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Public relations:
.,
the management of reputation
SOME PUBLIC RELATIONS FUNDAMENTALS
To listen, to understand and to exchange views in mutual persuasion through gentle reason, that is the especial, elevating quality that makes people human.
Mimi Rabachage (1889-1974), philosopher, in Bouffee (1939)
• The audiences control the
organisation
Customers are the key audience for marketing. So they are with public relations - but alongside employees, shareholders, neighbours, regulators and many others.
One marketing philosophy is that the customers 'own' the organisation. And, in many ways, they do. With customers the organisation may be able to do almost anything, but without them, nothing. Public relations across the organisation will have responsibilities for all audiences and not just the customers and prospective customers.
Within the marketing framework, public relations approaches to ensure effective two-way communications with different types of customers will clearly vary - from the internal customers and sales personnel, through to the end users of the products and services; with intermediaries such as wholesalers, distributors, importers, exporters agents and retailers; from specifiers, orderers, authorisers and to users - who may be different people with different purchases. Of course, the" techniques to support the marketing of consumer durables or business services may need to be adapted, but they will work to the same fundamental principles.