Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing the flow of information between an individual

or an organization and the public. Public relations may include an organization or individual
gaining exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not
require direct payment. The aim of public relations by a company often is to persuade the public
investors partners employees and other sta!eholders to maintain a certain point of view about
it its leadership products or of political decisions. "ommon activities include spea!ing at
conferences winning industry awards wor!ing with the press and employee communication.
#fter a malicious scandal which bedeviled "$%#& they decided to engage a PR consultant so as
to curb damaged image and restore hope.
The consultant decided to use the six point model as propounded by 'ef!ins et al (())*) he
argues that public relations planning can be done following the six basic steps below which are+
#ppreciation of the situation or the problem
,efining the ob-ective
,efining the publics
&election of the media and technique
.udgeting
/valuation
APPRECIATION OF THE SITUATION OR THE PROBLEM
"$%#& encountered a highly publicized scandal when the board chairman of the medical
company was accused of nepotism that allegedly resulted in the hiring of inexperienced and
corrupt top management personnel. # carefully grafted public relations plan would be vital in
ensuring that "$%#& did not experience loss of clientele. &taying silent about its situation did
not to help anybody at "$%#&. $t was vital that its employees customers and suppliers were
!ept up to date but however that was not the case as "$%#& decided to deal with the matter by
demanding a retraction from the publications that ran the story retractions that have not to this
day seen the light of day. $n this case silence was not golden. $gnoring or being tight0lipped
about a public mishap can do as much damage to your company1s reputation as the mishap itself.
# () year study by .runnel 2niversity has supported the fact that nothing can completely rebuild
a tarnished image but rather allowing time to go by.
DEFINE OBJECTIVES
/stablish viable wor!ing partnerships with business and industry
$ncrease positive recognition enthusiasm and support for "$%#& as a leader in delivery
of quality
To change the perceptions of the public about "$%#&. 3e will try to emphasize the fact
that "$%#& is a strong brand that has been in existence over a century and does a lot of
good for the society in the form of "&$.
To come up with effective 4uman Resources Policy.
DEFINE PUBLICS
$t is vital to identify all publics who should be informed of the situation. Public refers to a group
of people that share a common interest vis050vis an organization recognizes its significance and
sets out to do something about it. Publics are homogeneous in that they are similar in their
interests and characteristics. They usually are aware of the situation and their relationship with
the organization. 6ot every identifiable group and certainly not every isolated individual is
important to your organization1s success. &ome can safely be overloo!ed or deferred. &trategists
for public relations and mar!eting communication are most interested in those publics that can
significantly impact on an organization1s bottom line and affect its progress toward achieving its
mission. "$%#& publics are employees subscribers shareholders government suppliers
medical practitioners for example doctors and hospitals.
Employees
These are people who are employed by "$%#& and they need to !now about the scandal that has
been publicized in the media to give them the correct position through staff briefs and meetings.
/mployees need to be managed well as they can act as a source of information to media or other
sources.
Subscrbers ! Members
These are corporates and individuals who are members of the medical society. They are the
heartbeat of "$%#& meaning that if there are no members then they will be no "$%#& because
they are the ones who pay monthly contributions towards the fund. They are also a source of
referrals for the company.
Ser"ce Pro"#ers
These include doctors pharmacies and hospitals. They are affected in the way they provide
service to the members.
$o"er%me%&
%inistry of 4ealth protects interest of the members (subscribers). 7overnment policies have got
an impact on "$%#& business activities
MEDIA SELECTION
Press Co%'ere%ce
"$%#& would use press conference as it is one of the channels used for important (hard news)
first time information in order to clarify or correct a situation. # press conference allows question
and answer session to either clarify or to raise other questions. The press conference gives us an
opportunity to explain and give "$%#&1s side of the story as well as apologize to customers if
there is a need.
Press Rele(se
"$%#& will use a press release for damage control. # press release is a free publication which is
short and contains compelling news story written by a public relations professional and sent to
targeted members of the media. The goal of a press release is to pique the interest of a -ournalist
or publication. The press release should contain all the essential information (who8 what8 where8
when8 how8 and most importantly why8) for the -ournalist to easily produce his own story. The
press release can be placed in the country1s top selling newspapers for example the 4erald
.roadsheet and the Tabloid ,aily 6ews to cater for the readership and correct the situation with
correct information dissemination.
Soc(l Me#(
$n this day where technology is the order of the day social media (faceboo! twitter) is a very
important media tool to communicate and rectify a situation. 9ots of information is spread
quic!ly through social media therefore it is important to use it to the company:s advantage as a
lot of people now subscribe to it.
Pulse M()(*%e
"$%#& can do a publication to explain the recruitment process within the organization through
Pulse magazine an internal publication which is distributed to all sta!eholders.
BUD$ET ANAL+SIS
"$%#& should plan financial resources for the activities to be carried out. Resources should be
allocated to priority. #s discussed above some of the activities that require funding are as
follows+
Ac&"&y To&(l USD
Press "onference ; associated cost of holding press conference ()))
#dverts ())))
Pulse %agazine printing and distribution <)))
"onsultancy =ees ><)))
"ontingency <)))
To&(l ,-./000
EVALUATION
/valuation is one of the most important steps in public relations. $t is a monitoring and
measurement mechanism (yardstic!) for effectiveness and impact of public relations plan. #fter
going through the above stages "$%#& should be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the
strategies employed through+0
following up on media coverage
surveying to gauge awareness perceptions and public attitudes towards "$%#&
counting the number of subscribers and compare with previous year
implementing human resources policy and monitoring the recruitment process
"ompelling public relations plans can go a long way toward helping a business spread its
message reach more customers and generate more sales. &uccessful plans go much further than
merely garnering media coverage. $n fact public relations plans and campaigns are usually much
more far0reaching and complex. They require strategic planning creative thin!ing smart
budgeting and the ability to navigate unforeseen circumstances. Public relations is a field with a
reputation for fun and excitement. .ut it also requires discipline and a can0do spirit to succeed
and restore lost hope.
REFERENCES
,avis # (())?). Public Relations. Palgrave %acmillan
'ef!ins =.aines P /gan ' (())*). Public Relations Contemporary issues and techniques,
Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford
@oltler P (()))). Marketin Manaement Millennium !dition Prentice 4all 6ew 'ersey
&cott %. "utlip #llen 4. "enter and 7len %..room (())<). !ffecti"e Public Relations, =T
Prentice 4all (Ath edition)