Public Relations Exam 2

Public Relations Exam 2

1. Corporations Chapter 17

   • Giant Corporations have operations and customers around the globe.
     • The public is often distrustful of these large entities because of their perceived wealth and power.
       • Corporate financial scandals in recent years have further eroded public trust.
         • Corporations must make special efforts to win back their credibility and the public's trust and to tell the story of what corporations contribute to quality of life.
           • The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is high on the list of public relation priorities.
             • Public relations plays a role in corporate transparency and ethical principles of conduct to improve corporate governance.
               • Media Relations
                 • The public's perception of business comes primarily from the mass media.
                   • Corporations must build a rapport with business editors and reporters by being accessible, open and honest about company operationsaand policies.
                     • Customer Relations
                       • Customer service, in many ways, is the front line of PR.
                         • Customer satisfaction is important for building loyalty and telling others about the product or the reputation of the company.
                           • PR Professionals solicit customer feedback as often as possible and act to satisfy customer's needs for communication and service.
                             • The U.S. population is becoming more diverse.
                               • Companies are now establishing communication programs, as well as marketing strategies, to serve this growing diverse audience.
                                 • Special interest groups exert pressure on corporations to be socially responsible.
                                   • Companies cannot avoid activist groups; they must engage in dialogue with them to work out differences.
                                     • Consumer boycotts also require PR expertise to deal effectively with a group's demands.
                                       • Employee Relations
                                         • Employees are the "ambassadors" of a company and are the primary source of information about the company.
                                           • Employee morale is important, and a good communication program does much to maintain high productivity and employee retention.
                                             • The cardinal rule of corporate communications is to first talk to employees in person before announcing a layoff to the public.
                                               • Many companies ease the impact of a layoff by providing a severance package.
                                                 • Off shoring is a rising concern of American workers, and companies must be sensitive to possible criticism.
                                                   • Investor Relations
                                                     • PR professionals who work in investor relations must be knowledgeable about communication and finance.
                                                       • This highest paid field in PR requires extensive knowledge of government regulations.
                                                         • Marketing Communication
                                                           • Companies often take an integrated approach to campaigns, with PR, marketing, and advertising staffs working together to complement each other's expertise.
                                                             • Product publicity and product placement are part of market communication.
                                                               • Cause-related marketing involves partnerships with non-profit organizations to promote a particular cause.
                                                                 • Another aspect of marketing communication is corporate sponorships.
                                                                   • Environmental Relations
                                                                     • A new trend is for corporations and activists organizations to have a dialogue and engage in collaborative efforts to change situations that damage the environment or violate human rights.
                                                                       • Corporate Philanthrophy
                                                                         • Companies give $15 billion a year to worthy causes.
                                                                           • Corporations select a charity that is complementary to their business and customer profile.
                                                                             • Corporate philanthropy is part of an organization commitment to be socially responsible.

2. American Economy

   • Entertainment, sports and tourism are big business. Billions of dollars are spent every year on movies, concertss, sporting events and travel.
     • Because there are multiple options for people to spend their discretionary income, each industry spends a great deal of money on advertising, marketing, PR to compete with each other and entice customers.
       • The cult of personality
         • Today's mass media focus on publicizing and glorification of celebrities in the field of sports and entertainment and even high-profile criminal and politicians.
           • Celebrities are motivated by fame (or notoriety), self glorfication, the attempt at positive image creation, and the desire for monetary gain. The public is impressed because of wish fufillment, hero worship, a vicarious sense of belonging and a desire entertainment.
             • PR people are generally called publicists in the entainment industry because their primary job is to generate publicity for a film, a concert, or an individual star.
               • Entertainment publicists are often called often to do "damage control" when a celebrity runs afoul of the law or makes an ill-considered statement.
                 • A practioner planning a campaign to generate public awareness of an individual must interview the client, prepare a biography, plan a marketing strategy, and conduct the campaign through news releases, photographs and public appearances.
                   • Publicity campaigns to promote events may include publicity to stimulate ticket sales.
   • Chapter 18