Category: Public relations

The Public Relations Plan Objectives

One of the main goals of the Public Relations (PR) plan will be to provide and promote information about the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities to be undertaken by the company. The companys aim is to participate in CSR projects that actively interact and engage the consumers which will help to restore brand loyalty. According to Salmon, Poorisat and Kim (2019), when a company involves itself in CSR events, it seeks to form a close relationship with consumers and thus eliciting loyalty to the brand. The PR plan will also target to advance brand awareness and popularity. In this case, the PR strategy will be structured to reach a wide range of target audiences. The objective is to spread a positive image to many consumers which will trigger an increase in brand familiarity and awareness. Navarro et al. (2020) state that the use of communication media, such as social and mass media, helps to attain a large base of consumers relationship. Interaction with the consumers leads to the growth of brand awareness and familiarity.

Implementation of the PR Strategies

Employees and consumers are the most important stakeholders for Palm Oil. Based on the Theory-led analysis of stakeholders, the latent stakeholders, who are the consumers in this case, should be kept satisfied. The promoters stakeholders who are the employees in this case should be managed closely (Thurlow, 2017). There is a need to ensure that the two stakeholders are effectively engaged in the PR plan and CSR projects. For employees to participate successfully in any PR campaign in an organization, Thurlow (2017) argues that employees must understand the aim of the campaign and the strategy to be used. In this case, Palm Oil will invest in training the employees on how to execute the CSR projects. For example, the workers will be taken through a workshop campaign to train how to conduct the social media and mass media PR projects.

The goal of the training will be to ensure the team develops the confidence to sell the brand to the consumers. In addition, the coaching and training will act as a motivating factor for the consumers to boost their morale. This is illustrated by the work of Thurlow (2017) who states that training is an effective tool that boosts the confidence of employees, especially when undertaking a PR activity in an organization. Moreover, the company will take part in community-based projects such as tree planting where the employees will work with society. Working with the community will create a positive image of the company among the consumers which will then boost brand awareness and loyalty. Moreover, integration with the people will restore the lost glory of the company through negative publicity in the media.

The other vital stakeholder is the consumers who play an essential role in promoting the popularity of the brand. To influence the consumers, Palm Oil will use PR strategies that are quick in the distribution of information regarding the CSR activities of the company. Palm Oil intends to apply the sponsorship tool as its CSR strategy to reach consumers. For example, the company will donate 20% of each sale made to charitable events in African countries. African countries with issues such as drought will be identified. Donations will be sent to the noted countries via the companys representatives for distribution.

To run this campaign, Palm Oil will rely on social media to persuade many consumers to buy products so that they can contribute to the charity event. This will map the brand name to many consumers consequently raising brand awareness. Lee, Yip and Chan (2018) explain that social media is an effective and affordable tool in PR as it quickly promotes a brand name to many consumers, unlike other traditional methods. This is because social media has many users. Apps such as Facebook and Twitter have a wide range of consumers. Palm Oil will develop a hashtag message about eradicating drought and hunger in Africa. The posters utilized social media about the CSR activity will be shared widely and constantly across all the platforms to extend to a wide consumer base. The biggest benefit of the application of the social media is that it is an affordable mode of communication and yet able to spread the intended message to a wide range of consumers.

Apart from social media, Palm Oil will also utilise mass media. Lee, Yip and Chan (2018) note that the mass media entails the use of TV advertising. While the social media focuses on reaching to a younger target audience, the mass media will target the older generation. The advertisement placed on TV will be designed to woo clients to purchase the companys items as their purchase will make them take part in the planned charity activities in Africa. The intention is to not only promote the products of the company, but also to ensure that the audience feels involved and engaged in the philanthropy activities. As a result, a positive image about the company to the target audience will be developed.

Furthermore, it will also initiate brand presence among the viewers which leads to an increase in brand awareness and loyalty. Thurlow (2017) states that one of the oldest yet effective strategies of PR is mass media which helps in growing the popularity of brand. A possible challenge is that mass media advertisements are expensive and have limited time for air.

The other vital strategy that will be used for PR is the creation of links to show the events that the company will sponsor on its website. The website posters about the CSR activities in Africa, will be written in the news section of the website. Subscribers will receive the monthly newsletter detailed with information about the philanthropy activities. The website will then be linked to the Nestle social media sites to attract more visitors. This will be effective as it will lead to increased brand awareness when the consumers visit the website from the Nestle social media networks.

Evaluation of the PR Strategies

The PR strategy must be evaluated to determine if an organisation was able to achieve the set objectives of the campaign. Thurlow (2017) indicates that, it is always important to measure the effectiveness of the PR strategies used by a company to find out the possible weak points to correct. The results of each campaign will be assessed to deduce if they achieved the set goals. The social media campaign will have a target which is to reach over 15000 consumers daily. This will be quantified by the number of shares, likes and comments and analytics of the performances of the campaign posters put the networking platforms. The mass media will have a purchase code that the consumers will key in while making purchases. The number of purchases made using the code will be measured against the targeted 5000 daily purchases. Based on the performance of the campaign a decision is made on whether to keep running the campaign or end it.

The Proposed Budget

Risk Plan

There are possible risks that the PR plan may encounter if the planning is not well outlined. According to Salmon, Poorisat and Kim (2019), it is essential that before conducting a PR campaign, a comprehensive research on the possible risks is carried out to evaluate their impact on the proposed CSR. Risks should be managed as they occur but most importantly risk analysis is crucial at the planning stage. Another reason for the risk analysis is to establish the feasibility of the plan. The feasibility plan helps assess the long-term financial benefit of the PR project on the company (Salmon, Poorisat and Kim, 2019). The benefits of the plan must be analysed as well as the disadvantages. This will help determine if the plan is profitable for the company.

One of the possible risks that could affect the PR plan is that the companys sponsorship program would have bad results. This means that the intended message would not be warmly received by the target consumers. Practical causes would be negative reception by consumers and poor management of posters on the social media. Moreover, funds may be mismanaged making the initiative fail and thus drawing a negative reputation about the company. To manage the feasible risks the company will ensure to have a monitoring and evaluation team whose main role will be to assess the performance of the campaigns every week.

Another possible risk is that the company is likely to face negative comments about the sponsorship of the charity events following its past negative image. In order to averse this risk, the company will ensure to engage the public openly on the social media and address any negative image that may face the company as early as it is detected. This is will prevent the spreading of a negative image.

The above is the proposed plan of activities of the PR plan.

References

Lee, L.W., Yip, L.S. and Chan, K. (2018) An exploratory study to conceptualize press engagement behavior with public relations practitioners, Public Relations Review, 44(4), pp. 490-500.

Navarro, C. et al. (2020) Challenge of new gatekeepers for public relations. A comparative analysis of the role of social media influencers for European and Latin American professionals, Public Relations Review, 46(2), p. 881.

Salmon, C.T., Poorisat, T. and Kim, S.H. (2019) Third-person effect in the context ofpublic relations and corporate communication, Public Relations Review, 45(4), p.823.

Thurlow, A. (2017) Evaluating excellence: a model of evaluation for public relations practice in organizational culture and context, Public Relations Review, 43(1), pp.71-79.

Company Background

Airbnb will be the target company when creating a public relations message. The company was founded in 2008 to address the problem of overbooked hotels during large events (Airbnb fourth quarter, 2022). Through its platforms travelers and vacationers can access short-term rentals, which eases movement from one place to another. To provide the best accommodations, the business recruits homeowners and landlords. As a result of this, the company is available in a majority of the countries in the world, which gives it an advantage over local entities.

Mission, Core Values, and Annual Revenues

The mission of the organization is to create a world where you can belong anywhere and where people can live in a place instead of just traveling to it. Airbnb has amassed 150 million users in at least 100,000 cities around the world (Airbnb fourth quarter, 2022). The company was able to achieve a 76.6% increase in revenues in 2021 (Airbnb fourth quarter, 2022). This can be attributed to the market share of 20% that the business controls in the vacation rental industry (Airbnb fourth quarter, 2022). The core values of the company are championing the mission, being a host, being a serial entrepreneur, and embracing adventure. Despite its successes, the company has been accused of hiring homeowners and landlords who discriminate against minority groups.

Organization Structure and Employees

Airbnb is headed by a Chief Executive Officer under an organizational structure called an inter-supportive matrix. This structure helps integrate the many small teams that are within the firms ecosystem. As a result of the significant gap it has filled in the housing industry, the company has a strong brand reputation. This is enhanced by its presence in over 220 countries around the world (Airbnb fourth quarter, 2022). The company has a global workforce of 6,132 employees and 48.3% are women (An update on diversity, 2022). In the US 15% of the employees identify as underrepresented minorities (An update on diversity, 2022). Airbnb has a 2025 goal to raise the number to 20%, which will enhance diversity (An update on diversity, 2022).

