Public relations

PUBLIC RELATIONS IN ACTION (Marketing) of PUBLIC RELATIONS IN ACTION The role of public relations in a traditional marketing plan or campaign is to enhance an organization’s standing in the eyes of the general public. In this regard, public relations is part of top management’s function which undertakes to evaluate, measure, and influence the public’s attitudes, sentiments, opinion, and perception of the organization. In a strictly marketing point of view, public relations seeks to influence a firm’s buyers or customers in a positive way such that it will be able to guide their buying patterns and behaviors. If successful, this public relations can be translated into healthier bottom lines for the firm. Public relations can be considered as part of an overall comprehensive corporate communications plan, which includes advertising activities, sales promotions, merchandising, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and direct sales. The big idea behind a good public relations campaign is to project a positive image to all stakeholders. A good example is how a firm responds to a crisis, in a responsible, ethical and calm manner. This is the societal function of public relations in connection with the general external public. On the other hand, public relations has a second function. This is towards its employees. The people in any organization are its greatest and most valuable resources, repeated quite often to emphasize how treating people well translates into a well-run and highly-motivated group. In this regard, how a firm or organization treats its own employees is a reflection of its reputation, image, sense of responsibility, and the value it places on its human resources. A good public relations policy towards employees can affect the products and services it provides to the buying public. This is because a highly-motivated and loyal workforce always endeavors to provide an excellent product or satisfactory service, that in turn promotes repeat customers and ensures consumer loyalty. Good internal public relations creates a cycle of positive image and feelings. To recap everything briefly, public relations serves two primary functions. The first is a societal function in which the organization communicates to the general public and community at large all about its activities. This is intended to build up goodwill, understanding, awareness, and educating the different publics in order to influence public opinion. The organization does it by sending out appropriate messages on whatever issues it considers will build public rapport. In the same vein, the second function of public relations is internal; this is to inform its employees about what the company is doing, what is happening within the said firm, and on other issues like employee benefits, promoting loyalty, enhance their morale, encourage ethical behavior, to bridge management and workforce, and promote unity, cooperation, and camaraderie. The generally-accepted and more widely-used definition of public relations is a strategic use of communications to build mutually beneficial relationships between a firm and its various publics (both internal and external). The early definition of public relations as press agentry and publicity had been enhanced today to now include the concepts of engagement and relationship building (Public Relations Society of America, 2013, para. 1) in order to bring together closer all the various publics involved, to emphasize the public nature or function of public relations. The organization chosen for this paper discussion is General Motors. In particular, this paper talks on the advances in technology in the auto industry, and also the drive of an American automaker to recapture its lost market share in global markets. The United States auto industry had suffered badly during the Great Recession which started with the collapse of the sub-prime housing mortgage back in 2007. American automakers had made big strides back to profitability. General Motors had once been in bankruptcy, but it is using new technology to win back buyers. The company is using smart phone technology and voice-recognition technology to help drivers get around. In this case, General Motors (GM) had developed a proprietary software it is calling as MyLink to let drivers issue voice commands to their automobiles. This in-vehicle new voice recognition system is installed on the front-wheel drive 2014 model of Impala (Quain, 2013, para. 2) which is the flagship motor brand of the Chevrolet Division of General Motors and is expected to draw in new buyers from the younger generation. This new system forms part of the built-in 3D-graphics navigation system, which had been around for a few years already. The societal issue of using voice-recognition systems in newer car models has an impact on how Americans view their national brands. It means America is now back in business, using complex and sophisticated computer technology for which America is the leading-edge country. Public relations can be used to announce this new breakthrough technology as part of marketing activities, like holding a press conference so car enthusiasts and critics will know about it and to highlight its features, and utilize it in advertising, product launch, and promotional activities too. This lets potential buyers make better decisions by product orientation (Plessis, 2001, p. 92). A brand like Impala is re-positioned to regain its old luster. GM plans to use the same redundant technology (Schultz, 2013, para. 5) across all its models like the Chevy, Buick, and Cadillac. The organizational implication of this issue is General Motors is now back on track to regain its preeminent position in the auto industry. It gives employees a new sense of well-being and self-confidence; it will instill in them great pride in the firm. It is no longer dependent on government bailouts in order to survive (Morse, 2010, p. 13). This can be done by disseminating this through memos, newsletters, company bulletin boards, and even in the social media. References Morse, J. (2010). Surviving socialist America: How to take advantage of the government that is trying to take advantage of you. Seattle, WA: Code Publishing, Incorporated. Plessis, D. F. (2001). Introduction to public relations and advertising. Capetown, South Africa: Juta & Company, Limited. Public Relations Society of America (2013). “ What is public relations? The PRSA’s widely accepted definition.” PRSA. Retrieved May 15, 2013 from http://www. prsa. org/AboutPRSA/PublicRelationsDefined Quain, J. R. (2013, May 02). “ Talking to the 2014 Chevrolet Impala: GM’s improved MyLink.” The New York Times. Retrieved May 17, 2013 from http://wheels. blogs. nytimes. com/2013/05/02/talking-to-the-2014-chevrolet-impala-g-m-s-improved-mylink/ Schultz, J. (2013, May 01). “ Chevy Impala: New thinking from an old horse.” BBC News. Retrieved May 16, 2013 from http://www. bbc. com/autos/story/20130501-impala-wins-the-dash