Translated from English as “public relations”. In the modern world, it is difficult to cope without a constant flow of information and means of communication. Such relationships are a significant area that is aimed at the activities of a company, government agency, and public organization.

What is the public and what is its main role?

The public is any group that is interested in the performance of a company. Public relations are actions that are aimed at establishing certain relationships with other people. This area and scope of work can include conducting a variety of programs that will help create good relationships and contacts with organizations. This process occurs through the formation of an optimal image for enterprises. The main task is to completely neutralize possible adverse events, as well as rumors.

Public relations helps create or completely eliminate the achievement of a goal. Public relations is usually classified as a marketing strategy. Thanks to this line of activity, it is possible to develop strategic management of the internal and external areas in any organization.

Basic functions of advertising and public relations

Advertising and public relations are developed in special departments of the company. Much attention is primarily paid to creating a positive image for enterprises. These departments perform the following functions:

• Create positive relations with the press. Companies must provide only positive news and important information about their activities.
• Promotion of goods or products. Specialists conduct a variety of events that can ensure product recognition.
• Corporate communications. External and internal events are carried out that can popularize company policies in the shortest possible time.
• For the further adoption of legislative acts, it is necessary to ensure fruitful cooperation with executive bodies.
• Access to consultations. Advertising and public relations are primarily the development of recommendations that relate to corporate policy in situations where there is room for a negative impact on the company's future reputation. Business managers must be informed in a timely manner about the optimal tactics for forming a positive public opinion.

Public relations is not science or modern technology. This is an objective and important function that is always present among people.

What personal qualities should a communications specialist have?

A public relations specialist must find personal contact with all clients, draw up work plans, write relevant texts, and also do research. We can highlight the most sought-after personal qualities that such an employee should have:

• Ability to work with literary sources.
• Availability of public speaking skills.
• Knowledge of analytics. That is, a person must be able to analyze emerging problems.
• Creativity - finding fresh and effective solutions to current situations.
• Convincing clients.
• Conducting interesting and effective presentations.

A public relations specialist must receive appropriate education in the economic field. This activity is related to the distribution and interpretation of financial information flows.

Main functions of departments responsible for public relations

Each enterprise has divisions and departments that are responsible for specific tasks. The public relations department was created in order to disseminate information about a particular activity of the organization. Specialists must develop and maintain a positive image of the enterprise, conduct advertising campaigns, and also be responsible for distributing corporate information products. This includes websites, newspapers, television and other media.

We can highlight the main tasks performed by the communications department:

1. Conducting speeches and organizing press conferences.
2. Analysis and development of an information program that corresponds to the activities of the enterprise.
3. Using the media, you need to create a positive image of the organization.
4. Selection of video materials, creation of your own music library, which reveals the main activities of the enterprise and all structural departments.
5. Conducting a round table, meetings with important people, interviews with representatives of the media, where the most important and pressing issues will be addressed.

External public relations functions

To create and regularly maintain a positive image of the company, it is necessary to take care of external functions. They can be directed directly at the public, which may have a negative attitude towards the activities of the enterprise. Most often, this attitude is due to the fact that the organization is engaged in the production of products that are of low quality. They can also pose a risk to human health.

In this case, public relations will help correct negative customer perceptions of products that were created in clear violation of environmental safety standards, if the organization has had accidents, as well as unacceptable actions on the part of managers and employees.

Internal functions of public relations

Over the past few years, social and ethical marketing has been developing in businesses and companies. Today this is the dominant task in the field of commodity production. This concept and public relations indicate that there is a need to reflect certain interests of society in order to create a stable position for the product in the markets.

Thanks to marketing research and maintaining public relations, it is possible to analyze missing new products on the market, receive large orders, complete successful transactions, obtain important contracts, guarantees, and change established credit conditions. This is how it is possible to make changes to the sales policy, change the established prices for products, improve service, open new markets, so that work is constantly improved. Public relations allows you to analyze favorable economic conditions and prepare financial reports.

PR manager, that is, a public relations manager, is a specialist who works to create a positive reputation for a company, brand, product or service.

The profession of a PR manager requires knowledge in the field of journalism, sociology, psychology, and marketing. The work is creative and requires a constant search for new solutions, non-standard moves, and an instant change of tactics.