Organization Philosophy

Airbnb has a unique and appealing business concept that encourages people to share their living space. Airbnb appeals to travelers and vacationers as it links them to homeowners and landlords. This has allowed the company to attain a 20% market share in the vacation rental industry. The firms website provides travelers with unique additional features, which encourages customers to keep using the platform. However, the organization is vulnerable to homeowners and landlords who are discriminatory toward visitors. Big events such as sports events offer the biggest opportunity for a revenue boost (Hati et al., 2021). This contributes to enhanced travel across different cities and towns around the world.

Stakeholders

Airbnb has various stakeholders who form a significant part of the business. Guests are a major part of the business because they have a need that Airbnb helps to solve using hosts who are the other major stakeholder. The satisfaction of hosts is essential and the recruitment of new hosts enhances growth. Reducing personal safety incidents for guests is crucial for the business. Airbnb has faced complaints from hosts who discriminate against minority groups. This includes the rejection of black people, the LGBTQ community, and other people of color as guests by hosts.

Another stakeholder for Airbnb is communities who are impacted by the business in various ways. The organization has committed to adopting sustainable travel to reduce its carbon footprint. Mutual funds form a big part of the shareholders in the business followed by institutional shareholders and lastly individual stakeholders. The main objective of the management is to create value for investors through strategic planning. The organization has in the past faced criticism over the issue of discrimination against women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. This is an issue that can result in a loss of investor confidence if it persists, which is why the public relation campaign is important.

Public Audience

Airbnb targets hosts and guests as they form a significant part of their business. The organization uses social media to provide updates and engage with customers (Appel et al., 2019). The firms website and application are used as a platform for travelers to access the accommodation type they want. The company has a global audience, which means that any complaint or issue can affect the strategic direction of the company. Minority communities, women, and LGBTQ have faced discrimination from hosts and other guests due to their race, gender, and sexual orientation (Clemence, 2022). Airbnb needs to address these complaints as they can harm the image of the brand. The public relation campaign will emphasize that Airbnb is for everyone.

Public Relation Campaign Objective

Airbnb has faced significant complaints as a result of hosts who provide poor customer experience and discriminate against minority groups. The business should embark on a five-year strategy to revamp its public image. The first step is to create a public relation campaign whose main objective is to enhance the public image of the company. The other objectives are to promote safety and assure the customer of comfort. The campaign will also cultivate trust among minority groups and broadcast positive stories on social media (Clemence 2022). This will help in addressing the challenges that have been highlighted above. The campaign will focus on the host and guest relations because the overview of the company showed that complaints by guests can result in a reduction in hosts who use Airbnb.

Target Audience

The target audience is people of color, LGBTQ, women and hosts. The public relation message will emphasize that Airbnb is for everyone. The campaign will target individuals aged between 18 years and 40 years. This group has a huge social media presence, which is going to be crucial for the success of the exercise. Another aspect is that the target audience has experienced discrimination at different stages of their life. By indicating that the company does not condone discrimination and poor service, the business can enhance its public image. The minority groups identified have disposable income to travel and a strong interest in vacations.

People of color and LGBTQ community have an approval rate of less than 94% when making a booking on Airbnb (Clemence, 2022). The group has a strong interest in travel, which can be an advantage for the company. The preference for quality services means that the company has to ensure that issues of discrimination and poor services are dealt with using policy changes. The campaign will not be successful if there is no support from the management. The social media team has to sustain the message and re-emphasize it to ensure the stated objectives are achieved.

Intended Message

The main message of the campaign is to emphasize that Airbnb is for everyone. The message will focus on the issues of poor services and discrimination against minority groups. The campaign should confirm that policy changes will follow to increase confidence. As the campaign progresses, the social media team should provide evidence of the steps taken to create change. This will enable more social media users to understand that the company knows how to solve the problem of discrimination. The message should also encourage people to stay with strangers and hosts to accept all travelers.

Purpose of Communications

The purpose of the communications is to present steps that are being taken by the firm to combat the issue of discrimination and poor services. The company will use the campaign as a way to show support to minority groups. The other aspect is to change the negative perceptions and stereotypes, which will enhance the image of the organization. This will be achieved by having significant engagements with customers on different platforms. The final purpose is to establish a positive relationship with the target audience.

Media Strategy

The media strategy will involve the use of three different media to drive the campaign. Most Airbnb users are on social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram). The use of both text and visual messaging will help the information reach a wider audience. Recruiting influencers to help with the messaging is another strategy that Airbnb can apply. The message has to be consistent because it will enable more engagements with customers on different platforms. The team should encourage people to share their positive experiences at Airbnb.

Media Mix

In the current era, social media is critical for public relations because most people are active on various platforms. The main platforms that will be applied in the campaign will be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The identified platforms have the highest number of active users, which will enable the campaign to reach a wider audience (Appel et al., 2019). Airbnb should adopt these sites because most of the customers are active on social media and it is easy to engage and provide feedback to the users. Consistent messaging on the platforms can enhance the bond between the company and key stakeholders, which can help change negative perceptions.

The other media to be used is television because of its wide reach for audiences aged 45 and above. Airbnb can use the video to capture the attention of users by providing information on what the company is doing to combat discrimination and poor services. The video can also help Airbnb to tell its story using its own words. The company can include additional insight from hosts and guests on what needs to be done. Another media that can enhance the campaign is newspapers, which also targets people aged 35 years and above. The article can help the business provide information on its corporate social responsibility. This can include steps taken to combat discrimination of guests by hosts on its platform.

Media Timeline Chart

The campaign will involve three media, which are social media, television, and newspaper. The social media platforms to be used are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. The main goal on social media will be to launch the campaign and provide insight into what it entails. The television channels to be used are ABC, CBS, and FOX as they have a wide reach in the United States. Wall street journal and New York Times will serve as the disseminators of the interest article. The two major newspapers have an online presence, which will allow people from other countries to read the article. The campaigns on social media will run for six months with the first week being used for laying the foundations. Influencers from minority communities will take over after the first week as they can engage with customers more easily.

3 Separate Medias

One of the media to be used will be a video news release. The first shot will be of a group of people from different races and sexual orientations holding hands with the Airbnb logo at the center. The next shot will involve the CEO explaining the purpose of the campaign and the steps the company is undertaking to eliminate discrimination. This will be followed by footage of users sharing their experiences, which may either be positive or negative. The next shot will be of a bird flying and then perching on a house. This will be a metaphor for the slogan that Airbnb is for everyone. The last shot will display the statement that Airbnb is for everyone.

Another media to be used is a social media event which will be coordinated across all the identified social media platforms. The first step will be to recruit influencers, who will popularize the event. The influencers will adopt the hashtag #Airbnbisforeveryone. The second step will be to change the profile pictures on all social media platforms to an image of people of different races and sexual orientations holding hands with the Airbnb logo at the center. The third aspect will be a post that details the need to enhance diversity and inclusivity. This will be followed by a LIVE interview with the CEO, who will provide the steps being taken and the expected outcomes for the campaign. The last aspect will be to encourage users to share their experiences whether positive or negative. The social media team and influencers will respond to some of the posts.

Another essential media to be used is newspaper publications. The news article should be published in the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. The article should provide the objectives of the campaign in the first paragraph. The next paragraph should provide quotes from the CEO explaining the steps being undertaken to combat discrimination. This should be followed by a statement encouraging users to participate in the campaign by sharing their experiences. The last part will be to re-emphasize the mission of the company, which is to create a world where anyone can belong.

Assessment Evaluation

The first aspect of evaluating the intended outcome is to analyze the media impressions and press clipping. This will involve checking the number of times the campaign has been mentioned in the media and by the target audience. The next aspect will be to measure the website and application traffic to determine if there have been any changes. The third aspect is to check the number of new listings from minority communities. The next step is to assess the number of new complaints involving discrimination. The organization should also monitor its social media mentions on all the platforms. The last aspect is to analyze the diversity and inclusivity ratings for the company.

The campaign may result in non-intended outcomes that can benefit or disadvantage the company. One of the ways to assess these outcomes is to conduct an online survey targeted at minorities. The organization should also analyze the changes in revenues and assess the user comments on social media. The other issue is to assess the negative reaction to the campaign on different platforms. The organization should also check the changes in perception in the target audience and whether there have been reduced listings from minorities on its platforms.

