The future of Public Relations

The Internet and the PR

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,,ePR”

 

Throughout the history of mankind, people have always been in contact with other people.

The fact, that the Information Society comes to the front, and the information has more and more role in the whole society, it is necessary to think like-minded the all person in the society.

The CERP General Assembly Meeting has decided to create a new recommendation about the future of the Public Relations this is the ePR. The CERP would like to help in this process with the ePR Paper.

 

First of all we have to speak about the system of the public relations tools. That is the "PR cake".

 

The most important slices of the PR cake:

 

The most important public relations tools are the next:

 

1.       Personal communication

2.       Events - group communications: Different events, presentations, exhibitions, seminars, conferences, congresses, etc.

3.       Publications, Printed and electronic published publicity materials

4.       Audio-visual public relations tool.

5.       The printed and electronic Media

6.       Others

 

The revolution of the computer technology in the end of the 20^th century, it can be clearly seen that it is promoting a revolution of the public relations methods.

There is a change going on in the media; the role of the printed Press is diminishing, while the importance of the electronic media is increasing, and the same way, the use of the computer technology in the public relations work is also spreading.

 The original segments of the printed and electronic media passed. The traditional communications channels such as TV and printed material have a very big visual impact, but they tend to give only one-way communication and rely on manipulation to achieve their goals. However, the interactive methods we employ are more about receiving feedback. We have some new segments.

We have to learn some new expressions: ePR, Web PR, Net PR, On-line PR.

 

 

What is ePR, the electronic public relations?

 

ePR= all form of the conscious organisation of communication, where the participants are communicate each other available through electronic way, with the help of the Internet or the intranet.

The ePR all form are interactive.

We could speak about the ePR only, if the next three criteria exist simultaneously.

 

We could use the ePR – the Internet - as a PR tools if it is content three equal criteria.

 

1.       The information of the public - the public opinion, the society, the environment.

2.       The organisation makes oneself clear. To make understanding and the persuasion of the environment, the public.

3.       The behaviour co-ordination. The co-ordination between the organisation and the public and the public and the organisation. This is the two-way communication.

 

 

The time is not far away when fax will be a thing of a past just as it happened to the telex a few years ago.

Practically, no one uses it. And the e-PR is just one of the "future" means.

It may happen quite soon that on-line newspaper, on-line libraries and on-line universities will be used much more widely than most people think now.

Just one example, our profession can also be learnt on-line. It is already a reality that data are distributed by various means of the computer technology.

The Internet and the ePR opened totally new perspectives on the field of public relations. This new medium has an irrevocable role of the public relations. This is one of the most effective tools of the globalisation, not only the business life, but the whole society as well.

Nowadays, the first decade of the 21^st century we can see the ePR not only a picture- and text collection, but it is the all-important necessity of the societies. Due to the quick development of the computer and Internet technology, it is possible to reach the rapid changing of the society. If any member of the business life will disregard the Internet, lose the business competition, but not only in the field of the Business-to-business but the Business-to-costumer competitions as well.

The ePR is also a tool. There is a tool, how we can reach and communicate with our partners available through electronic way.

Due to the development of the computer technology, more and more possibility put into practice, like e-market, e-business, e-commerce and the ePR as well.

 

The forms of the ePR:

·         WEB PR

Web PR = interactive- web site, homepage

Of course the Internet and the WEB yourself is not a PR tools. The web sites is marketing communications, sales promotions and advertising tool as well.

The WEB has only PR function, if it is interactive, it has a feedback function, or if, it has minimum a FAQ service.

From a public relations standpoint, web sites provide an excellent opportunity to distribute information to the public. The traditional posted news releases, details about the organisation or product, or company information are effective, but the web site can save valuable time and money.

The WEB PR has many advantages. Because the Internet is easily accessible, it can broadcast the message directly to an audience. The information, as a news - formulated message, can be updated as often as the receptive, the customer demands.

This is especially useful for news sites because they publish stories as they happen. It can also use an effective PR technique to allow reporters to see the company's point of view when the journalists write the story, the articles.

