Dear Austin,
I know public relations may seem trivial compared to your “Writing Intensive English major,” but PR has importance to everyday life. PR is essentially about helping organizations better relate to their public and in doing so putting the organization in the best light. For example, PR helps corporations like Apple deal with problems, like when people’s lab tops do not operate up to par. However, a good PR group can be proactive about issues so that damage control will not be as bad. Apple has been proactive attempting gain approval of the public because the PC companies dominate the market. Practicing good PR can lead to numerous benefits even in a huge crisis. Tylenol improved its image after disaster struck and their medicine was poisoned back the 1980s. They took all their medicine off the shelves and repackaged everything so it could not be tampered with as easily. People trusted more in the Tylenol brand and as result people were grateful for what they did to protect the public.
PR can really help an organization understand their strengths and weaknesses. An organization can realize what it needs to improve and what it needs to change through focus groups and other forms of research done by a PR firms. This research determines the public opinion of the organization, which if need be can be improved through good PR. For example, the National Hockey League does not get huge ratings in America. So, all your favorite NHL teams have PR representatives attempting to find ways to make hockey more relevant to Americans. They work within the organization to improve the public opinion of the sport and put it in the best possible light.
The important aspect to remember is that PR people do not "spin" issues, they put them in the best perspective possible. That may sound like spinning PR itself, but it really is not. There are regulations to follow; people within PR follow a code of ethics proposed by the Public Relations Society of America. The code requires everyone to work towards standards of being honest, loyal and fair. Although no one enforces these restrictions, the threat of losing your job and your reputation within PR is enough to keep anyone in line. Either way, PR is a rewarding field of work, encompassing many different forms of communication and can help any type of organization prosper.
Warm Regards,
-Novak
1 comment:
Haha Steve, I was rolling after I read your first sentence to Austin..."PR may seem trivial to your Writing Intensive English" major. Haha. I understand both majors actually, since i am in both so I feel for both you, Steve and Austin. haha.
I have some great mental pictures of you putting on your PR boxing gloves and duking it out with Austin in his WINE boxing gloves...."no, PR is better, no WINE is better!" Or maybe you could duke it out over water polo :) Thanks for the entertainment.
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