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Importance of Corporate Public Relations

in Businesses

A corporate entity, like any other individual, exists in a society. It needs to

establish, nourish and maintain relationships with various members of the society

for its existence. For establishing, nourishing and maintaining healthy and

sustaining relationships one needs to communicate effectively and consistently.

Here comes the role of Corporate Public Relations. According to the book

Essentials of Corporate Communication by Cees van Riel and Charles Fombrun

the term Corporate Communication can be defined as “the set of activities

involved in managing and orchestrating all internal and external communications

aimed at creating favorable starting points with stakeholders on which the

company depends.”

The role of a Public Relations Officer (PRO) in communicating the right

information, in the right way to the right group of people is very crucial. A PRO

must be able to disseminate accurate information on a timely basis to the

concerned group of “Public”. By doing so he/she will earn reputation, credibility

and authenticity for the respective corporate entity. A PRO deals with various

“Publics”. “Publics” include employees, stakeholders, government, channel

partners, educational institutes, media, industry bodies and institutes, agencies,

customers and general public. A PRO is in short the face of a corporate entity

and helps build a Corporate Image that is unique to the company.

Corporate Public Relations sometimes act like a firefighter for the company. It

emerges as a savior at the time of crisis. It was just because of a strong PR

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strategic campaign that the Cadbury worm controversy was put out. Similar is the

case with Nokia battery blast case. A PR campaign begins with the identification

of the problem or challenge, setting the public relations’ goal and priorities, and

executing the plan efficiently and accuracy. In the process of executing the PR

campaign a PRO must be swift in conceptualizing relevant messages and

disseminate them through proper channels to the concerned party.

Corporate Communications Department of a company helps to connect with the

pulse of its public. It can be personified as five senses, as far as a company is

concerned. It feels, communicates and senses, the joy, threats and opportunities

lurking in the society, waiting to be explored.