What is PR?

“Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other.” – Public Relations Society of America

What does that mean? For some, PR means generating publicity - getting your name in the media. But the most effective public relations program - the stuff that will really move your organization forward – involves relationship-building activities beyond an article in newspapers and trade publications.

PR manages change through effective communication; it builds and maintains relationships with the people important to your future.

The best PR is for your organization to conduct its affairs in such a way as to inoculate yourself against fallout that a potential crisis can raise.

Let’s take a closer look…

Public Relations Helps Management

As public relations specialists, Hanser & Associates understands PR’s proven ability to:

Build the breadth and depth of opportunities for the sale of products or services
Recruit qualified people and retain them by building morale, enhancing productivity and creating team spirit
Protect your market position during crisis
Manage change

Our case studies demonstrate how clients have benefited from our public relations counsel and programs, and you can read more about what PR counselors do in our library.

Public Relations Can Be Measured

CEOs agree that the reputation-building power of public relations helps sell products and services, attracts employees and helps during crisis.

Hanser Measurement PRocess™ is H&A’s methodology for measuring impact of PR programs.

There is data to support the relationship between PR spending, reputation and business performance. The Council of Public Relations Firms’ slide presentation provides details, and you can learn more in our library.

Communication is Changing

Public relations has become an important management function, because networked communication is changing the rules for public dialogue. Information flows that were linear and hierarchical are being rapidly replaced by a host of new, often unregulated, peer-to-peer communication models.

Influence and control through traditional advertising and other one-way channels are no longer guaranteed, because on the Internet:

Everyone is a publisher
Customers and employees can connect to each other across the globe to discuss their experience with your company
Anyone can listen and participate in these discussions

These are fundamental shifts in the relationship between a company and its customers, employees, investors, regulators and other stakeholders. In this new communication landscape, traditional one-way messages suffer shrinking credibility. People are becoming “ad blind.” Traditional print and broadcast media are losing some of their audience to the Internet.

Fortunately, public relations specialists offer effective communication solutions. At Hanser & Associates, we blend management consulting, business intelligence, publishing, direct marketing and Internet strategy to manage relationships in the information economy. We’re masters at the traditional models of communication, and we have new tools and strategies for managing the online relationships critical to your success.