You're right that PR pros can and should be the conscience of a business by considering the long-term consequences of company actions on corporate reputation. Business success is driven by the market's brand perceptions at as well as by the products being offered. Additional values PR people bring are driving the PR program by constantly uncovering and creating opportunities for management to speak, write and act in ways that positively affect market awareness. Creating and maintaining media and market research and/or financial analyst relations are a significant part of tech PR practice and an area where close cooperation between the management team and PR is required. Each needs the other for success. However, sending out gift baskets to the media went out with the use of FAX machines a couple of decades ago for most PR pros working in North America. Perhaps its still done elsewhere. Gifting media people isn't an acceptable practice, particularly among tech media people. Letting them know you're reading their content and providing them with useful news, story ideas and sources are really all they want to receive from public relations pros.
Company leadership has to be engaged with PR on many levels. Image can be an influence in decision-making about corporate practices. Ultimately however the principle has to be applied of not doing what's popular but doing what's right. Beyond sound judgment in leading the company, PR professionals are important to have on hand. Someone to call editors and media contacts on a regular basis and push for positive coverage, send the gift baskets, etc. can be a real plus for an organization.
Hi Scott - Suggest the amount of PR depends on the size of the company, its competitive environment, management's perspective on its use, available budget and several other factors. Companies can survive and grow without an active PR program, just as they can with inadequate engineering support, space, funding or other critical needs. I'd ask how much more successful they could be WITH effective publicity and the resulting increased awareness and credibility. Also, I wasn't suggesting every employee needs to or should be engaged in social media interactions. That's not likely a realistic scenario at any company. However, I do suggest that social media engagement not be restricted to only PR team members. There's far more talent, wisdom, and time available from many others in an organization.
You make some interesting points in your article. I believe the appropriate amount of PR depends on the business your company is in. Some companies need the hype to continue selling products but others can quite happily grow without too much PR activity. As for who needs to be involved in PR, this also needs careful consideration. Not every employee should be in front of the media as the company's key message needs to be presented clearly, concisely and uniformly. It is unreasonable to train every employee to handle media questions which is why most companies leave PR to the selected few.
Ananadvy - I beieve the PR pro's job has become more difficult and may be more stressful with the arrival of social media engagement. It requires more time and attention, including aspects of measurement. It can become a complete distraction to the detriment of all other PR activities. Company manageres can participate in socual media engagement when appropriate. More effectively, people throughout an organization can be trained and responsible for connecting with customers and others via social media to build far stronger ties to their user communities. Social media is an effective PR tactic for some organizations. It can be guided by PR but not necessarily be only executed by PR pros. There are many other content experts within in an organization who should be involved as listeners and company voices. Social media engagement can help break down siloed organizational behavior.
Saranyatil - Suggest its perhaps not management's "most" important area but it should be balanced with their many other activities. During my career I've too often seen the company spokeperson role at best delegated or ignorred as superfluous by management. Brand value and perception suffers. Top or middle management's involvement needs to be the voice and face of the company. It can't all be left up to the in-house or agencyPR team. Stakeholders want and need to hear from those running the business. Close cooperation especially between Marketing management and PR is essential. This is the focus of my upcoming book, "Connecting the Mind and Voice of Business" - http://www.prsavvy.com/book.php
PR Is the most important managemnet for any organzation. In todays Volatile market having a good public relation plan is very important than not having one especially todays consumers are so skeptical about the advertisements, products and the issues . PR is just not dealing with Media its far more than that.
Public relation may be a tedious or a difficult one but its always fun to be a PR. When we know that people learn a lot more and gain lot of information. How much they are going to put it to action is secondary.We leave them with a thought at the end . that where the difference is.
I think executives have to play a dual role when it comes to managing PR and both of these roles are equally important. The first is obviously to collaborate with journalists and reporters to provide information and ensure that the company's name and image is present amongst articles, reviews and other platforms.
The second role is to keep a look out for the negative press being circulated about the company in public and to answer the questions and concerns being raised. This also involves preventing the negative news from spreading across.
Ford, you are right. Upholding name and fame is always important in business world. Reputation matters very much and the key interaction points from office (PRO, Business VP, CEO etc) to the outside world are responsible for this. I think social networking medias like twitter or Facebook can up hold this values, but most of the time negative news are spread much faster than the positive one.
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Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
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Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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