every week with as little duplication as possible. "Substantial proportion", however, is relative.
2. To achievement this, determine the optimum number of weekly gross rating points (GRP) and establish the best types of day part and programs to use in order to minimize audience duplicator.
3. Run your weekly advertising pattern for as many weeks as the budget will allow.
-JOHN PHILIP JONES
Prof. of Syracuse University
Media Strategy
4 Ps
Product
Price
Place
Promotion
Ad media mix 4Ms
Money
Market
Media
Methodology
Selectivity- which media
Coverage
Flexibility
Cost of Media
Editorial environment
Production quality
Permanence- Long time in magazine/shelf value
Trade acceptability
Topic 14 A
TV COMMERCIALS
CHARACTERSTICS OF TV COMMERCIALS
ACCEPTANCE- people like to watch commercials if the ads are well done. TV commercials have high rating comparatively with other media.
CENTERING WITHOUT RIGHT
INTRUSIVENESS (Disturbing) - Most people pay more attention to TV than they do to Radio programming. People watching a program they enjoy are frequently absorbed in it.
Advertising is considered on unwelcome interruption because it disrupts concentration. This intrusiveness can be disconcerting and can cause the viewer to be even lass receptive to the commercial message.
The tendency of viewers to switches or leaves the room during commercial break. Because TV viewer has strong patterns of avoidance, commercials have to be intriguing (interesting) as well as intrusiveness.
THE NATURE OF TV COMMERCIALS
MESSAGE STRATEGY
Action and motion
TV is a visual medium and the message is dominated by the visual effects. But newspapers and magazines also use visuals i.e. photograph. But TV has the moving image, the action, that makes TV so much more mesmerizing than print. Good TV advertising uses the impact of action and motion to attract attention and sustain interest. (To bring to a hypnotic state). (d'l5{t, n7\7)
Storytelling
Every TV commercials also use storytelling, both for entertainment value and to make a point. These little stories can be funny, warm, silly or heart-reading just as in real life.
Emotion
More than any other ad medium TV has the ability to touch emotion to make people feel things. This ability to touch of feelings of the viewer makes TV commercial entertaining, diverting, amusing (dg axnfpg') and absorbing. Real Life situations with all their rumor, anger, fear, pride, jealousy, and love come alive on the screen.
Demonstration
If you have strong sales message that lends itself to demonstration, then TV is the ideal medium for that message. It makes the demonstration persuasive. Believability and credibility are high because we believe what we see with our own eyes.
Sight and Sound
TV is an audiovisual medium that is, it uses both sight and sound and an effective TV commercial fuses that audio and visual elements.
One of the strengths of TV is its ability to reinforce verbal messages with visuals and visual messages with verbal.
ELEMENTS OF TV AD
VIDEO- The video elements include everything that is seen on the screen. Copy writers use visuals, the silent speech of film, to convey as much of the message as possible.
Good TV writers try not to bury the impact of the visual under a lot of unnecessary words.
AUDIO- The audio dimensions of TV and Radio ads are the same-music, voices and sound effects. But in TV commercial they should be related to the visual image.
TALENT- A TV commercial has all the ingredients of a play. The most important element is people who can be announcers (either on-or off stage), presenters, spokespersons, character types (old women, baby) or celebrities. People in commercials are called TALENT.
Some commercials use just parts of people, such as hands, feet or back of the head.
PROPS- The ad should reflect the essential properties of the product. Does it come is the package? Does it have distinct logo? How should it be depicted? Can you show it in use? (For example, Tennis racket in a tennis scene.)
SETTING- The setting is where the action takes place. It can be something in the studio from a simple table top to a constructed SET that represents or storefront.
Commercials shot outside the studio are said to be filmed ON LOCATION.
LIGHTING- Lighting is another critical element that is usually manipulated by the director. Special lighting effects need to be specified e.g. Low Lighting in a bar, or intense bright light though reflected from show.
GRAPHICS- There is several types of visuals that are filmed from a flat care, or generated electronically on the screen by a computer.
The CRAWL is computer generated letter that appears to be moving across the bottom of the screen.
PACING- The speed of the action is another important factor is a TV commercial. Pacing describes how fast or slow the actions progresses.
PLANNING TV COMMERCIALS
LENTHS- The most common length for a TV commercial is 30 second. Some network commercials now run in 20 second and 15 second format.
SCENES- There is the segments of action that occur in a single location. Within each scene there may be a number of shots from different angles. A 30 second commercial is usually planned with up to 6 scenes.
KEY FRAMES-The TV equivalent of a thumbnail sketch is called a key frame. The message is developed from a key visual that contains the heart of the concept.
The various concepts are devised, tested and revised as key visuals.
LOCAL PRDUCTIONS- Most local retail commercials are simple, relatively inexpensive, and are shot at the local station or production facility on video tape.
PRODUCING A TV COMERCIAL
PRE-PRODUCTION
-Meeting of the creative team and producer, director and other key players
- Outline the every step of the production process
- Anticipate every problem
- Finalize the detail schedule
THE SHOOTING
-The setup and rehearsal take more time
-Involvement of more people technicians, actors, director etc.
-Many scenes should be taken, but not need to follow the script order
- Audio need to be recorded separately in a sound studio
- Synchronize the audio and visual.
POST-PRODUCTION
-Preliminary editing
ROUGH CUT
-Revision and reediting
INTER LOCKED (Audio and film are separate, but they are timed and can be listen simultaneously)
-Final Version
ANSWER POINT
-Duplicate the copies
DUBBING
-RELEASE THE PRINT
Topic 14 B
Types of Broadcasting Advertising (Radio Commercials)
1. NETWORK APPROACH
- National network through telephone wires or satellites
- Provides simultaneous network programming
- Many local or regional stations belong to more than one network.
2. SPOT APPROACH
An advertiser places advertising with an individual station rather than through a network.
Although networks provide prerecording national ads, they also allow local affiliate open time to sell spot advertising.
3. PROGRAM SPONSOR APPROACH
An arrangement will be made in which the advertisers produce both the program and accompanying commercial.
Sponsorship has a powerful impact on the viewing public, especially because the advertiser can control the content and quality of the program as well as the placement and length of commercial.
4. Participation show
A participation show is one in which a variety of sponsors place commercials within the body of the program that is after the first introduction of the program, during break and at that end of the program.
The 'Participation' here refers to advertisers participating in paying for the program as through they were actually sponsors when in fact, they have nothing to do with the production of the show itself.
5. Announcement Campaign
Announcement campaigns are a form of local advertising or spot broadcasting. The fundamental difference between these commercials and those within network program is that these announcements are sold only by local stations or their representative and are aired between regular programs rather than within them.
As much as commercial announcements placed between shows are isolated from the shows themselves. It is the disadvantage of such commercial.
6. The photograph approach
Photographs always lend authenticity. Every one knows that photographs can be as misleading as statistics, but nevertheless they are accepted, by and large, as authentic proof of facts and events.
Good photographs have compelling appeal that is absent in the words, that tell.
Photographs add to the interest and stimulate close attention.
7. Film as an Advertising media
Documentary films are a very powerful medium of publicity.
Three fundamentals of film:
- What is the object of the film?
- For what audience is the film intended and can this audience be reached successfully?
- How much money can be spent to better advantage in other ways?
Topic 15
THE DESIGNING OF ADVERTISING
The message designing
Hard and soft sell
Ads are designed to touch either the head or the heart. These two approaches are also called HARD SELL and SOFT SELL. A hard sell is a rational, informational message that designed to touch the mind and create a response based on logic.
But soft sell uses an emotional message and is designed around an image intended to touch the heart and create a response based on feelings and attitudes.
FORMATS AND FORMULAS
1. STRAIGHT FORWARD FACTUAL
These ads usually convey information without using any gimmicks. They are rational rather than emotional. Business-to-business advertising also is generally factual tone.
2. DEMONSTRATIONS AND COMPARISONS
The demonstrations focus on how to use the product or what it can do to you. The product's strengths take center stage. The objective of demonstration's conviction is 'seeing is believing.' It can be a very persuasive technique.
A comparison contrasts two or more products and usually finds the advertising brand to be superior. The comparison can be direct, his which the competitor is mentioned, or indirect, with just a reference to 'other leading brands.'
3. HUMOR
The copy strategy behind making people laugh is the hope they will transfer the warm feelings they have as they have being entertained to the product. Humor is hard to handle, however. Although, everyone appreciates a good joke, not everyone finds the same joke funny. The danger of humor is people will remember the punch line and forget the product name. But some humor, if deftly (skillfully, cleverly) handled, is acceptable. (David Ogilvy)
4. Problem Solution
It is also known as the product-as- hero technique. The message begins with problem, and the product is precluded as the solution. This is a common technique used with cleansers and additives that make things run smoother.
A variation on this technique is the problem-avoidance message where the problem is avoided because of product use.
5. SLICE OF LIFE
It is really just as an elaborate version of a problem-solution message presented in the form of a play let. It uses common place situation with 'typical people' talking about the problem. It puts the audience in the position of overhearing a discussion wherein the problem is stated and resolved.
6. SPOKESPERSON
Using a person to speak on behalf of the product is another popular message technique. Spokespersons and endorsers are thought to build credibility. They are either celebrities we admire or the experts we respect or someone 'just like us' whose advice we might seek out one of the problems of spokesperson strategy is that the person may be so glamorous or so a attractive that the message gets lasts. AMITHAV BACHCHAN
Testimonial
It is a variation of the spokesperson message format. The difference is that people who give testimonials are talking about their own personal experiences with the product.
Message designing and positioning
Nature of the product
The target group
Special characteristics of the product
The competitors
Promises
The different one
Brand position
Objectives
With consumer
Passing on information
Create brand awareness
Incite them to act i. e. purchase
Confirm the legitimacy of their choice after purchase
With trade
To induce them to stock the product
To push the product on the counter
To provide strategic shelf-space
With manufacturers
To make them raw materials
To convince them about rational product benefits
To convince them about cost aspects
THE EIGHT LAWS OF DESIGNING
1. Law of UNITY
2. Law of VARIETY
3. Law of BALANCE
4. Law of RHYTHM
5. Law of HARMONY
6. Law of PROPORTION
7. Law of SCALE
8. Law of EMPHASIS
LAW OF UNITY-
UNITY can be disturbed by
· an irritating border
· too many different and conflicting type faces
· badly distributed color
· disproportionate elements
· 'busy' layouts containing a confusion of parts
LAW OF VARIETY
There should be change and contrast as with bold and medium weight of type, or good use of white space.
· The ad should not be monotonous
· Variety can also be introduced by the use of pictures
LAW OF BALANCE
OPTICAL BALANCE- It is one third down a space, not half way.
A picture or headline may occupy one-third and the text copy two-third.
SYMMETRICAL BALANCE falls midway so that a design can be divided in to equal halves, quarters and so on, but should not divide into two halves so that it looks like separate ads.
LAW OF RHYTHM
Though print ad is static, but it is still possible to obtain a sense of movement so that the eye is carried down and through the ad. The eye should lead from Para to Para.
The general from of overall design should be pleasantly rhythmic.
5. LAW OF HARMONY
There should be no sharp, annoying and jerky contrast.
All the elements should harmonize, helping to create unity
6. LAW OF PROPORTION
This applies particularly to the type sizes used for different widths of the copy, the wider the column the larger the type size, and vice versa.
7. LAW OF SCALE
It is the use of the color, black looks closer to the eye than grey and red is the most dominant color. Black on either yellow or orange is very bold where as white on yellow is weak.
8. LAW OF EMPHASIS
All emphasis is no emphasis. Do not use
· all capital letters
· Too many bold letters
Anatomy of a Typeface
Serif Ascender
Cap height Expel x -HEIGHT
Descender
Copy writing
Appeal
q Create a bridge to the target audience by being persuasion
q Arouse the audience, why to read/listen
q Use familiar words and build up points of interest
q Use specific and concrete word
q Repeat key points
q Convince the audience by sticking the fact
q Use rhyme and rhythm
q Make use of ......... effects i. e. leave the message incomplete
q Ask the audience to draw the conclusion
Message presentation
A. Central
a. The central message
b. Compare advantage and disadvantages
c. Provoke active information
B. Peripheral
a. Pleasant association
b. Scenic background
c. Favorable conclusion
Ad message structure
a. Drawing conclusion
b. Repetition
c. One vs. two sided communication
d. Comparative advantage
e. Order of presentation
Message format
a. Organization
b. Plan
c. Style
d. Type of ad message
AIDCA model of Ad
A- Attracting attention
I- Rousing interest
D- Building desire
C- Conviction
A- Obtain action
Seven elements of Copy Writing
Headline
· Association of ideas- Deuba like it!
· Alliterative- Rhythm
· Bargain- Now only Rs. 99.
· Commanding- buy it now!
· Challenging- Why put up with higher price?
· Curiosity- Even Robert plays football.
· Declaration- No. 1
· Emotional- Sexy juice
· Interrogative- Do you have more interest?
· Identification- The German beer
· Humorous- Open seven days a week
· Gimmick- sss.......sss.....sss
Sub head
· Sense of movement so that the eye is carried progressively through the copy
· Typographical contrast
· Emphasis selling points
· Different ideas
· Absorb the interest at a glances
· Make more interesting
Body copy
· Emotive
· Factual- hard selling/educational
· Narrative- description, story
· Picture and captions
· Monologue or dialogue
· Gimmick
· Quotation
Price
Name and address
Coupon- if any
Signature slogan- Where ever you are.
Copy device
Clichés - Buzzwords like Now! New! At last! Today!
Action words- Buy! Try! Watch! Enjoy! Call! Look! Taste! Ask!
Emotive or exciting words- Wonderful! Beautiful! Amazing! Economical!
Layout
It is a drawing that shows all the elements in the ad where are to be positioned. The most common layout format is one with a single dominant visual that occupies about 60 – 70 % of the area. Underneath it is a headline and a copy block. The logo or signature signs of the message are at the bottom.
Developing layouts
Thumbnail sketches – These are quick miniature version of the ad, preliminary sketch that are used for developing the concept and finding the positioning of the elements. These are small preliminary sketches of various layout ideas. The second step is a rough layout. Rough are done to size but not with any great attention to how they look.
Semi Comp (Comprehensive):
A semi comp is done to the exact size of the ad and all the elements are exactly signed and positioned. Color is added where appropriate. Shading for black and white is done with various gray markers to indicate tonal variation.
Comprehensive:
A layout that looks as much like the final printed ad as possible. On special occasions, a full-blow comprehensive may be developed. This is an impression presentation piece.
Mechanical or Key lines:
A finished paste up, with every element perfectly positioned that is photographed to make printing plates for offset printing.
Design Principles
The functional side of layouts makes the message easy to perceive. The aesthetic side makes it attractive and pleasing to the eye.
Organization
Organized visual images are easier to recognize, perceive and remember than are visual images without any order.
- Gerald Murch
Direction
The path determined by the ordering of the elements is direction.
Guttenberg Diagonal is the motion from upper left to lower right. Graphics expert Edmund Arnold coins it. Most layouts try to work with natural eye movements.
Dominance
It is focal point; the first element is a layout that the eyes see. Normally the dominant element is a visual, but it can be a headline the big and bold face.
Visual Path
The direction is which the reader’s eyes moves while scanning a layout, Guttenberg diagonal is one model.
Utility
Keep things together that go together.
Consistency
It is important to unity. Using one typeface rather than several is a good technique for unity.
