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Public Relations Explained for Cโ€‘level Executives

PR is by nature a double-edged sword.

Cover photo: @jerrysilfwer


Cโ€‘level executives must understand that PR, by nature, is a double-edged sword.

Disregarding the differences between PR and marketing is a lost opportunity at best.

The key to success is to appreciate the brandโ€™s core message and hold the PR function accountable.


Many busiยญness leadยญers struggle with pubยญlic relaยญtions. Free pubยญliยญcity, word-of-mouth, an excelยญlent repuยญtaยญtion, no insider threatsโ€‰โ€”โ€‰all of that sounds entiยญcing, but PR can feel like a coin toss for most.

We define pubยญlic relaยญtions might give you some idea, but it doesnโ€™t explain the straยญtegic approach.

What is Public Relations?

In many organยญisaยญtions, PR is often called โ€˜Strategic comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtionsโ€™ or simply โ€˜Communications.โ€™ Public relaยญtions proยญfesยญsionยญals someยญtimes jokยญingly say that PR also stands for โ€˜Perception manยญageยญmentโ€™ or โ€˜Personal relationships.โ€™

Pouring Coffee in PR Mug
I love PR, but first coffee.

Butโ€”what is pubยญlic relations?

The Public Relations Definition

The PR expert Rex F. Harlow once tried to gathยญer all availยญable definยญiยญtions of pubยญlic relaยญtions (PR), but he allegedly gave up after findยญing over 500+ difยญferยญent verยญsions. 1From the early 1900s to 1976, Rex F. Harlow, a well-respecยญted expert on pubยญlic relaยญtions, gathered around 500 difยญferยญent definยญiยญtions of pubยญlic relaยญtions (Cutlip et al. 2006). 2Morris, T., & Goldsworthy, S. (2008). From PR to proยญpaยญganda. 97โ€‰โ€“โ€‰111. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹0โ€‹7โ€‹/โ€‹978โ€‰โ€“โ€‰0โ€‘230โ€‰โ€“โ€‰59485-2_7

Amongst so many definยญiยญtions of pubยญlic relaยญtions, hereโ€™s the one that I find to be most useful:

Public relaยญtions (PR) = the straยญtegic use of comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion to estabยญlish and susยญtain proยญductยญive brand relaยญtionยญships with pubยญlics, stakeยญholdยญers, and influยญenยญcers. 3Silfwer, J. (2015, November 7). What is Public Relations? Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹wโ€‹hโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹-โ€‹iโ€‹sโ€‹-โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹-โ€‹rโ€‹eโ€‹lโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹ns/

Please note:

Publics = psyยญchoยญgraphยญic segยญments (who) with simยญilยญar comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion behaยญviours (how) formed around speยญcifยญic issues (why) impactยญing a brand (to whom). 4Silfwer, J. (2015, June 11). The Publics in Public Relations. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹sโ€‹-โ€‹iโ€‹nโ€‹-โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹-โ€‹rโ€‹eโ€‹lโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹ns/

Stakeholders = repยญresยญentยญatยญives of variยญous vesยญted interests dirยญectly or indirยญectly conยญnecยญted to a brand. 5Silfwer, J. (2021, January 5). The Stakeholders in Public Relations. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹sโ€‹tโ€‹aโ€‹kโ€‹eโ€‹hโ€‹oโ€‹lโ€‹dโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹sโ€‹-โ€‹iโ€‹nโ€‹-โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹-โ€‹rโ€‹eโ€‹lโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹ns/

Influencers = indeยญpendยญent conยญtent creยญatยญors with influยญenยญtial platยญforms and folยญlowยญings of potenยญtial importยญance to a brand. 6Silfwer, J. (2020, January 15). The Influencers in Public Relations. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹iโ€‹nโ€‹fโ€‹lโ€‹uโ€‹eโ€‹nโ€‹cโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹sโ€‹-โ€‹iโ€‹nโ€‹-โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹-โ€‹rโ€‹eโ€‹lโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹ns/

Learn more: Public Relations Definition

One of the first things I tell leadยญers is that while we could use PR to move perยญcepยญtions, the best strategy is to ampยญliยญfy your strengths. To illusยญtrate this, I use Treacy and Wiersemaโ€™s value disยญcipยญlines.

Each dirยญecยญtion in the modยญel comes with operยญaยญtionยญal and culยญturยญal choices that sepยญarยญate your traยญjectยญory from the othยญer approaches. 