Starts with familiarization with the corporate website and interacts with external and internal audiences at various levels.

The direct responsibility of the PR manager is to increase employee loyalty to the employer within the organization and to create a certain image of the company in the external environment.

Main functions of a PR specialist

The main function of a PR manager is to evaluate, analyze and predict those factors that influence the positive image of the company and its development. Very often, a PR manager is confused with an advertising specialist who promotes services or products. However, caring for the positive reputation of a company, brand or product as a whole, and market promotion are two different things.

The functions of a PR manager depend on the industry in which the company operates and, in general, they can be different. This depends on the specific tasks that are posed in a particular business and on the solution of those issues that the manager faces.

Here is a list of the main functions of a PR manager:

1. Choosing the direction of PR activity.
2. Development and organization of a PR company .
3. Assessment of resources and funds for the implementation of planned PR programs.
4. Forecasting effectiveness and final results.
5. Formation and support of an appropriate image of the organization, its policies, products, services and personnel activities.
6. Assessing the company's reputation and communicating this information to management.
7. Informing the public about policies, activities, products, services and personnel to achieve maximum knowledge and understanding.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of a PR manager depend on the size of the company in which he works. The larger it is, the more employees are required for the PR department and for PR activities, the more responsibility the person who coordinates all their actions has.

Large holdings may have an entire structure, an entire PR press service. It usually has a press service director and a public relations director, several managers are responsible for various public relations channels, several analysts collect and process media information about the company, and they monitor all open sources.

Typically, a PR manager communicates with clients, manages communications with the media, and monitors publications and reviews about the company or product. That is, everything that people say and write about (regarding his company) obliged to track and react correctly, in time.

In general, the PR manager is responsible for a large amount of PR. work to coordinate the efforts of its specialists and client representatives. It depends on him how justified these efforts will be and what the positive result and effectiveness of the work will be. In addition, the manager plays a major role in the process of preparing proposals for potential clients of the company and in public relations.

Any public relations tactic is about constantly maintaining this very connection with all its participants. And here all means are good. These means are press releases, brochures, flyers and advertising on radio, TV and of course the Internet.

Tasks of a PR specialist

1. Development of a brand promotion strategy;
2. Creation of articles, press releases and other publications in the media;
3. Creation and implementation of promotions and campaigns;
4. Organization of image events;
5. Drawing up a budget and forming a development program for the PR campaign as a whole;
6. Analysis of PR campaign effectiveness.

Required knowledge and skills

1. Knowledge of the basics and principles of PR management and advertising;
2. Ability to understand the basics of marketing, management, economics;
3. Ability to work with business correspondence;
4. Ability to draw up PR strategies and knowledge of the principles of PR campaigns;
5. Media planning skills;
6. Ability to write articles, reviews, press releases, create promotional materials;
7. Experience in organizing exhibitions, various specialized seminars, press conferences;
8. Proficient in modern software, such as MS Office; ability to use the Internet and graphics programs;

Necessary personal qualities of a PR specialist

1. Communication skills. Such a specialist must have many connections and contacts in various industries, as well as be able to establish new contacts at any level.
2. Proactivity. A PR manager must understand where, with whom and what to talk about, what important meetings to attend, and give reports and presentations. And the main thing is to understand why and why all this is needed.
3. Self-confidence and presentability. The PR manager represents the face of the company, so all his statements must sound confident, reliable and convincing.
4. Activity, ability to work.
5. Originality of thinking, ability to find a way out of a difficult situation.
6. Knowledge of etiquette rules, the ability to find a common language and ways to properly communicate with media representatives.
7. Organizational skills.
8. The ability to speak and persuade, clearly express your thoughts, the ability to listen to your interlocutor.
9. Stress resistance.
10. The ability to achieve your goal using creative thinking, psychological techniques, personal charm, and the ability to understand.

And one more important point: not a single carefully calculated approach to the target audience will become truly effective without a creative plan and a flight of imagination.

