It’s a constant struggle for those in the PR industry: the public we seek to relate with have unflattering misconceptions about what we do. Words like “spin doctor” get thrown around, meant to portray the communicator as something other than what he or she is.
Of course, true public relations is a good thing. The communicators who do their jobs properly maintain standards of honesty and transparency in their work, seeking not to “spin” but to communicate openly with their organization’s stakeholders. Public relations does not seek to alter the message, but to convey it. The role of the PR department is to communicate with the public so the other departments can focus on their roles.
The question here is this: since public relations is founded on honesty and transparency, an organization must never hide the fact that what they are doing is PR. Given the misconceptions about PR by some, does knowing that a PR campaign is going on hurt the chances of that campaign’s success?
In other words: if people know it’s PR, will it work?
Our answer to this is a qualified yes. If it’s good PR, it will work.
If the message is conveyed clearly and with transparency it will appear that way with the intended audience. In a skeptical world people have become very keen at evaluating truth from lies, and no amount of marketing or advertising is as effective as open communication. Publics appreciate when companies they depend on are forthright with them, even with bad news. PR is not selling but relationship building, a much stronger bond.
If it is clear that a company is using public relations, as long as that tactic is aimed at furthering relationships with stakeholders it will work beautifully.
While we are being honest, everything we do is public relations. Kathryn Kates Public Relations is dedicated to conveying the image of our clients and helping them to foster relationships with their clients. If you would like to strengthen your client relationships, we would love to hear from you. Visit our website at kathrynkatespr.com, or join the Kathryn Kates Public Relations Facebook Fan Page.
Good question Kathryn and I'm wrestling with it. During a community relations campaign I worked on a few years back I was quite up front what I did for my client. It was however an awareness campaign on how proper tire pressure could save the environment and save you money at the gas pump.
ReplyDeleteThat was an easy positive story to share. What happens if your client/employer is doing something contrary to wider stakeholder interests? I still think a good communicator should be up front with everyone on who they are, who they work for. In the long run, both the client/employer and the communicator's reputation (which far more important than image)is nurtured.