Continuity
Neighboring elements that touch and align are another important aspect of unity. Captions need to adjoin the pictures to which they refer. Headline lead into the text.
White space
White space is not simply an area where nothing happens. It works in one of two ways: it either frames and element in the sea of white, which gives the importance, or it separates elements that do not belong together.
Margins
It is simply a white space designed to frame the ad and separate it from everything surrounding it. Ina a magazine, you can use bleed, an ad in which the printed area runs to the trim edge of the page.
Contrast
Contrast indicates the importance of various elements. Contrast makes one element stand out because it is different. Contrast also used to separate an ad from its surroundings.
Balance
Optical 1/3 headline + 2/3 body, symmetrical ½ + ½
Simplicity
Less is more, so when in doubt leave it out (delete)
Color
Color is used in advertising to
- Attract attention
- Provide Real son – exactly what it is.
- Establish moods – red, yellow, orange, are bright and happy.
- Build brand identity – Pepsi (Red + Blue)
References
Three phases
The pre marketing era:
Buyers and sellers communicated each other. In 300 BC Babylonian clay tablet is the earliest form of advertisement.
Mass communication era:(After the mid 1700s till the early 1900s)
Newspaper ad started with the printing press i. e. 1438 when Johann Guttenberg invented movable printing press. First ad in English newspaper was printed about 40 years after the printing press.
The research era:
Since 1950s ad entered in the sophisticated era. Advertisers have developed new techniques to understand and segment audiences, and target them with specific messages.
Newspaper advertisement
1477- British advertisement (But not known, where it was published)
1665- Oxford gazette (Later renamed London gazette)
In England, there were 25 newspapers in 1700s and 258 in 1800s.
Ad in Nepalese context
1919 BS- Ad in Mokshasiddhi, for the first time in Nepal. The ad was about the notice of next publication of the Nepal Manoranjan press.
LAW AND ETHICS OF ADVERTISING
Ethical Criteria (3A)
Advocacy: Advertising by its very nature, tries to persuade the audience to do something. Thus it is not objective or neutral. This fact disturbs critics who think that advertising should be objective information and neutral.
Accuracy: YOU MUST NOT LIE. WHAT YOU PROMISE, YOU MUST PROVIDE.
Acquisitiveness: Advertising gives us choices and incentives for which we continue to strive (great efforts).
British Code of Ad.
The codes require that advertisements and sales promotions should be
- Legal, decent, honest, and truthful.
- Prepared with the sense of responsibility to consumers and society.
- In line with the principles of fair competition generally accepted in business.
The CAP – Committee of Advertiser Practice devises the codes.
LEGAL VS VOLUNTARY CONTROLS
Characteristics of Legislation
i) Advertiser should obey in the public interest, under penalty of fine or punishment.
ii) The law can be preventive in make known what is illegal.
iii) Some laws depend on interpretations by the courts and may not be effective until the test case has occurred to set precedents.
iv) The law has to be invoked (power of the law) either by the plaintiff (a person who brings an action at law), swing (make a legal claim against)) according to whether it is common or statute law.
Characteristics of Voluntary Controls
i) Advertiser should obey in the public interest. An offending advertising agent risks losing his/her recognition status and right to commission, while the client risks damaging his/her reputation if a complaint are made.
ii) There are no penalties other than above and necessity to amend or withdraw an offending ad.
iii) Voluntary controls are self-regulating and are likely to prevent unethical advertising from appearing.
iv) Advertising is competitive but there are limits. No ‘knocking copy’ is allowed. You cannot say your rival product is bad.
v) Voluntary self-regulatory control can be more effective than legislation.
Law of Contract
To be legally binding a contract must have four elements, namely, an offer, an unconditional acceptance of the offer and consideration in the form of some exchange or sacrifice while consent must be genuine and not wrongfully obtained.
Simple Contract: it is one that is not under seal and it can be made orally.
Expressed Contract: This is one in which the terms are set out in words, either orally or in writing, by the partners.
Implied Contract: It is the contract depends on the circumstances.
Executed contract: one or both parties perform the contract. Usually dates are agreed for the performance of the work and payment for it.
Contract of Advertising
1. The purchase of ad space/airtime.
2. The hiring of out door ad sites and exhibition stand space
3. Service agreements with advertising agents, public relation consultants and other professional consultants
4. The purchase of print, display on arterial, photography and artwork.
Sanctions
Adverse publicity – Reports printed and published in media
Refusal of further advertising space
Removal of Trade Incentives – Council of Membership
Legal Proceedings – Refer to Office of Fair Trading (OFT)
Criticism
Advertising is an immoral and parasitical force, which exalts (make higher in rank) false values and induces people to buy things they either do not need or cannot afford. It is said to create expectations that cannot be satisfied.
In Indonesia TV commercials were banned because they were thought to increase the expectation of poorer people.
Critics of advertising have made one fundamental mistake: they blame the TOOL and not the USER. There is mother wrong with advertising, but there are advertisers who abuses or misuse advertising deliberately or unintentionally.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
mass media and public relations
Mass Media and Public Relations
Introduction to Public Relations (PR)
Public relations is a tool to achieve success. It is not fraudery or deception. Nor is it a conspiratorial thing.
Organizations or individuals bear losses in absence of public relations. Even military forces cannot enjoy people’s support if they don’t exercise public relations.
Public relations is essential for science and technology too.
In fact, public relations is a discipline as well as a bedrock of understanding, related to making people understand facts.
Similarly, PR is a process of adjustment. The process of adjustment means making the situation palatable to ourselves or making ourselves palatable to the situation. It gives a sense of adaptability.
Professor of Media Economics Rama Krishna Regmee says that things get sold to people who actually don’t need them because of PR. He strongly argues against understanding PR as merely wine and dine.
Indeed, PR can open horizon with an unlimited possibility of developing human resources.
Formal Definitions of PR
Barron’s Marketing Dictionary defines public relations as “a form of communication that is primarily directed toward gaining public understanding and acceptance.” The dictionary continues, “It tends to deal with issues rather than specifically with products or services. Public relations uses publicity that does not necessitate payment in a wide variety of media and is often placed as news or items of public interest.” This definition shows that public relations deals with relations and is different from advertising which is paid.
Barron’s Business Dictionary does not have an essentially different definition of public relations. It presents PR as “a form of communication that is primarily directed to image building and that tends to deal with issues rather than specifically with products or services.”
In the context of understanding PR, Small Business Encyclopedia states, “The point of public relations is to make the public think favorably about the company and its offerings.”
A more organizational definition of PR comes from Frank Jefkins. He writes, “Public relations is the process of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organization leaders and implementing planned communication programs which by achieving mutual understanding, will serve both the organization’s and public interest.”
The above definition emphasizes on listening to the constituencies on which an organization depends and on analyzing and understanding the attitudes and behaviors of those audiences.
The focus of public PR is on creating, maintaining, and protecting the organization’s reputation, enhancing its prestige and presenting a favorable image. People pay much attention to an organization’s reputation. In essence, the goal of PR is to create goodwill for the organization.
Likewise, Webster’s Dictionary says public relations is “relations with the general public, as through publicity, specifically, those functions of a corporation, organization concerned with attempting to create favorable public opinion for itself.”
As to further definitions about public relations, Public Relations Society of America has to say this: “Public relations is the skilled communication of ideas to the various publics with the object of producing a desired result.” It adds, “Public relations is finding out what people like about you and doing more of it; finding out what they don’t like about you and doing less of it.”
One more definition about public relations can be considered. In the eyes of the Institute of Public Relations of England, public relations is “deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its public.”
The above definitions indicate that public relations is a very important discipline of communication and organizational management. This discipline has the responsibility of planned and sustained unpaid communication from organizations to publics.
Public relations practitioners communicate with internal and external publics. There may be various publics of an organization. Any of them can influence the process of achieving the organizations’ goal.
Indeed, the goals of public relations are to inform, persuade, and seek information from the organization’s publics.
Public relations was not recognized by the general population until after World War II although some corporations had used public relations for almost one hundred years.
External public relations activities include lobbying, political public relations, financial public relations, fund-raising, crisis management, and events coordination.
Public relations specialists can work in-house for an organization or as a consultant for an organization.
Public relations process includes setting goals, conducting research, creating a public relations plan, and evaluating the success of the plan.
Ethnic, racial, and gender bias continues to plague the public relations field.
A variety of technologies are available for professional communication, and the type that is used must be appropriate for the information needs and habits of the publics.
The growth of the international economic system has created global public relations, which in turn has created additional problems for practitioners.
Public relations is an inexact science. Sometimes it sizzles, other times it fizzles. Some strategies are immortal, others are fatal.
Misconceptions about Public Relations
Cold war costs more than the actual war itself. Misconception causes more damage. To eliminate misconceptions and reduce damages, public relations plays a vital role.
But some misconceptions about public relations need to be eliminated for more standardized and ethical public relations.
Misconception I: Public relations as a substitute for good management. In fact, it is not a substitute for good management. When an institution has bad management, it is not easy to go to public. Good public relations is not enough. Good management and public relations are different things though they can help each other. Public relations is necessary in economy, politics, social sector, professional organization. Good management is necessary for good public relations.
Misconception II: Public relations as an elixir for all problems. It is not a cure for all weaknesses and poor performance. It cannot do away with all the drawbacks. Policies, products and services are the instruments to meet particular goals. Wrong or right policies determine the fate. Should there be good policies, good public relations has a meaning. Should there be wrong policies; good public relations can’t do anything. In fact, public relations is not a cure. It is just a process.
Misconception III: Device for Deceiving the Public. Public relations is not for deception. It is a confidence-building measure, not a deceitful act. Public relations is a dynamic force. It is a continuous process, not a deceiving device. It has a long term goal. It aims at sustaining and upgrading an organization.
Misconception IV: Temporary Defensive Method for Covering a Mistake. Public relations is not a method to cover up mistakes. It is a permanent feature. Public relations professionals admit and correct mistakes. Nevertheless, it is not a patchwork.
Misconception V: Public relations is unnecessary for small industries and individuals. Public relations is necessary for both small and big industries. It is necessary for individuals of all ranks. It is a need for all.
Misconception VI: Public relations is a “Please-all science or discipline.” Public relations is not a flattery. It is not wining and dining. Nor is it bribing. Assuming attractive appearance or operating telephone pleasantly does not mean flattery. It is an image-setting or an impressive act. Public relations does not please all.
It is a continuity of social and human relations.
Understanding between Organization and Public: Public relations does exist in most sectors. This is a universally accepted fact. Public relations exists even at the time of war. War is not forever. Some sort of public relations is there. Tribes in the past had some sort of public relations.
Understanding has connotations. It may mean just introduction which breaks open the barriers between two sides. Due to lack of introduction, people may have misunderstood a good organization. But at the same time, limited introduction may be troublesome.
Feeling: Understanding may also mean just a feeling. One may not have the feeling of others. E.g., Fundamentalists may not have the feeling of liberal thinkers. In 1990, India imposed blockade against Nepal. There was no feeling for Nepali sufferers. If India had experienced the problem of transit, it would understand the suffering of Nepalese.
Appreciation: It is not praise only. It may mean both positive and negative. Appreciation is some sort of understanding. If there is understanding between an organization and its public, people can appreciate the organization. E.g., five-star hotels and local people don’t have understanding. They are like islands. People have no opportunity to appreciate the hotel. Can’t public use the hotel garden, swimming pool?
Public relations is a channel of communication. The way a receptionist behaves makes or mars the business of the concerned organization.
The way one behaves customers decides the sale.
Philosophical Base of Public Relations
Social management philosophy is the base of public relations. People are at the centre according to this philosophy. Many philosophers enter this concept.
Our approach of public relations must have a humanistic approach. Whatever stream of business one has, the humanistic approach is a need.
The crux of the social management philosophy is people at the centre.
Service in priority: We have to prioritize many things on the basis of humanity. Humanity must not be sacrificed.
Spiritual Dimension: Spiritual concept upholds humanity and human well-being. Costs and benefits are little counted in this area of thinking.
Approaches to social management philosophy in brief:
i) Humanistic approach
ii) Service in Priority
iii) Spiritual Dimension (spiritual satisfaction, not compared to tangible benefits.)
The main concept of social management philosophy is that organizations derive their right to operate from people. They get privileges from people. Therefore, organization-people relationship has to be respected. This is the meaning of social management philosophy. World revolutions resulted because people were ignored.
Social management philosophy in public relations can be understood mainly in terms of four steps:
i) Public relations involves the concept of social philosophy.
ii) It is an expression of this philosophy in the form of policy decisions.
iii) It is an action resulting from such policy decisions.
iv) It is equally an act of communication between publics and organizations.
The Process of Public Relations
Scott Cutlip, Allen Center and Glen Broom (1994) have pointed out the following process of public relations:
Four Steps of Public Relations
Defining 2. Planning and 3. Taking Action 4. Making final
Public relations Programming and Communicating Final Assessment
Problems
Situational Analysis Strategy Implementation Evaluating the
program
SWOT Analysis What should we do How and when do How did we do?
[ Strengths, Say, and why? We do and say it?
Weaknesses,
Opportunities,
and Threats ] Analysis of success of
communication
What’s happening now?
Phases of Public Relations
The universe in which organizations exist should be studied in order to achieve the goal of public relations. The following phases of public relations have been commonly accepted:
Analysis of General Climate (Universe): The universe is as broad or narrow as the functions of the organization. Public relations people need not be expert in everything. They have to mobilize experts. PR people can use resource people.
Determining the Attitude of People towards the Organization: This is an act of pulse-feeling. Scholars, researchers, or PR people themselves find out about the people’s attitude towards the organization. It is the process of doctoring, finding about strengths and weaknesses, finding about understanding and misunderstanding. Determining the attitude of people towards the organization is also the process of entering people’s minds.
Analyzing the State of Opinion: This is a more sophisticated process of public relations. Opinions can vary. They may be more intellectual or more superficial. They can be formed or changed. Opinion plays a vital role in building or destroying an organization.
Anticipating Potential Problems, Needs and Opportunities: Problems of the future can be predicted beforehand and corrective measures can be taken in advance. But analysis of the general climate is needed.
Formulating Policies: Policies are means or tools. They should be result-oriented. E.g., if the government wants to make video mobile sets accessible to the general public, it must change its policy of imposing heavy customs taxes on the device. Adequate and appropriate policies are required. Policies may be good, but they may not be counted due to lack of public relations. Similarly, public relations may be good, but it does not produce good results due to bad policies.
Planning Means of Improving the Attitude of the Group: There may be many complaints about the organization. The dissatisfied group needs to be satisfied. Although the organization may be very good. However, some may have negative attitude to it. Such a negative attitude needs to be changed with the help of public relations. This is the stage of planning means of improving the attitude. Simple get-together, agenda-based dialogue, negotiation are some examples of action plans.
Carrying Out Planned Activities: This is the implementation phase. There should be an organized unit to implement plans. This is not an ad hoc work. A particular team or individual should be assigned with the responsibility of implementation of a particular programme. There should be coordination of public relations people from other units.
Feedback, Evaluation and Adjustment: In this phase, it is possible to know what other people think towards your institution. Feedback can open eyes. What others evaluate about us should be heard with care with a view to improving. After being acquainted with our own weaknesses, we can devise improvement and adjustment measures. Right information is required for timely improvement. But cultivated feedback must be avoided because it will take us to a wrong place.