ABOUT features of this profession, pros and cons

1. Constant “drive” - there is always something new: clients, acquaintances, topics.
2. In the process of work, you come across interesting, extraordinary people.
3. The work is creative. There is a constant need to search for new solutions, extraordinary moves, and an instant change of tactics.
4. The work is stressful. The disorganization of some people with whom you collaborate is reflected in the results of your work.
5. High responsibility. Any undetected mistake or incorrectly spoken word can undo the hard-won result.
6. Often there is a misunderstanding of the situation by the customer representative.
7. Irregular working hours.

To be a PR manager, you need to have very strong self-confidence, be able to speak in public and inspire confidence. In any situation, you need to be able to not lose face and find answers to the most difficult and provocative questions.

In addition, you need to be an educated person. The work of PR managers is based on special disciplines: sociology, psychology, social psychology. Therefore, graduates of the faculty of journalism, advertising and PR, and philology are valued.

As statistics show, 70% of representatives of this profession are girls, and only 30% are men, and almost all of these specialists are not older than 30 years.

PR managers can work in all areas of business. Every reputable company has at least one PR specialist on staff, and if a large amount of work needs to be done, an entire PR department is organized. As for small organizations, they prefer to have generalist employees in their ranks.

How much does he earn

Public relations specialist is a specialty that came to us from the West along with the development of market relations. Just 15 years ago, not everyone understood what this position was, and often confused the responsibilities of a PR manager with the functions of a press secretary. It is not surprising, because not so long ago it was impossible even to obtain such a specialty as a public relations specialist at a university.

In our country, such specialists were simply not trained anywhere, and for the time being, their functions were handled by certified journalists, marketers and other related professions. But, as they say, demand dictates supply. And today, many universities issue public relations degrees to their graduates. So what are their responsibilities?

As a rule, a PR manager, as it is also called in large companies, is responsible for one of the following areas: internal corporate PR, which is based on personnel management, or public relations outside the company. Both of these areas are within the competence of a PR specialist, but require several different approaches and methods of work. Let's look at them in more detail.

Intracorporate PR

In short, it is the public relations specialist who is responsible for the atmosphere that reigns within the company, whose responsibilities lie in maintaining the company’s impeccable reputation among its employees; identifying and preventing unexpected changes in the corporate environment; generating new ideas to maintain and develop team spirit through close contacts with staff; assistance in resolving controversial issues between staff and management, bridging the gap between them; facilitating the adaptation of the team to the changes that occur in large companies almost continuously.

ExternalPR

This is a slightly different field of activity, in which the public relations specialist is responsible for how the company is perceived by society. This requires him to perform the following tasks: presenting the company to the public as a socially responsible public institution; establishing mutual understanding between the organization and those with whom it comes into contact; instant response to “emergency” situations when it is necessary to “save the face of the company”; fight against rumors and black PR; control of all promotions and company events.

As in the first and second areas of activity, a public relations specialist must have full possession of information, no matter what type it is and no matter what source it comes from. Information is a key tool in public relations work. Using information one way or another, a public relations specialist manipulates collective or public opinion, creates or destroys stereotypes, and works on the image of his organization.

Among the qualities that help to achieve success in the field of PR, first of all, it is necessary to highlight communication skills, organizational and public speaking skills, rich imagination and equanimity.

The reputation of an enterprise, profitability, and even the very existence of an enterprise can sometimes depend on the degree of public support (in particular, consumers). PR specialists serve to protect the interests of business from negative public opinion and implement the policy of maintaining a positive public attitude towards the activities of the enterprise and its products.

Recognition of the increasing importance of good public relations for the success of an enterprise serves as the basis for the creation of an entire public relations department, headed by a PR manager. PR specialists are employees of such a department and conductors of the enterprise’s PR policy. It is they who convey information to the media and the public that allows them to form a favorable image of the enterprise in the eyes of the general public. These employees communicate directly with the media, consumers, and other members of the public, explain company policies, and resolve controversial issues in conflict situations with investors. Public relations means not only bringing to the audience information about the history and activities of the enterprise, targeted propaganda, information advocacy of the interests of the organization, but also feedback. By establishing feedback with the public, PR specialists improve the established image of the enterprise in the eyes of a certain audience. The tasks of PR specialists also include the implementation of an information support program for the promotion of goods (services) to the market. Based on an analysis of public sentiment, many products were “born” within the walls of the PR department, i.e. even before production.