 

·         NET PR

The Net PR has an important role in the present. Like Chat room, e-mail Net Press Release and the Intranet as well.

For example, at Press conferences the Press Releases or photos and illustrations are handed out on floppy or CD.

It is a fact that in the film industry, the video Press releases will be handed out on CD or floppy.

This is a challenge to be met very soon. For example, in the practice of making PR films, the filmmakers will have to learn a completely new - old film technology.

The spreading on the non-linear editors will turn this into a daily routine. This is an everyday practice in the digital Radio broadcasting.  The computer will rule the public relations’ profession.

 

 

The forms of the Net PR:

·         Net communications

-          Chat room

-          Forum – lists

-          E-Newsletters, or newsletters send recipients by e-mail, provide up-to-date information and news about product changes.

-          Intranet

-          Virtual organisations, Job finder etc.

·         Net press services

-     Net press release (printed-, video-, audio- or audio-visual form. On-line broadcasted b-roll, video-press release films etc.)

 

 

·         ON-LINE PR

The forms of the On-line PR:

-          On-line media

-          off-line – on-line media

When the media has originally off-line version (magazines, newspapers, radio- TV stations) and it is reachable on-line.

-          on-line – on-line media

When the media no off-line version (magazines, newspapers, radio- TV stations) and it is reachable only on-line.

-          Portal sites

When, on one site it is reachable more off-line and on-line sites. (Magazines, newspapers, radio- TV station).

-          On-line press room

-          “Press – Friendly ” media section of the web site (with or without password). Navigational links should be easy to find. This information includes background info and other elements to give about the organisation.

 

-          On line conferences

-          On-line telephone or video press conference (video-, audio- or audio-visual net conferences)

-          On line database

-          On-line libraries

-          E-education (distance learning)

-          On line education on-real time (synchron base)

-          On line education non synchron based

 

 

One does not have to be a prophet to forecast that the Internet, the ePR will propel such a large-scale development that the latest means of PR, the WEB PR, the NET PR and the On-line PR will surpass the success of all previous PR means. Already now, one can see that those people do not get a job in our profession who are unable to use the Internet and E-mail.

The ePR are very effective tools on the next PR fields:

·         The intranet is one of the most effective tool in the field of the Internal PR

·         Employee / Member relations (In the field of the communication between leaders and employee, leaders and leaders, employee and employee, and the different organisations of the employees)

·         Ownership relations

·         Between  the different parts of the organisation

·         The interactive web, net and on line PR is one of the most effective tool in the field of the External PR

·         Consumer relations  - product-, services-, activity PR

·         Financial relations

·         Professional relations

·         Industrial relations

·         Public Affairs – Community-, Minority Relations, Government Affairs, Issue Management

·         Media relations

·         Organisation Aid-, fund raising- policy, philanthropy

 

 

The ePR also effective in the every day public relations work:

·         Counselling

·         Planning

·         Research

·         Evaluation

·         Monitoring (e.g.: press analysis)

·         Events organisation etc.

 

 

What is the future of the public relations?

At the beginning there was the smoke-sign, the drum beat and then the messenger and his more modern form, the postal pigeon - well, all these mark the beginning of the development of communications.

And then came the miracle called the Gutenberg age.

And when the cinema and radio replaced the reign of printed communications, man was surprised.

But when TV and not all that long ago the communications age of the computer emerged, we were not even surprised. These are natural elements of our life. Let us recall the way we used to work in the office without computer!

One of the communications experts on the beginning of the last decades of the 20^th century forecasts that the next century will be the time of the telephone.

As communications will primarily be (carried) mediated via the telephone line. According to prophecies, we shall do interactive shopping from home sitting in our armchair via television and that will also be the way we pay our bills.

The time is not far away, when the speed of communications will be so great that the though or the message, due to the development of the telephone and the computer, will appear on the screen of the receiver the moment it is born. The output of the message - that assumes the value of news - is the duty of the people in the public relations profession.

 

 

 

 

Tamás Barát, CERP