Differences between PR and other words
Marketing: Public relations is not limited to marketing. Once the target is reached, the marketing ends there. But PR never ends. Relations exist.
Advertising: Advertising has the purpose of showing, selling and promoting. PR should not be confused with advertising. PR is not for showing or pretending. It helps selling but does not mean sale. PR actually means establishing the organization in the public. Both marketing and advertising are part of PR.
Sales Promotion: It is a cousin of marketing, highly focused on sale. But PR is an image-builder, not a sales promoter.
Publicity: PR is not limited to publicity. It is a long-term exercise. But publicity is confined. Publicity is the spreading of information to gain public awareness in a product, service, candidate, etc. It is just one technique of public relations.
Propaganda: It is generally a negative concept. It has a selfish motive or intention. In fact, propaganda has a sense of deception.
Promotion: Because of PR, promotion is possible. But PR itself is not a promotional exercise. PR is a relational exercise.
What Does PR Mean to the Public?
Public Voice: Public relations is people’s voice. It is a field emphasizing on people; it takes people’s interests into serious consideration. People’s voices reach the organization through PR. PR does a link word.
Gardener of Ties with Others: PR gives due care to relations.
Safety Outlet (Valve): Public relations is a field dealing with difficulties, complicated situation, dissatisfactions or rage. China gave an outlet to the dispute over the issue of the ownership of Hong Kong through the One China Two Systems policy.
Social Energizer: Organizations conduct various programs where various publics are invited to share their likes and dislikes. This atmosphere enables the move of the relationship between organizations and publics. Public programs are the means of contact and understanding one another. Similarly, many organizations take internal relations very seriously. They organize picnics and increase the degree of socialization and relationship among staff. Some companies make annual holidays compulsory for staff’s refreshment to combat mental and physical fatigue. This is a PR way energizing social conscience.
The Medium of Acceptability: By practicing public relations, we can make others accept us. We should not wait for others to accept us. When other people or institutions can accept our existence, this situation is acceptability.
Essential Qualities of PR Practitioners
Human qualities are important for better performance in any sector. The degree of success or failure is mainly determined by the personal and professional qualities. Some of the essential qualities required for public relations practitioners are as follows:
1. High Degree of Moral Integrity: We see today lack of integrity and of true morals in daily life everywhere in the world. Every human heart is in conflict with the head; thought and speech are hardly in harmony; and this inner disintegration manifests itself in wrong types of outward actions, in low standards of morality and selfish interests on the physical plane. Theological advocates stress on the importance of a change in the inner life and being, in the causal aspect of all our activities, so that the effects produced may be harmonious and beneficial to all.
Moral integrity refers to moral wholeness. It is not in the sense of rigidity. Human conscience decides what is good and what is bad in particular contexts. Moral integrity, As theologian Stanley Hauerwas has argued, is central to all the other virtues but more fundamental than any single virtue. A person's moral integrity is central to a person's sense of meaning. Philosophers like John Ladd have argued that a person's moral integrity is a central aspect of that person's well-being. Therefore, leading another person to compromise their moral integrity is a fundamental injury to that person.
Some professional codes of ethics uphold the right of a member to refuse work that would compromise that person's ethical commitments even if the act in question (say, performing an abortion or developing weapons systems) is something that the profession as a whole has not ruled morally objectionable. This is a concern for the moral integrity of the members. It should be distinguished from respecting another's right of self-determination. Respecting another person's right of self-determination is done without regard for the motives of the person in exercising her or his right. S/he could be acting on whim or on moral conviction, for example. Concern for a person's moral integrity is a concern to support that person's actions in ways that are consistent with what her moral convictions and commitments, or at least to counter any attempt to force her or his to act otherwise.
2. Good Communication Skills: Nonverbal Expression: Factual information is often deduced from the words used. Attitudinal information is often assumed from the nonverbal aspects. These include the characteristics of a person's speech such as tone of voice, pace, pauses, inflection, volume, timbre and the like. They also include facial expression, direction of gaze, posture, gestures, and nearness.
Aware of it or not, we make a judgment about how genuine the other person is. To a large extent we base our judgment on the amount of agreement between what their words say and what the rest of their body says. The simplest way to handle the non- verbal aspects of expression, therefore, is to be honest and attentive. For most of us, the nonverbal aspects will then look after themselves. 5
We are often unaware of our nonverbal behavior. We often process other people's nonverbals without conscious attention. It may be difficult (and not always useful) to make this conscious.
In understanding other people's feelings, however, there are some overall patterns which can be used. Large postures, advancing gestures, threatening facial expression, loud volume, sustained eye contact together may indicate aggression. Small postures, retiring gestures, troubled or masked facial expression, low volume, and avoidance of eye contact together may indicate appeasement or withdrawal.
Expressive Skills: These are the simplest skills. You can use them to convey to another person the information to which you have access. You do this in three stages...
--first you get the other person's attention; --then you convey the information to her; 6--then you check her understanding.--You can put together the necessary information by asking yourself these questions...
--What precisely does she do or say?--What are the material outcomes for me of this behavior?
--If relevant, what do I assume she is trying to accomplish with these actions?--If relevant, what do I then feel like doing in response (that is, what is my emotional response)?--If relevant, how do I intend to act in response?--If relevant, how do I actually react?
Listening Skills: The easiest way of describing listening skills is as a mirror image of expressive skills. They are the skills needed to help the other person make a clear and unthreatening statement of her own position. You...
--give the other person your attention;--listen for understanding.
L isten
Give the other person your undivided attention as you try to understand what the problem is like for her. Listen with your eyes as well as your ears -- use her verbal and non- verbal expression to work out just what it is like to be in her position as she perceives it.
A cknowledge
Let the other person know just what you have understood her to imply verbally and non-verbally: the whole message. Make clear that this is just your interpretation.
C heck
Make sure that you understand her, by making it as easy as possible for her to amend or add to your understanding.
E nquire
Ask the questions that will help the other person to change her first answer (which probably avoids the issue, or blames, or demands) into one which gives specific information about what you have done or said, or about what she wants you to say or do.
Good Organizing Abilities: As to good organizing skills, remember the following:
People2. Finances3. Information4. Things5. Space6. Time
Creativity: Different scholars explain about creativity in different ways. But the essence of their varying explanations is almost similar. Creativity is the ability to solve problems that are worth solving. It is the ability to create knowledge. Creativity is subject-specific: it is the meta-knowledge of how to solve a specific class of problems. So there is no such thing as “raw”, undifferentiated creativity. From Human Motivation, 3rd ed., by Robert E. Franken:
Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. (page 396)
Three reasons why people are motivated to be creative:
need for novel, varied, and complex stimulation
need to communicate ideas and values
need to solve problems (page 396)
In order to be creative, you need to be able to view things in new ways or from a different perspective. Among other things, you need to be able to generate new possibilities or new alternatives. Tests of creativity measure not only the number of alternatives that people can generate but the uniqueness of those alternatives. the ability to generate alternatives or to see things uniquely does not occur by change; it is linked to other, more fundamental qualities of thinking, such as flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity or unpredictability, and the enjoyment of things heretofore unknown. (page 394)
Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. (page 396)
Three reasons why people are motivated to be creative:
need for novel, varied, and complex stimulation
need to communicate ideas and values
need to solve problems (page 396)
In order to be creative, you need to be able to view things in new ways or from a different perspective. Among other things, you need to be able to generate new possibilities or new alternatives. Tests of creativity measure not only the number of alternatives that people can generate but the uniqueness of those alternatives. the ability to generate alternatives or to see things uniquely does not occur by change; it is linked to other, more fundamental qualities of thinking, such as flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity or unpredictability, and the enjoyment of things heretofore unknown. [Human Motivation, 3rd ed., by Robert E. Franken ]
Five I’s of the creative process: information, incubation, illumination, integration and illustration. [Creativity in Public Relations by Andy Green (1999)]
Outgoing Nature: Be at ease with others. An outgoing person can easily make contacts.
Adjustability/Adaptability: A public relations practitioner needs to be able to understand multiple sides and synthesize their essential matters into a common essence.
Language Expertise: Language generates power, influence and control. The way it is used makes a difference.
Research Ability/Analytical Skills/Knowledgeability: Research is after truth, with the discovery of how and why things happen the way they do. Based on scientific evidence, it activates mind to see this and that, with a possible increase in examining things from different angles. Through research and analysis, one becomes knowledgeable enough to deal with people and issues. This factor is an adding value to a PR practitioner.
With the development of many of the above qualities, PR practitioners can develop their professional confidence to a considerable degree.
Media and Public Relations/Paradoxical and Critical Relations
Media is critical. Public relations has some promotional role. This is a paradox. It needs bridging. Some say there is no room for public relations in media while others say there is.
Criticism itself is promotional. Criticism and public relations can contribute to each other.
Both media and public relations are concerned with public issues. Without the existence of public, there can be no media. Media are the vehicle of practicing public relations.
Media people need freedom. PR people should respect the freedom of media.
PR people should seek truth. They should understand that media are after truth. They should give true information to media. They should give higher importance to proofs, facts, data and solid examples.
Public relations practitioners are not happy with media because of their inaccurate reporting, failure to get facts and overemphasis on unfavorable news. Similarly, media are not happy with organizations as they often send provide poor quality news releases, which are mostly veiled advertising. Independent editors cannot be happy with advertisers’ pressures that neglect editorial independence and criteria.
The healthy relationship between media and public relations practitioners can be possible with the respect for editorial independence and appreciation of the way the media are handled. If both media and businesses prioritize public interests, their relationship can also prove tremendously productive.
Neither public relations practitioners nor media people should deviate from accountability, responsibility, transparency, loyalty, truthtelling, and fairness.
Media As Tools of Public Relations
Media cannot remain viable without businesses and vice versa. Their interrelationship matters a lot even to the state and its citizens regarding the uninterrupted dissemination of news and views. State’s policymaking work and the decision-making process of the country and public in general are affected if the relationship between media and organizations is spoilt. Especially, PR people have to make their work more productive by establishing a good rapport with media people. The following media actors are to be considered in this context:
Relationship with Editors: Editors are very powerful. Their editorials are not something very ordinary. PR people should establish good relationships with them. Editors are opinion builders.
Reporters: Reporters are informed people. They gather information from various sources. They are also opinion builders. PR people should have good relationship with them.
Editorial Writers: Editorial is writing on behalf of media institutions. Audiences usually make their opinions on the basis of what editorial writers write.
Columnists: They have many topics to write about. They choose one most important topic and write about it. But if PR people can approach columnists in a proper manner, they can write about the choice of PR people or institution. But if PR people can approach columnists in a proper manner, they can write about the choice of PR people or institution.
Broadcasters: Readers and others in broadcast media have a frequent access to publics. PR people should have good relations with media people for promotional purposes.
Camerapersons: They create impressions. If PR people win the hearts of camera persons, they can win more camera shots.
Angles or Perspectives on Media and Public Relations
Media-centric Angle: This is a conservative view focusing on media activities ignoring so many important elements of public relations. Media-centrism may undermine public relations.
PR-centric Angle: According to this angle, media are only the tool, nothing else. Everything media cover is a part of public relations. All try to popularize their own sides by means of media.
Moderating Angle: This concept tries to combine PR elements and media. It is a concept based on co-existence. It is a compromising approach. Arising conflicts can be resolved with this balanced viewpoint. But conservative people think this compromise or co-existence is just a conceptual thing on paper only. But others think co-existence is nothing but a compromise. The point of this angle is that media and public relations should be viewed together or as co-existing components and not as isolated factors. Both the extreme concepts cannot be accepted because media cannot be isolated from PR properties.
Interusable Angle: This is another dimension in understanding angles on media and public relations. This is a pragmatic concept. One should know media for public relations purpose. One should know public relations for media purposes. For critical view of media, tolerance or moderation is necessary.
Critical view of media should be honored. Tolerate the media. Honor the media. Moderate the media. Be media-friendly. Take into consideration the views of media. Reacting to media should be friendly and non-aggressive. Understanding the need of media is necessary. What do media need? Do officials understand it?
Varieties of media have different ways of functioning. There is media-PR paradox, media being critical and PR being friendly. One needs to understand this paradox.
Especially, PR people should remember the following points as to their relationship with media:
PR people should be available to press to kill any confusion or suspicion.
PR people should be available to press to kill any confusion or suspicion.
Do not combine news release and order for advertising. Do not give a news release while paying for an ad.
Be careful about quotation. PR people must be careful while giving their quotation. Once the stuff is on, it’s there precaution needed. What to say or avoid.
PR people must not give any ‘off-the-record’ information.
Discriminating or playing favorite should be avoided. PR people should treat all people equally. The principle of press freedom lies there.
Do not complain against minor mistakes or misprints. Media people dealing with various people, working under pressure. It is tough and time-bound job.
Misleading a reporter should is a crime. Taking the reporter into confidence and guiding him to a wrong side is a wrong conduct. If journalists have been misled once, they won’t go to that source in the future. PR people cannot sustain by misleading a reporter.
PR people should help the media by exposing their problems and other bad things.
Ethics and Public Relations
Moral integrity provides tremendous meaning to human life. Ethics is related to moral integrity. It is a field of studying moral principles. Moral principles deal with the questions such as what is good or bad and what is right and wrong. In fact, the sense of morality is guided by one’s conscience.
Ethics is vital in any sector. Medical ethics, legal ethics, scientific ethics, political ethics, business ethics and diplomatic ethics are some areas of ethics. The ethical philosophy in any profession helps it to become more advanced and credible.
Public relations, a profession devoted to building and improving relations with people, equally require ethics. Ethical standards can help PR professionals become systematic and credible. But there also exists the possibility of the misuse of public relations practice when PR practitioners do not adhere to the ethical standards.
Unethical behavior on the part of public relations practitioners harms not only organizations and public but also the public relations profession itself. It hampers the efforts to increase and maintain the reputation of concerned organizations. Therefore, public relations practitioners and organizations must emphasize ethics education to inspire practitioners to maintain higher standards and professional status.
Theories of Ethics in PR
The following theories are relevant in PR ethics:
Responsible Advocacy [Fitzpatrick and Gauthier (2001)]
According to this theory, adopting the ideal of professional responsibility is the best way to practice public relations. The key points of this theory of ethics are:
Practitioners’ greatest need for ethical guidance is in the reconciling of their conflicting roles of professional advocate and social conscience.
Public relations professionals best serve society by serving the special interests of his or her client or employer.
First loyalty is always to clients or publics, but also have a responsibility to voice the opinions of organizational stakeholders.
This theory is mentioned in the Public Relations Society of America Code of Ethics. In the code's statement of values, it defines advocacy as:
"We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent."
Enlightened Self-interest Model [Baker]
Baker proposes enlightened self-interest as a baseline for justification of persuasive communication activities. The key point of this model is that: Businesses do well by doing good to publics.
Those who propose this model use potential for profit as a basis for justifying acts that are ethical. The creator suggests that:
By behaving ethically, companies gain a competitive edge and are more respected in the marketplace.
Businesses that make a short term investment in order to behave ethically will reap the rewards in the long term.
Opponents of this model argue that self-interest cannot be a core value of public relations ethics programs because you are effectively ignoring the interests of your publics. Also, enlightened self-interest can be interpreted as just an easy way out of making difficult decisions. Ethics is about doing right where others, not just yourself, are concerned.
Two-way Communication [James Grunig]
James Grunig, one of the leading public relations scholars in the world, proposes his model of two-way, symmetrical communication as the best way to achieve ethical decisions. He bases his theory on the following assumptions:
Collaboration, working jointly with others, is a key value in ethical decisions.
