The professional investigative activity of Public Relations in the world is not a mere coincidence. It is an act of coincidence. This statement has different reasons for being. Information (generating public opinion), communication (generating relationship) and industrial competitiveness (which responds to the Darwinian principle, the survival of the fittest). All of these, closely related to each other, will be treated with due care in this document until realizing the current relevance of the research in the profession of Public Relations. But, what are Public Relations ?.
It is not easy to establish a definitive definition on this concept. However, many have undertaken this task, giving it as its first quality the trait of science, others that of scientific discipline and others that of administrative technique starting from the perspective of the administrative process. Certainly, when reviewing the professional practice of public relations in the world, all these characteristics are applicable in the search for the establishment of a definition on them. However, in particular I have decided to assume for my personal consumption, the most updated definition to date, disclosed by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), carried out a campaign to redefine the concept of Public Relations, where three (3) definitions sent by the participants were taken, and through a vote held between February 13 and 26 of that year The following definition was chosen and disclosed: "Public Relations consist of the strategic process of communication that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics" (PRSA, 2012). This definition I have taken particularly, as the most appropriate meaning to explain the profession. It identifies elements that are not displayed explicitly, but implicitly. These are research, information, and the environment.
You cannot ignore the teachings of our founder, Juan Merchán López, who in his Manual of Master Techniques of Public Relations explains in detail, through the famous BEMO formula, the activity of Public Relations for a better understanding and understanding of the profession and its practice. These acronyms that identify the foundations of the same are the Bases, the Elements, the Mission and the Objective of the profession.
The Bases detail the philosophical, social and economic aspects that give rise to the development of the exercise of the career, framed within the professional deontology that the practice of any activity undertaken by the relationist deserves. The Elements (Communication, Persuasion and Public Opinion) are the matrix of professional practice, and cannot be ignored in this study. The same happens with the Mission, which consists of informing, convincing and integrating the organization with its audiences and vice versa. All this to achieve the Objective through planned and programmed actions, from the communicational perspective, to obtain mutually beneficial relationships or that abstract that they call the Common Good.
Now, the parent activity of the relationist is communication, but it cannot be understood from the perspective of the exercise of the social communicator, aimed primarily at the mass media and which have the basic aim of informing to generate public opinion. No. Communication in Public Relations has as a particular feature the persuasion of public opinion, through the use and management of information.
This specific category goes back to ancient Greece, when the discursive practice of the so-called sophists is reviewed and therefore also to the conversations of Socrates and then of Plato with them. This discursive process was nothing other than what we call rhetoric. However, it is Aristotle who in his study on "The Rhetoric" gives a first explanation about the phenomenon of communication, in which he introduces an elementary factor in Public Relations, that is, persuasion, and explains this as the attempt that a speaker makes in his speech to lead others to have the same point of view, that is, that the sender tries to convince the receiver to think like him, making clear that communication always aims to generate an effect, a response.
Starting from this explanation that the philosopher provides about the concept, other theorists such as Harold Laswell (1948), offer their explanations on this phenomenon, implying that it is a process of interaction and mutual affection, between an emitter and one or more receivers, seeking to produce some effect. Others add the influence of the environment, the context and the noise and Antonio Pascuali, Philosopher of Communication at the Central University of Venezuela, indicates that the process requires mutual understanding for the process to be effective. All this procedural set of communication is assumed by the relationist in his professional role of communicator for the organization and its audiences, but based on four (4) fundamental aspects:
- Organizational Communication (internal communication) that uses all the instruments and types of communication that may exist, from interpersonal communication to proxemics, in order to generate and preserve a favorable organizational climate.Strategic Communication that starts from the knowledge of the identity of the organization up to the image that it wants to project itself. This implies the creation of a clear personality. Public Relations Management and Management, that is, conducting everything that is communication in the company. Ceremonial and Protocol directly related to proxemic communication (place or space and times).Indicates events or acts as means of communication where all the work carried out by the relationist confirming all communication efforts is confirmed with the aim of establishing the most positive image possible of the organization, that is, generating an effect (response, public opinion) favorable.
The role of the relationist in the organizational field is summarized in the aforementioned aspects, but it is important to identify an essential detail of the professional's performance. The mission of Public Relations, to inform in order to convince the different audiences of the organization and finally integrate (them) with the organization and vice versa.
