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Learn the fundamentals of public relations - the art of maintaining trust, telling your story, and leveraging small budgets for strategic success in today's rapidly changing media landscape. Discover the importance of PR in achieving goals, fostering credibility, and managing crises effectively.
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A PR Primer Michigan Association of County Treasurers August 2019
So….what do you think it is? Open Discussion
In a nutshell… • PR & Communications = two-way; relationship-building • Marketing = sales support • Advertising = paid promotions • Marketing (or integrated) communications = hybrid
Why is it important? • Tell your story • Generate and maintain trust • Leverage small (or no) budget
PR as a Strategic Function • Contributes to goals and mission • Credibility & trust • Increased need & push for PR • But it’s different now • Research and evaluation key • It’s not spin
What does it look like? • Media Relations • Social Media • Events • Community Relations • Digital Media • Crisis Communications
When do you use PR? • Image building • Crisis management • Internal or external communication • Politics/lobbying support (issue mgt.)
When don’t you use PR? • When advertising is the obvious choice • For unethical purposes • Mistruths • Justifying unlawful activities • Shameless self-promotion • Without strategic intent • When you can’t walk the talk
So who’s doing it? Open Discussion
PR: How do you do it? • Research and plan • Allocate budget • Be realistic • Staffing? • Budget? • Audit current mix • Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate
Social Media: The Change Agent • “Social media is information content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies.” (Wikipedia) • Shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content • Fusion of sociology and technology
Social Media cont’d. • Facebook • Twitter • LinkedIn • YouTube • Instagram • Understand how you will use it
Why Use It? • Inexpensive tool • Wider reach but also targetable • More diverse demographics • Viral • User-generated content • It’s here to stay
Perception = Reality • The court of public opinion • First Amendment vs. good taste • Influencers: • Written word • Spoken word • Actions
Local credibility • Can relate story to local community • You live and work there; more accountability
Review: When do you use PR? • Build relationships • Image building • Crisis management • Internal or external communication • Politics/lobbying support (issue mgt.)