New Project!!!

As a PR professional I have always questioned myself and other professionals about media relations and why we have to do our job by including other entity that is media? Have got several replies, most common of them is, it can reach your target audience but the question is do we really have the tools to measure how many audiences have we reached? It is very easy to count news clips and categorize them as positive, negative and neutral or even count hits on your website and TRP ratings for TV program. But have we really got into the brains of target audience and created the image and brand value/loyalty for clients and corporates? Thats an debate/discussion which is very subjective and each of us have our own outlook and opinion on it. The whole idea of presenting the concept of media relations before writing  this post is that I have got a client who is completely interested in giving his customers first preference and not the media. When I was doing my first job as a trainee and I was completely dragged into media relations. And now that I am getting to explore PR more on academic side, I have read theories, try and understand them and now is the time to cross check and test them. I hope, as Prof Meenakshi says "chamakna chaheye" i.e. try to relate them practically. I hope I do something fruitful in this coming days other wise tomorrow is always another day!!!

Social Networking Websites.

In 21st century one of the important tools for communication is social networking websites. PR professionals and marketing experts are using them to promote there client(s). It is quick, easy to access and it reaches to your target as well as your potential audiences. Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 65 countries, recently declared that Facebook is #1 searched for brands in U.S.http://mashable.com/2010/04/01/facebook-search-brand/ which means that these social networking sites have already make there mark in the space and Facebook has even left "Big Daddy" Google behind. In India, clients are also demanding that they should have communities or forums on social networking sites. I think every social networking websites has there own niche group and everyone of us uses it accordingly. For instance, if I need a quick snap shot of a event or celebrity then I can would prefer Twitter over Facebook. And if I want to view other things like pictures, posts, etc I would prefer Facebook and in more details visiting the website is best option. Although the challenges remains with the PR and marketing professional is to regularly upgrade these pages and making that space worth viewing and reading. 

Defining Public Relations

The term Public Relations was first coined by Edward Bernays in his 1923 book Crystallizing Public Opinion. Although President Thomas Jefferson used it in an address to Congress in 1807, Attorney Dorman Eaton also used the term in an 1882 talk before the Yale Law School Graduating class. Bernays was the first to describe the discipline of the word and the exact meaning of it.
Rex Harlow has complied 472 different definitions for Public Relations. And then he finally came up with this definition, "helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding,acceptance and cooperation between an organization and its public."
My understanding of PR is, it comprises of two words Public and Relations so by public I mean both my internal and external public and managing an healthy relationship with them is public relations. Its a managerial function, two way process and its a planned activity.
PR in India is in a very nascent stage and the job of PR professional is not defined properly, everyday a PR professional adds something or the other to his/her profile and its a continuous process of learning.