The gist of the modยญel is that maxยญimยญising value comes at a cost; the sucยญcessยญful brand must choose between strivยญing for product leadยญerยญship, operยญaยญtionยญal excelยญlence, or cusยญtomยญer intimacy. 

You fall on your sword if youโ€™re doing PR in all directions.

Apple is an excelยญlent example of product leadยญerยญship and comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion; their PR activยญitยญies arenโ€™t geared towards being a cheap alternยญatยญive or disยญcussยญing their roadmap with their biggest fans. Appleโ€™s PR is all about product leadยญerยญshipโ€‰โ€”โ€‰and little else.

Any PR strategy should be subยญserยญviยญent to what your busiยญness is all about. 

Iโ€™m sure there are tons of creยญatยญive PR ideas for Apple in the dirยญecยญtion of โ€œbest total costโ€ and โ€œbest total soluยญtionโ€, but Appleโ€™s execยญutยญives must be relentยญless in shootยญing such iniยญtiยญatยญives down. Because even if such ideas proยญduced resยญults on the camยญpaign level, they would detract from the brandโ€™s total value strategy.

So, how do you manยญage the overยญall dirยญecยญtion of your brandโ€™s PR activities?

The most comยญmon failยญure in Cโ€‘level manยญageยญment is to misยญtake PR for marยญketยญing. The purยญpose of marยญketยญing is to drive sales, while the goal of PR is to manยญage relationships. 

โ€œWhat gets measยญured gets done,โ€ and this is someยญtimes unfortunate.

Many Cโ€‘level execยญutยญives are taskยญing their PR funcยญtions to focus on marยญketยญing KPIs, and as a resยญult, many organยญisaยญtions are leavยญing straยญtegic comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion to chance. This is also why a relยญatยญively small subยญset of busiยญnesses, those who are getยญting their PR strategy just right, can soar high above their comยญpetยญiยญtion in the marketplace.

Each brand only gets one cogยญnitยญive claim in an abundยญant world of informยญaยญtion. Not two, or three, or four. 

Red Bull, for instance, has chosen to focus on action sports that send people flyยญing through the air. Since they want that speยญcifยญic spot and relaยญtionยญship with their comยญmunity, they donโ€™t focus any comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion activยญitยญies on anyยญthing else.

The key to manยญaging PR is underยญstandยญing communicationโ€™s importยญance in buildยญing and mainยญtainยญing relationships. 

Not even your best cusยญtomยญers are to be seen as quanยญtiยญfiยญable, deal-seekยญing, and disยญtractยญible walยญlets with legs. They donโ€™t like to be seen or talked to this way; no one does.

As a Cโ€‘level execยญutยญive, you should push your PR funcยญtion to focus not on speยญcifยญic KPIs (like sales, churn, or acquisยญiยญtion) but towards one (because thatโ€™s all you get) core message

To maxยญimยญise the perยญceived value of your busiยญness, we must focus all comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion efforts on domยญinยญatยญing that one spot in the human mind. 

Here in the West, for example, online retailยญer Amazon is so giant that they could be a great many things to many people, but they have wisely chosen to push for just one thing, โ€œWe are the everything store.โ€

One example of core mesยญsaging would be Rolex. They used to have one of the most engaยญging fan pages on Facebook, focusยญing solely on what their brand comยญmunity lovedโ€‰โ€”โ€‰their grand herยญitยญage and craftsmanship. 

But lately, theyโ€™re focusยญing on sponยญsorยญing athยญletes, colยญlabยญorยญatยญing with filmยญmakers, and showยญcasยญing new watch models. 

Today, their engageยญment levels are nowhere near what they used to be. Rolex is disยญcussยญing what marยญket research sugยญgests a youngยญer audiยญence with money to spend would like to see and hear.

To see the world through the lens of PR is to see the world differently. 

At the same time, marยญketers see opporยญtunยญitยญies for increasยญing sales everyยญwhere, which is good. PR sees the variยญous stakeยญholdยญers your busiยญness depends upon. 7This is where most Cโ€‘level execยญutยญives get surยญprised; Iโ€™m typยญicยญally asked for help with influยญenยญcers, journยญalยญists, and social folยญlowยญers. However, many execยญutยญives are often surยญprised when I sugยญgest โ€ฆ Continue readยญing

From a PR perยญspectยญive, your busiยญness is surยญrounยญded by cusยญtomยญers, journยญalยญists, and variยญous stakeholders. 

Stakeholders in PR
Typical PR stakeยญholdยญers and their needs.

