The Role of Public Relations to me, is having a good understanding of what your publics want, and desire.
We live in the age of technology, which allows for organisations to become evermore competitive in the race for success. Reputation in any industry must be considered by most organisations as their biggest asset, and concern. Good public relations can benefit an organisations reputation with the means of good communication between themselves, and their publics.
Smith, R.D. (2014) argued, reputation management is the process of seeking to influence the way publics view and understand the organization.
Reputation management begins with tracking and identifying what others say, and feel about an organisation, shaping the public’s perception of the organisations online brands via the Internet searches. Lots of organisations maintain their reputation on websites that consumers would visit most, such as, Amazon, Google, and even social media platforms. Social media platforms are fantastic opportunities to target a desired audience. I am particularly interested in the social media sector as a future public relations practitioner with first hand experience of managing a large digital audience as a successful blogger via Instagram, and www.wix.com. I have developed the knowledge of how to direct these audiences, and what communications are best in driving an affective, successful, and a current feed to attract more audiences, and keep current audiences wanting more from my brand. Learning these techniques assures myself that a career in public relations is a route best fitting to myself. Having already had opportunities in creating, and managing digital content online. I am skilled in the use of Photoshop software for image, and graphic editing and image manipulation. Constant maintaining on these networks and platforms will create for myself a reputation, and adds credibility in assuring I will be an excellent PR practitioner. Public relation practitioners have many roles, and usually deal with angry consumers who can write negative reviews about them and the organisations they work for, which could cause massive implications for the organisation leading to bad reputation. Public relations practitioners must be strategic, and corporations, companies and local businesses have to stand out of the crowd in their field of business to ensure success, especially in today’s globalisation.
Social Media Management
Most smart organisations will or should take advantage of social media platforms; 
it’s free advertising with most of the public checking various social media sites everyday e.g. Instagram and Facebook etc. An organisations survival, and successes is dependable upon reputation management. In today’s society consumers can have a massive effect to a company’s reputation especially with use of social media platforms, where consumers can buy and review an organisations business ventures or new products. This allows future consumers to read these said reviews, and ultimately make a decision on whether or not to use these facilities. My personal belief is that mass media/social media is solely becoming a reflection of our working organisational economies, and ultimately everything that an organisation must adapt too in the age of technology. To survive in the aggressive economy, adapting is key; organisations that don’t adapt will untimely see a quick demise, although this is based on personal opinion.
Grunig & Hunt (1984) suggested public relations manages communication between the organization and its public sphere.
Ideologies of public relations shapes mind-sets through mass mediums that is present to the public sphere through stature. However, whatever way one can look at it, public relations primarily associates itself in shaping societal ways of thinking, which is something I myself have a great disposition to be involved in. Creating and preserving stature is perhaps a vital representation of how public relations works for any cooperation, organisation or persons heavily involved in wanting to change mind-sets. This is one of the many reasons I am attracted to a career in public relations, it is unyielding vitality that makes myself have the belief I am doing something right for myself. According to L’Etang (2008) public relations is forever involved in communications that enables change, and adjustment of communication. This career path, that allows for unforeseen routes and unavoidable paths that come with exhilaration is everything I would desire out of a career as a public practitioner.
PR Solutions and Globalising
Public relations is changing massively, to benefit the practitioners, clients and consumers especially with the introduction of public relations to mass media. Mass media is communal source that’s engages with a specific target audience, It reaches a larger group of publics in a shorter space of time. Online and digital public relations has a number of PR solutions that can be deployed against a PR issue, it’s a limitless process that changes everyday. If these tools are put in place, plans will stand above the competition. I personally have the belief I have acquired the necessary skills and tools to be utilised in assuring my success in a forever changing market. I will know how fast current trends change, and what styles I should take to make myself seem current in my future PR profession.
Robert, Z, C. (2013) made an interesting statement, which I have previously mentioned, he said the public relations professionals need to be smart individuals.
