Public Relations - Methods, Tools, and Tactics

Methods, Tools, and Tactics

Specific public relations disciplines include:

• Financial public relations – communicating financial results and business strategy
• Consumer/lifestyle public relations – gaining publicity for a particular product or service
• Crisis communication – responding in a crisis
• Internal communications – communicating within the company itself
• Government relations – engaging government departments to influence public policy

Within each discipline, typical activities include publicity events, speaking opportunities, press releases, newsletters, blogs, social media, press kits and outbound communication to members of the press. Video and audio news releases (VNRs and ANRs) are often produced and distributed to TV outlets in hopes they will be used as regular program content.

Building and managing relationships with those who influence an organization or individual’s audiences has a central role in doing public relations. After a public relations practitioner has been working in the field, they accumulate a list of relationships that become an asset, especially for those in media relations.