Importance of media relations

Free advertisement for the organization

Essential tool for communication
Extension of marketing expenses
Better reputation and positive impression
Cost effectiveness and efficiency
Rescuer when crises arise

Purpose of media relations

Increase public or audience awareness of the image, status and

reputation of the organisation
Educate the public about the benefits that the organisation could offer;
Make the public aware of the organisations value;
Promote the organisation through established and reputable media
coverage;
Foster public understanding about the organisations values and beliefs;
Communicate organisations corporate social responsibility activities to
the public
Reward and recognise employees for hard work.

FIVE principles of good media relations:

Tell the truth! Be honest and only tell the truth;

Make sure the information provided to the media aligns with the goal
and objectives of the organisation;
Manage the media in the right manner Take care of them!;
Plan your strategy in disseminating information; and
Evaluate and monitor a spokespersons performance continuously.

Media relation plan

Situational analysis
Goal
Objective
Target audience
Strategy development
Key message
Tactics
Media list development

Corporate advertising is

Any advertisement that focuses more on public relations than sales

promotion is corporate advertising.
Function of corporate advertising

To generate and enhance confidence that appeals to vendors

and the community;
To persuade the consumer to understand the nature of its
business as wellas its products and services;
To increase the distribution of the products and services;
To assist in overall cost reduction;
To increase brand awareness, brand recognition, brand
preferences andbrand loyalty;
To create new market demands;
To create exchanges and value;

Corporate advertising objective

To
To
To
To
To
To
To

create positive images for the firm;

spread the organisations viewpoints on various issues;
boost employee morale;
form smooth labour relations;
help new deregulated industries;
help diversified companies establish an identity; and
provide information to investors.

Corporate advertising has three major goals

(a) To improve public relations: Through planned advertisements, the
organisation is able to improve the perceptions of public relations.
(b) To establish corporate identity: Excellent reputation on corporate
identity is built through corporate advertisement.
(c) To recruit new employees: Corporate advertising is the platform which
can draw the attention of a good pool of candidates.

Corporate advertising comprises four major elements

(a) Public Relations Advertising

(b) Corporate Identity Advertising

(c) Corporate/Institutional Advertising
(d) Recruitment Advertising
ADVANTAGES OF CORPORATE ADVERTISING

Improves employee morale;

Increases employee productivity;
Improves employee job satisfaction levels;
Develops greater loyalty in employees;
Promotes the companys professionalism;

Development of the communications strategy is to identify

(a) Goals, ambitions and strategic aspirations for the future;
(b) What the people in the organisation need to think, feel and do in
order to make those goals a reality;
(c) Where employees are now and what needs to change in their
current perceptions, attitude, or access to basic information;
(d) Role of the internal communication function in helping to close the
gap of what we want for the future and what we have today;
(e) Roles and responsibilities of leaders, managers, employees and
communication professionals;
(f) The communication activities we are going to need and who will
be responsible for what; and
(g) The resource levels we need.

Effective internal communications strategy and plan:

Employee-focused communications must be led from the top

Consistency in message is vital
Charismatic yet natural and planned communications are more
effective

Communication via the line manager is preferred and more

effective
There must be integration between internal and external
communications
Timing is critical
Communication is a two-way process

Important of government relations

(a) An early warning system with regard to government policies, regulations,

activities, and legislation can be established and implemented;
(b) Effective participation in legislative and regulatory processes can be
attained;
(c) International awareness at the corporate level on government
programmes can be fostered;
(d) Any forms of government inquiries, request and regulations can be
properly responded to; and
(e) The process of integration and coordination of the organisations
government relations effort can be centrally located and managed.
Lobbying is
the process of trying to influence legislators on behalf of special interest
groups.
Lobbying involves two major groups where it involves the process of
influencing:

The Public
Governmental Policy.

Benefit of lobbying

Acting as a platform for providing information, latest analyses and

opinions to legislators and government leaders;
Preparing a suitable environment for problem resolution;
Allowing for checks and balances in decision making; and
Generating a balanced system which permits healthy competition
among interested groups.
Reasons for Lobbying

To gain benefits or forms of relief that are unavailable in the private

sector:
To gain or retain an economic advantage:
To gain relief or advantage at one level of government that has been
denied at another
To create a beneficial programme
To resolve public problems that only the government can handle
Role of Corporate Communication in Government Relations

Provide a round table for dialogue between the organisation and

government officials
Articulate the organisations standpoint on government policies and
procedure
Pronounce explicit support for the governments programmes
Provide latest developments in the companys policies, rules and
regulations
Promote and foster strong support in government-private forums with
regard to issues such as industrial linkages, public affairs, economics
issues and social problems
Update on the companys performance especially with regard to new
government policies
Offer opportunity for open negotiation.

Role of communication in issues and crisis

Give warning
Limit harm
Communicate with various agency
Provide clarification
Respond to accusation of wrongdoing

Essential Steps in Issue Management

(a) Strategic business planning
(b) Getting the house in order Corporate responsibility;
(c) Scouting the terrain Scanning, identification, monitoring, analysis and
priority setting
(d) Strong defence and smart offence Issues communication.

Essential Steps in Handling Crisis

(a) Identify your Crisis Communications Team
(b) Identify Spokespersons
(c) Spokesperson Training
(d) Establish Notification Systems
(e) Identify and Know your Stakeholders
(f) Anticipate Crisis
(i) Brainstorm with your team members on potential crises so that the
(g) Develop Holding Statements
(h) Assess the Crisis Situation
(i) Identify Key Messages
(j) Riding Out the Storm

Goals in handling crisis

(a) Stabilise the organisation
(b) Assess potential damage
(c) Evaluate the tarnished image
(d) Determine suitable action to manage the crisis.

Step to good crisis communication plan

(a) Be prepared
(b) Remain calm
(c) Gather information quickly
(d) Identify one spokesperson
(e) Use key messages
(f) Personally inform respective person
(g) Understand the need of media.

Impact of crisis to organization

(a) Degradation of corporate image;
(b) Erosion of respect and esteem;
(c) Loss of trust and confidence; and
(d) Tarnishing of corporate reputation.
Successful trust building
(a) Provide advance information
(b) Ask for input
(c) Listen carefully
(d) Demonstrate that you have heard, i.e., changed your plans
(e) Stay in touch
(f) Speak in plain language
(g) Bring victims/involuntary participants into the decision-making process.

The following are four reasons why technology is so important to

corporate communication:

Improving routine business tasks;

Improving communication efficiency with clients;

Helping in managerial decision making process; and
Exploring and tracking new business opportunities.

The typical functions of corporate communication

(a) Media relations
(b) Event management
(c) Internal communication
(d) Corporate social responsibility
(e) Public affairs
(f) Crisis communication
(g) Investor relations
Key functions of communication technology
(a) Managing brand identity to improve corporate reputation
(b) Building a culture of engagement, transparency and governance
(c) Turning stakeholders into corporate evangelists
(d) Managing internal communication across time zones and language
barriers
Type of communication
Conventional communication

Telephone
Radio
Tv

Modern communication

Smartphone
Email
Ip telephony
Social media networking