Moving From Mere Information Disclosure to Interactive Communication
With the increasing demand toward accountability together with the speed and spread of information carried by various media, it is no longer enough for the public sector to relate to the communities it serves merely through the one-way street of information disclosure. An organization is now required to carry out proactive communications on all of its different aspects -- its raison d'etre and goals, the activities it carries out, the results it achieves, and the benefits it provides to society. Moreover, such communication must be mutual, or interactive, if the organization is to meet the needs of an ever-changing society, i.e., not only must the organization send out information, but it must also respond and adjust itself according to feedback from its audiences. At the core of such interactive communication is effective PR. With its diverse means and broad impact, PR is the critical key to building a truly sound relationship between the public sector and the general public.
The main aspects of PR activities in the public sector
Effective transmission of information
Know the present, read the future
Ways of integrating PR
Effective transmission of information
The three steps of information transmission
There are primarily three steps to take when dispensing information: clarify your targets and select your media, devise the most appropriate messages, and pin down your timing.
- ・Clarify your targets and select your media
- Segment the recipients of information (your targets) to best fit your objectives and select the optimal approach for each target group.
- ・Devise the most appropriate messages
- Extract the essential points in order to form a message that is clear and precise.
- ・Pin down your timing
- Select the best time and medi to convey your messages.
These are the fundamentals of effective communications, for which a high degree of precision is required.
On-target media relations
In order to maintain an effective flow of information, it is important to constantly build, refine, and optimize media relations activities. It is also vital to both foster understanding among the media through events such as media briefings and press tours, and to conscientiously attend to their inquiries and responses, thereby establishing an interactive style of communication with the media.
Know the present, read the future
Understanding and analyzing the current situation (situation analysis)
Refined understanding of the current situation is crucial to any PR campaign. Through activities such as information exchanges with key parties and benchmark surveys, one must clearly grasp the surrounding PR environment and the client's positioning in its business sector. Questions to be asked, for example, are: “How is our message getting across and how it is being received?” “What types of PR materials do we have and who should we be relaying them to?” These steps fulfill an important role in bringing to light the issues and problems that form the foundation when setting your PR objectives, targets, approaches, and goals.
Crisis management
One of the most crucial roles that PR plays is crisis management, beginning with the establishment of a crisis communication framework, e.g., the creation of crisis communication manuals that deal with urgent matters of grave concern or situations involving misdeeds. Necessary steps may include the analysis of potential risk factors, the preparation of pathways for gathering and transmitting information, the establishment of an internal communications framework and the creation and maintenance of an emergency contact list, to name only a few.
Ways of Integrating PR
A PR Officer's expertise
Carrying out effective PR activities requires considerable experience and expertise. While extensive staff training may be difficult within the public sector where it is common for personnel to be relocated on a short- term basis, it is nonetheless important for communication officers to understand the basics of PR.
Measuring the effects of PR
There are various methods by which one may measure the results and effects of PR activities. One common way, although used less frequently nowadays, is to calculate advertising equivalency values, i.e., the equivalent cost if one were to place an advertisement. Another method is analysis of coverage, in which the quality and value of published articles can be evaluated from various perspectives. Through such methods, the effectiveness of the PR program may be verified.
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