The public relations discipline

Today’s communications strategies and tools are changing at a high velocity, due to technology and bandwidth. Public relations success will be defined by digital and mobile tactics that engage audiences and, as always, tell a compelling story. Content is king, as they say. This has, and will be, the key to deployment of successful strategies.

As we look at the models and methods for public relations. it remains a multi-faceted, strategic process of communications  with a goal of  developing mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics or audiences it serves. 

Too often, the practice of public relations is used to describe “publicity” or, more formally, media relations. But public relations goes far beyond a “media hit.” It is a discipline of convergent practice areas that complement each other in order to reach a stated communications goal.  These goals can look different depending on the project and the company or organization it serves. They can be deeper dives, or they can be a lesser sweep, but within that work converges strategy and story.

As we face a changing world in the midst of a pandemic, as PR practitioners, we fall back to the basics by building strong relationship with our clients, and on behalf of our clients. Because after all, the human condition calls for us to be connected. And communications is central to that connectivity.

Greg Bailey, APR, Fellow PRSA/Chair-Elect, Public Relations Society of America College of Fellows