Airbnb needs to adopt a new direction to ensure the issues do not arise again. This can be done by showing that the company understands the core issues through its messaging. The firm needs to work closely with leaders from minorities to address the issues that have been identified. Another aspect is that the company needs to review its anti-discrimination policies regularly. Airbnb needs to offer avenues that can be used to report discrimination for both the hosts and guests. Fighting discrimination should not be viewed as a 6 months process. The firm should regularly post messages condemning discrimination.

References

Airbnb fourth quarter and full-year 2021 financial results. (2022). Airbnb Newsroom. Web.

An update on diversity and belonging progress at Airbnb. (2022). Airbnb Newsroom. Web.

Appel, G., Grewal, L., Hadi, R., & Stephen, A. T. (2019). The future of social media in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(1), 7995. Web.

Clemence, S. (2022). Black travelers say home-share hosts discriminate, and a a new Airbnb report agrees. The New York Times. Web.

Hati, S. R., Balqiah, T. E., Hananto, A., & Yuliati, E. (2021). A decade of systematic literature review on Airbnb: The sharing economy from a multiple stakeholder perspective. Heliyon, 7(10). Web.

Introduction

Although the field of public relations is characterized by complexity due to reliance on theories and certain practices, its role in the effective management of organizations cannot be dismissed. The clear definition of public relations also varies and is mainly based on interdependence through the creation of good relationships with the stakeholders, employees, consumers, and the general public. However, public relations are mainly based on the principle of professionalism. Business practices have been evolving over the years with the need to incorporate approaches that give considerations to the issues of mutuality, consensus, reciprocity, and business ethics. The proponents of the models, Grunig and Hunt, have provided a fundamental approach to the broad concept of public relations. Although their work has been faced with criticism, it has been widely applied in understanding public relations and formed a foundation for further adequate research. Additionally, the models have been used in business training, schools, and business practices.

Press Agentry Model

Rawlins and Stoker (1999) refer to the press agentry model as publicity and assert that its main goal is to change the attitudes and opinions of the public to align them to those of the organization. This model is mainly based on propaganda that has the elements of exaggerations, half-truths, and lies. This relies on advertising and public persuasion to capture the feelings of the public and ensure that they buy into the ideas of the organization.

The most applicable example of this model is in the promotion of football. The model, in this case, involves the advocacy for football so that the public can get interested in watching and pleading for financial support from the donors and businesses as a way of social responsibility. Further, the model is based on massive media coverage that factors in the elements of entertainment and recreation, creation of a good sports culture through constant competitions, development of the sport, prestige from the game and popularity of the players, clubs and the game, development of the players through coaching and advancement of careers for the players and coaches (Jackowski, 2007).

The models applicability to football is evident by the massive media coverage and advertisements especially in events such as the ongoing FIFA World Cup and other events such as the Euro games among others. Additionally, the financial support of football is provided by multinational organizations through sponsorship of the players, clubs, and events. Exaggeration is further seen in the large advocacy of clubs and countries popularity while careers of the players are guarded with huge paychecks and training as well as the buying and shifting of players among clubs.

Public Information

This model is based on one-way communication but with emphasis on truth and accuracy (Smith, 2002). It is also based on the ethics of providing objective information perceived to be needed by the public (Rawlins & Stoker, 1999).

The most applicable example of this model is in institutions of higher learning. The model is applied in the clear mission and vision statements of the institutions which are communicated with emphasis based on the core values. The model is also applied in the dissemination of information regarding the courses offered that are mainly advertised in the media. Further, the courses have a set duration of completion and the topics to be covered for the ultimate graduation. The preliminary requirements for the courses are given in terms of the relevant course background and the payment requirements. The model is further applied in the teaching process that mainly involves the dissemination of information from the instructors to the students and the requirements of the assignments. Additionally, the requirements for the pass marks from the courses are given while the rules and regulations of the institution are communicated together with the services available to the students (Moss, Warnaby & Thame, 1996).

The relevance of the model is revealed in the use of brochures to pass the information on the activities the institution is involved in, maps that give the direction of the institution, and other publications to pass the information on the occurrences in the institutions. Further, the application of the model is seen in the issue of press releases when the institutions wish to pass a certain message, clarification, or explanation of the issues affecting it.

Two-Way Asymmetric Public Relations

This model is based on the reliance on feedback as a way of improving the level of the messages passed by an organization (Smith, 2002). It relies on listening to the public to establish better strategic communication through strategic and persuasive messages. The effectiveness of the model is based on research to change the perspectives of the public and align them to the objectives of the organization.

The model is best applied in financial institutions such as banks due to the need for two-way communication between various stakeholders such as the shareholders, investors, and the general public (Marin, 2007). Banks offer different products and services that are meant to target a specific audience that provides feedback on the same. They also enhance their services through the incorporation of technology such as e-banking, automated machines, money transfer services among others. Further, the management strategies of these organizations are based on adequate research of the market on what is best for them based on feedback from the market.

The services offered by banks are scrutinized by the public. For instance, the quality of customer services is determined by the customers opinions on how they are treated at the bank. The financial information of the institutions is disseminated to the shareholders who then give their opinions on the same. The application of the model is supported by the marketing strategies used before the products and services are promoted. Further, the model is revealed in the launch of new products to the public where communication lines are open for feedback (Heath, 2005).

Two-Way Symmetric Public Relations Model

This model is based on the advocacy for the flow of information that is equal and free between the organization and the public (Moss et al., 1996). The model aims at mutual understanding and high degrees of responsiveness coupled with the change of attitudes for both the public and the organization. It relies on feedback for altering the opinions of the public (Smith, 2002).

The model is most applicable in non-profit making organizations (Slater, 2002). This is revealed in the mission, vision, and objectives of the organizations which are based on fulfilling a certain purpose for the community. These organizations are not established for profit-making but rather for providing services for the benefit of the community. This requires adequate research for them to be engaged in activities that benefit the people. They also require reliance on the community they serve since the public has to give information on what it needs. This involves training and educating the public to align its objectives with the organizations objectives.

The effectiveness of the model is revealed through negotiation, honest feedback, and the adaptation of change through the actual involvement of both the organization and the public. It is also revealed in the management of the organizations in which the community is actively involved. Further, the fact that the projects involve massive funds, adequate and honest feedback is required for accountancy purposes. Additionally, it is relevant in the resolution of conflicts and feedback from other agencies either as criticisms or commendations that enhance their effectiveness (Rawlins & Stoker, 1999).

Conclusion

The models developed by Grunig and Hunt play a fundamental role in the understanding of public relations. The press agentry model is applied in the promotion of football; the public information model is best applied in institutions of higher learning; while the two-way asymmetric model is applied in banks. The two-way symmetric model is best applied in non-profit making organizations. The four models are based on the mode of communication such as one-way or two-way communication and the effective use of feedback.

Reference List

1. Heath, R. L. (2005). Encyclopaedia of public relations. New York: Sage Publications.
2. Jackowski, M. (2007). Conceptualizing an Improved Public Relations Strategy: A Case for Stakeholder Relationship Marketing in Division I-A Intercollegiate Athletics. Journal of Business and Public Affairs, 1(1), pp. 1-7.
3. Marin, V. (2007). Public relations: contents and models. Brasov: Air Force Academy.
4. Moss, D., Warnaby, G., & Thame, L. (1996). Tactical publicity or strategic relationship management? An exploratory investigation of the role of public relations in the UK retail sector. European Journal of Marketing, 30(12), pp.69-84.
5. Rawlins, B., & Stoker, K. (1999). Dealing with paradox in public relations.
6. Slater, J. (2002). Modern public relations.
7. Smith, A. P. (2002). An overview of public relations: What it is, when it is needed, why it is used and how to analyze it. Working Papers for English and Communication, 14(2), 163-170.

Public relations is a top industry that requires professionalism, experience, and success. For a PR professional, there is a huge number of daily struggles that he or she has to overcome and find some other innovative ways to handle them. There is no exact job description for public relations because there are various tasks for a PR professional. For example, on different days, he or she may need to manage events, write and put together marketing communications, or try to pitch to clients. In order to be successful in PR, it is necessary to come up with innovative ideas, create relevant plans, and, most important, stay consistent. Interestingly, PR is an industry that is inclusive of women at every levelexcept for the very top (Risi, 2016, para. 1). Articles state that women are attracted to public relations but need to work hard, fight to be heard, be in contact with the right people, and have a good reputation as there is a major inequality.

