Public Relations

Question 1

What is public relations

Answer 1

Promotion tool used to achieve objectives, including:

To sell
To inform 
To attract
To promote 
To brand 
To create, reinforce or change an image 

PR based on the use of editorial space that is not generally paid for

The news media wants to use the story = their choice

Businesses hope that it generates awareness in a way that is less obvious

Question 2

Media relations

Answer 2

Keeping the news media up to date with the business and its products

Media relations will:

Generate positive publicity

Manage enquiries from the media to spin the story on what the business is actually good at

Protect the business from negative publicity

Question 3

Product launches events

Answer 3

Often launches of a product or an important announcement will be based on PR

Sending a press release may be limited to a few pages and a photographs

These PR events are bigger they give:

The opportunity to be briefed by senior members

The chance for journalists to question them

Journalists will be given samples and product will be presented to them

Question 4

Reporting on research findings

Answer 4

The consumers association is particularly effective in the use of research to generate publicity

Which? Magazines are based on independent research

They are picked up by the news and used for stories, Which? are then credited

This generates publicity for their mags

Question 5

Lobbying

Answer 5

The use of PR to try and influence ‘policy makers’ in favour of a particular cause

PR campaign based on lobbying would focus on the benefits of their movement

PR is used to communicate with policy makers to win

Question 6

Spin

Answer 6

Refers to the use of PR to explain a piece of news or an event that is different from the way it was perceived by the majority of the audience

Spins are used to deflect or avoid bad publicity

PR reps spin the story to focus on the opportunities rather than problems

Question 7

Case study

Answer 7

Corfu Carbon Monoxide Deaths

In 2006 Two children killed by carbon monoxide poisoning on holiday in Corfu in one of Thomas Cooks hotels

Thomas Cook been hit with a wave of damning public criticism as in an inquest jury said the two kids were unlawfully killed