Since my foray into public relations, I have found a scenario of distortions and confusion about its true connotation. There is a distorted idea of its effectiveness and analogy with increased production, sales and obtaining more significant profits. It is still perceived as superfluous and lacking correlation with an entity’s urgent and preponderant aspirations. Erroneous assumptions and capricious interpretations persist.
Sometimes, those who use them – people who lack the training for their exercise – and those to whom they are directed avoid having a precise concept of their role, structure and articulation. These are, unfortunately, like a “catch-all”: those in charge of their performance do not necessarily master their techniques and are professionals in the field. Their impeccable performance demands a profile that incorporates a high level of education, the ability to dialogue, soft skills, social skills, assertive communication and an intention to build a friendly personal and collective reciprocity.
I travelled to one of the most beautiful metropolises and one with a rich historical past for Peruvians: Cusco was proclaimed the “historical capital” according to the Political Constitution of Peru (1993). A space where the origins of our ancestors and an exceptional cultural plurality converge: I consider it a bastion of our identity. During that trip, I spoke with countless university and municipal authorities.
I confronted their inconsistent notion when I found out that the impression was that the person in charge of PR was someone with an excellent appearance, elegant clothing, people skills, a broad smile, countless contacts, vast connections in the news media, and brilliant friendliness. Sometimes, these are the “conditions” for selecting the public relations officer; nothing more absurd and mundane. This happens, among other causes, because there are not enough experts in Public Relations to administer it.
The lack of insight into its importance has produced a deviation from its purposes in almost all region countries. Some summarize it as an office dedicated to providing information, dealing with matters inherent to protocol, preparing invitations and information notes, preparing press conferences and social events, celebrations and endless accessory tasks for corporate development. Erroneous reasoning in this regard is maintained in the public and private sectors.
My experience has made it easy to verify this stubborn belief that it constitutes a hidden form of publicity, establishing contacts, courtesies, dealing with the media, events, etc. For others, on the contrary, it is the area assigned to calm conflicts generated by some instances of the organization. This feeling -which is still valid- has created high margins of misfortune for me. I recall what is stated in the prestigious and well-documented third edition of Webster’s New International Dictionary: “Public Relations is the promotion of sympathy and goodwill between a person, enterprise or institution and other persons, a particular public or the community as a whole, using the distribution of interpretive material, the development of friendly exchanges and the evaluation of public reaction.”
PR does not sell, nor does it generate direct economic benefits. Its purpose is to create and sustain a climate of consideration, trust, and belief among its audiences. It represents a space for rapprochement between the entity and its environment to promote an image predestined to facilitate negotiation processes between interested parties, among other intentions. In short, it is synonymous with reputation, credibility, and respect.
I will always insist that it be given the instruments that facilitate its mission and scope, even when its results are usually not perceived in the short term. At the same time, it establishes the essential conditions to promote projects in marketing, advertising, etc., with which it must coordinate and avoid competing. Everything in an organization should deserve invariable approval, accompaniment, and supervision.
A few years ago, I was called to advise a consulting firm dedicated to providing environmental services in the mining, oil and gas sectors. There, I found that successfully implementing PR programs requires the full support of the highest levels of the entity. However, from the first day, I faced a severe problem: the lack of soft skills and commitment from its managers. While I was trying to deploy functions aimed at forging a cohesive and harmonious work environment, I had to face the hostile behaviour of managers with authoritarian behaviour and, in addition, lacked a serious approach to the role of these.
As we know, those identified with this discipline, the company’s members, issue good or bad Public Relations. Let us give up individualizing its development, as happens repeatedly. It is a shared task and assumed collectively, under the direction of the specialized area, to guarantee the application of programs related to the organizational objectives. Its development involves objectives, goals, actions, budget, and general participation, and, therefore, its performance is consistent with the expectations of its audiences.
Likewise, the “corporate identity” has a predominant role. We can define it as projecting and communicating before multiple interest groups. It groups tangible and intangible principles. It is what the entity represents; it provides prominence to the consumer; it differentiates a business from others; it warns of its objectives, philosophy, activities, beliefs and values. Its importance lies in building loyalty among its audience, improving customer awareness and increasing competitive advantage. It is its personality, and it is composed with particular emphasis on the mission, vision, and values.
Public Relations, we can conclude, is based on its corporate values, apart from other elements. These values comprise the company’s culture and define the aspects and comparative advantages that will guide its development. They show their beliefs in a shared manner, stipulate the practice of their members and are oriented following their action plans. It has a close link with the ethics and principles of the organization.
These encouraged my incursion, in recent decades, into social etiquette, protocol and customer service and, in this way, discover the unavoidable interrelation and influence between these disciplines. The excellent human connection, based on certainty, credibility and honesty, makes success possible in the business sphere. In this sense, it forges, in a sustainable way, the prosperous and convenient climate of understanding to deploy future negotiations.
I have repeatedly observed this antithesis in environments characterized by offering their collaborators solid training. I was called to participate in a training session a couple of months ago. An assistant asked: What to do when the acquired knowledge is not applied to internal work? Such a sharp question made those who felt alluded to uncomfortable. I answered: “One of the unavoidable pillars of PR is consistency and transparency in a transversal way. The business world demands specific actions that inspire confidence and credibility.”
I explained in detail the impossibility of using Public Relations based on convenience and subjectivity. Public relations must be sustainable and present in an institution’s processes and areas. I advise monitoring their development to detect omissions, deficiencies, or aspects that need correction.
We must continue opening paths of understanding, dialogue, research, planning, innovation, conviction, and reflection concerning its complex, current, and outstanding performance. Future opportunities will allow ideas and contributions to be radiated toward this unavoidable purpose.
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