The process of dialogue with different people allows for both listening and arguing.
Not everyone will get what they want, but dialogue will lead to the most ethical outcome.
This approach requires the public relations practitioner to balance their role as advocate for their client with their role as social conscience. Opponents of this model say it falls short for failing to address the question of how far PR professionals should go in counseling their clients and employers to address the needs of others. Other critics contend that two-way symmetrical public relations is an unrealistic, utopian ideal.
Attorney/Adversary Model [Barney and Black (1994)]
This model makes several assumptions as its creators attempt to compare lawyers to public relations practitioners. According to Barney and Black, these two professions are alike in two ways:
Both are advocates in an adversarial climate
Both assume counterbalancing messages will be provided by someone else.
In this model of public relations ethics, Barney and Black suggest practitioners have no obligation to consider the public interest or other outside points of view. Because they assume a counterbalancing message is someone else's job, public relations practitioners should only consider the view of their client in their decision-making process.
Those who oppose this approach to public relations ethics cite differences between the conditioners under which lawyers and PR practitioners operate. Lawyers practice in a court of law where fairness and equal representation are guaranteed. PR professionals work in the court of public opinion. Opponents say because a counterbalancing message is not guaranteed, practitioners cannot afford to overlook the public interest in ethical decision-making.
The most valuable asset of any organization is its reputation that has a direct and major impact on its well-being. All organizations, including multinational corporations, charity institutions, government departments or other institutions should work to gain public trust. Thus, the professionalism of PR professionals, who guard and mold reputation is so vital.
The major ethical guidelines approved by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) can be considered:
1. Integrity. Act with honesty and integrity at all times so as to secure the confidence of those with whom the practitioner comes into contact;
2. Transparency. Be open and transparent in declaring their name, organization and the interest they represent;
3. Dialogue. Establish the moral, psychological and intellectual conditions for dialogue, and recognize the rights of all parties involved to state their case and express their views;
4. Accuracy. Take all reasonable steps to ensure the truth and accuracy of all information provided to public authorities;
5. Falsehood. Not intentionally disseminate false or misleading information, and shall exercise proper care to avoid doing so unintentionally and correct any such act promptly;
6. Deception. Not obtain information from public authorities by deceptive or dishonest means;
7. Confidentiality. Honour confidential information provided to them;
8. Influence. Neither propose nor undertake any action which would constitute an improper influence on public authorities;
9. Inducement. Neither directly nor indirectly offer nor give any financial or other inducement to members of public authorities or public representatives;
10. Conflict. Avoid any professional conflicts of interest and to disclose such conflicts to affected parties when they occur;
11. Profit. Not sell for profit to third parties copies of documents obtained from public authorities;
Confédération Européenne des Relations Publiques (CERP)
A. Personal and Professional Integrity1 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 Employers1. A member has a general duty of fair dealing towards his/her 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 confidences of both present and former clients or 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 employer a member shall not accept fees, commission or any other valuable consideration in connection with those services from anyone other than his/her client or employer without the express consent of his/her client or employer, given after a full disclosure of the facts.6. A member shall not propose to a prospective client that his/her fees or other compensation be contingent on the achievement of certain results; nor shall he/she enter into any fee agreement to the same effect.C. Conduct towards the Public and the Media1. A member shall conduct his/her professional activities with respect tot he public interest and for the dignity of the individual.2. A member shall not engage in 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 faithful representation of the organization which he/she 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/her client or employer, nor shall he/she make use of it or any such existing organization.D.Conduct towards Colleagues1. 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, including practices in violation of this Code, he/she 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.
PR TOOLS
Besides mainstream mass media and their wide-ranging capacity, other basic tools and techniques available to PR professionals are event management (exhibitions, conferences, product launches, etc), controlled media (press releases, newsletters, brochures, video, websites, discs, films, house journals, etc).
Press releases
A press release is a written statement distributed through media by a certain institution or individual to inform public about a particular issue or event. It has been considered as a fundamental tool of public relations. Journalists usually understand press releases as news releases or press statements. PR professionals of a company usually write the press release in the way a reporter writes a news story: structuring the story with a sequence of order of importance as well as by containing vital information in the lead paragraph. Reporters who obtain press releases from organizations can quickly make news stories depending on the quality of those who have designed them. But it is unethical for journalists to copy verbatim from the releases. They have to concentrate on the essential points and get their implications. Or journalists can further search information when the release arouses suspicion and questions.
Mechanics of Press Release
Sample Press Release Format
Writing a press release requires you to write a persuasive story that will compel journalists and consumers to take action. Our sample press release format is just a guide for the structure of a press release, but keep in mind that any story can be told from many angles. Try visiting the news sections of industry leaders Web sites or go to the newswires and see how others are telling their stories.
Headline: Create an active and descriptive headline that will capture the reader’s attention. The headline should appeal to journalists as newsworthy.
Summary: Write a summary of your press release that helps clarify the headline, and describes what the press release is about. While not all press releases have a summary, if you are distributing your press release to PR Leap it must include a summary.
Lead Paragraph
Body (Answer the Where, When, Who, and What)City, State - Month Day, Year - Organization Name - Answer the “what” in the rest of this paragraph.
Include Quotes: After the first paragraph of the body it is a good idea to include at least one quote from an executive that discusses why this is an important news event. Add credibility to your press release; identify the people you quote using their title, and company name in addition to their name.
Answer the Why and the How: The second paragraph of the body should connect the first paragraph to more detailed information about the “why” and the “how” of the news event. Additional paragraphs should contain supporting information, industry statistics, and quotes.Call to Action: The last paragraph is where you can make a call to action. This is your opportunity to prompt your target audience to do something. It can be as simple as “To sign up for a PR Leap account visit http://www.prleap.com/sign_up.html”.
### (Use three number signs to denote where the press release ends)
Corporate Summary: Include a short summary about your organization.
Contact Information: Include the contact information of a person the media can follow up with. (Name, Company Name, Phone Number, E-mail Address, Company URL)
Another press release sample template:
Note: The three #'s mark the end of the press release.
Special Uses of Public Relations
Government PR
The government is set up by people. It must work for people because it represents them. The basic philosophy of any state is for public wellbeing. The money government gets for doing things using state authority comes from people. When that money is misused, it is against the norms of democracy. When state authorities misuse properties based on people’s contributions, it is the violation of democratic principles and state laws. In government, public relations specialists are called press secretaries, information officers, and public affairs specialists. But just the arrangement of a government spokesperson is not adequate for its better public relations practices. Public addresses by the prime minister and other ministers have PR elements but government PR is beyond public addresses and spokespersonship.
There is no other better way to boast the government image than to apply democracy in people’s daily life. While keeping the majority of people deprived of their basic human rights to food, shelter and clothing, greater declarations and paper commitments cannot promote government reputation. For the guarantee of people’s right to food, shelter and clothing, the basic rights based on which people can climb up superior political and socio-economic ladder, the government must guarantee education, employment and health. Only then spending billions on preaching about human rights becomes worthwhile.
In Nepal, neither the government does understand people nor people do understand the government. There is always a doubtful and wait-and-see relationship between the two. The government represented a limited class while the majority were treated as passive followers. The government loses its basic meaning if it does not have good rapport with people. Contradictions and conflicts do not get transformed in a country where government and people remain antagonistic forces.
Nepali government offices have been sharply and commonly criticized for extremely poor PR status. Wine and dine culture is so common among government departments and foreign-funded projects but people’s attitude and opinion towards them are not that encouraging. Government departments spend a large amount of money on seminars and workshops.
Lobbying
In the 1840s, the members of the British public used to go to the Central Lobby of the parliament for talking to MPs about their issues. Many point out the possible origin from there the concept of lobbying. Americans claim they used the term first. However, the Oxford Univesity Press claims that the activity of lobbying gets its name from the Lobby in the British Parliament at Westminster, a large hall where people can meet and talk to Members of Parliament. Official government briefings to journalists, sometimes still called lobby briefings, which now take place at Downing Street, used to happen in the Lobby and lobby correspondent used to be the title of the political journalists accessible to MPs and were responsible for parliamentary news and analysis.
Lobbying is a conscious effort made to achieve a desired result, especially from government authorities as well elected officials. Lobbying is a technique of presenting one’s views effectively. It is a method of getting public support. There are both good and bad issues to lobby for or against. It is a way of attracting attention of politicians and others. It is a right in democracy.
Lobby groups: Generally lobby groups are formed with certain purposes. Some may be permanent while others may be temporary. They try to influence government policies, corporate policies or public opinion. A lobby group hiding its true purpose and support base is termed as a front group.
Various pressure groups approach members of parliament to influence them in lawmaking. Pressure groups, which have their own identity, create public opinion.
PR people should use lobbying as a tool to create public opinions or their support.
Types of Lobbying
Lobbying at individual levels: Individuals practice their lobbying skills at individual levels as per their individual capacity. They try to mobilize community representatives. They try to persuade their contacts to accept a concept or issue. Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela are some figures well known for individual lobbying. But they also led their organizations. Individual lobbyists greatly depend on their conscience. They are more ethical and committed to humanistic values. But the possibility of misuse of this power cannot be ruled out in mundane life.
Team Lobbying: A team formed for a temporary period may also lobby on certain issues. Delegations, a team of victims, a team of local community representatives may engage in team lobbying.
Organizational Lobbying: When lobbying takes place at an organizational level, it is organizational lobbying. Issues are lobbied through organizations on behalf of target communities or recipients of services. Experts and good communicators within an organization take the lead in organizational lobbying. Organizations have their own vision, mission and strategic goals and objectives. Organizations lobby depending on them.
Special Interest Lobbying: A multinational corporation may hire professional lobbyists and assign them to lobby in their favor. Animal rights advocates may lobby for a bill in favor of animals. Goals are limited in this type of lobbying. It may not be favorable to many others. When the water corporation’s employees lobby for privatization after a guarantee of their job and facilities, that can be considered special interest lobbying. Similarly, homosexuals for lobby for a bill favorable to them. As far as special interests are concerned, their lobbying is for themselves and it may not represent the majority wellbeing.
Public Interest Lobbying: This type of lobbying is highly emphatic of public issues. Public wellbeing is the focal goal of public interest lobbyists. They prioritize public wellbeing; commercial institutions may feel their own interests being undermined through public interest lobbying.
Specialist Lobbying: This type of lobbying is done by specialists or experts of concerned disciplines. Non-experts are not involved in this lobbying. Ordinary people’s interests may be represented through specialist type of lobbying. When doctors, engineers, pilots or constitutional experts lobby to influence the job of policymaking and lawmaking in their concerned disciplines, it is specialist lobbying.
In fact, there are diversified purposes of lobbying. Generally, political lobbying and business lobbying are common. Political lobbying aims at influencing lawmakers on certain issues while business lobbying primarily aims at the House approval of the business-friendly bills. Experts and pressure group leaders can lobby for or against certain issues. They can influence the law-making process of the country. There are lobbying for genuine public interests, lobbying for vested political interests, lobbying for electoral objectives, lobbying for ethnocultural groups and more. There are diversified purposes of business lobbying. There are lobbying for business tycoonistic interests, lobbying for improving competitive environment and lobbying for getting the House bills approved in commercial favor.
Lobbying happens at different levels: village, district, regional, national and international levels. Local, national or international mass media, press conferences, seminars, interaction programs, hearing sessions or public hearing programs, court cases and more can be lobbying tools.
Various interest groups are involved in lobbying. They exercise as much as they can to influence public policies. They plan and manage lobbying campaigns. There is also the role of coalitions lobbing because it makes lobbying more pressurizing and powerful. Especially public affairs lobbying, if well-integrated with media campaigns, can produce good results in favor of people. This type of public affairs lobbying is the weakest in Nepal. Public interests are appallingly undermined. Therefore, involving both the publics and mass media in public interest lobbying is today’s vital need.
According to wikipedia, there are currently around 15,000 lobbyists in Brussels (consultants, lawyers, associations, corporations, NGOs etc.) seeking to influence the EU’s legislative process. Some 2,600 special interest groups have a permanent office in Brussels. Their distribution is roughly as follows: European trade federations (32%), consultants (20%), companies (13%), NGOs (11%), national associations (10%), regional representations (6%), international organizations (5%) and think tanks (1%), (Lehmann, 2003)
Financial PR
Financial public relations is also known as investor relations. It is aimed at communicating on behalf of corporations or organizations with the components of the financial sector, mainly investors and potential investors. Financial public relations serves the purpose of maintaining the financial value of a concerned company. The four main publics for financial public relations practitioners are investment analysts, financial journalists, institutional investors and the general public that have bought shares.
Finance is a highly important sector. Nothing happens without investment. Investment is a way of generating economic power. More investment generates more money. But blind or misinformed investment does not only degenerate a country’s economy but also contributes to mass poverty and political and socio-economic contradictions to avoid any blind or misinformed investment, it is necessary to build up a culture of counting on scientifically processed and analyzed financial information.
Quality analysis of financial information spreads among the financial community a sense of confidence prior to investment. Equally, it helps investors to make accurate decisions. For rich and uninterrupted flow of financial informant amidst various stakeholders of society, financial PR has a great role to play. Creating a harmonious environment and a sound understanding among financial stakeholders is the chief purpose of financial PR. The harmonious relations and sound understanding among various financial stakeholders result in the highest productivity of investment. The higher the financial productivity becomes, the better the situation becomes in all other sectors. Ultimately, the nation’s overall position in the international market becomes stronger and well-footed.
Crisis PR
Crisis is a difficult situation in which decision-making is highly complicated. Crisis results from human activities as well as the nature. During the State of Emergency in Nepal (2001), mass media faced difficult times. They had to be very moderate in their coverage. They had to provide people facts and human rights messages in their coverage. Many journalists suffered due to their commitment to factual coverage. A more difficult situation was faced by Nepali journalists and media after King Gyanendra took over power through 2/1 coup d’etat (2005). The security forces directly invaded different mass media and imposed white terror on publics, including nation’s brains. Even in such difficult situations, Nepal’s mass media were doing their best to inform the Nepalis about issues and events. Amidst threats and attacks from the organized forces of state, they relied on people and continued informing them. They managed their crisis by depending on publics and adhering to the principle of informing people. This is an example of crisis PR. Besides, thousands of journalists themselves took out to the streets supporting and empower the all-out movement against autocracy. In the crisis period (especially when the nation was heading towards the climax of crisis), it was natural for journalists to project themselves as ‘citizens first, then journalists secondly’.
Crisis emerges at other times as well. Human beings are generally engaged in their self-sustaining efforts and have little time to be mentally and materially prepared to face unknown crises. However, some pragmatic assumptions definitely help one to face crises comparatively more effectively. When publics are ignored or harmed during crisis period, it is not possible for organizations to maintain good public relations.
Defining what constitutes a crisis is central in the development and implementation of a crisis communications plan. If your organization has established the point at which a crisis communications plan is activated, it is far more likely that your plan will play a productive role in helping your organization quickly emerge from crisis with its reputation intact.DPK Public Relations, a Texas-based PR firm defines crisis asA crisis is an unexpected event or series of events that spiral out of control, disrupts normal operations and causes intense and unwanted public scrutiny that harms or threatens to harm the organization's reputation.
Some of the useful tips for crisis PR are as follows:
Immediately inform public about the crisis./identify the disaster, facts and figures about it/its location
Mobilize concerned apparatus in affected areas as a primary response./actively participate in rescue operations./collaborate in relief work.
