With attitude of people towards an organization or a person now is shaped by their perception about the organizations commitment towards the overall welfare of the community and the public orientation of its programs and functions, Public relation management has gained more importance in recent years.. Companies are now expected to be more people-centric in their operation and responsive to the expectations of the public. This has prompted redrawing of marketing strategies and allocation of more weight to PR in the campaign to conquer new market territories.
PR is no more only media relations and encompasses a wide spectrum of activities that seek to maintain a congenial relation with the people in general and the target audience in particular. In the fast changing business scenario, interactive communication and reflective decision making have assumed more importance due to a continuous need to stay updated on the consumer’s choices and preferences. Reconfiguration of marketing or communication strategy is often necessitated by the behavioral changes of the consumer which is a function of the dynamic character of the market.
The function of PR as a catalyst of business growth is now being realized more than ever before due to the growing sensitivity of people to issues that are not only commercial in nature, but relates to the overall interest of the community. An organization that is visibly committed to the social causes is most likely to have a better image equity than his competitors.
Besides, PR has become more useful a tool to eliminate negative propaganda that corrodes the faith of the consumer in a company’s brand and restore his confidence and consequent trust in it. Crises sprung up due to intra-organizational disputes and which threatens to affect employee confidence and productivity are successfully resolved by a prudent PR strategy.
Innovations in digisphere have widened the scope of PR activity and its potential to positively impact upon the bottom-line of a company. Real time feedback and a swift formulation of response in synch with public expectations are facilitated in an interactive framework which is made possible by utilizing digital media. With faster generation of insights, it becomes easy for marketing strategists to modulate their strategy and synchronize it with public expectations. A responsive and sensitive approach enhances the goodwill of the consumers and makes way for an enduring and sustained relationship which ultimately serves the commercial interest of the organization.