We must conยญstantly manยญage stakeยญholdยญer perยญcepยญtions to ensure your organยญisaยญtion can focus on its busiยญness objectives. 

This is also where digitยญal marยญketยญing proยญfesยญsionยญals tend to sugยญgest activยญitยญies that might be too narยญrow for maxยญimยญising the overยญall value creยญation of your busiยญness. Theyโ€™re often sharply focused on increasยญing conยญverยญsion through each step of a marยญketยญing funยญnel and not at all conยญcerned about the behaยญviours of smalยญler subยญsets like investors, influยญenยญcers, journยญalยญists, and antยญagยญonยญistsโ€‰โ€”โ€‰whose overยญall influยญence on conยญverยญsion often surยญpasses that of online majorยญity behaviours.

Summary for Cโ€‘level Executives

Clarify your brandโ€™s value dirยญecยญtion and demand that the PR funcยญtion is 100% onboard. Otherwise, replace your PR funcยญtion immediately.

Ensure that all PR activยญitยญies revolve around a simple and inspirยญing core mesยญsage. Push your PR funcยญtion to repeatedly comยญmuยญnicยญate this core mesยญsage in new and creยญatยญive ways to all key publics.

Donโ€™t misยญtake PR for marยญketยญing and measยญure mesยญsaging instead of sales. When disยญcussยญing goal-setยญting and strategies with PR proยญfesยญsionยญals, disยญcuss the perยญspectยญive of difยญferยญent stakeยญholdยญers instead of tarยญget audiences

Signature - Jerry Silfwer - Doctor Spin

Thanks for readยญing. Please supยญport my blog by sharยญing artยญicles with othยญer comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtions and marยญketยญing proยญfesยญsionยญals. You might also conยญsider my PR serยญvices or speakยญing engageยญments.

ANNOTATIONS
ANNOTATIONS
1 From the early 1900s to 1976, Rex F. Harlow, a well-respecยญted expert on pubยญlic relaยญtions, gathered around 500 difยญferยญent definยญiยญtions of pubยญlic relaยญtions (Cutlip et al. 2006).
2 Morris, T., & Goldsworthy, S. (2008). From PR to proยญpaยญganda. 97โ€‰โ€“โ€‰111. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹0โ€‹7โ€‹/โ€‹978โ€‰โ€“โ€‰0โ€‘230โ€‰โ€“โ€‰59485-2_7
3 Silfwer, J. (2015, November 7). What is Public Relations? Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹wโ€‹hโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹-โ€‹iโ€‹sโ€‹-โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹-โ€‹rโ€‹eโ€‹lโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹ns/
4 Silfwer, J. (2015, June 11). The Publics in Public Relations. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹sโ€‹-โ€‹iโ€‹nโ€‹-โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹-โ€‹rโ€‹eโ€‹lโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹ns/
5 Silfwer, J. (2021, January 5). The Stakeholders in Public Relations. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹sโ€‹tโ€‹aโ€‹kโ€‹eโ€‹hโ€‹oโ€‹lโ€‹dโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹sโ€‹-โ€‹iโ€‹nโ€‹-โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹-โ€‹rโ€‹eโ€‹lโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹ns/
6 Silfwer, J. (2020, January 15). The Influencers in Public Relations. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹iโ€‹nโ€‹fโ€‹lโ€‹uโ€‹eโ€‹nโ€‹cโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹sโ€‹-โ€‹iโ€‹nโ€‹-โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹-โ€‹rโ€‹eโ€‹lโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹oโ€‹ns/
7 This is where most Cโ€‘level execยญutยญives get surยญprised; Iโ€™m typยญicยญally asked for help with influยญenยญcers, journยญalยญists, and social folยญlowยญers. However, many execยญutยญives are often surยญprised when I sugยญgest pracยญticยญal PR activยญitยญies for policy-makers, legisยญlatยญors, employยญees, investors, and society.
Jerry Silfwer
Jerry Silfwerhttps://doctorspin.net/
Jerry Silfwer, alias Doctor Spin, is an awarded senior adviser specialising in public relations and digital strategy. Currently CEO at Spin Factory and KIX Communication Index. Before that, he worked at Kaufmann, Whispr Group, Springtime PR, and Spotlight PR. Based in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Cover Photo

The cover photo isn't related to public relations obviously; it's just a photo of mine. Think of it as a 'decorative diversion', a subtle reminder that it's good to have hobbies outside work.

The cover photo has

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