Collect data of victims/ design preliminary rescue measures./meet victims in the field and console them.
Shift people of affected areas to a safer place.
Make relief available and urge for relief./as far as possible, set up on-the-spot treatment camps.
Maintain smooth communication about the ongoing rescue and relief.
Be alert about the essential things like food, drinking water, shelter and medicine.
The above tips are more relevant for natural disasters such as landslides.
When a media house undergoes a period of intense disputes between the owners and workers, the following tips could be relevant:
Inform about the crisis./be prompt in dealing with the crisis.
Be alert to avoid losses.
Maintain calmness
Advise management about the level and type of crisis
Consult legal experts regarding the crisis.
As crisis varies, an acute conflict is another type. In the situation of conflicts, the following tips could be somewhat useful:
Keep communication and negotiation channels open./don’t hesitate to invite and honestly talk to stakeholders.
Give public accurate and undistorted information so that they can also suggest constructively and accurately.
Start communication at first (a small ‘hello’ or ‘a cup of tea’ could mean something great).
Bring the conflicting parties to negotiating table./Recognize and respect the existence of the other side.
Use local resources as far as applicable.
Identify the underlying roots of conflicts.
Do honestly what is immediately possible.
Use the proven and relevant techniques used in other countries.
Use humanitarian approaches.
Media can greatly help people and the nation during crisis period. They can immediately disseminate information to public. They can alert the government, NGOs and other institutions. They can also campaign for fund-raising. Media can also alert people against any possible proximal damages or threats.
Corporate PR
The PR practices in a corporation refer to corporate PR. A corporation is a business entity with high level legal recognition. It is different from individual or partnership enterprises. The word corporate originated from the Latin word corpus meaning body. Thus, the corporation in modern business world is like a body with all the necessary organs. For the smooth functioning of it, it has to follow certain laws and rules of the state and has to hold some social responsibility. The corporation is like a human being that can be brought to the court when necessary. Its ownership can be transferred. Its properties have to be dealt with on the basis of legal provisions define by the state.
Corporate business varies as per needs of society. Some PR firms also work as corporate industries. For example,
These days, one so often talks about corporate social responsibility (CSR). Mallen Baker sees CSR as about how companies manage their business to produce an overall positive impact on society. A company cannot stand alone. There are so many variables, direct and indirect, involved in the activities of the company. For instance, employees, shareholders, customers, raw material suppliers, marketing agents, salespeople, government, NGOs, financial analysts, consultants and communities. They are also publics on the other side. The corporation has to deal with them with good communication skills.
Baker believes the European model of corporate responsibility is more relevant. It is much more focused on operating the core business in a socially responsible way, complemented by investment in communities for solid business case reasons:
Social responsibility becomes an integral part of the wealth creation process - which if managed properly should enhance the competitiveness of business and maximize the value of wealth creation to society.
When times get hard, there is the incentive to practice CSR more and better - if it is a philanthropic exercise which is peripheral to the main business, it will always be the first thing to go when push comes to shove.
Public Relations Practices in the Media Sector of Nepal
Public relations in the media sector of Nepal vary from media to media. Most of the media houses do not have a separate PR department; however, they have PR practices at different levels in different forms. Yet, it is not as mature as in advanced countries.
There is no debate among journalists that journalists, through what they write or edit, are engaged in PR practices because they production directly or indirectly affects their audiences.
Media houses themselves, instead of depending on any particular employee or a team, at times organize various programs to directly reach their publics so as to create a positive impact.
Nepali media have been carrying out their PR in various ways. Some of the obvious ones are stated as follows:
Nationwide poll on political issues/ Media coverage on public issues/Sponsorship of public programs
Vox pop, SMS polling, feedback, news about helpless people
Focus on local incidents, cultural and tourism festivals
Readers’ letters/column writing/ collecting listeners’ and viewers’ comments/live telephone conversations with audiences
Notice about missing children free of cost through media/Free matrimonial ads
Supplementary issues on weekends
media involvement in book and educational fairs/various contests
Door-to-door subscription campaign and lowering rates/distributing free calendars to subscribers
Nationwide tour package of media representatives
Tips for Developing PR in Media Sector
Almost all of the journalists unanimously agree that mass media can boost their image by disseminating accurate and true information of public importance. They stress on media credibility. The following tips would be useful for media to develop their PR:
Serve people, not vested interests.
By serving people with right, balanced, and unbiased information, media can win people’s faith.
Conduct a periodical door-to-door media research campaign
Support community programs financially and materially
Media need to give up partisan politics
Adhere to ethical guidelines.
Set up a separate PR department./need to invest in PR
improve internal PR to improve external PR/maintain good relationship between media owners and its journalists/employees.
Pay adequate attention to feedback.
Media professionals need to build up their rapport with commoners to understand them better.
Journalists need to bear in mind that there is no better PR than their own reliability.
In brief, media professionals, as they have a frequent contact with publics, are all-time PR practitioners deployed to boost their brand image.
Public Issues and Public Relations
What is public?
The word ‘public’ has different connotations. The public for one side may not be the public for other sides. Interests conflict one another, so do definitions or perceptions regarding the word. Marxists view the majority of workers and peasants as the public or mainstream public. Authoritarian rulers may view their flatterers and order-carriers the principal public. For feudals, ordinary people may be of secondary value. A handful of co-conspirators may be public for them. The way of understanding the meaning of public depends on time, space and context.
What is an issue?
An issue is something you have in your head to think or to speak or to write about or to act on. It is a problem. It is something that demands your attention. It is related directly or indirectly to your life.
An issue has potential to generate mental and physical power. It unites or divides people. It links or isolates people and institutions. Issues arise originally from human mind that always interacts with the world. They help idea generation as well as help to promote one’s intellectual maturity. All issues are not developed in a natural. Some issues are forcefully fabricated.
What is a public issue?
There is nothing non-public in this world. Even family life becomes public. Family issues become public. But there are certain demarcations between public issues and private issues. Public issues cross the boundary of personal life. Thousands of individuals’ personal issues, when they are similar in nature, can change into public issues. A unique and inspiring happening in a person’s life becomes a topic of interest of many other people. A person’s remarkable achievement becomes an issue of public discourse. An individual, holding a public post or authority, may misuse his/her public authority for personal purposes. It becomes a public issue because what the person does personally affects the general public. Thus, what a public figure thinks and does affects public. A US president’s private sex affair becomes a public issue because it is related to someone with a public authority’s public decency or morality.
Human rights are public issues. Right to life is the most important human right. Rights to food, shelter, clothing, education and health are basic human rights. In absence of these rights, sense of equal human dignity, a prioritized issue, cannot develop. Besides, there are many common agenda of citizens specific to particular countries.
Relationship between public issues and PR
All organizations, be they private, nongovernmental or governmental, belong to a national territory populated by publics. People belong to differing political ideologies, religious faiths and socio-economic statuses (educational, health, cultural, health etc.). they have diverse requirements. Their requirements give a base and a breath to private or other organizations. Private and other organizations have to listen to publics to exist or sustain. A private dairy company has to be sensitive for public health. Its products must meet the prescribed health standards. The same applies to government institutions. Thus, no one can escape social and public responsibility. This is the basic truth every PR professional has to bear in mind.
As organizations or individuals cannot successfully perform their activities without the recognition by publics, it becomes essential for them to establish a good rapport with publics. Neither commercial nor a nonprofit organization can ever think of thriving in absence of public relations. Organizations and individuals need to maintain their relationship with people, be they consumers or just free users or participants, people.
Handling Public Issues from PR Perspectives
Handling public issues requires a sharp perception of public issues first. Although a PR professional has to be loyal to the organization s/he serves, it does not mean the organization can do anything without considering whether it does good to or harms publics. The organization has to follow the nation’s laws that are aimed at public good. Therefore, a PR professional, as per the declared commitments of an organization, has to deliver good things to publics. Intentionally harming publics and benefiting oneself is against the PR ethics.
Public Relations in Developing Countries
The UN systems have discriminated member nations. There is a serious psychological division among them. Some think they are advanced or developed nations, eligible enough to impose tier policies on the others known as developing or underdeveloped nations. Some think they are developing or underdeveloped nations deserving seas of grants and loans (and even waive-offs).
The UN bodies such as the World Bank and the UNDP prescribe certain doses for developing nations. But the prescribed does have not worked. And they keep on prescribing still newer doses. These world bodies have become like doctors loyal to pharmaceutical companies.
World Bank reports simultaneously indicate the continuous economic growths and the growth in mass poverty in the developing nations. The reports attribute this situation to illiteracy, ill-governance and inefficient management. This means developing nations have not been able to manage by themselves. Thus, multinational corporations go to manage developing nations, which have rich resources but poor management systems. World Bank, IMF, ADB and similar bodies promote their loan industries through their PR, especially through lobbying. Generally, the leaderships of the developing nations unquestionably accept the terms and conditions of the loans.
Today, poorest countries like Ethiopia, Somalia, and Nepal possess American M-16s to suppress their starving citizens or their internal uprisings. The external PR of war industry appears successful. But both the internal and external PR in developing nations appears weaker as they have not been able to build a good rapport with their people on the one hand and as they have not been able to establish their rights in the international markets. The developing nations have become more dumping sites for the advanced nations than international competitors. Merely sales campaigns cannot be true PR. Many developing nations have lost their image because of all-pervasive corruption, all-cancerous. Even the most professional PR remedy becomes helpless unless the nations’ political thoughts and behavioral culture are set right.
It is essential for the developing nations to develop their public relations skills in order to grow faster in the international market. First, they have to have good PR at home and based on good internal PR, they should promote their international PR. If they can develop their PR, they can manage their resources, human and natural.
Nepal, equipped with world’s beautiful mountain ranges and rich resources, has not been able to promote her access to the international market because her promotional and relational communication is poor. Result-oriented diplomacy requires much PR. Occupying posts and not yielding necessary results is an irony since the waste of people’s money results in national losses. Developing a sense of accountability is a big challenge for the Nepalis genuinely interested in the mapping of a new Nepal. Sense of accountability is not something to preach about but something to demonstrate in actions. This process starts from the most conscious ones with the clearest perception of issues.
Introduction to Public Relations (PR)
Public relations is a tool to achieve success. It is not fraudery or deception. Nor is it a conspiratorial thing.
Organizations or individuals bear losses in absence of public relations. Even military forces cannot enjoy people’s support if they don’t exercise public relations.
Public relations is essential for science and technology too.
In fact, public relations is a discipline as well as a bedrock of understanding, related to making people understand facts.
Similarly, PR is a process of adjustment. The process of adjustment means making the situation palatable to ourselves or making ourselves palatable to the situation. It gives a sense of adaptability.
Professor of Media Economics Rama Krishna Regmee says that things get sold to people who actually don’t need them because of PR. He strongly argues against understanding PR as merely wine and dine.
Indeed, PR can open horizon with an unlimited possibility of developing human resources.
Formal Definitions of PR
Barron’s Marketing Dictionary defines public relations as “a form of communication that is primarily directed toward gaining public understanding and acceptance.” The dictionary continues, “It tends to deal with issues rather than specifically with products or services. Public relations uses publicity that does not necessitate payment in a wide variety of media and is often placed as news or items of public interest.” This definition shows that public relations deals with relations and is different from advertising which is paid.
Barron’s Business Dictionary does not have an essentially different definition of public relations. It presents PR as “a form of communication that is primarily directed to image building and that tends to deal with issues rather than specifically with products or services.”
In the context of understanding PR, Small Business Encyclopedia states, “The point of public relations is to make the public think favorably about the company and its offerings.”
A more organizational definition of PR comes from Frank Jefkins. He writes, “Public relations is the process of analyzing trends, predicting their consequences, counseling organization leaders and implementing planned communication programs which by achieving mutual understanding, will serve both the organization’s and public interest.”
The above definition emphasizes on listening to the constituencies on which an organization depends and on analyzing and understanding the attitudes and behaviors of those audiences.
The focus of public PR is on creating, maintaining, and protecting the organization’s reputation, enhancing its prestige and presenting a favorable image. People pay much attention to an organization’s reputation. In essence, the goal of PR is to create goodwill for the organization.
Likewise, Webster’s Dictionary says public relations is “relations with the general public, as through publicity, specifically, those functions of a corporation, organization concerned with attempting to create favorable public opinion for itself.”
As to further definitions about public relations, Public Relations Society of America has to say this: “Public relations is the skilled communication of ideas to the various publics with the object of producing a desired result.” It adds, “Public relations is finding out what people like about you and doing more of it; finding out what they don’t like about you and doing less of it.”
One more definition about public relations can be considered. In the eyes of the Institute of Public Relations of England, public relations is “deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its public.”
The above definitions indicate that public relations is a very important discipline of communication and organizational management. This discipline has the responsibility of planned and sustained unpaid communication from organizations to publics.
Public relations practitioners communicate with internal and external publics. There may be various publics of an organization. Any of them can influence the process of achieving the organizations’ goal.
Indeed, the goals of public relations are to inform, persuade, and seek information from the organization’s publics.
Public relations was not recognized by the general population until after World War II although some corporations had used public relations for almost one hundred years.
External public relations activities include lobbying, political public relations, financial public relations, fund-raising, crisis management, and events coordination.
Public relations specialists can work in-house for an organization or as a consultant for an organization.
Public relations process includes setting goals, conducting research, creating a public relations plan, and evaluating the success of the plan.
Ethnic, racial, and gender bias continues to plague the public relations field.
A variety of technologies are available for professional communication, and the type that is used must be appropriate for the information needs and habits of the publics.
The growth of the international economic system has created global public relations, which in turn has created additional problems for practitioners.
Public relations is an inexact science. Sometimes it sizzles, other times it fizzles. Some strategies are immortal, others are fatal.
Misconceptions about Public Relations
Cold war costs more than the actual war itself. Misconception causes more damage. To eliminate misconceptions and reduce damages, public relations plays a vital role.
But some misconceptions about public relations need to be eliminated for more standardized and ethical public relations.
Misconception I: Public relations as a substitute for good management. In fact, it is not a substitute for good management. When an institution has bad management, it is not easy to go to public. Good public relations is not enough. Good management and public relations are different things though they can help each other. Public relations is necessary in economy, politics, social sector, professional organization. Good management is necessary for good public relations.
Misconception II: Public relations as an elixir for all problems. It is not a cure for all weaknesses and poor performance. It cannot do away with all the drawbacks. Policies, products and services are the instruments to meet particular goals. Wrong or right policies determine the fate. Should there be good policies, good public relations has a meaning. Should there be wrong policies; good public relations can’t do anything. In fact, public relations is not a cure. It is just a process.
Misconception III: Device for Deceiving the Public. Public relations is not for deception. It is a confidence-building measure, not a deceitful act. Public relations is a dynamic force. It is a continuous process, not a deceiving device. It has a long term goal. It aims at sustaining and upgrading an organization.
Misconception IV: Temporary Defensive Method for Covering a Mistake. Public relations is not a method to cover up mistakes. It is a permanent feature. Public relations professionals admit and correct mistakes. Nevertheless, it is not a patchwork.
Misconception V: Public relations is unnecessary for small industries and individuals. Public relations is necessary for both small and big industries. It is necessary for individuals of all ranks. It is a need for all.
