What is the significance of Public Relations?
The old saying “all publicity is good publicity” has been used by public figures over time. In some cases publicity can help gain awareness, however, bad publicity can seriously damage businesses. Just ask Seaworld or BP.
Getting the right exposure and earning the audience’s trust can be done with correct preparation. Liana Zavo, CEO of ZavoMedia Group, a PR and digital marketing firm, demonstrates PR’s importance for businesses.
Public Relations builds the trust of an audience through many different forms of communication to support a business. In essence, it’s what a company does to build a relationship with its consumers and stakeholders through a persuasive tone. When done correctly, this will build trust and promote a business. Zavo compares PR principles with storytelling. When a family member shares a story about a product they love, it engages others to want to know more.
In the case of Seaworld and BP, they showed how not to handle a PR crisis. PR can help weather the storm and minimise the damage with the correct response when things hit the fan. In an age where social media can blow up a story in a matter of minutes, PR is crucial to help a business get back on track as soon as possible.
Different businesses require an approach that best serves themselves. Press releases, writing pitches for journalists to write positive stories on your business or creating events that promote a business’s ideas are great ways to promote a business.
As Zavo states “With advertising, you tell people how good your business is, but with PR, others say how remarkable it is”. Good PR will make your business more noticeable and build character to help you succeed.
