Page 33 - PR Communication Age January-June2020

Tools commonly known for promoting these kinds of activities are used to support brand commu-
nication efforts.
efficient communication & PR:

The following may be considered as publicity tools: 5. Community Relations Programs:
1. Press Releases: It is critical that companies maintain the good community
The press release is the basic building block of a publicity citizens within the markets where they have offices and
programme concerned with story placement. This is where manufacturing activities. Many organizations and local cor-
the important information about the product or services is porations are often major sponsors of community events.
summarized in a way that will catch the media's attention. Tata group of companies highlight their community relation-
Just as the marketer would customize the advertising mes- ship based communications for building a strong brand im-
sage for each target, he needs to customize press releases age within the local community and stakeholders at large.
for the various media he contacts.
6. Financial Relations Programs:
2. Fact Sheets: Most of the brand-marketing organizations are publicly held
A press release should be written so it can be used without companies. Financial relations have become a key aspect
any editing. That means all the relevant information must of public relation activities. Downturns in company earn-
be included. There may be additional important informa- ings quickly lead to decline in stock prices, leading to the
tion that doesn't really fit into the press release. That's exit of top executives. Financial relations people are respon-
where the fact sheet comes in. Fact sheets include more sible for establishing and maintaining relationships with the
detailed information on the product, its origins, and its investment community, including industry analyzers, stock-
particular features. brokers and journalists specializing in financial reporting.

3. Video News Releases: 7. Occasion Organizing Efforts:
Prepared for use by television stations, typical video news Companies need to draw attention to new products or other
release running about 90 seconds and can be used to high- company activities by arranging events like seminars, ex-
light some important aspects or features of their products hibits, contests, sponsorship in sports and cultural events.
and are known as infomercials.
8. Publications:
Companies rely on extensively on published materials to
reach and influence their target markets. These include
brochures, articles, magazines, etc.

But none of the above tools can be used during this lock
down situation as they could have been proved to be abso-
lutely futile at this juncture.

Maintaining public relations during
lockdown & thereafter:

FIGURE 5: CONGLOMERATION OF PUBLIC RELATIONS On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO)
declared that an outbreak of the viral disease COVID-19 -
4. Employee / Member Relation Programs: first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China - had
Organization's employees are an extremely important in- reached the level of a global pandemic. Citing concerns with
ternal public. Corporate public relations people often spend "the alarming levels of spread and severity," the WHO called
a great deal of time in developing employee communica- for governments to take urgent and aggressive action to
tion programs, including regular newsletter, informal bul- stop the spread of the virus. There from, India is officially
letin boards and internal postings. In service organizations in lockdown from March 25 onwards - no traditional social-

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PR COMMUNICATION AGE January - June 2020 33