Misconception VI: Public relations is a “Please-all science or discipline.” Public relations is not a flattery. It is not wining and dining. Nor is it bribing. Assuming attractive appearance or operating telephone pleasantly does not mean flattery. It is an image-setting or an impressive act. Public relations does not please all.
It is a continuity of social and human relations.
Understanding between Organization and Public: Public relations does exist in most sectors. This is a universally accepted fact. Public relations exists even at the time of war. War is not forever. Some sort of public relations is there. Tribes in the past had some sort of public relations.
Understanding has connotations. It may mean just introduction which breaks open the barriers between two sides. Due to lack of introduction, people may have misunderstood a good organization. But at the same time, limited introduction may be troublesome.
Feeling: Understanding may also mean just a feeling. One may not have the feeling of others. E.g., Fundamentalists may not have the feeling of liberal thinkers. In 1990, India imposed blockade against Nepal. There was no feeling for Nepali sufferers. If India had experienced the problem of transit, it would understand the suffering of Nepalese.
Appreciation: It is not praise only. It may mean both positive and negative. Appreciation is some sort of understanding. If there is understanding between an organization and its public, people can appreciate the organization. E.g., five-star hotels and local people don’t have understanding. They are like islands. People have no opportunity to appreciate the hotel. Can’t public use the hotel garden, swimming pool?
Public relations is a channel of communication. The way a receptionist behaves makes or mars the business of the concerned organization.
The way one behaves customers decides the sale.
Philosophical Base of Public Relations
Social management philosophy is the base of public relations. People are at the centre according to this philosophy. Many philosophers enter this concept.
Our approach of public relations must have a humanistic approach. Whatever stream of business one has, the humanistic approach is a need.
The crux of the social management philosophy is people at the centre.
Service in priority: We have to prioritize many things on the basis of humanity. Humanity must not be sacrificed.
Spiritual Dimension: Spiritual concept upholds humanity and human well-being. Costs and benefits are little counted in this area of thinking.
Approaches to social management philosophy in brief:
i) Humanistic approach
ii) Service in Priority
iii) Spiritual Dimension (spiritual satisfaction, not compared to tangible benefits.)
The main concept of social management philosophy is that organizations derive their right to operate from people. They get privileges from people. Therefore, organization-people relationship has to be respected. This is the meaning of social management philosophy. World revolutions resulted because people were ignored.
Social management philosophy in public relations can be understood mainly in terms of four steps:
i) Public relations involves the concept of social philosophy.
ii) It is an expression of this philosophy in the form of policy decisions.
iii) It is an action resulting from such policy decisions.
iv) It is equally an act of communication between publics and organizations.
The Process of Public Relations
Scott Cutlip, Allen Center and Glen Broom (1994) have pointed out the following process of public relations:
Four Steps of Public Relations
Defining 2. Planning and 3. Taking Action 4. Making final
Public relations Programming and Communicating Final Assessment
Problems
Situational Analysis Strategy Implementation Evaluating the
program
SWOT Analysis What should we do How and when do How did we do?
[ Strengths, Say, and why? We do and say it?
Weaknesses,
Opportunities,
and Threats ] Analysis of success of
communication
What’s happening now?
Phases of Public Relations
The universe in which organizations exist should be studied in order to achieve the goal of public relations. The following phases of public relations have been commonly accepted:
Analysis of General Climate (Universe): The universe is as broad or narrow as the functions of the organization. Public relations people need not be expert in everything. They have to mobilize experts. PR people can use resource people.
Determining the Attitude of People towards the Organization: This is an act of pulse-feeling. Scholars, researchers, or PR people themselves find out about the people’s attitude towards the organization. It is the process of doctoring, finding about strengths and weaknesses, finding about understanding and misunderstanding. Determining the attitude of people towards the organization is also the process of entering people’s minds.
Analyzing the State of Opinion: This is a more sophisticated process of public relations. Opinions can vary. They may be more intellectual or more superficial. They can be formed or changed. Opinion plays a vital role in building or destroying an organization.
Anticipating Potential Problems, Needs and Opportunities: Problems of the future can be predicted beforehand and corrective measures can be taken in advance. But analysis of the general climate is needed.
Formulating Policies: Policies are means or tools. They should be result-oriented. E.g., if the government wants to make video mobile sets accessible to the general public, it must change its policy of imposing heavy customs taxes on the device. Adequate and appropriate policies are required. Policies may be good, but they may not be counted due to lack of public relations. Similarly, public relations may be good, but it does not produce good results due to bad policies.
Planning Means of Improving the Attitude of the Group: There may be many complaints about the organization. The dissatisfied group needs to be satisfied. Although the organization may be very good. However, some may have negative attitude to it. Such a negative attitude needs to be changed with the help of public relations. This is the stage of planning means of improving the attitude. Simple get-together, agenda-based dialogue, negotiation are some examples of action plans.
Carrying Out Planned Activities: This is the implementation phase. There should be an organized unit to implement plans. This is not an ad hoc work. A particular team or individual should be assigned with the responsibility of implementation of a particular programme. There should be coordination of public relations people from other units.
Feedback, Evaluation and Adjustment: In this phase, it is possible to know what other people think towards your institution. Feedback can open eyes. What others evaluate about us should be heard with care with a view to improving. After being acquainted with our own weaknesses, we can devise improvement and adjustment measures. Right information is required for timely improvement. But cultivated feedback must be avoided because it will take us to a wrong place.
Differences between PR and other words
Marketing: Public relations is not limited to marketing. Once the target is reached, the marketing ends there. But PR never ends. Relations exist.
Advertising: Advertising has the purpose of showing, selling and promoting. PR should not be confused with advertising. PR is not for showing or pretending. It helps selling but does not mean sale. PR actually means establishing the organization in the public. Both marketing and advertising are part of PR.
Sales Promotion: It is a cousin of marketing, highly focused on sale. But PR is an image-builder, not a sales promoter.
Publicity: PR is not limited to publicity. It is a long-term exercise. But publicity is confined. Publicity is the spreading of information to gain public awareness in a product, service, candidate, etc. It is just one technique of public relations.
Propaganda: It is generally a negative concept. It has a selfish motive or intention. In fact, propaganda has a sense of deception.
Promotion: Because of PR, promotion is possible. But PR itself is not a promotional exercise. PR is a relational exercise.
What Does PR Mean to the Public?
Public Voice: Public relations is people’s voice. It is a field emphasizing on people; it takes people’s interests into serious consideration. People’s voices reach the organization through PR. PR does a link word.
Gardener of Ties with Others: PR gives due care to relations.
Safety Outlet (Valve): Public relations is a field dealing with difficulties, complicated situation, dissatisfactions or rage. China gave an outlet to the dispute over the issue of the ownership of Hong Kong through the One China Two Systems policy.
Social Energizer: Organizations conduct various programs where various publics are invited to share their likes and dislikes. This atmosphere enables the move of the relationship between organizations and publics. Public programs are the means of contact and understanding one another. Similarly, many organizations take internal relations very seriously. They organize picnics and increase the degree of socialization and relationship among staff. Some companies make annual holidays compulsory for staff’s refreshment to combat mental and physical fatigue. This is a PR way energizing social conscience.
The Medium of Acceptability: By practicing public relations, we can make others accept us. We should not wait for others to accept us. When other people or institutions can accept our existence, this situation is acceptability.
Essential Qualities of PR Practitioners
Human qualities are important for better performance in any sector. The degree of success or failure is mainly determined by the personal and professional qualities. Some of the essential qualities required for public relations practitioners are as follows:
1. High Degree of Moral Integrity: We see today lack of integrity and of true morals in daily life everywhere in the world. Every human heart is in conflict with the head; thought and speech are hardly in harmony; and this inner disintegration manifests itself in wrong types of outward actions, in low standards of morality and selfish interests on the physical plane. Theological advocates stress on the importance of a change in the inner life and being, in the causal aspect of all our activities, so that the effects produced may be harmonious and beneficial to all.
Moral integrity refers to moral wholeness. It is not in the sense of rigidity. Human conscience decides what is good and what is bad in particular contexts. Moral integrity, As theologian Stanley Hauerwas has argued, is central to all the other virtues but more fundamental than any single virtue. A person's moral integrity is central to a person's sense of meaning. Philosophers like John Ladd have argued that a person's moral integrity is a central aspect of that person's well-being. Therefore, leading another person to compromise their moral integrity is a fundamental injury to that person.
Some professional codes of ethics uphold the right of a member to refuse work that would compromise that person's ethical commitments even if the act in question (say, performing an abortion or developing weapons systems) is something that the profession as a whole has not ruled morally objectionable. This is a concern for the moral integrity of the members. It should be distinguished from respecting another's right of self-determination. Respecting another person's right of self-determination is done without regard for the motives of the person in exercising her or his right. S/he could be acting on whim or on moral conviction, for example. Concern for a person's moral integrity is a concern to support that person's actions in ways that are consistent with what her moral convictions and commitments, or at least to counter any attempt to force her or his to act otherwise.
2. Good Communication Skills: Nonverbal Expression: Factual information is often deduced from the words used. Attitudinal information is often assumed from the nonverbal aspects. These include the characteristics of a person's speech such as tone of voice, pace, pauses, inflection, volume, timbre and the like. They also include facial expression, direction of gaze, posture, gestures, and nearness.
Aware of it or not, we make a judgment about how genuine the other person is. To a large extent we base our judgment on the amount of agreement between what their words say and what the rest of their body says. The simplest way to handle the non- verbal aspects of expression, therefore, is to be honest and attentive. For most of us, the nonverbal aspects will then look after themselves. 5
We are often unaware of our nonverbal behavior. We often process other people's nonverbals without conscious attention. It may be difficult (and not always useful) to make this conscious.
In understanding other people's feelings, however, there are some overall patterns which can be used. Large postures, advancing gestures, threatening facial expression, loud volume, sustained eye contact together may indicate aggression. Small postures, retiring gestures, troubled or masked facial expression, low volume, and avoidance of eye contact together may indicate appeasement or withdrawal.
Expressive Skills: These are the simplest skills. You can use them to convey to another person the information to which you have access. You do this in three stages...
--first you get the other person's attention; --then you convey the information to her; 6--then you check her understanding.--You can put together the necessary information by asking yourself these questions...
--What precisely does she do or say?--What are the material outcomes for me of this behavior?
--If relevant, what do I assume she is trying to accomplish with these actions?--If relevant, what do I then feel like doing in response (that is, what is my emotional response)?--If relevant, how do I intend to act in response?--If relevant, how do I actually react?
Listening Skills: The easiest way of describing listening skills is as a mirror image of expressive skills. They are the skills needed to help the other person make a clear and unthreatening statement of her own position. You...
--give the other person your attention;--listen for understanding.
L isten
Give the other person your undivided attention as you try to understand what the problem is like for her. Listen with your eyes as well as your ears -- use her verbal and non- verbal expression to work out just what it is like to be in her position as she perceives it.
A cknowledge
Let the other person know just what you have understood her to imply verbally and non-verbally: the whole message. Make clear that this is just your interpretation.
C heck
Make sure that you understand her, by making it as easy as possible for her to amend or add to your understanding.
E nquire
Ask the questions that will help the other person to change her first answer (which probably avoids the issue, or blames, or demands) into one which gives specific information about what you have done or said, or about what she wants you to say or do.
Good Organizing Abilities: As to good organizing skills, remember the following:
People2. Finances3. Information4. Things5. Space6. Time
Creativity: Different scholars explain about creativity in different ways. But the essence of their varying explanations is almost similar. Creativity is the ability to solve problems that are worth solving. It is the ability to create knowledge. Creativity is subject-specific: it is the meta-knowledge of how to solve a specific class of problems. So there is no such thing as “raw”, undifferentiated creativity. From Human Motivation, 3rd ed., by Robert E. Franken:
Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. (page 396)
Three reasons why people are motivated to be creative:
need for novel, varied, and complex stimulation
need to communicate ideas and values
need to solve problems (page 396)
In order to be creative, you need to be able to view things in new ways or from a different perspective. Among other things, you need to be able to generate new possibilities or new alternatives. Tests of creativity measure not only the number of alternatives that people can generate but the uniqueness of those alternatives. the ability to generate alternatives or to see things uniquely does not occur by change; it is linked to other, more fundamental qualities of thinking, such as flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity or unpredictability, and the enjoyment of things heretofore unknown. (page 394)
Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. (page 396)
Three reasons why people are motivated to be creative:
need for novel, varied, and complex stimulation
need to communicate ideas and values
need to solve problems (page 396)
In order to be creative, you need to be able to view things in new ways or from a different perspective. Among other things, you need to be able to generate new possibilities or new alternatives. Tests of creativity measure not only the number of alternatives that people can generate but the uniqueness of those alternatives. the ability to generate alternatives or to see things uniquely does not occur by change; it is linked to other, more fundamental qualities of thinking, such as flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity or unpredictability, and the enjoyment of things heretofore unknown. [Human Motivation, 3rd ed., by Robert E. Franken ]
Five I’s of the creative process: information, incubation, illumination, integration and illustration. [Creativity in Public Relations by Andy Green (1999)]
Outgoing Nature: Be at ease with others. An outgoing person can easily make contacts.
Adjustability/Adaptability: A public relations practitioner needs to be able to understand multiple sides and synthesize their essential matters into a common essence.
Language Expertise: Language generates power, influence and control. The way it is used makes a difference.
Research Ability/Analytical Skills/Knowledgeability: Research is after truth, with the discovery of how and why things happen the way they do. Based on scientific evidence, it activates mind to see this and that, with a possible increase in examining things from different angles. Through research and analysis, one becomes knowledgeable enough to deal with people and issues. This factor is an adding value to a PR practitioner.
With the development of many of the above qualities, PR practitioners can develop their professional confidence to a considerable degree.
Media and Public Relations/Paradoxical and Critical Relations
Media is critical. Public relations has some promotional role. This is a paradox. It needs bridging. Some say there is no room for public relations in media while others say there is.
Criticism itself is promotional. Criticism and public relations can contribute to each other.
Both media and public relations are concerned with public issues. Without the existence of public, there can be no media. Media are the vehicle of practicing public relations.
Media people need freedom. PR people should respect the freedom of media.
PR people should seek truth. They should understand that media are after truth. They should give true information to media. They should give higher importance to proofs, facts, data and solid examples.
Public relations practitioners are not happy with media because of their inaccurate reporting, failure to get facts and overemphasis on unfavorable news. Similarly, media are not happy with organizations as they often send provide poor quality news releases, which are mostly veiled advertising. Independent editors cannot be happy with advertisers’ pressures that neglect editorial independence and criteria.
The healthy relationship between media and public relations practitioners can be possible with the respect for editorial independence and appreciation of the way the media are handled. If both media and businesses prioritize public interests, their relationship can also prove tremendously productive.
Neither public relations practitioners nor media people should deviate from accountability, responsibility, transparency, loyalty, truthtelling, and fairness.
Media As Tools of Public Relations
Media cannot remain viable without businesses and vice versa. Their interrelationship matters a lot even to the state and its citizens regarding the uninterrupted dissemination of news and views. State’s policymaking work and the decision-making process of the country and public in general are affected if the relationship between media and organizations is spoilt. Especially, PR people have to make their work more productive by establishing a good rapport with media people. The following media actors are to be considered in this context:
Relationship with Editors: Editors are very powerful. Their editorials are not something very ordinary. PR people should establish good relationships with them. Editors are opinion builders.
Reporters: Reporters are informed people. They gather information from various sources. They are also opinion builders. PR people should have good relationship with them.
