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Public Relations

Public Relations is all about reputation, and a public relations department is responsible for enhancing the reputation of their company, or employer among the public – those who buy the products! They say that there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but I’m not sure whether Gerald Ratner (remember him? I’ll give you a quick run down, former Chief Executive of a rather tacky British jewelry empire which all but collapsed in 1991 when, asked how they could sell their products so cheaply, replied “because it’s totally crap” - what an own goal!!) would agree with that. Anyway, I seem to have strayed from the point, but I bet that there isn’t a public relations department anywhere in the world which went into overdrive quite so quickly as his, after that fateful remark.

Public Relations departments have to ensure that the company they represent, are presented to the world in the best possible light, they’ve got to make their company stand out from the crowd in a good way, to both the public and to the media. The public buy the stuff after all, and the media are responsible for selling it.

Working in Public Relations

Public Relations is often thought of as being rather glamorous, with the PR consultant being involved with a constant round of parties and networking in all of the right places, meeting the right people and finding new and important contacts. Hard work and long hours are, in reality, much nearer to the truth. You do need to be a special sort of person to excel (or even survive) in the hectic world of public relations:

• a very high level of communication skills – both verbally and in writing
• good at time management and multi-tasking
• planning and organizational skills
• media and advertising experience, or at least a good knowledge of the workings of it
• calm under pressure when dealing with questions in all directions from the public and the media

Public Relations are the first port of call, the company cavalry as it were, if they come under attack from the media or the public. They must first of all take control of the situation, answering any criticism effectively, then turn it around and find a way to protect the company’s reputation.

Careers in Public Relations

A career in public relations can be extremely rewarding and well paid, but if you’re looking for something “9 to 5″ then it’s definitely not the right career choice for you. The hours can be extremely long, and the job, by its very nature, can be extremely stressful. It’s the same old story really, everything is okay whilst it’s swimming along, but then if somebody “does a Ratner” all hell can break loose in a very short period of time, and you’ve got to be prepared to handle every situation and turn it around to your employees advantage. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, or at least, the public relations office.

Who Needs Public Relations

Public Relations is needed by anybody who lives and works in the public eye, or is hoping for the public to buy their products. Governments and politicians, businesses, music and sports stars all have that very important job of keeping their image intact, and who better to do that than a public relations professional.