The tricky part of this industry is following the most current and important news and use only reliable sources. It is crucial to keep ideas fresh and new and make the clients interested in the process and happy with the result. Public relations attract a significant number of women since it is necessary for specialists to work well in teams and empathize with and listen to their clients. Despite the fact that these skills are rather natural for many women, very few of them make it to the top of the industry. According to Carufel (2017), although women represent two-thirds of the global PR industry, 78 percent of the CEOs in the top 30 PR agencies worldwide are men (para. 2). Moreover, men occupy 62 percent of seats at the PR boardroom table (Carufel, 2017, para. 2). These numbers demonstrate the strange and offensive disproportionality in how many women are PR professionals and how many are allowed to become CEO.

Another severe problem that proves that women are facing more difficulties in public relations is the confidence gap. It is hard to believe, but twice as many women (26 percent) say they are not confident asking for a promotion or pay rise, compared to 13 percent of men (Carufel, 2017, para. 11). In addition, much fewer women think that they will certainly reach the top of the career ladder, which is a strong proof that they are not treated well by their bosses. What is more, those women who succeeded in becoming CEOs in PR do not believe that people would respond to them as a leader the same way they would respond to a man (Krugler, 2017, p. 29). If people are hardworking, experienced, and successful, they have to get promoted or have their salaries increased no matter if they are men or women. Job, professionalism, and, in particular, PR are not and must not be about gender.

As for salaries in public relations, there is another huge gap between women and men. According to Carufel (2017), the average salary for men in PR is $61,284 compared to women $55,212, revealing a gender pay gap of $6,072 (para. 4). These numbers let one assume that women are paid less for the same or even more professionally performed work than men. There is no doubt that this inequality is unwelcoming for women and has to be eliminated.

There are several ways of achieving justice and making the public relations industry more equal and respectful for women. First, it is necessary to add more women to boardrooms since a greater number of female board-directors results in a lower likelihood of insolvency and financial restatement, better stock growth, and a higher return on sales. Women trust women, and it is crucial for them to know that they are able to use their right to become leaders. The second step is to increase work flexibility and regulate work and life balance. It is essential because this balance may be especially difficult for women since they are usually responsible for childcare and eldercare. PR companies have to take the perspective of these women and offer them employee benefits like paid maternity leave, telecommuting, and flexible work schedules. What is more, women who get families note that it becomes impossible for them to develop their careers (Krugler, 2017). Hence, PR leaders have to let these women reach the top of the career ladder if they are really experienced and professional.

To draw a conclusion, one may say that public relations is one of those industries that still cannot provide equality for women. It has huge wage and other gaps and orientates not on ones professionalism and skills but gender. Unfortunately, men have more opportunities to have a promotion, get their salary increased, and reach the top of the career ladder. Women, especially those who get pregnant or already have children, struggle with stereotypes and sexism. Thereby, it is possible for women to achieve success in PR, but discrimination and inequality have to be eliminated so that this sphere can stop paying attention to gender and let women get what they really deserve.

References

Carufel, R. (2017). Women in PR facing tough battle for fair pay, advancement. Agility PR Solutions. Web.

Krugler, E. (2017). Women in public relations: The influence of gender on women leaders in public relations. Graduate Theses and Dissertations, 1-66.

Risi, J. (2016). Public relations agencies are dominated by women. So why are all their leaders men? Quartz. Web.

Analyze the reasons why the Chinese government hired a Western public relations firm to work on the 2008 Beijing Olympics

There are several reasons as to why the Chinese government decided to hire a western public relations firm during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. One of the reasons stems from the challenges the Chinese government had undergone at the period just before the Olympics. For starters, China had experienced negative publicity because of the wide protests that had occurred throughout the major cities of the world. To compound the issue further, the protest images had widely been publicized in various mainstream media.

There was one particular event that occurred during the Olympic torch relay; there was this protestor who courageously went ahead to disrupt the event in Paris. The event was supposed to be a peaceful majestic procession in the French capital. However, it turned out chaotic when thousands of protestors appeared in the scene with many of them bearing Tibetan flags. The protests were staged mainly because of the policies that the Chinese government had embraced about Tibet. During the protest, the torch went off several times but was protected by the police who hurriedly took it into a nearby bus. For this reason, the Chinese government had to cancel the last leg.

There were also many other protests staged across the world that resulted in several Chinese consulates being destroyed. China, therefore, had to devise a way in which it would tackle this issue. To ensure that there was a softer and a more stylish tone in her quest for hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the organizing committee decided to hire a western firm to do the public relations. They then engaged the services of Hill and Knowlton, a public relations company, to address publicity issues. One of the reasons why they landed on this company was because the company was well known for helping its clients employ communication strategies. The company was also well known for building and protecting brand images.

China also had to look into particular issues when selecting the advertising company. Some of the issues include the organization of the company whereby the companies that are decentralized may want to leave the choice to the local subsidiary. National responsiveness was also an issue to consider. Thus, the country considered whether the global agency was familiar with the local culture. Area coverage was also an issue that China had to consider; because the company had to cover all the entire audience holistically. Last but not least, the country had to consider the kind of brand awareness that the company wanted to project to the entire world (Anonymous, 2008).

Determine the reasons why protesters and activists target events such as the Olympics

One of the most important things to consider during a protest is that it is most effectively done in the presence of the target. If people stage a protest against a public office during the weekend, chances are that their petitions will not be heard. Also, the group that does this appears disorganized and less serious. This means that the target audience will not take the protests seriously.

The above points, therefore, give reasons as to why protesters target big events such as the Olympics. Thus, the protestors want to reach a large audience to drive home their point. During such events, there is easy publicity. The point that the protestors would want to put across would be easily communicated. In a protest match such as the one staged against the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the protestors knew that the whole world was watching them. Those protests were also the most effective ways that would be used to inform the world about the misgivings of the Chinese government against the Tibetan people.

Determine if the opportunity to reach a global audience by advertising during the Olympics offset the potential for bad publicity

It offsets the potential. One very obvious reason is because the Olympics draw a large audience. This includes those in physical attendance and viewers from all over the world. It is worth noting that the Olympics are also well known for having the potential of appealing to many viewers. Olympics appeal viewers across the demographic divide including women, children, and the minority. The viewers may also include CEOs and top managers from big and small companies. One thing worth noting is that although CEOs and top executives in large organizations may not necessarily spend enough time in front of their television sets they are likely to do so during the seventeen days of the Olympics period (DeLisle, 2008).

Because of the big number of viewers, the advertisement done by the various organizations can, therefore, reach a large audience. Depending on the message that the advert wants to put forward, a country can regain peoples confidence. For sure, the kind of advertisement China did during and at the close of the Olympics was a life-changing advertisement that was able to convince the entire world that things were not as earlier thought. It can be attested that China showcased a lot of things at the end of the Olympics that left the whole world amazed and wanting to see more from that wonderful country (International Olympics committee, 2008).

It is important to note that one of the main functions of a PR company is to generate favorable publicity. Thus, the PR companies use image advertising to enhance public perception of the country and create goodwill; doing this enables the country involved to regain the glory it needs to host an event such as the Olympic.

Assess how well of a job the companies identified in this case did in anticipating and responding to the protests

First of all, it has to be noted that the protests that occurred the world over (during the period before the 2008 Olympics) drew a bad publicity for observers. The observers saw this as a confirmation of Beijings stubbornness. Thus, Beijing was refusing to part from its old ways. Also, the observers saw this as a sign of insincerity on Chinas part. However, the involvement of the western public relations company such as Hill & Knowlton was pretty important. This was especially evident when Steven Spielberg decided to boycott the games.

Thus, the public relations company was able to handle the situation professionally and was able to prevent large scale shunning of the Olympics. Such situations like the ones China was facing are likely to be managed upon with due effect and respect (Stewart, 2008). The decision of China to choose a western-based Public Relations Company, therefore, served as a turning point for the country. Thus, the country was able to make things far better. It is important to note that the adverse situations that were faced due to protests were unpromising and painted a gloomy picture of how things would be in China.

The activists targeted large multinational companies that had spent millions of dollars to advertise their products to have a stake in the Olympic Games. Such companies include the Coca Cola Company, McDonalds, Levono and other global companies. The chief executives of these companies made futile attempts to respond to the protesters. However, the only alternative that was fruitful was the PR approach.

