What are some typical public relations objectives?
PR professionals craft compelling narratives and critical messages that resonate with stakeholders, influencers, and publics, and they disseminate these through various channels, including traditional media, social media, and direct communications.
Here we go:
Public Relations Objectives
“Public relations is a young academic field with potential to inform various areas of communication and offer tools like issues management for various applied communication fields.“
Source: Journal of Communication 1Botan, C., & Taylor, M. (2004). Public relations: State of the field. Journal of Communication, 54, 645 – 661. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1460 – 2466.2004.TB02649.X
Building trust and credibility is a crucial objective of public relations. In an era where consumers are increasingly sceptical of advertising and corporate speak, PR offers a more authentic and credible way to communicate with the public.
But what exactly are PR professionals focused on achieving?
Categorised by the stakeholder model, here are examples of common public relations objectives:
Corporate Communications Objectives
The primary objective of corporate communications is to strategically manage and convey an organisation’s messages to internal and external stakeholders, publics, and influencers while fostering a consistent brand image, trust, engagement, and alignment with business goals.
Corporate communications = an organisation’s strategic use of messaging to shape its reputation, articulate its vision, and engage with key audiences across internal and external channels.
Targets: External and internal publics, business journalists, regulatory institutions, partners, suppliers, vendors, etc.
Examples of objectives:
Investor Relations Objectives
The primary objective of investor relations is to effectively communicate a company’s financial performance, strategy, and value proposition to current and potential investors, fostering trust, transparency, and support for the company’s long-term objectives.
Investor relations (IR) = an organisation’s deliberate communication efforts to build trust and maintain transparency with investors, analysts, and the financial community.
Targets: Shareholders, investors, market hubs, market analysts, financial institutions, trade journalists etc.
Examples of objectives:
Media Relations Objectives
The primary objective of media relations is to build and maintain positive relationships with influencers, journalists, and media outlets to ensure accurate, consistent, and favourable coverage of an organisation’s messages, initiatives, and reputation.
Media relations = a brand’s targeted use of communication to foster positive interactions with journalists, editors, and media outlets and to gain favourable coverage.
Targets: Journalists, editors, influencers, etc.
Examples of objectives:
Digital PR Objectives
The primary objective of digital PR is to enhance an organisation’s online presence and reputation by leveraging digital platforms, creating shareable content, and securing high-quality inbound traffic to drive visibility, engagement, and authority.
Digital PR = the strategic use of online communication to build brand communities, foster engagement, and manage reputation in the digital space. 2Silfwer, J. (2017, November 20). What is Digital PR? Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://doctorspin.net/what-is-digital-pr/
Targets: Inbound web traffic, brand communities, subscribers, fans, followers, influencers, social networks, etc.
Examples of objectives:
Public Affairs Objectives
The primary objective of public affairs is to influence public policy, legislation, and societal attitudes through strategic communication and advocacy to foster mutually beneficial relationships between organisations and governmental or regulatory stakeholders.
Public affairs (PA) = a brand’s intentional use of communication to engage with governments, policymakers, and communities to influence public policy and social impact.
Targets: Voters, political journalists, political analysts, columnists, interest groups, etc.
Examples of objectives:
Lobbying Objectives
The primary objective of lobbying is to influence decision-makers, particularly legislators and government officials, to support specific policies, regulations, or actions that align with an organisation’s or advocacy group’s interests.
Lobbying = the focused use of advocacy and communication to directly influence legislative and regulatory decisions in favour of specific interests or causes.
Targets: Politicians, legislators, government officials, committees, influencers, etc.
Examples of objectives:
Internal Communications Objectives
The primary objective of internal communications is to engage, inform, and align employees with the organisation’s goals, culture, and strategies, fostering collaboration, motivation, and a sense of shared purpose.
Internal communications (IC) = an organisation’s deliberate use of messaging to align, inform, and motivate employees while fostering a productive workplace culture.
Targets: Coworkers, potential recruits, etc.
Examples of objectives:
Crisis Communications Objectives
The primary objective of crisis communications is to protect and restore an organisation’s reputation, trust, and stability by managing the flow of accurate, timely, and strategic information during and after a crisis.
Crisis communications = a brand’s rapid, strategic deployment of communication to mitigate reputational damage, address urgent challenges, and restore public trust during critical situations.
Targets: Crisis victims, worried publics, the general public, coworkers, journalists, influencers, customers, shareholders, etc.
Examples of objectives:
Marketing PR Objectives
The primary objective of marketing PR is to generate awareness, interest, and demand for products or services by leveraging earned/shared/owned media, storytelling, and influencer engagement to complement marketing efforts and enhance brand credibility.
Marketing PR = a brand’s tactical integration of communication and promotional efforts to enhance product awareness, drive sales, and support marketing objectives.
Targets: Potential customers, existing customers, trade journalists, members, affiliates, etc.
Examples of objectives:
Industry PR Objectives
The primary objective of industry PR (B2B) is to build credibility, foster trust, and enhance thought leadership within a specific industry by communicating value, expertise, and innovations to business publics, niche influencers, and stakeholders.
Industry PR (B2B) = a business’s purposeful use of communication to build credibility, foster trust, and establish thought leadership within its professional sector.
Targets: B2B clients, B2B prospects, trade journalists, trade organisations, niche influencers, etc.
Examples of objectives:
Learn more: Public Relations Objectives
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Annotations
1 | Botan, C., & Taylor, M. (2004). Public relations: State of the field. Journal of Communication, 54, 645 – 661. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1460 – 2466.2004.TB02649.X |
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2 | Silfwer, J. (2017, November 20). What is Digital PR? Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://doctorspin.net/what-is-digital-pr/ |