It is easy to say but it is a task that costs a lot. The information required in Public Relations is not the same as that used by the journalist, which must be current and novel. This type of information is also necessary, but not for the reasons of journalistic publication for the democratization of communication, the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and the guarantee of the right to information for citizens. Certainly, this type of information is necessary and of utmost importance for the relationist and his activity. But the information that it requires must be a little deeper in order to convince the public and integrate them into the organization. This in-depth information that the relationist uses requires constant and exhaustive research.
Now, Public Relations research is an essential part of its planned and strategic process, understood from the definition of the PRSA (previously mentioned). The investigation is an inseparable part of the processes of planning, execution, control and re-promotion of Public Relations.
As expressed by Wilcox (2007) quoting Broom and Dozier "research is a controlled, objective and systematic collection of information with the aim of describing and understanding" (p.161). This process is not of importance at present for being avant-garde or being fashionable. Research has always been present in the exercise of the profession. The entire planning process, understood as the anticipation of knowledge and experiences, requires the collection of truthful and relevant information and data and interpret them to achieve the goals and objectives established in the planning. The same is true of public relations programming. It cannot be forgotten that public relations is a set of communication activities that are carried out in accordance with strategic planning.
The research process is equal to that of the social sciences making direct use of the knowledge of social psychology and sociology that the study of the degree program provides. Research is carried out in order to supply the information that the organization requires (to satisfy the need for information that it has) to open the way to the design of its effective communication strategies and programs, decision-making about specific problems or the prediction of future crises in order to solve or avoid. In addition, the research provided by public relations usually becomes a means of evaluation at the program control stage. They also allow for more credibility and for accountability to senior management to be more effective.
Different types of research can be done but this will depend on the specific situation and the topic at hand. When an investigation is undertaken, it is carried out in the first instance on the organization, its culture, its objectives, its values and principles and its environmental and hierarchical structure. Then the real problems that they may have are investigated, beginning to ask themselves: What is the problem? What type of information is needed? What audience should be analyzed? Among others, to determine the scope and nature of the type of research to be carried out.
Relationship research is a multifaceted tool that you can use at every stage of strategic communication programming. It presents a utility and highlights the importance of the tool for the entire process involving Public Relations. This utility is for Wilcox (2007) the following:
- Management credibility. Being able to transmit the information that the management needs, in a concise and truthful way, gives strength to the activity of Public Relations. Definition and segmentation of the public. To be able to separate audiences based on their specific needs and those of the organization. Formulation of strategies. The interpretation of the data that the investigation throws will be useful for the creation of adequate strategies. Proof of the messages. Test which message is best suited to the specific type of audience. Help management to stay in touch. Support the board of directors to be in contact with the internal and external public and vice versa, that is, the public with the organization. Prevent crisis. Avoid any possible inconvenience to the company. Control of competition.The constant search for information helps us to know the competition and to have control over it. Changes in public opinion. To be able to control and modify the opinion of the target audiences. Generate publicity. (publicity information as news), the publication and disclosure of information that you want to make known for free. Contributes to creating and projecting an image. Measuring success. Know if time and money reach the proposed objective.Know if time and money reach the proposed objective.Know if time and money reach the proposed objective.
I personally add:
- Prospectivity. Always provide a future look at the organization. Image projectivity. Facilitate the projection of the image that the organization wants and be able to control it.
It is for all these reasons that we relationalists use research for professional activity. Furthermore, to create and enhance the image of an organization, we must necessarily have control of competition (and in most cases, knock down its image) and this is only achieved through research. To convince the public that the best brand is the one offered by a certain company, I must know that public to know how to approach it and earn their preference, this is also only achieved through research and the application of instruments such as surveys or opinion, interviews, observation, among others. Without the exercise of research, the professional activity of Public Relations is carried out without a firm base and without credibility. It would be a job, an effort, a lost investment.
Bibliography
- Blas Fernández, professor. Communication Theory, Central University of Venezuela. Power point presentation posted on the blog of the UCV Speech course at the UCV School of Social Communication. Caracas Venezuela.Grunig, J (2003) Directorate of Public Relations. Original Editorial. Barcelona Spain. Merchán L., Juan, (1990) Manual of Public Relations Master Techniques. Caracas Venezuela.Utrera, O. (2013). Institutional Journalism, Adequacy of Techniques. Editorial, Autonomous Service, National Printing, Official Gazette www.prsa.com (consulted 07/25/2014) Wilcox, D. Cameron, G. and Xifra, J. (2007). Public Relations Strategies and Tactics. Editorial, Pearson Education. Madrid Spain.