Thus, Coca Cola Company set its foot forth to become one of the leaders for change that promised to take actions, such as, committing resources to ensure that relief supplies reach Darfur and addressing the pressing need for freshwater and sanitation for residents who had been displaced by the fighting. Other companies included Adidas and Carrefour. Carrefour, the worlds second-largest retailer from France, was caught in a fuss when the Chinese people raised issues because of its stand in the Tibet  China cold war. The executives of the retail were forced to apologize to bring calm in Chinese soil.

The companies mentioned in this case did a wonderful job anticipating and responding to the protests. Coca Cola Company did lead the initiative to show the world that it cared for the people and the environment. The company has reiterated its quest for acting as a catalyst for change through action that is appropriate to a business. Thus instead of considering China as just a market for its products, the company has also shown that it can give back to the society.

Reference List

Anonymous, (2008). And Now & Not a Word from Our Sponsors. Web.

DeLisle, J. (2008). After the Gold Rush: The Beijing Olympics and Chinas Evolving. Web.

International Olympics committee. (2008). Olympic Marketing Fact File. Web.

Stewart, A. (2008). Olympic Print Advertising. Web.

Executive Summary

Sea shepherd is an international non-governmental organization involved in the activities aimed at conserving the whales. Sea shepherd believes that, the whales need to be preserved for the future generation to have the opportunity to see them. The organization has faced stiff opposition and criticisms from the various corporations and also from the governments in which the organization carries its activities. Frequently, the organization has been responding to these criticisms through its website and also through the media. The responses sometimes have angered and irked some sections of its public.

Therefore, as a strategy to build its image especially in the eyes of its stakeholders, Sea shepherd has embarked on reorganizing and re-equipping its public relations department in order to revamp the organizations image. Below report hence, looks at the organizations accusations and how it has responded to them. Then through employing the institutional theory and two-way symmetric model of communication, the proposal suggest the alternatives the organization can adopt in responding to future accusations or when effectively wants to communicate to its publics.

Introduction

The issue of whaling came up after the commercial whaling was illegalized in 1986. This particular act, angered countries like Japan and Norway, and to an extent, Iceland who were traditionally whalers. Since the introduction of the ban on commercialization of whale meat, the public outlook on the way the sea shepherd does its duties has changed as the organization has been perceived to go beyond the set rules and regulations and take law in its own hands. Sea shepherd officials have guns which they use for defense, but the public have had a different opinion claiming that Sea shepherd uses the guns to provoke them (Sea Shepherd, 1994).

Indeed, the members of the organization, especially the crews, have received numerous threats from the fishing communities from all over the world. In some circumstances, they have been denied transport passes, deported, jailed and harassed. Sea Shepherd was formed in 1977 as the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS). It is an international non-profit organization, with the aim of conserving marine life, while its objective was to bring to a stop the destruction of the marine ecosystems and the killing of the animals in the worlds oceans (Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, n.d).

Greenpeace was the predecessor to the sea shepherd, an organization founded by Paul Watson among other founder members in 1971. Paul Watson also founded the sea shepherd, but due to ideological differences, he was expelled from Greenpeace in 1977, to what other members termed as his forceful nature, and self-centeredness which the members believed could ruin the reputation of the organization in the long-run.

Issues leveled against Sea shepherd

Sea shepherd as an organization that has forcefully come out to use all arsenals within its capacity has received accusations on numerous occasions. The accusations have largely centered on; the use of violence by the Sea shepherd crews, violation of human rights, the pretence that Sea shepherd was fighting whaling activities when in real sense it was not, and the accusations from the rival organization, the Greenpeace which has accused Sea shepherd of employing unethical methods in fighting the whalers.

In response, Sea shepherd, through its media department has been responding to these issues frequently. Paul Watson, who is the founder of the Sea shepherd, has been the face of the organizations in responding to the accusation, either outlining the position of the organization, clarifying some facts, or hitting directly at the organizations critics.

Sea shepherd use of violence

The history of Sea shepherd clearly portrays an organization that has employed violence against the whalers and the poachers. The organizations crew members carry out these through sinking the whalers ships and trawlers or by completely destroying them. In many instances, they ram at the ships or open their sea valves thus destroying them. To the organization, this is not perceived as violence since; they observe that, they have never harmed anyone in the course of their work. For example, in 2007, Shepherd was accused by the Japanese government of destroying and sinking a ship by the name Nisshin Maru (Sea shepherd, 2007).

Greenpeace accuse Sea shepherd of blackmail and false information

From the moment Paul Watson was removed from the Greenpeace organization, bitter rivalry grew between the two organizations that have led them to engage in constant accusation and counter-accusation on each other. Greenpeace believe in preservation of human rights alongside the preservation of the lives of whales, and therefore, criticize Sea shepherd of promoting violence and engaging in abuse of human rights.

For example, Gerd Leipold, the Executive Director of Greenpeace, wrote to Watson turning down the organizations request to cooperate with them; moreover, Leipold asserts that we do not consider this a serious request as your many previous statements about Greenpeace have shown that you have no respect for this organization, and do not shy away from making false statements about it and the people who work for it (Greenpeace, 2006).

Sea shepherd response to the issues

Sea shepherd, responding to the accusation from the government of Japan stated that its crews was not responsible for the fire that had destroyed the mother ship of the Japanese whaling fleet, and the last thing we would have wanted to do was sink a floating factory full of oil and chemicals in the pristine waters of the Antarctic ecosystem (Sea shepherd, 2007). Sea shepherd was in acceptance that the accusations leveled against it about intimidating and disrupting whalers activities were right; however, it did not damage their vessels. Moreover, Sea shepherd had never used any method that had the capability to cause injury or death to another human being (Sea shepherd, 2007).

Sea shepherd blamed the Japan government and other corporations of initiating propaganda against the organizations efforts of conserving the whales and instead branding them eco-terrorists (Sea shepherd, 2007).

Responding to Gerd Leipold, Sea shepherd stated that the organizations existence did not have to depend on Greenpeace, and that Greenpeace had nothing of substance to offer (Sea shepherd, 2006). Sea shepherd further accused Greenpeace of not being committed to the saving of the whales, instead, the organization was only soliciting for funds to end up in the pockets of a few gullible individuals. Sea shepherd continued to state that Greenpeace had sabotaged its registration and shamelessly continued to beg for money when already it had enough; moreover, it had achieved nothing in twenty years of its operation and as a result of these claims, Sea shepherd was not willing at all to seek any assistance from Greenpeace (Sea shepherd, 2006).

In response to Greenpeace, Sea shepherd stated that leaders of Greenpeace did not have a clue of the vision that led to its establishment and that Sea shepherd as an organization will continue to criticize Greenpeace (Sea shepherd, 2006).

Ethical framework in public relations

Many public relations practitioners should strive to be successful and therefore they are expected to make intelligent split-second decisions on situations compounded with ethical dilemmas (Lieber, 2003). Moreover, any decision arrived at is largely expected to sustain an ongoing delicate balance between serving the best interests of a client and also that of the overall society. Hence, this balance defines the two accepted philosophies of the roles of a public relations representative within the society (Day, 2003, cited in Lieber, 2003).

The first principle advocates that these representatives, although paid, actually advocate for decisions that they already believe in; this is where the individual is just expressing his or her opinions in accordance to freedom of expression (Lieber, 2003).

The second principle sees the public relations representative as a hired conduit for a point of view that he or she may not personally condone (Lieber, 2003); therefore, any public relations practitioner needs to offer to the public, the chance to hear the message of his or her client even if it is a controversial one. Ethical dilemmas usually emanate from dealing with the various variables, for example, the decision to service a client normally presents a common ethical dilemma facing public relations firms, and hence servicing disreputable client can offer a valuable controversial opinion which may present equal possibilities of causing more harm than good by providing the public with potentially harmful information (Lieber, 2003).

In public relations, there are three common types of theoretical bases and models that are founded in ethical principles (Lieber, 2003). The first model is the model of discourse which states that public relations role is to encourage discourse. Under this model, PR professionals are expected to perform a persuasive function which is similar to the attorney representing a client, and the assumption is that when competing messages and viewpoints are adequately represented, the truth will inevitably come out (Lieber, 2003).

The use of two-way symmetrical model is adopted under this discourse, which structures public relations as the forum of discussion in which a variety of individuals, opinions and values come together, generally leading to different conclusions (Lieber, 2003). Here, public relations representatives just like the attorneys operate with their clients best interests as their primary motive (Lieber, 2003).

The second model is the model of societal obligation which states that the main role of public relations practitioners is serving the society and the community (Lieber, 2003). In addition, the social responsibility of PR practitioners is the duty of strengthening community and promoting communal values of fairness, democracy, and truth. Therefore, according to the model, a proper balance between obligation to employer and a principle of mutuality to contrasting opinions ensures a responsible strategic communication process. (Lieber, 2003).

