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What Is Public Relations?
Public relations generally refers to publicity
an organization receives in the news media about its products
and services — or
some positive way in which it does business — for which there
is no media charge. Public relations activities are undertaken
with several objectives in mind:
- To generate sales leads.
- To supplement other marketing
communications efforts, including advertising, trade shows
and direct marketing.
- To build credibility — when
the news media writes or speaks positively about something, the
third-party endorsement
carries more weight than advertising and is second only to word
of mouth in terms of credibility.
- To reach
many markets at low cost — for
example, the cost of sending a press release abut your company
and a new
product or service to any individual media outlet is approximately
40 cents, the cost of postage plus photocopying.
Media Interview Tips
Here are a few interview tips if you have a simple media opportunity.
If face a more complex situation, call on Communicatia to help
you plan and prepare. The fact is, if all you do is answer the
reporter's questions, the interview won't be as successful as it
could be.
- Know what major points YOU want to make in the interview,
and make them in the course of answering the reporter's questions.
Address your needs and the reporter's.
- Prepare for the interview
by anticipating the questions you will be asked and determining
how best to answer them.
- Comment only on matters in which you
have expertise and authority.
- Avoid jargon.
- If the reporter's question is vague, ask him or
her to be more specific. Don't permit a fishing expedition.
- Stick
to the point and don't ramble. The "meter" is
running from the moment you greet the reporter to the last word
said before the conversation is over.
- Remember that the reporter
does interviews for a living, and you are only an amateur.
- For
professional support, call Communicatia for help.
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