Heule Communications

copyright Nandy Heule 2007

What is PR?

At Mohawk College this fall at the start of the term, I diligently presented some different ways practitioners define public relations. I list some definitions below.

Fast forward several months to the end of the term. It is now the students’ job to present their final PR projects. During what turns into a bit of a roast by one of the groups, a student asks his prof a rhetorical question: And, what exactly is public relations?

It’s a good question.

Craft or profession?

Although I earned an accreditation, I like to think of public relations not so much as a profession, but as a craft. Most practitioners adhere to a code of ethics, but they don’t need to belong to a regulatory body; neither do they stand to lose a license when engaged in questionable work.

Public relations is about finding new or better ways to build bridges between an organization and its different stakeholders. Often this means PR practitioners need to be excellent communicators. PR helps build brands and businesses. Sometimes PR focuses on protecting reputations. Always, PR activities need to demonstrate measurable return on investment. Public relations tactics can offer cost-effective ways to deliver a marketing message to stakeholders. PR needs to be part of the marketing mix. It needs to support existing business development strategies.

Instincts or theory?

Practitioners need to be able to think strategically. They need to be able to assess potential reactions to an incident. How will media, employees or donors perceive the facts? What are the facts? Is it news? Even after doing very careful due diligence, PR leaders often rely on the type of gut instinct that comes with years of experience. Good public relation practitioners build trust over time.    

In a nutshell

My short answer to the question, What makes good PR? If it feels like the right thing to do, it probably is.   

Public Relations defined

“Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other.”

- Public Relations Society of America

“Public Relations is about reputation – the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you.”

- Chartered Institute of  Public Relations, London, UK

“Public Relations is the deliberate, planned, and sustained effort to establish and maintain

mutual understanding between an organization and its publics.”  - As quoted by Prof. A. Clay, Mohawk College