We know that there was an era when Public Relations was only means Publicity. The role of PRO was limited only up to getting the Photos of certain events like launching of new product, opening of new Branch etc. or news published in the News papers.
PR professional has to rush behind journalists to get the matter published on the very next day; which was a real skilled job. As Mr. S. N. Surkund, Ex A.G.M. of Union Bank of India narrated the real story of publishing of photograph in Bombay edition of The Times of India on the very next day was not an easy job when the event happened in Madras in some where about 1970, when forget about internet but other technology was also not easily available.
Now we can mail the matter including photographs within few seconds to the Print as well as Electronic media at the same time from our Desk/ Laptop, even through Cellphones. Still we have to be dependent on the media. The matter/ Press releases can be twisted as the journalist wants to. No PR professional was able to control the media as he/she wants.
However, with advance development in the digital technology anybody can write & publish his/her views through Blogs.
As the coming Generation is more tech savvy, they use internet to update their info. rather than reading News papers(with stale news) & even give feedback immediately in the matter.
Use of Social Media Networking Websites are becoming more & more popular for instant & interactive Communication. Now PR professionals do not depend merely on the Traditional Media for communication with Target Public. The reachable sources are now more instant & interactive.
It is not limited up to text or photos, but one can even Advertise the product through Videos which can be also considered as cost effective & definitely hit the Target through a simple post .
So now Print/Electronic Media has to think seriously & change accordingly for survival in the nearest future.
Blogging has provided definitely a better opportunity of communication for PR professionals to reach to the target audience especially during Crisis along with Social Media Networking Websites.
Organizations can do their image building as per their own style & way through digital media & public can also reach to the organization with their grievances . PR professional can plan the strategy accordingly.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Dealing with Crisis
As we have discussed earlier, if it is a 'natural disaster' like deluge etc. , we have to train either our staff for Disaster Management or outsource people for the same .
However, if it is 'man made'; the PR department/Agency has to study the crisis in details within shorter span of time. It is little bit easy job for an internal PR dept. as compare to the external agency. Because being part of the organization internal PRO is quite well versed with the internal public, which becomes more beneficial especially at the time of communication in cases like strikes of employees.
Crisis do not take place overnight. It is like an infection which spreads due to ignorance. So, here internal PRO works like a family Doctor who is aware about patients constitution. As communication is the most important factor while dealing with crisis, PRO can definitely communicate effectively and can establish good relationship successfully between the organization and its internal Public.
We can say PR professional has to act like 'Fire Brigade' during Crisis Management to save the image, product or damage to the organization itself.
Once you understood the problem thoroughly, you can plan to solve it accordingly. One can use various tools available in Public Relations to overcome the crisis.
However, the problem may not always be due to the internal public; it may be Competitors, Consumers or fluctuations in the market. Now in some or the other cases organization has to integrate internal PR with external PR agency to speed up the solution. External agencies have separate Crisis Management teams work for 24 hours; which may be able to handle external public more quickly with help of internal PR.
Use of various tools successfully depends upon the skill of a PR professional like a Surgeon who diagnose the disease and does the suitable surgery accordingly.
Use of Media, Non -media, CSR or other remedial measures are in the sole discretion of a PR person and the skill obviously comes thorough combination of knowledge & experience.
However, if it is 'man made'; the PR department/Agency has to study the crisis in details within shorter span of time. It is little bit easy job for an internal PR dept. as compare to the external agency. Because being part of the organization internal PRO is quite well versed with the internal public, which becomes more beneficial especially at the time of communication in cases like strikes of employees.
Crisis do not take place overnight. It is like an infection which spreads due to ignorance. So, here internal PRO works like a family Doctor who is aware about patients constitution. As communication is the most important factor while dealing with crisis, PRO can definitely communicate effectively and can establish good relationship successfully between the organization and its internal Public.
We can say PR professional has to act like 'Fire Brigade' during Crisis Management to save the image, product or damage to the organization itself.
Once you understood the problem thoroughly, you can plan to solve it accordingly. One can use various tools available in Public Relations to overcome the crisis.
However, the problem may not always be due to the internal public; it may be Competitors, Consumers or fluctuations in the market. Now in some or the other cases organization has to integrate internal PR with external PR agency to speed up the solution. External agencies have separate Crisis Management teams work for 24 hours; which may be able to handle external public more quickly with help of internal PR.
Use of various tools successfully depends upon the skill of a PR professional like a Surgeon who diagnose the disease and does the suitable surgery accordingly.
Use of Media, Non -media, CSR or other remedial measures are in the sole discretion of a PR person and the skill obviously comes thorough combination of knowledge & experience.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Digital Technology- Additonal way of Crisis
In the last article we have seen that there are two types of crises.
1. Natural &
2. Man made
In man made crises Strikes, stoppage of work,Tampering of office files, Product tampering, leaving of jobs by employees etc. were included.
Now, with developments in the technology concept of Paperless office has become routine part of Corporate world.
But Man is the most notorious animal in the world. When he developed technology, the new face of crime known as Cyber Crime has been emerged.
'Hackers' are those intelligent brains who use their talent in negative/ destructive way. Stealing of important data, confidential records, corruption of files can be done very easily without coming in the frame directly.