Smart public relations practitioners should already be incorporating and integrating digital solutions to stem away from traditional solutions, as the market is changing fast. Goldsworthy & Morris, (2015) noted that mass mediums, online and social media is escalating and merging, they also argued that PR in relation to mass media, is beginning to look like a force of information and commentary through a funnel. This is great advice to any young professional embarking upon the world of public relations, one in which I believe I am best suited for.
Cultural Practitioner
University has simply confirmed how much I desire a career in public relations. During my studies, I have, and still am developing an excellent eye for detail and have significant experience of reading and interpreting large amounts of materials in an accurate and efficient manner. Personally, my passion for public relations lay in the arts, media and current affairs, especially when creating my own content.
Green (2007) states, a creative individual, consist in not only originating, but also evaluating what the value the creative individual contributes.
Ultimately what this says to me is, the PR individual must produce something of value that can be recognised by third parties. There is a large increasing development of public relations practitioners having to navigate across the planet, and knowing the demands of different cultures and expectations of these cultures. Public relations practitioners must become multicultural and intercultural to keep up with demands of an ever-changing globalised world.
Edwards and Hodges (2011) argued, globalization in the public relations industry, shines a light upon how cultural and societal conventions ultimately influence the industry.
These directly shape the expectation in the public relations industry, and expectations of PR practitioners. With the emphasis on cultural effectiveness, which seems to be expected in a career in public relations.
Wakefield (2007) suggested, there is key principals that are dominant contrasts linking globalized and domesticated public relation practice
Rapport & Communications
Public relations in the in the digital age, establishes the answer on how to make organisations thrive, which is something I want to be part off. These PR skills and techniques of course must be learnt over a period of time and can’t be learnt over night. The process takes creative, and strategic minds as well as many other roles to make public relations work as a career. Public relations must be an efficient tool to solve issues in the way off goods and services through good communications, and good communicators. Throughout this blog, I have looked at many examples of why a career in public relations interests myself, and what the role of public relations involves in making a successful career for myself. From reputation management through to use of digital media resources, there are numerous ways public relations can be implemented in making a career in it succeed. Moreover public relations is rudimentary in understanding the importance of the PR profession, it creates the favourable relationships between the corporations and the public sphere. By looking at all these key principals, a career in public relation would ultimately benefit my urging as creativity individual. Becoming a Communication Management and Public Relation student has allowed myself to improve and polish the skills gaining in opening the doors to a career in public relations. My future lays in relationship rapport, where I will be using communications and public relations acquired at university into the profession.
Reference List
Edwards, L.L & Hodges, C.E.M (2011). Public Relations, Society & Culture: Theoretical and Empirical Explorations. (1st ed.). New York: Routledge Publications. P,45.
Goldsworthy, S & Morris, T (2015). PR Today: The Authoritative Guide to Public Relations. (2nd ed.). England: Macmillan International Higher Education. P 29.
Green, A (2007). Creativity in Public Relations. (3rd ed.). London: Kogan Page Publishers. P, 8.
Grunig, J.E & Hunt, T (1984). Managing Public Relations. (1sted.). England: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. P, 5.
L’etang, J (2008). Public Relations: Concepts, Practice and Critique. (1st ed.). London: Sage Publications. P, 18.
Smith, R.D. (2014) Public Relations: The Basics. London: Routledge.
Waddington, S. (ed) (2012) Share This: The Social Media Handbook For PR Professionals. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. P, 14.
Wakefield, R. I. (2007). A retrospective on world class: The excellence theory goes international. In E.L. Toth (Ed). The future of excellence in Public Relations and communication management: Challenges for the next generation (pp. 545-568). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Chew Robert , RCZ, 2013. The Fundamentals of Public Relations. 6th ed. Los Angeles: Boldpoint Communications. P, 89.
Kevin Doonan is a final year BSc in Communication Management & Public Relations student at Ulster University. He can be found at: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/irishcuchulainn/ ; Twitter – @KevinODunain ; Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/irish_cuchulainn/ ; LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-patrick-doonan-54749056/