PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public Relation, its Main Goals and Organisation

[Institution Name]

Public Relation, its Main Goals and Organisation

Introduction

The paper discusses the concept of Public Relations, as well as its main goal and organization. The content is divided into two main parts; theoretical perspective and practical application of the concept. The aim of this paper is to recognize the in-dept meaning and implementation of Public Relations theory and the significant impact it carries over the organization.

Contemporary organizations understand that they can stand out and their offerings and also gain a competitive advantage by developing public relations activities as part of the communication and relationship building strategies. The unique contribution that public relations and publicity can make to sport business and marketing is gaining in recognition and importance, and for that reason, it is essential that the successful sport manager acquires a professional understanding of the discipline.

Theoretical Perspective

Public relations have traditionally been viewed as the management of communications between an organization and its target audiences. However, the discipline is transforming from solely focusing on targeted communications to become a profession thriving because of social networking, which stresses the creation of long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its stakeholders. This evolution stemmed from growing acknowledgment by scholars and professional associations, such as the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the International Association of Business Communicators, that symmetrical communication produces more significant results in regard to communication campaigns and organizational goals.

Optimal Public Relations in Networks

The excellence theory of public relations was proposed after scholars conducted a 15-year global public relations study to define what excellent public relations entails from a management and tactical perspective as well as what organizational characteristics were necessary to support public relations. The excellence theory remains the most significant advance in public relations theoretical development to date. The is said that excellent public relations consisted of balancing organizational goals with stakeholders' expectations, making proactive attempts at reconciling conflicts, and focusing on long-term relationship development rather than short-term campaign successes. Key findings regarding organizational characteristics that support excellent public relations include having practitioners report directly to senior management to help shape organizational decisions and movement away from one-sided messages to two-way conversations.

Social Networking in Public Relations

Social networking in public relations happens online and off-line as professional associations have created sections for individuals who work within the same industry to get together, such as PRSA's association/non-profit section, as well as individuals with similar demographics as to network through groups such as the Hispanic Public Relations Association and Fleishman-Hillard's Out Front group for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered practitioners. Public relations practitioners are encouraged to join associations to further their professional development through face-to-face social networking; however, online communities have formed as well to support professional development through social media usage.

As organizational communication continues to evolve, social media plays a huge role in relationship development with stakeholders. Popular press pieces and practitioner handbooks have warmly embraced the new communication avenues and often label their new practices as “public relations 2.0.” From this perspective, ...