Whole system can be damaged with help of just one virus from remote place. It was heard that there was a threat to main server of Union Bank of India, when officials got the message about it; the system was made digitally secured & kept under strict vigilance.
Even installation of one anti virus software is not sufficient now a days. Because notorious people keep on doing new inventions in the technology & the anti virus software which has been installed may not able to protect your PC/ whole system.
Even viruses can be send through mails. As you open the mail, it gets activated within your PC. Mobile handsets could be damaged with activation of GPRS system within the handset. It has also been revealed that anybody can play mischief with your cell number if Blue tooth menu is ON in your handset.
So, we have to install anti virus software/s in our PCs & handsets. But is there any software/ chip exists ever or could be developed which can be installed inside the human brain so that nobody can create nuisance & be hazardous with humanity to make any innocent victim of Cyber Crime ?
Please think and let us work on this.
1. Natural &
2. Man made
In man made crises Strikes, stoppage of work,Tampering of office files, Product tampering, leaving of jobs by employees etc. were included.
Now, with developments in the technology concept of Paperless office has become routine part of Corporate world.
But Man is the most notorious animal in the world. When he developed technology, the new face of crime known as Cyber Crime has been emerged.
'Hackers' are those intelligent brains who use their talent in negative/ destructive way. Stealing of important data, confidential records, corruption of files can be done very easily without coming in the frame directly.
Whole system can be damaged with help of just one virus from remote place. It was heard that there was a threat to main server of Union Bank of India, when officials got the message about it; the system was made digitally secured & kept under strict vigilance.
Even installation of one anti virus software is not sufficient now a days. Because notorious people keep on doing new inventions in the technology & the anti virus software which has been installed may not able to protect your PC/ whole system.
Even viruses can be send through mails. As you open the mail, it gets activated within your PC. Mobile handsets could be damaged with activation of GPRS system within the handset. It has also been revealed that anybody can play mischief with your cell number if Blue tooth menu is ON in your handset.
So, we have to install anti virus software/s in our PCs & handsets. But is there any software/ chip exists ever or could be developed which can be installed inside the human brain so that nobody can create nuisance & be hazardous with humanity to make any innocent victim of Cyber Crime ?
Please think and let us work on this.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Understanding Crisis
Crisis Management is a vital part of Public Relations. A Public Relations professional has to deal with crisis for the client or the organization he is working for.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to give a precise definition of a crisis any more than it is possible to predict with exact certainty how a crisis will occur, when it will occur & why it will occur?
It is most important to know,
What exactly crisis means?
How does it occurs?
What are different types of crises?
Generally there are two types of Crises:
1. Natural Disasters
2. Man-made or Human caused
Natural disasters are inevitable as nobody can predict about when earthquakes, storms, deluge, fire etc. will happen. Though the organizations are now training their staff for Disaster Management, no one can claim that only a particular type of disaster may happen. Therefore, managing natural disaster is little out of control game.
However, man-made crises can be foreseen in many cases. These types of crises are not not always major crises as well as not inevitable. Labour strikes/ shortages, Market crash, Financial frauds etc. are some of the major crises.
A PR professional has to study the crisis occured in the organization/ with the client thoroughly well, so as to plan the strategy for managing crisis.
He has to collect the detailed information from the client/ key person of the organization such as origin of the crisis, area of affection, involvement of internal/ external Public in crisis etc.
One should think about how long the crisis will exist, which may be from a month to more than a year. This again helps to plan strategies.
Crisis is not the only problem of communication but it involves technical & functional components as well. It has often been said that companies actually face crisis almost everyday in their lives. A 'crisis', like a gathering storm, in most cases, starts with little swirls & eddies that signal an impending disturbance. In crisis, technical responses & communication run in tandem.
Major crises occur not only because of what an organization knows, anticipates & plans for, but just as much because of what it does not know & does not anticipate.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to give a precise definition of a crisis any more than it is possible to predict with exact certainty how a crisis will occur, when it will occur & why it will occur?
It is most important to know,
What exactly crisis means?
How does it occurs?
What are different types of crises?
Generally there are two types of Crises:
1. Natural Disasters
2. Man-made or Human caused
Natural disasters are inevitable as nobody can predict about when earthquakes, storms, deluge, fire etc. will happen. Though the organizations are now training their staff for Disaster Management, no one can claim that only a particular type of disaster may happen. Therefore, managing natural disaster is little out of control game.
However, man-made crises can be foreseen in many cases. These types of crises are not not always major crises as well as not inevitable. Labour strikes/ shortages, Market crash, Financial frauds etc. are some of the major crises.
A PR professional has to study the crisis occured in the organization/ with the client thoroughly well, so as to plan the strategy for managing crisis.
He has to collect the detailed information from the client/ key person of the organization such as origin of the crisis, area of affection, involvement of internal/ external Public in crisis etc.
One should think about how long the crisis will exist, which may be from a month to more than a year. This again helps to plan strategies.
Crisis is not the only problem of communication but it involves technical & functional components as well. It has often been said that companies actually face crisis almost everyday in their lives. A 'crisis', like a gathering storm, in most cases, starts with little swirls & eddies that signal an impending disturbance. In crisis, technical responses & communication run in tandem.
Major crises occur not only because of what an organization knows, anticipates & plans for, but just as much because of what it does not know & does not anticipate.
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