Public relations” (PR) is a loosely used phrase in Nigeria. Many have come to believe, especially accountants, that it is the account-line where all expenses on bribery and kickbacks are recorded. In such instance, monies said to have been appropriated for PR would be high without commensurate strategic PR activities taking place.
Some believe that it is the invitation of the media to an organization’s events – such as launch, conferences, or Annual General Meetings. While press agentry is a technique used in the public relations to earn publicity, it however does not represent the full definition of the profession.
So what is public relations? While there are many bodies of knowledge that have propounded a definition, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has put forward the most acceptable definition of PR. The definition which was again reviewed in 2012 states that “PR is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics”. By the way, ‘publics’ in PR refers to the stakeholders of a particular organization. The publics of a quoted company, to cite an example, are the shareholders, employees, regulators, the Exchange where it is listed, the community where it operates, and the customers whose patronage ensures its economic survival.
It is the definition by the Oxford Dictionary that I find interesting. It provides that “PR is the professional maintenance of a favourable public image by a company or other organization or a famous person”. The reference to public image provokes the imagery of reputation.
Reputation, on the other hand, is the reflection of trust and trust is the very essence of our existence. Trust is the reason why a consumer buys mineral water for the purpose of refreshment, believing the content of the drink will not in any way cause any form of injury. Same for the driver who, having engaged a vehicle to accelerate at 120 km per hour, completely trusts that by stepping on a pedal, the vehicle will safely slow down or come to complete halt. That trust has to be protected.
Public relations, therefore, is the strategic process for building trust through activities that promote positive public perception among stakeholders. Indeed, PR lends itself more to the bigger organizations and individuals, since success and prominence, as they say, breed contempt. The reputation of such organization must be protected by all means, as any form of distortion will threaten the existence of such organization or the public acceptance of the individual.
A small organization, on another hand, can build its brand equity through PR and ensure protection through same. I have enumerated some PR tips that small and medium organizations can adopt in this regard.
Publicity and engagement
Put in place quality management system: Plan, develop and implement a verifiable process of checking product quality or excellent service delivery. Document policies and procedures that drive adoption across the organization.
Put your business out there: Build a very creative, aesthetically pleasing website that highlights your product and services. Ensure that it is regularly updated with information that your stakeholders can use.
Increase your website visibility: Online surfers depend on search engine sites to find what they are looking for amongst the millions of live websites. Engage a search engine optimisation expert to help your targets to easily locate you in a web search.
Build brand equity: Open a social media platform – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram account – to promote your products or services and developments in your industry, etc. Try and engage your followers regularly.
Be a thought leader and subject matter expert: Comment on articles that speak about your products/services or even the industry. Be careful not to de-market others in the course of doing this. Be the authoritative and knowledgeable voice of the industry.
Become a source for news: Accept to speak to journalists who contact you for comments on issues affecting your industry. That would give you more name recognition and credibility
Create opportunity for interactions: Participate in exhibition shows. It is a great opportunity to meet your stakeholders to take questions and feedback. Support activities in the locality where you operate. Go for ideas that promote wellbeing or capacity building. Where possible, identify with local festivities.
The secret to achieving a successful PR strategy is consistency. With consistency, the organization will build a reputation that is worth preserving. To do this real time, set up an online media monitoring system to ensure you get alerts anytime your name or organization’s is mentioned online.
Should any mention turn out to be negative or misleading, respond immediately by setting the records straight politely. To ensure you are not fuelling your detractor’s mudslinging, contact a PR professional for guide at this point. Good luck.
Odion Aleobua