The third model is the model of, professional responsibility; the model sees the PR practitioners not as communicators, but as professionals, with defined responsibilities. Here, the professionals are seen as specialized expertise and purely oriented toward service. (Lieber, 2003).Therefore, the ethical expectations for the PR practitioners to consider when developing a persuasive communication is to ensure: truthfulness of the message; authenticity of the persuader; respect for the persuadee, equity of the appeal and social responsibility for the common good (Lieber, 2003).

How effective could Sea shepherd respond to accusations

According to Corrigan and Mortensen (2004), crisis communications should be long-term activity by which organizations use formal procedures to respond productively to the crises. Today, the PR practice is yet to discover a definitive proactive model that can successful prepare an organization for navigating crisis-mode PR, and one reason can be that a given organizational situation often demands a personalized response.

An effective public relations model needs to examine the circumstances that lead to the crisis, encompass the crisis, and should continue even after the life cycle of the crisis (Corrigan and Mortensen, 2004). Upon being confronted with the crisis of accusations from the Japan government and Greenpeace, Sea shepherd in responding needed to:

1. apply divergent thinking to the accusations,
2. clarify the levels of reference and identify connections between them,
3. take into consideration the role of time whereby the sequence of events could help in dealing with the problem,
4. explore new ways to look at the relationship between the accusations and the true facts about the organization (Rawlings and Stoker, n.d).

Response to use of violence need to embrace the institutional theory

Many public relations practitioners need to be effective in creating and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with the stakeholders; there is a need to negotiate the many environmental influences on the organization that affect the organizational survival (Patel, Xavier and Broom, 2005). The institutional theory suggests that the organizations continuity depends not only on material resources and the technical information, but also on the organizations perceived legitimacy(Patel, Xavier and Broom, 2005).

For a conferred status, organizational legitimacy is controlled by those outside the organization, and therefore relies on organization preserving a coalition of supportive stakeholders who have legitimacy-determining power. The theory suggests that organizations can establish legitimacy sources by frequent and intense communication with the organizations social surroundings. Therefore, in accordance to this theory, Sea shepherd in responding to the government accusations needs to put in mind that its activities, to a great extent, depend on the cooperation of the government, hence any mutual understanding needs to exist between these two groups. Indeed, the response needs to address the failures of the government in a more constructive way.

Response to Greenpeace need Two-way symmetrical model of communication

The model represents one of the four models of public relation that was developed by Grunig. Basically, the 2-way symmetrical model is based on a free exchange of information that is used to alter attitudes in both the organization and its publics (Paun, 2010, p. 4). According to Paun (2009, p. 4), organizations that apply the notion of the two-way symmetrical communication will: enjoy more mutually beneficial, sustainable and commercially satisfying relationships with their stakeholders; make a more significant and worthwhile contribution to society; have more committed employees who are stronger or organizational advocates.

Indeed, the relationship that exists between the organization and the stakeholders may be enhanced and strengthened by the use of two-way symmetrical communication where there is flow of information from and to either of the parties.

According to Grunig, Grunig and Dozier (2002, p. 308), with this model, the PR practitioners are able to use scientific research in determining how to persuade the publics to behave in the way the organization may want. Through the two-way symmetrical model, the PR professionals are able to utilize research and dialogue to bring about symbiotic changes in the ideas, attitudes and behaviors of both the organization and its publics. Most models are much characterized by monologue-type of communication, but the two-way symmetrical communication, involves much of dialogue, that in turn promote trust and positive adjustments.

Sea shepherd, giving press statements, is largely promoting one-way communication, which is largely not okay with its stakeholders. Since the organization is involved in conservation issues, it needs to outline its position to its public clearly and also, gets to the side of its public. The point is that, there should be understanding to the two sides; the organization and its publics hence need to embrace a two-way communication that advocates for dialogue. In the two-way symmetric model, the communicator is the go between for the organization, and its public, trying through all methods of communication to have each side understand each others point of view (Childers, 1989).

Alternative Response to the accusations

The question that can be asked is whether Sea shepherd PR should be involved in promoting the image of the organization or should it be also be involved in; managing conflict and the cost of conflict, or promoting harmony between organization and its publics or developing positive relationships which can yield mutual benefits. The prime function of public relations is to establish relationships with organizations and the publics that are vital to the function of the organization. Generally, PR practitioners need to move out of self-interested advocacy and promotes in an objective way the fundamental rights of the publics with much emphasis on priority, sensitivity, veracity and respect. (Edgett, 2002).

According to Pearson, Susskind and Fidel, 1996 (cited in Edgett, 2002), they suggest six principles of mutual gains communication that include: acknowledging the concerns of the other side, encouraging joint fact finding, offering contingent commitments to minimize impacts if they occur, accepting responsibility, admit mistakes and share power, focusing on building long-term relationships and lastly, act in a trustworthy fashion at all times.

Therefore, adopting an ethical framework to the alternative response for Sea shepherd is relevant because: Sea shepherd is an organization that serve the society and hence need to build a positive relationship with the society; Sea shepherd publics need honest and reliable information; criticisms should be the avenues to strengthen the organizations weak points and therefore responding to them should uphold respect, truth and dignity to those who raise those criticisms. In responding to the Japan governments accusations, Sea shepherd should have divorced itself from blaming the whalers and the government, and instead outlined its achievements in the fight to conserve the whales.

Describing how it confronts and executes its acts which may be perceived by the larger society as cruel, (Sea shepherd was forgetting its social responsibility), Sea shepherd needed to explain the challenges they meet while carrying out its activities (clarity), for example, the danger they face from the well armed whalers and the lack of co-operation from the governments (issue-based). The organization also would have emphasized their human rights approaches and why any cooperation from the governments and other corporations was necessary. According to Hass (2003), says that, there is need for a broadened view of organization-stakeholder interaction that encompasses both actual and simulated conversations depending on the anticipated effects of organization actions on the stakeholders.

Sea shepherd in dealing with the Japan government can embrace the institutional theory, which explains that, the legitimacy of the organizations, to an extent, depends on the government and other publics goodwill. Therefore, an alternative response would have been that, Sea shepherd is in recognition and appreciation of the perception of the public that it uses violence; however, it needs support from the government and other stakeholders in its endeavor to preserve the marine life, while at the same time respecting the rights of the publics. Indeed, dialogue and cooperation will go a long way in eliminating the stand off and providing amicable solution to the issue.

In responding to the Greenpeace, Sea shepherd, needed to outline the failures of Greenpeace as an organization in relation to its objective in protecting the whales. Sea shepherd should device a public relation mechanism of responding to issues in more objective way than narrowing down to particular individuals, for example, (priority, objectivity and veracity, according to Edgett, 2002). That is why the two-way symmetric model is relevant to the organization in communicating to its publics, because it enhance consensus building and also focus on the interests of others, and which Sea shepherd need to promote at all times in regard to its status (Emma, 2010).

The stakeholders are the most important to the organization (Hass, 2003); hence communication from the organization should be of building confidence and dispelling any doubt among them. Therefore, an alternative response would have been to appreciate and respect the role played by Greenpeace while at the same time calling for a true and cooperation in serving the society, given that their goals are almost directed to the same course.

Conclusion

Sea Shepherd has always actively played its role in the protection of the marine ecosystem, more so in thwarting the unlawful and indiscriminate whaling in the high seas. This is despite the various challenges it faces in the form of opposition from the proponents of whaling, more so Norway and Japan. However, the main challenge that the organization faces is the issue of PR especially when dealing with its publics. Indeed, its actions have, in some instances, been viewed as detrimental to the society although some publics provide support for such actions.

Basically, the actions of an organization may either promote or destroy the image or reputation of the organization, thus proper strategies of PR are important. It therefore becomes important to the Public relations department to be more innovative and effective in dealing and responding to the criticisms. The image that Sea shepherd needs to create should be one of positively rectifying the organizational perception in the publics, while at the same time, satisfying the needs of its publics through honest and reliable information.

References

Childers, L. (1989). Models of Public Relations: Contrasting Features and Ethical Dimensions. Web.

Corrigan, M. W. and Mortensen, D. (2004). Conceptualizing a Strategic Communication Process Model for Crisis-Mode Public Relations Management. Web.

Edgett. R. (2002). Toward an Empirical Framework for Advocacy in Public Relations. Journal of Public Relations Research. Web.

Emma, D.P. (2010). The pathways of successful entrepreneurial women in public relations: Ethics, theoretical models of practice, and motivating factors. Web.