Editorial Writers: Editorial is writing on behalf of media institutions. Audiences usually make their opinions on the basis of what editorial writers write.
Columnists: They have many topics to write about. They choose one most important topic and write about it. But if PR people can approach columnists in a proper manner, they can write about the choice of PR people or institution. But if PR people can approach columnists in a proper manner, they can write about the choice of PR people or institution.
Broadcasters: Readers and others in broadcast media have a frequent access to publics. PR people should have good relations with media people for promotional purposes.
Camerapersons: They create impressions. If PR people win the hearts of camera persons, they can win more camera shots.
Angles or Perspectives on Media and Public Relations
Media-centric Angle: This is a conservative view focusing on media activities ignoring so many important elements of public relations. Media-centrism may undermine public relations.
PR-centric Angle: According to this angle, media are only the tool, nothing else. Everything media cover is a part of public relations. All try to popularize their own sides by means of media.
Moderating Angle: This concept tries to combine PR elements and media. It is a concept based on co-existence. It is a compromising approach. Arising conflicts can be resolved with this balanced viewpoint. But conservative people think this compromise or co-existence is just a conceptual thing on paper only. But others think co-existence is nothing but a compromise. The point of this angle is that media and public relations should be viewed together or as co-existing components and not as isolated factors. Both the extreme concepts cannot be accepted because media cannot be isolated from PR properties.
Interusable Angle: This is another dimension in understanding angles on media and public relations. This is a pragmatic concept. One should know media for public relations purpose. One should know public relations for media purposes. For critical view of media, tolerance or moderation is necessary.
Critical view of media should be honored. Tolerate the media. Honor the media. Moderate the media. Be media-friendly. Take into consideration the views of media. Reacting to media should be friendly and non-aggressive. Understanding the need of media is necessary. What do media need? Do officials understand it?
Varieties of media have different ways of functioning. There is media-PR paradox, media being critical and PR being friendly. One needs to understand this paradox.
Especially, PR people should remember the following points as to their relationship with media:
PR people should be available to press to kill any confusion or suspicion.
PR people should be available to press to kill any confusion or suspicion.
Do not combine news release and order for advertising. Do not give a news release while paying for an ad.
Be careful about quotation. PR people must be careful while giving their quotation. Once the stuff is on, it’s there precaution needed. What to say or avoid.
PR people must not give any ‘off-the-record’ information.
Discriminating or playing favorite should be avoided. PR people should treat all people equally. The principle of press freedom lies there.
Do not complain against minor mistakes or misprints. Media people dealing with various people, working under pressure. It is tough and time-bound job.
Misleading a reporter should is a crime. Taking the reporter into confidence and guiding him to a wrong side is a wrong conduct. If journalists have been misled once, they won’t go to that source in the future. PR people cannot sustain by misleading a reporter.
PR people should help the media by exposing their problems and other bad things.
Ethics and Public Relations
Moral integrity provides tremendous meaning to human life. Ethics is related to moral integrity. It is a field of studying moral principles. Moral principles deal with the questions such as what is good or bad and what is right and wrong. In fact, the sense of morality is guided by one’s conscience.
Ethics is vital in any sector. Medical ethics, legal ethics, scientific ethics, political ethics, business ethics and diplomatic ethics are some areas of ethics. The ethical philosophy in any profession helps it to become more advanced and credible.
Public relations, a profession devoted to building and improving relations with people, equally require ethics. Ethical standards can help PR professionals become systematic and credible. But there also exists the possibility of the misuse of public relations practice when PR practitioners do not adhere to the ethical standards.
Unethical behavior on the part of public relations practitioners harms not only organizations and public but also the public relations profession itself. It hampers the efforts to increase and maintain the reputation of concerned organizations. Therefore, public relations practitioners and organizations must emphasize ethics education to inspire practitioners to maintain higher standards and professional status.
Theories of Ethics in PR
The following theories are relevant in PR ethics:
Responsible Advocacy [Fitzpatrick and Gauthier (2001)]
According to this theory, adopting the ideal of professional responsibility is the best way to practice public relations. The key points of this theory of ethics are:
Practitioners’ greatest need for ethical guidance is in the reconciling of their conflicting roles of professional advocate and social conscience.
Public relations professionals best serve society by serving the special interests of his or her client or employer.
First loyalty is always to clients or publics, but also have a responsibility to voice the opinions of organizational stakeholders.
This theory is mentioned in the Public Relations Society of America Code of Ethics. In the code's statement of values, it defines advocacy as:
"We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent."
Enlightened Self-interest Model [Baker]
Baker proposes enlightened self-interest as a baseline for justification of persuasive communication activities. The key point of this model is that: Businesses do well by doing good to publics.
Those who propose this model use potential for profit as a basis for justifying acts that are ethical. The creator suggests that:
By behaving ethically, companies gain a competitive edge and are more respected in the marketplace.
Businesses that make a short term investment in order to behave ethically will reap the rewards in the long term.
Opponents of this model argue that self-interest cannot be a core value of public relations ethics programs because you are effectively ignoring the interests of your publics. Also, enlightened self-interest can be interpreted as just an easy way out of making difficult decisions. Ethics is about doing right where others, not just yourself, are concerned.
Two-way Communication [James Grunig]
James Grunig, one of the leading public relations scholars in the world, proposes his model of two-way, symmetrical communication as the best way to achieve ethical decisions. He bases his theory on the following assumptions:
Collaboration, working jointly with others, is a key value in ethical decisions.
The process of dialogue with different people allows for both listening and arguing.
Not everyone will get what they want, but dialogue will lead to the most ethical outcome.
This approach requires the public relations practitioner to balance their role as advocate for their client with their role as social conscience. Opponents of this model say it falls short for failing to address the question of how far PR professionals should go in counseling their clients and employers to address the needs of others. Other critics contend that two-way symmetrical public relations is an unrealistic, utopian ideal.
Attorney/Adversary Model [Barney and Black (1994)]
This model makes several assumptions as its creators attempt to compare lawyers to public relations practitioners. According to Barney and Black, these two professions are alike in two ways:
Both are advocates in an adversarial climate
Both assume counterbalancing messages will be provided by someone else.
In this model of public relations ethics, Barney and Black suggest practitioners have no obligation to consider the public interest or other outside points of view. Because they assume a counterbalancing message is someone else's job, public relations practitioners should only consider the view of their client in their decision-making process.
Those who oppose this approach to public relations ethics cite differences between the conditioners under which lawyers and PR practitioners operate. Lawyers practice in a court of law where fairness and equal representation are guaranteed. PR professionals work in the court of public opinion. Opponents say because a counterbalancing message is not guaranteed, practitioners cannot afford to overlook the public interest in ethical decision-making.
The most valuable asset of any organization is its reputation that has a direct and major impact on its well-being. All organizations, including multinational corporations, charity institutions, government departments or other institutions should work to gain public trust. Thus, the professionalism of PR professionals, who guard and mold reputation is so vital.
The major ethical guidelines approved by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) can be considered:
1. Integrity. Act with honesty and integrity at all times so as to secure the confidence of those with whom the practitioner comes into contact;
2. Transparency. Be open and transparent in declaring their name, organization and the interest they represent;
3. Dialogue. Establish the moral, psychological and intellectual conditions for dialogue, and recognize the rights of all parties involved to state their case and express their views;
4. Accuracy. Take all reasonable steps to ensure the truth and accuracy of all information provided to public authorities;
5. Falsehood. Not intentionally disseminate false or misleading information, and shall exercise proper care to avoid doing so unintentionally and correct any such act promptly;
6. Deception. Not obtain information from public authorities by deceptive or dishonest means;
7. Confidentiality. Honour confidential information provided to them;
8. Influence. Neither propose nor undertake any action which would constitute an improper influence on public authorities;
9. Inducement. Neither directly nor indirectly offer nor give any financial or other inducement to members of public authorities or public representatives;
10. Conflict. Avoid any professional conflicts of interest and to disclose such conflicts to affected parties when they occur;
11. Profit. Not sell for profit to third parties copies of documents obtained from public authorities;
Confédération Européenne des Relations Publiques (CERP)
A. Personal and Professional Integrity1 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 Employers1. A member has a general duty of fair dealing towards his/her 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 confidences of both present and former clients or 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 employer a member shall not accept fees, commission or any other valuable consideration in connection with those services from anyone other than his/her client or employer without the express consent of his/her client or employer, given after a full disclosure of the facts.6. A member shall not propose to a prospective client that his/her fees or other compensation be contingent on the achievement of certain results; nor shall he/she enter into any fee agreement to the same effect.C. Conduct towards the Public and the Media1. A member shall conduct his/her professional activities with respect tot he public interest and for the dignity of the individual.2. A member shall not engage in 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 faithful representation of the organization which he/she 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/her client or employer, nor shall he/she make use of it or any such existing organization.D.Conduct towards Colleagues1. 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, including practices in violation of this Code, he/she 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.
PR TOOLS
Besides mainstream mass media and their wide-ranging capacity, other basic tools and techniques available to PR professionals are event management (exhibitions, conferences, product launches, etc), controlled media (press releases, newsletters, brochures, video, websites, discs, films, house journals, etc).
Press releases
A press release is a written statement distributed through media by a certain institution or individual to inform public about a particular issue or event. It has been considered as a fundamental tool of public relations. Journalists usually understand press releases as news releases or press statements. PR professionals of a company usually write the press release in the way a reporter writes a news story: structuring the story with a sequence of order of importance as well as by containing vital information in the lead paragraph. Reporters who obtain press releases from organizations can quickly make news stories depending on the quality of those who have designed them. But it is unethical for journalists to copy verbatim from the releases. They have to concentrate on the essential points and get their implications. Or journalists can further search information when the release arouses suspicion and questions.
Mechanics of Press Release
Sample Press Release Format
Writing a press release requires you to write a persuasive story that will compel journalists and consumers to take action. Our sample press release format is just a guide for the structure of a press release, but keep in mind that any story can be told from many angles. Try visiting the news sections of industry leaders Web sites or go to the newswires and see how others are telling their stories.
Headline: Create an active and descriptive headline that will capture the reader’s attention. The headline should appeal to journalists as newsworthy.
Summary: Write a summary of your press release that helps clarify the headline, and describes what the press release is about. While not all press releases have a summary, if you are distributing your press release to PR Leap it must include a summary.
Lead Paragraph
Body (Answer the Where, When, Who, and What)City, State - Month Day, Year - Organization Name - Answer the “what” in the rest of this paragraph.
Include Quotes: After the first paragraph of the body it is a good idea to include at least one quote from an executive that discusses why this is an important news event. Add credibility to your press release; identify the people you quote using their title, and company name in addition to their name.
Answer the Why and the How: The second paragraph of the body should connect the first paragraph to more detailed information about the “why” and the “how” of the news event. Additional paragraphs should contain supporting information, industry statistics, and quotes.Call to Action: The last paragraph is where you can make a call to action. This is your opportunity to prompt your target audience to do something. It can be as simple as “To sign up for a PR Leap account visit http://www.prleap.com/sign_up.html”.
### (Use three number signs to denote where the press release ends)
Corporate Summary: Include a short summary about your organization.
Contact Information: Include the contact information of a person the media can follow up with. (Name, Company Name, Phone Number, E-mail Address, Company URL)
Another press release sample template:
Note: The three #'s mark the end of the press release.
Special Uses of Public Relations
Government PR
The government is set up by people. It must work for people because it represents them. The basic philosophy of any state is for public wellbeing. The money government gets for doing things using state authority comes from people. When that money is misused, it is against the norms of democracy. When state authorities misuse properties based on people’s contributions, it is the violation of democratic principles and state laws. In government, public relations specialists are called press secretaries, information officers, and public affairs specialists. But just the arrangement of a government spokesperson is not adequate for its better public relations practices. Public addresses by the prime minister and other ministers have PR elements but government PR is beyond public addresses and spokespersonship.
There is no other better way to boast the government image than to apply democracy in people’s daily life. While keeping the majority of people deprived of their basic human rights to food, shelter and clothing, greater declarations and paper commitments cannot promote government reputation. For the guarantee of people’s right to food, shelter and clothing, the basic rights based on which people can climb up superior political and socio-economic ladder, the government must guarantee education, employment and health. Only then spending billions on preaching about human rights becomes worthwhile.
In Nepal, neither the government does understand people nor people do understand the government. There is always a doubtful and wait-and-see relationship between the two. The government represented a limited class while the majority were treated as passive followers. The government loses its basic meaning if it does not have good rapport with people. Contradictions and conflicts do not get transformed in a country where government and people remain antagonistic forces.
Nepali government offices have been sharply and commonly criticized for extremely poor PR status. Wine and dine culture is so common among government departments and foreign-funded projects but people’s attitude and opinion towards them are not that encouraging. Government departments spend a large amount of money on seminars and workshops.
Lobbying
In the 1840s, the members of the British public used to go to the Central Lobby of the parliament for talking to MPs about their issues. Many point out the possible origin from there the concept of lobbying. Americans claim they used the term first. However, the Oxford Univesity Press claims that the activity of lobbying gets its name from the Lobby in the British Parliament at Westminster, a large hall where people can meet and talk to Members of Parliament. Official government briefings to journalists, sometimes still called lobby briefings, which now take place at Downing Street, used to happen in the Lobby and lobby correspondent used to be the title of the political journalists accessible to MPs and were responsible for parliamentary news and analysis.
Lobbying is a conscious effort made to achieve a desired result, especially from government authorities as well elected officials. Lobbying is a technique of presenting one’s views effectively. It is a method of getting public support. There are both good and bad issues to lobby for or against. It is a way of attracting attention of politicians and others. It is a right in democracy.
Lobby groups: Generally lobby groups are formed with certain purposes. Some may be permanent while others may be temporary. They try to influence government policies, corporate policies or public opinion. A lobby group hiding its true purpose and support base is termed as a front group.
Various pressure groups approach members of parliament to influence them in lawmaking. Pressure groups, which have their own identity, create public opinion.
PR people should use lobbying as a tool to create public opinions or their support.
Types of Lobbying
Lobbying at individual levels: Individuals practice their lobbying skills at individual levels as per their individual capacity. They try to mobilize community representatives. They try to persuade their contacts to accept a concept or issue. Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela are some figures well known for individual lobbying. But they also led their organizations. Individual lobbyists greatly depend on their conscience. They are more ethical and committed to humanistic values. But the possibility of misuse of this power cannot be ruled out in mundane life.
Team Lobbying: A team formed for a temporary period may also lobby on certain issues. Delegations, a team of victims, a team of local community representatives may engage in team lobbying.
Organizational Lobbying: When lobbying takes place at an organizational level, it is organizational lobbying. Issues are lobbied through organizations on behalf of target communities or recipients of services. Experts and good communicators within an organization take the lead in organizational lobbying. Organizations have their own vision, mission and strategic goals and objectives. Organizations lobby depending on them.
Special Interest Lobbying: A multinational corporation may hire professional lobbyists and assign them to lobby in their favor. Animal rights advocates may lobby for a bill in favor of animals. Goals are limited in this type of lobbying. It may not be favorable to many others. When the water corporation’s employees lobby for privatization after a guarantee of their job and facilities, that can be considered special interest lobbying. Similarly, homosexuals for lobby for a bill favorable to them. As far as special interests are concerned, their lobbying is for themselves and it may not represent the majority wellbeing.