Although there are no specific standards for assessing a person's suitability to work as a PR specialist, it is still desirable to have a liberal arts education. Therefore, PR specialists are, as a rule, former journalists, sociologists, psychologists, etc. Sometimes these are former employees of advertising agencies. The main requirements for a candidate are the ability to clearly and clearly express thoughts both orally and in writing, communication skills, energy, creativity and enthusiasm, self-confidence, and the ability to work in a team. Knowledge in the specific area of ​​entrepreneurship in which the enterprise specializes may also be required. Newbies usually start out as a PR assistant. They maintain the enterprise's PR archive and collect information for speeches and brochures. Having gained experience, they can independently write texts for news releases, speeches and articles for publication, and assist a PR specialist in the implementation of PR programs developed by a PR manager. Specialists must have at least three years of experience in this field and pass internal certification.

Currently, about two thirds of PR specialists work in the field of trade and advertising. The highest demand for PR specialists is in large cities, where the media and other means of communication are developed. However, there is a tendency towards an even distribution of this position in all spheres and regions of entrepreneurship.

PR SPECIALIST'S INSTRUCTIONS

I. General provisions

2. A PR specialist should know:

2.1. Fundamentals of market economics, entrepreneurship and business.

2.2. Marketing Basics.

2.3. General PR methodology.

2.4. The place of the PR department in the structure of the enterprise.

2.5. Methods for identifying target audiences.

2.6. Basic PR tools (mass media, corporate newsletter, associations, entourage, information, etc.).

2.7. Principles of planning PR, PR campaigns.

2.8. Methods of organizing and conducting PR campaigns.

2.9. Structure and functions of the media.

2.10. Methodology for working with the media.

2.11. The procedure for organizing and preparing press releases, information messages, briefings, press conferences, media kits, backgrounds.

2.12. Basic principles of client PR, internal corporate PR, crisis PR, and other types of PR.

2.13. Basic principles of working with a competitive environment.

2.14. Fundamentals of journalism.

2.16. Computer technologies and software for automated information processing (texts, databases, etc.).

2.17. Fundamentals of ethics, sociology, psychology, philology.

2.18. Rules for conducting business correspondence.

2.19. The composition of information that is a state, official and commercial secret, the procedure for its protection and use.

3. Appointment to the position of a PR specialist and dismissal from the position are made by order of the head of the enterprise upon the recommendation of _____________________________.

II. Job responsibilities

PR specialist:

1. Implements the PR strategy developed by the PR manager.

2. Collects information about the external image of the enterprise.

3. Conducts surveys of target audiences in accordance with accepted plans.

4. Tests consumer attitudes towards products (services) in focus groups.

5. Collects statistical data about potential consumers and competitors.

6. Classifies consumers according to target areas, systematizes information about consumers.

7. Prepares materials for official communications for the press.

8. Establishes contacts with representatives of the media, places the necessary information in the media.

9. Participates in exhibitions, presentations organized by the enterprise, or in events organized jointly with other enterprises.

10. Prepares texts of speeches, materials (including slides, films) for press conferences, press releases, etc.

11. Study publications about the enterprise, its products and services in the media, prepare reviews and present them to the PR manager.

12. Prepares reports and proposals for various projects.

15. Carry out official assignments of the PR manager.

III. Rights

A PR specialist has the right:

1. Information about all indicators of the enterprise’s performance.

2. Get acquainted with the documents defining his rights and obligations, criteria for assessing the quality of performance of duties.

3. Submit proposals for improvement of work related to the responsibilities provided for in these instructions for consideration by the management of the enterprise.

4. Require the management of the enterprise to provide the organizational and technical conditions necessary for the performance of duties.

IV. Responsibility

The PR specialist is responsible for:

1. For improper performance or failure to fulfill one’s job duties provided for in this job description - within the limits established by the current labor legislation of the Russian Federation.

2. For offenses committed in the course of their activities - within the limits established by the current administrative, criminal and civil legislation of the Russian Federation.

3. For causing material damage to the enterprise - within the limits established by the current labor and civil legislation of the Russian Federation.