Greenpeace. (2006). Letter to Paul Watson. Web.

Grunig, J. E, Grunig, L. A. and Dozier, D.M. (2002). Excellent public relations and effective organizations: a study of communication management in three counties. NJ, Routledge. Web.

Hass. T. (2003). Toward an ethic of futurity. Management communication Quarterly. Web.

Lieber, P.S. (2003). Ethics in public relations: Gauging ethical decision-making patterns of public relations practitioners. Web.

Patel, A. M., Xavier, R. J. and Broom. G. (2005). Toward a model of organizational legitimacy in public relations theory and practice. Proceedings International Communication Association Conference. Web.

Paun, M. (2010). Perceptions on the Effectiveness of communication between Public institutions and Journalists through social media. University of Bucharest.

Rawlings, B. and Stoker, K. (N.d). Dealing with paradox in public relations: A change of perspective offers hope for progress in the profession. Brigham University. Web.

Sea Shepherd. (2006). Greenpeace responds to Sea Shepherds Accusations. Web.

Sea Shepherd. (2007). How we destroyed the Nisshin Maru. Web.

Sea shepherd. (2006). The Truth about Greenpeace and Whaling. Web.

Sea Shepherd. (1994). Sea Shepherds Record of Violence. The High North News Extra, no. 7. Web.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. (N.d). Sea Shepherd News. Web.

Abstract

The reputation of a company determines, to a large extent, its profitability and consumer sentiment. Businesses that are alive to this fact tend to observe better care of how they are perceived. Those that fail to work on their image suffer terribly by registering lower sales and recording little, or no growth. In the event of incidences that hurt the companys standing with the public, speedy and sincere actions are called for to ensure that the firms image does not bear the brunt of such occurrences. The need to have a public image that is positive is not monopolized by companies. Individuals also ought to take greater care of their status with others. A tainted reputation could hurt ones professional and personal life. This is especially true for political leaders and those who are under the constant gaze of the media.

Politicians rocked by scandals could suffer defeat in an election, and such scandals bring into disrepute the office borne by the individual politician. Celebrities such as musicians need to keep a clean record in their interactions with the public. A soiled reputation could lead to infamy and attacks from members of the public, as has been the case with some celebrities lately. This essay examines the public relations efforts of the yoga wear company, Lululemon Athletica. This follows the public uproar following comments made by the companys leadership (Bhasin 2014). The paper discusses the events that necessitated the subsequent public relations efforts.

It evaluates the success of the public relations policies and procedures used and the theories behind these strategies. The article also relates the tools and practices used by Lululemon to known and widely adopted crisis and issue management policies. The essay concludes by discussing the need for good public relations practices paying particular attention to the strategies employed by Lululemon Athletica.

Lululemon Athletica

In 2013, Lululemon Athletica was confronted with a public relations nightmare. The company found itself in this position after a comment made by its Chairman, Mr Chip Wilson. Mr Wilson issued an apology, and the company recalled 17% of its products that were determined to be defective (Clifford 2013). This paper addresses the failure of the PR actions taken by the company and relates them to crisis management practices.

Mr Wilson issued an apology where he said that he was saddened by his actions (Edwards 2013). The company also implemented a change in its leadership with Mr Wilson stepping down as CEO but maintaining his position as the chairman of the companys board of directors (Edwards 2013). This was seen as an attempt aimed at cooling the public outrage that followed Mr Wilsons comments. This act is in keeping with recommended crisis management planning, where the leader leads the charge in repairing damaged reputations. The new leadership has been acclaimed as being alive to the needs of their customers (Ho 2014).

In the wake of complaints from its customers regarding product quality, the company initiated a recall exercise. The customers received a refund and the company allowed for the option of an exchange for other pants (Lustrin & Janis 2014). The public relations theory of corrective action was thus employed in an attempt to reverse the damage done by dealing with the cause of the crisis. This effort was hampered by the customer complaints of difficulty in securing refunds.

The strategies used by Lululemon have been largely unsuccessful. In early 2014, the company registered disappointing performance (Berg 2014). The companys stocks on the NASDAQ traded at a two-year low (Berg 2014). The poor performance was fuelled by the intensely negative media coverage of Lululemon. The media exploited the framing effect of the press, where events of little significance are compounded. This highlights the sweeping powers the press exercises over public thought and perceptions. The comments by the companys then CEO, Mr Wilson, infuriated women and led to a boycott of the companys products. Lululemon Athletica has had to deal with shaky investor confidence. The companys stock has been underperforming, recording a 17% slump in value (Berg 2014).

The companys shareholders filed a lawsuit against the companys leadership alleging that the company failed to reveal the defects (Reuters 2014). Corrective action by the companys leadership could mitigate the effects of the crisis. Addressing the entry of the defective measures could have prevented the lack of investor confidence.

The companys efforts have failed to deliver the results hoped for as competitors have moved in to capitalize on the blunders. The company had to recall 17% of its products that were found to be defective (Clifford 2013). The company was forced to consider entry into other markets that it did not previously serve.

The companys efforts have been met by a response from tabloids that paint the company in a negative light (Peterson 2013). The shareholders question the ability of the leadership to steer the company towards profitability and improve the companys image. Given the failure of the company to address this matter, it becomes clear that the company does not accord this situation due to attention. Situational theory suggests the need to identify a problem in a good time and try to resolve it before it deteriorates. At a shareholders conference, the CEO was accused of failing to uphold the companys ideals (Peterson 2013).

Mr Wilson issued an apology that was posted online. However, the apology was viewed as insincere and failed to address the customers who had been offended by his remarks. Mr Wilsons apology was received with angry comments on social media, and he was insulted (Lustrin & Janis 2014). In the apology, the chairman failed to mention his wrongdoing and instead used the opportunity to rally the companys employees, urging them to maintain their culture.

The companys reputation suffered mainly due to the framing effects of the media. The company had a record of delivering quality products and was among the leaders in the yoga wear industry. Before the scandalous incidents, the company enjoyed positive customer sentiment and had an extensive customer base. However, following the remarks by the companys chairman, the companys image was plunged into a state of virtual irreparability. This incident highlights the framing theory, which points to the medias power of influencing and defining public opinion (Chong & Druckman 2007). Lululemon also resorted to applying this theory to reverse the damage that the negative publicity had done to its reputation. The company released statements and embarked on campaigns to restore investor and customer confidence, including a presentation in 2014 for its shareholders (Peterson 2013).

The decision by the company, through its chairman, to issue an apology for the remarks, is in keeping with widely practised crisis management planning. It is recommended that the leadership be at the forefront of repairing a companys image and rally the rest of the team towards this course (Bernstein 2011). Bernstein addresses the need for a company to exploit all avenues when building its reputation. Even though the apology only served to inflame an already volatile situation, its execution would have been effective had it carried a different and better message.

As a corrective action, Lululemon recalled its defective products. This is in keeping with the practice in other industries such as a car doing businesses, where faulty vehicles are recalled for repairs or exchanged for other vehicles. Corrective action as a principle in public relations requires that individuals and companies move to address the matter that initiated the crisis in the first place. The management of Lululemon realized the damage that the news of its defective products was doing to its image in good time and intervened with the recall. Even though the recall proved to be costly (Clifford 2013), the gesture indicates the value placed on the standard of their products.

Lululemon employed the practice advocated for by the situational theory of publics that calls for an analysis of the problem and take appropriate action. The theory requires individuals and organizations to assess the level of their involvement in the problem and act accordingly. The crisis that engulfed Lululemon was at the heart of its operations. The company realized this and intervened with measures that have borne some fruit. The companys action identifies it as active publics (Grunig 2013).

Sound and effective public relations efforts that factor in the framing effects of the press, situational and crisis management planning theories, among others, have immense benefits. Companies and individuals are able to enjoy favourable public perception. This drives demand for the companys products and allows for reach to larger masses. Public relations create credibility and allow a company to exercise an edge over competitors who fail to employ the tool efficiently (LawriMore Communications 2014).

In conclusion, Lululemon is set for continued growth with its expansion into other markets. Even though the measures implemented so far to mitigate the effects of the negative publicity the company has received been unsuccessful, analysts predict that the company is poised for success. Its share price has been predicted to revamp in the future, owing to the companys long history of delivering products that deliver consumer satisfaction and value for money.

Reference List

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Bernstein, J 2011, Managers Guide to Crisis Management, McGraw Hill Professional, New York. Web.