Public Interest Lobbying: This type of lobbying is highly emphatic of public issues. Public wellbeing is the focal goal of public interest lobbyists. They prioritize public wellbeing; commercial institutions may feel their own interests being undermined through public interest lobbying.
Specialist Lobbying: This type of lobbying is done by specialists or experts of concerned disciplines. Non-experts are not involved in this lobbying. Ordinary people’s interests may be represented through specialist type of lobbying. When doctors, engineers, pilots or constitutional experts lobby to influence the job of policymaking and lawmaking in their concerned disciplines, it is specialist lobbying.
In fact, there are diversified purposes of lobbying. Generally, political lobbying and business lobbying are common. Political lobbying aims at influencing lawmakers on certain issues while business lobbying primarily aims at the House approval of the business-friendly bills. Experts and pressure group leaders can lobby for or against certain issues. They can influence the law-making process of the country. There are lobbying for genuine public interests, lobbying for vested political interests, lobbying for electoral objectives, lobbying for ethnocultural groups and more. There are diversified purposes of business lobbying. There are lobbying for business tycoonistic interests, lobbying for improving competitive environment and lobbying for getting the House bills approved in commercial favor.
Lobbying happens at different levels: village, district, regional, national and international levels. Local, national or international mass media, press conferences, seminars, interaction programs, hearing sessions or public hearing programs, court cases and more can be lobbying tools.
Various interest groups are involved in lobbying. They exercise as much as they can to influence public policies. They plan and manage lobbying campaigns. There is also the role of coalitions lobbing because it makes lobbying more pressurizing and powerful. Especially public affairs lobbying, if well-integrated with media campaigns, can produce good results in favor of people. This type of public affairs lobbying is the weakest in Nepal. Public interests are appallingly undermined. Therefore, involving both the publics and mass media in public interest lobbying is today’s vital need.
According to wikipedia, there are currently around 15,000 lobbyists in Brussels (consultants, lawyers, associations, corporations, NGOs etc.) seeking to influence the EU’s legislative process. Some 2,600 special interest groups have a permanent office in Brussels. Their distribution is roughly as follows: European trade federations (32%), consultants (20%), companies (13%), NGOs (11%), national associations (10%), regional representations (6%), international organizations (5%) and think tanks (1%), (Lehmann, 2003)
Financial PR
Financial public relations is also known as investor relations. It is aimed at communicating on behalf of corporations or organizations with the components of the financial sector, mainly investors and potential investors. Financial public relations serves the purpose of maintaining the financial value of a concerned company. The four main publics for financial public relations practitioners are investment analysts, financial journalists, institutional investors and the general public that have bought shares.
Finance is a highly important sector. Nothing happens without investment. Investment is a way of generating economic power. More investment generates more money. But blind or misinformed investment does not only degenerate a country’s economy but also contributes to mass poverty and political and socio-economic contradictions to avoid any blind or misinformed investment, it is necessary to build up a culture of counting on scientifically processed and analyzed financial information.
Quality analysis of financial information spreads among the financial community a sense of confidence prior to investment. Equally, it helps investors to make accurate decisions. For rich and uninterrupted flow of financial informant amidst various stakeholders of society, financial PR has a great role to play. Creating a harmonious environment and a sound understanding among financial stakeholders is the chief purpose of financial PR. The harmonious relations and sound understanding among various financial stakeholders result in the highest productivity of investment. The higher the financial productivity becomes, the better the situation becomes in all other sectors. Ultimately, the nation’s overall position in the international market becomes stronger and well-footed.
Crisis PR
Crisis is a difficult situation in which decision-making is highly complicated. Crisis results from human activities as well as the nature. During the State of Emergency in Nepal (2001), mass media faced difficult times. They had to be very moderate in their coverage. They had to provide people facts and human rights messages in their coverage. Many journalists suffered due to their commitment to factual coverage. A more difficult situation was faced by Nepali journalists and media after King Gyanendra took over power through 2/1 coup d’etat (2005). The security forces directly invaded different mass media and imposed white terror on publics, including nation’s brains. Even in such difficult situations, Nepal’s mass media were doing their best to inform the Nepalis about issues and events. Amidst threats and attacks from the organized forces of state, they relied on people and continued informing them. They managed their crisis by depending on publics and adhering to the principle of informing people. This is an example of crisis PR. Besides, thousands of journalists themselves took out to the streets supporting and empower the all-out movement against autocracy. In the crisis period (especially when the nation was heading towards the climax of crisis), it was natural for journalists to project themselves as ‘citizens first, then journalists secondly’.
Crisis emerges at other times as well. Human beings are generally engaged in their self-sustaining efforts and have little time to be mentally and materially prepared to face unknown crises. However, some pragmatic assumptions definitely help one to face crises comparatively more effectively. When publics are ignored or harmed during crisis period, it is not possible for organizations to maintain good public relations.
Defining what constitutes a crisis is central in the development and implementation of a crisis communications plan. If your organization has established the point at which a crisis communications plan is activated, it is far more likely that your plan will play a productive role in helping your organization quickly emerge from crisis with its reputation intact.DPK Public Relations, a Texas-based PR firm defines crisis asA crisis is an unexpected event or series of events that spiral out of control, disrupts normal operations and causes intense and unwanted public scrutiny that harms or threatens to harm the organization's reputation.
Some of the useful tips for crisis PR are as follows:
Immediately inform public about the crisis./identify the disaster, facts and figures about it/its location
Mobilize concerned apparatus in affected areas as a primary response./actively participate in rescue operations./collaborate in relief work.
Collect data of victims/ design preliminary rescue measures./meet victims in the field and console them.
Shift people of affected areas to a safer place.
Make relief available and urge for relief./as far as possible, set up on-the-spot treatment camps.
Maintain smooth communication about the ongoing rescue and relief.
Be alert about the essential things like food, drinking water, shelter and medicine.
The above tips are more relevant for natural disasters such as landslides.
When a media house undergoes a period of intense disputes between the owners and workers, the following tips could be relevant:
Inform about the crisis./be prompt in dealing with the crisis.
Be alert to avoid losses.
Maintain calmness
Advise management about the level and type of crisis
Consult legal experts regarding the crisis.
As crisis varies, an acute conflict is another type. In the situation of conflicts, the following tips could be somewhat useful:
Keep communication and negotiation channels open./don’t hesitate to invite and honestly talk to stakeholders.
Give public accurate and undistorted information so that they can also suggest constructively and accurately.
Start communication at first (a small ‘hello’ or ‘a cup of tea’ could mean something great).
Bring the conflicting parties to negotiating table./Recognize and respect the existence of the other side.
Use local resources as far as applicable.
Identify the underlying roots of conflicts.
Do honestly what is immediately possible.
Use the proven and relevant techniques used in other countries.
Use humanitarian approaches.
Media can greatly help people and the nation during crisis period. They can immediately disseminate information to public. They can alert the government, NGOs and other institutions. They can also campaign for fund-raising. Media can also alert people against any possible proximal damages or threats.
Corporate PR
The PR practices in a corporation refer to corporate PR. A corporation is a business entity with high level legal recognition. It is different from individual or partnership enterprises. The word corporate originated from the Latin word corpus meaning body. Thus, the corporation in modern business world is like a body with all the necessary organs. For the smooth functioning of it, it has to follow certain laws and rules of the state and has to hold some social responsibility. The corporation is like a human being that can be brought to the court when necessary. Its ownership can be transferred. Its properties have to be dealt with on the basis of legal provisions define by the state.
Corporate business varies as per needs of society. Some PR firms also work as corporate industries. For example,
These days, one so often talks about corporate social responsibility (CSR). Mallen Baker sees CSR as about how companies manage their business to produce an overall positive impact on society. A company cannot stand alone. There are so many variables, direct and indirect, involved in the activities of the company. For instance, employees, shareholders, customers, raw material suppliers, marketing agents, salespeople, government, NGOs, financial analysts, consultants and communities. They are also publics on the other side. The corporation has to deal with them with good communication skills.
Baker believes the European model of corporate responsibility is more relevant. It is much more focused on operating the core business in a socially responsible way, complemented by investment in communities for solid business case reasons:
Social responsibility becomes an integral part of the wealth creation process - which if managed properly should enhance the competitiveness of business and maximize the value of wealth creation to society.
When times get hard, there is the incentive to practice CSR more and better - if it is a philanthropic exercise which is peripheral to the main business, it will always be the first thing to go when push comes to shove.
Public Relations Practices in the Media Sector of Nepal
Public relations in the media sector of Nepal vary from media to media. Most of the media houses do not have a separate PR department; however, they have PR practices at different levels in different forms. Yet, it is not as mature as in advanced countries.
There is no debate among journalists that journalists, through what they write or edit, are engaged in PR practices because they production directly or indirectly affects their audiences.
Media houses themselves, instead of depending on any particular employee or a team, at times organize various programs to directly reach their publics so as to create a positive impact.
Nepali media have been carrying out their PR in various ways. Some of the obvious ones are stated as follows:
Nationwide poll on political issues/ Media coverage on public issues/Sponsorship of public programs
Vox pop, SMS polling, feedback, news about helpless people
Focus on local incidents, cultural and tourism festivals
Readers’ letters/column writing/ collecting listeners’ and viewers’ comments/live telephone conversations with audiences
Notice about missing children free of cost through media/Free matrimonial ads
Supplementary issues on weekends
media involvement in book and educational fairs/various contests
Door-to-door subscription campaign and lowering rates/distributing free calendars to subscribers
Nationwide tour package of media representatives
Tips for Developing PR in Media Sector
Almost all of the journalists unanimously agree that mass media can boost their image by disseminating accurate and true information of public importance. They stress on media credibility. The following tips would be useful for media to develop their PR:
Serve people, not vested interests.
By serving people with right, balanced, and unbiased information, media can win people’s faith.
Conduct a periodical door-to-door media research campaign
Support community programs financially and materially
Media need to give up partisan politics
Adhere to ethical guidelines.
Set up a separate PR department./need to invest in PR
improve internal PR to improve external PR/maintain good relationship between media owners and its journalists/employees.
Pay adequate attention to feedback.
Media professionals need to build up their rapport with commoners to understand them better.
Journalists need to bear in mind that there is no better PR than their own reliability.
In brief, media professionals, as they have a frequent contact with publics, are all-time PR practitioners deployed to boost their brand image.
Public Issues and Public Relations
What is public?
The word ‘public’ has different connotations. The public for one side may not be the public for other sides. Interests conflict one another, so do definitions or perceptions regarding the word. Marxists view the majority of workers and peasants as the public or mainstream public. Authoritarian rulers may view their flatterers and order-carriers the principal public. For feudals, ordinary people may be of secondary value. A handful of co-conspirators may be public for them. The way of understanding the meaning of public depends on time, space and context.
What is an issue?
An issue is something you have in your head to think or to speak or to write about or to act on. It is a problem. It is something that demands your attention. It is related directly or indirectly to your life.
An issue has potential to generate mental and physical power. It unites or divides people. It links or isolates people and institutions. Issues arise originally from human mind that always interacts with the world. They help idea generation as well as help to promote one’s intellectual maturity. All issues are not developed in a natural. Some issues are forcefully fabricated.
What is a public issue?
There is nothing non-public in this world. Even family life becomes public. Family issues become public. But there are certain demarcations between public issues and private issues. Public issues cross the boundary of personal life. Thousands of individuals’ personal issues, when they are similar in nature, can change into public issues. A unique and inspiring happening in a person’s life becomes a topic of interest of many other people. A person’s remarkable achievement becomes an issue of public discourse. An individual, holding a public post or authority, may misuse his/her public authority for personal purposes. It becomes a public issue because what the person does personally affects the general public. Thus, what a public figure thinks and does affects public. A US president’s private sex affair becomes a public issue because it is related to someone with a public authority’s public decency or morality.
Human rights are public issues. Right to life is the most important human right. Rights to food, shelter, clothing, education and health are basic human rights. In absence of these rights, sense of equal human dignity, a prioritized issue, cannot develop. Besides, there are many common agenda of citizens specific to particular countries.
Relationship between public issues and PR
All organizations, be they private, nongovernmental or governmental, belong to a national territory populated by publics. People belong to differing political ideologies, religious faiths and socio-economic statuses (educational, health, cultural, health etc.). they have diverse requirements. Their requirements give a base and a breath to private or other organizations. Private and other organizations have to listen to publics to exist or sustain. A private dairy company has to be sensitive for public health. Its products must meet the prescribed health standards. The same applies to government institutions. Thus, no one can escape social and public responsibility. This is the basic truth every PR professional has to bear in mind.
As organizations or individuals cannot successfully perform their activities without the recognition by publics, it becomes essential for them to establish a good rapport with publics. Neither commercial nor a nonprofit organization can ever think of thriving in absence of public relations. Organizations and individuals need to maintain their relationship with people, be they consumers or just free users or participants, people.
Handling Public Issues from PR Perspectives
Handling public issues requires a sharp perception of public issues first. Although a PR professional has to be loyal to the organization s/he serves, it does not mean the organization can do anything without considering whether it does good to or harms publics. The organization has to follow the nation’s laws that are aimed at public good. Therefore, a PR professional, as per the declared commitments of an organization, has to deliver good things to publics. Intentionally harming publics and benefiting oneself is against the PR ethics.
Public Relations in Developing Countries
The UN systems have discriminated member nations. There is a serious psychological division among them. Some think they are advanced or developed nations, eligible enough to impose tier policies on the others known as developing or underdeveloped nations. Some think they are developing or underdeveloped nations deserving seas of grants and loans (and even waive-offs).
The UN bodies such as the World Bank and the UNDP prescribe certain doses for developing nations. But the prescribed does have not worked. And they keep on prescribing still newer doses. These world bodies have become like doctors loyal to pharmaceutical companies.
World Bank reports simultaneously indicate the continuous economic growths and the growth in mass poverty in the developing nations. The reports attribute this situation to illiteracy, ill-governance and inefficient management. This means developing nations have not been able to manage by themselves. Thus, multinational corporations go to manage developing nations, which have rich resources but poor management systems. World Bank, IMF, ADB and similar bodies promote their loan industries through their PR, especially through lobbying. Generally, the leaderships of the developing nations unquestionably accept the terms and conditions of the loans.
Today, poorest countries like Ethiopia, Somalia, and Nepal possess American M-16s to suppress their starving citizens or their internal uprisings. The external PR of war industry appears successful. But both the internal and external PR in developing nations appears weaker as they have not been able to build a good rapport with their people on the one hand and as they have not been able to establish their rights in the international markets. The developing nations have become more dumping sites for the advanced nations than international competitors. Merely sales campaigns cannot be true PR. Many developing nations have lost their image because of all-pervasive corruption, all-cancerous. Even the most professional PR remedy becomes helpless unless the nations’ political thoughts and behavioral culture are set right.
It is essential for the developing nations to develop their public relations skills in order to grow faster in the international market. First, they have to have good PR at home and based on good internal PR, they should promote their international PR. If they can develop their PR, they can manage their resources, human and natural.
Nepal, equipped with world’s beautiful mountain ranges and rich resources, has not been able to promote her access to the international market because her promotional and relational communication is poor. Result-oriented diplomacy requires much PR. Occupying posts and not yielding necessary results is an irony since the waste of people’s money results in national losses. Developing a sense of accountability is a big challenge for the Nepalis genuinely interested in the mapping of a new Nepal. Sense of accountability is not something to preach about but something to demonstrate in actions. This process starts from the most conscious ones with the clearest perception of issues.
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