Communications and Public Relations play critical roles in the running of an organization. It provides the greatest value to an organization if it is used strategically.
In professionally managing and maintaining a favourable public image for an organization, public relations creates a particular image of feeling in the minds of clients, customers and other stakeholders.
Public relations always seek to understand an organization’s goals and its relationship with society. Here are reasons why your Public Relations Manager/Communications Manager needs to sit at the decision table:
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1. Communications and Public Relations help organizations to develop and maintain relationships with all their key publics and stakeholders.
This ensures collective responsibility and support by an organization’s stakeholders.
2. Public Relations play a critical role in an organization’s communications to external stakeholders, e.g. customers.
The role provides feedback about stakeholders’ expectations and needs while at the same time giving them all information they need to know about an organization.
When Public Relations Managers sit at an organization’s decision table, their contributions ensure smooth and strategic communications from the organization.
Remember, many organizations’ and businesses’ failures are largely attributed to poor/non-strategic communication at different stages of business.
3. Communications and Public Relations perform the problem-solving facilitator role.
Communications and Public Relations experts listen to external stakeholders, e.g. customers, to understand what they are saying about a brand and advise business management on the best tactics to counter client’s feedback and boost a positive public image of the business.
This also advances innate and involuntary acceptance of a business brand.
4. Communications and Public Relations motivate profit in an organization.
If the stakeholders of the company feel safe, involved, and part of a brand, they are likely to buy and sell a brand in and out of their networks.
This is the feeling and confidence that Communications and Public Relations work to achieve every day.
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5. Communications and Public Relations promote internal participation in an organization’s decision-making.
This makes everyone in the organization feel part of the decisions made by the organization, which promotes teamwork and positive representation of the brand.
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The communications and Public Relations Manager or another representative ensures all their communications and public relations considerations by the senior management are factored in the general deliberations of the company.
Every communication that comes from an organization needs the input of a communications and public relations professional.
Every decision made by an organization needs the input of the said professional.
This is the only assurance that the steps being taken by the management team align with the organization’s communications strategy and that checks and balances have been done to protect the organisation from any injury as a result of its messaging.
Top of all, strategic communications and public relations professionals should share feedback and analysis with the management on the reactions of the publics towards their policies, changes and initiatives.
This informs inclusive, objective and targeted decision-making. As has been highlighted before, communication should be a deliberate action to change perceptions, direct energies towards a particular course and influence an organization’s position in the market. It should be strategic.
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