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Public Relations
Overview
Public Relations is "the management function that evaluates
public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual
or organization with the public interest, and executes a program
to earn public understanding and acceptance (Belch, 20)." An
organization's reputation, profitability, and even its continued
existence can depend on the degree to which its goals and policies
are supported by targeted public groups. PR specialists are advocates
for businesses, governments, universities, hospitals, schools and
other organizations.
Public relations managers supervise public relations
specialists. These managers direct publicity programs to a targeted
public. They use any necessary communication media in their effort
to maintain the support of the specific group upon whom their organization's
success depends, such as consumers, stockholders, or the general
public. They observe social, economic, and political trends that
might ultimately have an effect upon the firm, and make recommendations
to enhance the firm's image based on those trends.
Other personnel involved with marketing, advertising,
and public relations include art directors, commercial and graphic
artists, copy chiefs, copywriters, lobbyists, marketing research
analysts, public relations specialists, promotion specialists, sales
representatives, editors and technical writers.
Work Environment
Marketing, advertising, and public relations managers are provided
with offices close to top managers. Long hours, including evenings
and weekends, are common. Almost 45 percent of marketing, advertising,
and public relations managers worked 50 hours or more a week, compared
to 20 percent for all occupations. Working under pressure is unavoidable
as schedules change, problems arise, and deadlines and goals must
be met. Marketing, advertising, and public relations managers meet
frequently with other managers, and some meet with the public and
government officials.
Substantial travel may be involved. For example,
attendance at meetings
sponsored by associations or industries is often mandatory. Sales
managers travel to national, regional, and local offices and to
various dealers and distributors. Advertising and promotion managers
may travel to meet with clients or representatives of communications
media. At times, public relations managers travel to meet with special
interest groups or government officials. Job transfers between headquarters
and regional offices are common—particularly among sales managers—and
can disrupt family life.
Areas within Public
Relations:
Investor relations
International
Environmental affairs
Government relations
Issues management
Crisis management
Public affairs
Technology
Corporate communications
Research
Media relations
Employee relations
Publications
Special events
Publicity
Public relations education
Fund-raising/philanthropy
Strategic planning
Outlook and Trends
Marketing, advertising, and public relations manager jobs are highly
coveted and will be sought by other managers or highly experienced
professional and technical personnel, resulting in substantial job
competition. College graduates with extensive experience, a high
level of creativity, and strong communication skills should have
the best job opportunities. Those who have new media and interactive
marketing skills will be particularly sought after.
Employment of marketing, advertising, and public
relations managers is expected to increase faster than the average
for all occupations through the year 2006. Increasingly intense
domestic and global competition in products and services offered
to consumers should require greater marketing, promotional, and
public relations efforts by managers. Management and public relations
firms may experience particularly rapid growth as businesses increasingly
hire contractors for these services rather than support additional
full-time staff.
Projected employment growth varies by industry.
For example, employment of marketing, advertising, and public relations
managers is expected to grow faster than average in most business
services industries, such as computer and data processing, and management
and public relations firms, while average growth is projected in
manufacturing industries overall. Many companies that eliminated
in-house marketing and advertising departments during downsizing
in recent years are now relying on firms which specialize in promotion,
marketing, and
advertising activities to provide these services.
Earnings
According to a National Association of Colleges and Employers survey,
starting salaries for marketing majors graduating in 1997 averaged
about $29,000, advertising majors, about $27,000.
The median annual salary of marketing, advertising,
and public relations
managers was $46,000 in 1996. The lowest 10 percent earned $23,000
or less, while the top 10 percent earned $97,000 or more. Many earn
bonuses equal to 10 percent or more of their salaries.
According to a 1996 survey by Advertising Age
Magazine, the average annual salary of a vice president brand manager
was $79,000; vice president product manager, $105,000; vice president
advertising, $130,000; and vice president marketing, $133,000.
According to a 1996 survey by the Public Relations
Society of America, senior public relations managers earned an average
of $76,790.
Training and Qualifications
The following are electives and cognates available
to MAPC students that will help tailor a degree towards this career:
APEC 620: World Agricultural Trade
APEC 675: Economics of Wildlife Management and Policy
APEC 828 (ECON 828): Market Structure in Agricultural Industries
HRD 846 (INED 846): Applied Public Relations
MBA 808: Managerial Problems in Marketing
MBA 825: Advertising and Promotional Management
MBA 826: Business Marketing
TEXT 675: Textile Marketing
THRD 668: Public Relations
Job Titles
Except in the largest firms, advertising and promotion staffs generally
are small and serve as a liaison between the firm and the advertising
or promotion agency to which many advertising or promotional functions
are contracted out. Look for these job titles in PR:
Corporate Communications Director
Community Affairs Coordinator
Crisis Manager
Coordinator, Event Creation & Promotion
Media Relations Executive
Internal Communications Staffer
Account Coordinator
Consumer Affairs Specialist
Public Affairs/Information Officer
Industrial Public Relations Executive
Director, Investor Relations
Washington Representative
Government Relations Staffer
Investor Relations Officer
Shareholder Relations Coordinator
Account Assistant
Junior Account Executive
Employee Publications Specialist
Public Relations Assistant
Office of Civic Affairs Representative
Director of Public Affairs
Supervisor of Educational Affairs
Director of Internal Communications
Media Placement Specialist
PR Writer
Account Specialist
Staff Writer
Communications Specialist
Account Trainee
Editor
Employers
As mentioned before, PR specialists and managers work in a variety
of fields for a variety of employers:
Advertising Agencies
TV Stations
Radio Stations
Magazines
Newspapers
Public Relations Firms
Utilities
Sports Organizations
Federal Government
State and Local Government
Educational Institutions
Medical Institutions
Professional Organizations
Resources
Information about careers in public relations management is available
from:
Public Relations Society of America,
33 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003-2376.
Information on accreditation for business communicators is available
from:
International Association of Business Communicators,
One Hallidie Plaza, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94102
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