{{B}}Public Relations{{/B}}
A company does not function in a vacuum, but rather as part of a society. That society consists of the people who work for it, the people and companies that do business with it, the public at large, and the government that regulates and taxes it. These groups are known as a company's "publics." In order for a company to deal with these publics effectively, a relationship of trust must exist. Employees will not cooperate with or put forth their best efforts for a company that they do not trust or that they feel is taking advantage of them. The public will not buy products or services from a company that, in their view, is not responsible or trustworthy. And the government, as the protector of the society it governs, is especially vigilant in dealing with a company that it regards as not operating in the public interest. Given these circumstances, every business, whether it is a giant corporation or a small factory, a five-star hotel or a roadside tavern, needs to give some thought to the relationship it has with all the various publics it interacts with. The techniques that a company uses to improve these relationships are known as "public relations", also called PR.
The goal of public relations is usually to improve the climate or atmosphere in which a company operates. Here are some results a company might expect from a successful public relations campaign: Its products and services are better known. Its relationship with employees has improved. Its public reputation has improved.
A successful public relations campaign can get people to do something that will help a company, stop them from doing something that might hurt it, or at least allow the company to proceed with a course of action without criticism. "An organization with good public relations has a favorable image or reputation, perhaps as a result of public relations activities." Says Richard Weiner, a noted and award-winning public relations counselor. In developing and implementing public relations plans, companies often use a simple five-step process: research or fact-finding, planning, action, communication, and evaluation.
A classic example of public relations at work is McDonald's. It has always been important to McDonald's to be known as a company that values cleanliness. Indeed, founder Ray Kroc emphasized cleanliness along with quality, service, and value as being the four most important things in any McDonald's operation. For that reason, Kroc instructed the first McDonald's franchisees to pick up all litter within a two block radius of their stores, whether it was McDonald's litter or not. The company also did many other things to help protect the environment. In 1990, it announced a program called McRecycle in which McDonald's committed itself to buy $100 million in recycled materials for use in building and remodeling its restaurants. It is important to understand the role public relations has played in all the company's decisions. McDonald's has always been socially responsible and extremely concerned about its image. These two facts are part and parcel of its public relationships. To McDonald's, public relationships activities go much deeper than simply sending out press releases and having corporate officers serve on various charitable boards. The company understands that real public relations means taking significant action first, then announcing them to the public. Without the first step, the second would be meaningless. Many companies do not understand this basic principle: If you want to make news, you must first do something newsworthy.
{{B}}Exercises{{/B}}