How Public Relations Helps Management

1. The publicity and promotional aspect paves the way for the sale of products or services, so much so that some companies have placed sales quotas on their product publicity people.

2. Internal motivation is a vital factor which affects the bottom line by building morale, enhancing productivity and creating team spirit. It also helps recruit qualified people and retain them.

3. Public relations provides an early warning system by avoiding disruptions which may occur when a single surprise issue or unplanned-for social/political change arises.

4. Public relations provides an organization with new opportunities because the people involved in public relations interact with more internal and external audiences than anyone else in the organization. Public relations people have a conning tower from which to identify new markets, new products, new methods.

5. Public relations helps to protect the present position when an organization is under attack. For instance, Proctor and Gamble did not suffer declining sales, morale or stock values during the tampon debacle largely because of their expert public relations handling of the problem -- communicating the company's position.

6. Public relations helps to overcome executive isolation, something that can affect every organization sooner or later. An inescapable assignment of every public relations practitioner is opening the eyes and ears of management to what's really happening "out there."

7. Public relations help organizations manage change, something they must do to stay competitive and efficient. But since change is threatening and often resisted, smooth transition through a necessary change guided by public relations professionals is a real dollar-saver.

8. The phrase "double bottom line" was coined to explain the relationship between an organization and its social responsibility. It's now well understood and accepted that social responsibility does have a traceable effect on economic success for every type organization. The leading role in "social accountancy" is usually played by public relations staff.