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The formal practice of what is now commonly referred to as “public relations” dates to the early 20th century. Since that time, public relations has been defined in myriad ways, the definition often evolving alongside public relations’ changing roles and advances in technology.
The earliest definitions emphasized press agentry and publicity, while more modern definitions incorporate the concepts of “engagement” and “relationship building.” In 1982, PRSA adopted the following definition: “Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other.”
A more modern definition of public relations was drafted several decades later, a definition that still stands today:
“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
PRSA
At its core, public relations is about influencing, engaging and building a relationship with key stakeholders across numerous platforms in order to shape and frame the public perception of an organization. Public relations also encompasses the following:
- Anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes and issues that might have an impact, for good or ill, on the operations and plans of the organization.
- Counseling management at all levels in the organization with regard to policy decisions, courses of action and communications — including crisis communications — taking into account their public ramifications and the organization’s social or citizenship responsibilities.
- Protecting the reputation of an organization.
- Researching, conducting and evaluating, on a continuing basis, programs of action and communications to achieve the informed public understanding necessary to the success of an organization’s aims. These may include marketing; financial; fundraising; employee, community or government relations; and other programs.
- Planning and implementing the organization’s efforts to influence or change public policy.
- Setting objectives, planning, budgeting, recruiting and training staff, developing facilities — in short, managing the resources needed to perform all of the above.
- Overseeing the creation of content to drive customer engagement and generate leads.
Below are some of the disciplines/functions within PR:
- Corporate Communications
- Crisis Communications
- Executive Communications
- Internal Communications
- Investor Relations Communications
- Marketing Communications
- Integrated Marketing/Integrated Marketing Communications
- Media Relations
- Content Creation
- Events
- Social Media
- Multimedia
- Reputation Management
- Speechwriting
- Brand Journalism
If you’re considering joining the communications industry, specifically public relations, do you know what that job will really look like?
- Tarunjeet Rattan has been in the industry for more than two decades. Here she busts some myths surrounding PR jobs.
- The U.S. News and World Report ranked public relations specialists as the third best creative and media job in 2020. With the push for non-paid and earned media, PR jobs are becoming increasingly popular.
- If you’re aspiring to start a career in this field, here are a few things you should know.
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Two decades ago, I walked into my first Public Relations [PR] job with a degree in communication management and high expectations. I imagined myself as one of those suave bosses fielding heated work debates, evangelizing edgy brands, and floating down the aisle at industry award nights only to walk out a few hours later with a shiny little statue in hand, one I received in recognition of my ingenious accomplishments.
What I hadn’t realized at that point is that the working world is not a movie. It takes a LOT of hard work and resilience to see you through. My resume and my education had only helped me get my foot in the door. Keeping the job was another challenge altogether.
Let me first clarify what PR really is. No, it’s not advertising. No, it’s not issuing press releases. No, it is not only about coverage. The broad definition is, “A strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
Whether you’re employed by a PR agency working on multiple accounts or representing an individual or a company, what you’re doing is not just building brand awareness. You’re strategically building the reputation, trust, and credibility for the client you manage. As a PR professional you need to be able to build strong connections with multiple stakeholders — including journalists and the media, government agencies, and other prominent industry bodies — and leverage them to shine the spotlight on your client [for all the right reasons]. You can do this through media [paid and earned], networking, collaborations, award nominations, and off-platform events. In a way, think of yourself as a communications specialist.
My first year in PR was dramatic, as is the industry itself. There wasn’t a day of the week that you could not find me multitasking — putting out a fire for one client while brainstorming events for another, crafting a press response on the back of a napkin while grabbing lunch at my desk, planning a press conference while attending to multiple media calls — all within the hour. It was overwhelming. But to survive, and more importantly thrive, in this industry, I’ll share the advice that I got from one of my mentors: You have to just dive in and learn as you go. That is, learn as much as you can, get your hands dirty, and don’t shy away from asking questions.
The U.S. News and World report ranked public relations specialists as the third best creative and media job of 2020. If you’re aspiring to start a career in public relations, here are a few things I’ve learned from being in the business for more than 20 years:
It doesn’t matter if you studied communications.
It’s an advantage, yes. But as long as you can write and communicate well [and with tact], have a nose for news, can think on your feet, and adapt swiftly to changing situations, you’re good to go.
