What Does a PR Professional Do?

Communications is an exciting field and Careers in communications include advertising, public relations, journalism, and film & television. In today’s business world, it is vital to build and maintain relationships with customers, employees, and communities.

A commonly asked question in this industry is: “What does a PR professional do?”

PRSA states, “Public Relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

With the public relations industry experiencing significant growth, the fundamentals of the profession, including the ability to develop strategic communication plans, build relationships with key constituents, maintain and enhance organizational reputations, improve customer response, and communicate effectively, will remain the foundations of the industry. Today’s PR professional will need to possess a combination of capabilities that enable them to be effective in the areas of marketing, management, social media, and production.

A PR professional tells the story

PR professionals are the voice of a brand. They have the responsibility of managing, growing, and guiding an audience’s image of said brand. PR professionals bring attention to their clients to earn free media coverage in newspapers, TV, radio, magazines, and websites.

They shape the debate / manage crisis situations

Things aren’t always so peachy in the world of PR. Every organization is vulnerable to crisis. From natural disasters and human error to technical glitches and executive wrongdoing, a PR professional should always be prepared with a plan of action.

A PR professional tells the truth

Journalists are bombarded with press releases, receiving hundreds per day. Reporters are most likely to pay attention to those from a trusted source. Although a little white lie may be tempting in times of crisis, a good PR professional knows that this will ultimately undermine credibility not only with your publics, but also the media, who, in this position, should be one of your best friends.

A PR professional builds relationships

The heart of public relations is a PR professional’s ability to form mutually beneficial relationships not only with clients, but also the media. People want to interact with organizations that seem approachable and knowledgeable. If they know and trust you, they are going to be more inclined to work with you.

A PR professional writes

PR professionals are not only strong verbal communicators, they also excel at writing. We are in a digital age where it is important to know how to properly write an email, press release, or blog post. 

A PR professional is informed and updated

PR professionals know their clients, the company, the media, and the industry like the back of their hand. They need to be on top of news and trends so they can harness what they know and respond with story ideas that best position their client.

Essentially, public relations is about creating understanding through knowledge, and this often involves effecting change. Public  relations is therefore a form of communication. It applies to every sort of organisation, commercial or non commercial, in the public or private sector.

By:   
Sakshi Vig
Faculty, INLEAD