Public relations impact and effectiveness

Public relations is an integral part of today's business world, being one of the catch-phrases associated with professional success. Having good "PR" is essential to the growth of a company, and a good PR representative is worth his or her weight in gold. Yet most professionals of many trades whose job stability is largely dependent on the public relations aspects of the company honestly have no idea what a public relations representative actually does, or what public relations actually means. The average consumer or member of the public is even more clueless as to what PR actually is. To quote one public relations representative from a large California firm, "I have been at the Bureau for nearly 18 months and my friends and family still aren't sure exactly what I do." (Sandoval 2001) Viewed by some to be a useful tool for businesses large and small to reach their dreams of success and viewed by others to be a tool of deception and trickery through which corporations can take advantage of the unknowing consumer, the actual definition and functionality of public relations is not usually taken into consideration.

On the most basic level, public relations is communication both within and external to an organization, intended to both inform and influence specific groups of the public or the public as a whole. Such communication often includes written press releases, advertisements of various kinds, publicity, and promotional incentives or events. Public relations representatives or specialists are often hired full-time to devote their efforts to a single company, organization, or public figure (such as politicians or celebrities), while others work for public relations agencies or as freelancers that are contracted out to various employers or projects to help achieve the desired public image. Public relations, then, is not highly specific, and can be as simple as trying to make a nonprofit event appear appealing to prospective patrons, or as complex as creating the perfect appearance for a politician attempting to be elected to office.

The modern concept of public relations is a relatively young one, though the basic ideas behind it have been around for a very long time. "The precursors to public relations can be found in the publicists who specialized in promoting circuses, theatrical performances, and other public spectacles." (Maurreen 2004) For as long as there have been products, events, performances, or ideas to sell, momentum has been building to the creation of the modern public relations profession. Advertisers and journalists both have an insider's understanding of the media so vital to good PR, so they too have long been a part of public relations. The propaganda artists of World War I are often thought to be the founders of our current PR world, starting with the Committee for Public Information that included Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays, both influential and legendary in this field. Lee created the modern news release, or press release, that is one of the trademarks of PR to the general public, as well as developing perhaps the first modern PR philosophy. This philosophy is "consistent with what has sometimes been called the "two-way street" approach to public relations, in which PR consists of helping clients listen as well as communicate messages to their publics." (Maurreen) This is the philosophy that most PR specialists strive for today, helping an individual or organization and the public adapt mutually to each other for benefit. Unfortunately, Lee did not always practice what he preached, and his career ended in a propaganda scandal. Bernays, Sigmund Freud's nephew, was a theorist and drew heavily from Freud's theories about irrational human motivation. To Bernays, PR was an applied social science relating to psychology and sociology. The tobacco industry was one of his earliest clients, and in 1929 he arranged a publicity stunt including females smoking cigarettes in the New York City East Parade to help encourage women to equate smoking with women's rights and therefore buy cigarettes. This is a perfect example of Public Relations.

Today, the public relations industry has attempted to redefine itself as a management function. "The earliest definitions emphasized the roles of press agentry and publicity since these were major elements from which modern public relations grew," (PRSA 2003) but today definitions are far more varied. Modern PR includes the necessary research, planning, and evaluation involved before taking business actions, as well as measuring the results of such actions. Rarely is PR a one-time activity, but rather an ongoing and systematic process which may include multiple audiences. Public participation and mediation are today important tools in PR, and long-term commitment is essential to good PR. The definition of PR today is most clearly defined as this: "Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other." (PRSA 2003)

Publicity and promotion are what actually pave the way for sales or services, benefiting the company that is selling a product as well as the consumer who needs useful things. Public relations helps people and organizations to be well prepared for changes that may arise, and can help keep the most qualified personnel employed in vital positions of businesses, political offices, and other organizations. PR representatives can identify new markets that may benefit from a company's work, or identify new products that might benefit the public. Public relations keeps communication open between organizations and the public, and can help keep misunderstandings or misinformation from spiraling out of control into a serious problem. Keeping the head of an organization in touch with the rest of the members and with the public is also an important task for PR specialists, and it falls onto public relations to keep any organization in touch with its social responsibilities.