I remember my first phone conversation with a client. It ended in fireworks because of an insipid response I gave to their concern about sudden leadership changes in their organization that had the potential to create a massive impact in the brand’s already struggling reputation. My manager stepped in to put out the fire. I watched in awe how she handled the client with ease. She [really] listened to them, gave them the space to voice their concern, and then carefully formulated a response that brought the conversation to a calm end. Even though it was a sensitive subject [that I promptly set ablaze], it was her tact and diplomacy that helped us save face.
I learned quickly that impatience helps no one and there are no predefined answers to questions; you just have to think [quickly] as you go and be thoughtful enough to mean what you say. Studying communications is not the only way to learn this skill.
Glamour is just a small part of the business.
I’ve met so many people who join the industry with the hopes of meeting celebrities all day. But PR isn’t just one big party. This isn’t your typical 9-to-5 job, especially if you find yourself working on digital campaigns for a client. [Does Facebook ever stop working?] So be ready to trade some of that Netflix-and-chill time for conversations with the media about a breaking news event. This is just the nature of PR. We put in long hours for that one moment in the spotlight when our client’s work is rewarded and acknowledged.
You will spend most of your time brainstorming and researching to come up with that one perfect idea: an opportunity to showcase your client’s work to the world. You’ll be networking [a lot], and there will be endless hours of coordination to see an offline or online event through. Your ideas will be rejected a lot — by your bosses, the media, and your clients — so you will need to develop strong mental and emotional resilience.
In my first couple of months I hardly spoke during client meetings. I feared my ideas might be rejected or that I would say something stupid. It’s only later, through experience and with help from my mentor, I realized there is so much cutthroat competition in the industry that every idea is welcome. It doesn’t matter where you are in the hierarchy. The best ideas can come from anywhere. Yours may not always be the one that breaks through, but it can definitely be a conversation starter or lead to something that does.
You need to be able to influence people.
Even if your idea is a great one, getting others to adopt it is the real deal. And for this, you need to be able to influence people. You need to convince people — whether it’s your colleague giving you the green light, your client saying yes to a pitch, or an audience purchasing the product you’re managing — that your idea has potential.
The one thing I’ve learned about influence is that to cultivate trust you need to be honest and consistent. It’s easy to get swayed in the early stages of your career when there is so much pressure and you want to do everything possible to win big. But nothing is more important than building that foundation of trust and being respected. Think of the long game: You need to have a good reputation if you want to get the best clients.
Honesty has been a big one for me, and I like to portray that in my ideas. Whether I’m working on a shampoo brand, a lipstick line or sanitary pads, I have always taken the time to speak to the real target audience to see how they use it, how it matters to their life, and what impact the product has on them. I once walked into several stores in different cities during a personal trip to ask them quick questions on a cookie brand that I was working on. I brought back those insights to the client who was pleasantly surprised at these bonus data points and it helped cement the trust they put in me as I spoke from a place of belief and reason.
Extrovert or introvert … it actually doesn’t matter.
Popular notions and movies tell you that PR professionals are the ultimate extroverts. I’ll tell you that’s not true. You can be anyone you want, and the industry will find a place for you if you are good at your job. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I had to learn the art of small talk. Initially, my colleagues and peers would coach me to help fill those awkward silences before client meetings. I practiced this until I gained a fair degree of success in my own way. Yes, extroverts are great at networking and may find it easier to influence people because of their inherent nature, but who doesn’t need someone to listen intently, really understand what they are asking for, and deliver a great idea? An ideal team should have both for balance.
Nothing speaks success like results.
While you might be smart, creative, and put a lot of effort into everything you do, in the end, if you don’t get the desired outcomes, it’s all irrelevant. When you’re new — and this is true in any industry — you won’t always know how to get the work done well, and you may feel like you’re not achieving the results you want. I’ve learnt that it’s okay to ask for help if you are struggling because driving results is the signpost of success.
So is PR right for you? If you are willing to build on your communication skills, work in a fast-paced, ever-changing landscape, and learn new things every day, PR could be an exciting industry to work in. It won’t be easy, but if you’re willing to make mistakes, and dive right in, there will be no shortage of opportunities for you.