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Since the start of my time in undergrad school, I have seen the smoking society that exists among undergrads. This caught my advantage and when I got the chance to think about a brain science related marvel, I chose to complete a more profound investigation and examination on smoking in connection to social collaboration. For this writing survey, I have evaluated three papers to comprehend the connection between smoking, social collaboration and social conduct.

The primary paper is an exploration paper by Robert R. Clark distributed in 2009. In this paper, he examined the standards of conduct of smokers and non-smokers in different circumstances of social communication and co-related it to different practices related to smoking. (Clark, 2009) The examination considered 91 smokers in 117 social settings. The statistic scope of smokers was various as they were taken from various age gatherings, sex and race. The social connection settings included open spots, work spots and private spots. The technique utilized for the investigation was free to field perception and raters of a tape recording of a communication. To guarantee dependability of the technique, autonomous field perception by 14 eyewitnesses was mulled over and was contrasted with that made by the creator and a few raters of conduct were made to break down the tape of a discussion between a smoker and a non-smoker. In any case, the paper did not clarify the techniques obviously and appropriately.

In spite of the fact that the creator attempted his best to make his inspecting and strategies assorted, there are sure frustrates. Right off the bat, as indicated by the information gave in the paper, 76% of the subjects who were made to communicate in various social collaboration settings knew each other from before as either family and companions or work associates. This presents an inclination and makes the discoveries off base because of the relationship elements that are as of now present between the subjects as opposed to smoking. Besides, in spite of the fact that the creator takes measures to guarantee unwavering quality, he doesn’t give enough significance to the legitimacy of the discoveries. Investigating just a single tape by various raters and reaching determinations dependent on it, doesn’t guarantee legitimacy as close to home predispositions can digress the discoveries to a substantial degree.

Aside from these reactions, the paper gives a recommendation which I am thinking about utilizing as a substitute strategy in my test. In this strategy, I can isolate my subjects into six gatherings with each gathering including just smokers and give them a point to talk about yet with two distinct settings over a range of seven days. In the principal setting, smoking would not be permitted and in the second one, it would be permitted. The examination would be drawn on the power and profundity of the discourse in the six gatherings in the two distinct settings.

In the second paper by David and Charles, they contemplated the impacts of smoking on heart rate, uneasiness and state of mind/feelings amid social collaboration. (Gilbert, Spieiberger, 1986) The examination they directed was excessively controlled. The test included 12 subjects, 6 guys and 6 females, who were partitioned into gatherings of 2 of similar sex. The couples were made to sit in space for three unique sessions spread over a time of 3 to 20 days. For every session, the couples were given themes for discourses. Their talking, smoking and time of cooperation were prohibitive and observing. Because of this reason, the subjects may have gotten overpowered by the setup and the guidelines, which may have influenced the manner in which they smoke, talk about and set forth their suppositions. Their heart rate, uneasiness, disposition and inclusion in the collaboration may have varied on account of the mind-boggling nature of the investigation as opposed to the demonstration of smoking or the impact of nicotine. Along these lines, it needs naturalistic surroundings which are perfect for trials which include demonstrations of smoking and social conduct. The exchange ought to have been left open and the sum and force of talking by every one of the members ought to have been surveyed as advising members when to talk and when not to can be driving.

Nonetheless, the underlying piece of the investigation in which a poll is given to the subjects to measure their interests and assessments on different themes can be consolidated in my recently referenced substitute technique. By assessing the reactions to the survey, I can isolate bunches in such a way, that the subjects have distinctive sentiments about specific points. This will help in guaranteeing fascinating and dynamic discussions between the subjects which will thus help in my evaluation.

In the paper, Social Factors of Cigarette Smoking Initiation among Undergraduate College understudies Jane F. Emmerée did broad research on different elements which influence the commencement of smoking among college understudies. In one section, he clarifies the connection between the three logical factors and smoking. One of the factors he talks about is amiability. Indeed, even he concurs that when contrasted with the measure of research on the connection between companions’ conduct and smoking commencement, impacts of smoking on friendliness and social conduct has been considered less widely. However, in general, a set number of longitudinal and cross-sectional examinations have discovered a positive connection between smoking and friendliness or social conduct.

Previously, research and test were done by Cherry and Kiernan in 1976 and Spielberger and Jacobs in 1982 have set up the way that smokers are altogether more probable than non-smokers to be outgoing individuals, as referenced in the survey paper. (Emmerée, 2003) Reading the paper, opened up another part of taking a gander at the connection between smoking and friendliness in a switch way. This implies study should be possible on how extroversion or friendliness impacts non-smokers to start smoking. Despite the fact that my theory builds up a causal connection between smoking and social cooperation, to expand it later on and make it a relationship I can consider the opposite relationship referenced in the audit paper. This won’t just widen my investigation yet will likewise expand its legitimacy which is an exceptionally basic segment of a brain science analyse.

The discoveries of all the three papers appear to have set up a positive relationship among smoking and social conduct or social association. In any case, the strategies utilized are defective. This zone of research could manage the cost of an increasingly objective and solid measure with the end goal for it to be progressively sagacious.

The review of the thematically relevant materials, with respect to how augmented reality (AR) affects the domain of public relations (PR), did provide us a number of preliminary insights into the concerned subject matter. Probably the most prominent of them is that there are indeed many objective reasons to expect the continual incorporation of AR-technologies, within the context of how companies and organizations go about striving to ensure the systemic integrity of their functioning. The rationale behind this suggestion has to do with the fact that the integration of AR into the very philosophy of PR is fully consistent with the most fundamental principles of the human brain’s functioning (Kaul 2013). Consequently, this implies that the process in question is predetermined by the logic of historical progress.

As it is seen by Hilken et al. (2017), the most apparent advantage of investing in AR-technologies, on the part of managers, is that their willingness to do it will result in strengthening the organization’s competitive stance. After all, many studies indicate that one’s exposure to AR reduces a decision-making uncertainty in the individual by mean of presenting him or her with the personally relevant and spatially sound context. In turn, this naturally prompts the person to engage with the latter in an emotionally-charged manner – something that has a strongly positive effect on the organization’s ability to reach out to people.

Yet another advantage of incorporating AR in the PR-paradigm of a commercial organization is that one’s positive managerial decision, in this regard, is likely to result in providing consumers with a strong incentive to think of this organization’s products and services as such that represent a high “perceptional value” (Bulearca & Tamarjan, 2013). The explanation behind such a seeming phenomenon has to do with the fact that, for as long as the functioning of a person’s limbic system (in charge of assessing the actuality of the externally induced stimuli) is concerned, there is no difference between the simulated reality and the factual one. What it means is that the deployment of AR technologies in organizational settings will enable the practicing organization to provide its clientele with a powerful incentive to remain loyal.

Therefore, it does not come as a particular surprise that, as Pedro, Stoyanova and Coelho (2018) noted, “Augmented Reality interface produces a higher emotional response” (p. 7493). Evidently enough, by ensuring that their organization keeps up with the ongoing progress in the field of AR-technologies, managers are able to take practical advantage of the fact that, despite people’s ability to indulge in the cause-effect reasoning, their behavior is driven by purely biological motivations. This can be seen as yet another indication that, as time goes on, the “augmentation” of different PR-activities will continue to gain an ever higher momentum.

At the same time, however, some authors suggest that there is still much ambiguity about the concerned practice, in general, and its organizational implications, in particular. Among the foremost contributing factors, in this regard, is commonly mentioned the comparative recentness of PR, as a systemically sound approach to ensuring the operational efficiency of an organization, as well as the paradigm’s paradoxical subtleties that most PR-practitioners tend to overlook (Stoker 2014). After all, as it was revealed by the mentioned author, there is a strongly defined political sounding to the PR-related discourse, in general, and its value-based aspects, in particular. Consequently, this undermines the axiomatic integrity of most contemporary conceptualizations of PR, as such that supposedly represent the value of a “thing-in-itself”. The rationale behind this suggestion is reflective of the fact that the very passage of time has a notable effect on what managers tend to perceive to be the notion’s practical implications.

Investigative Approach

The strongly phenomenological nature of the would-be undertaken research presupposes the appropriateness of conducting it within the methodological framework of a qualitative inquiry (Gergen, Josselson & Freeman, 2015). Among the main supporting considerations, in this regard, can be mentioned the subject matter’s innovative nature and the fact that, as of today, the practice of incorporating AR as a part of PR-management is still through its initial developmental phase. What this means is that while addressing the task, a researcher will need to take into consideration the transformative essence of the matter that is about to be investigated – the idea that correlates well with the conceptual provisions of a qualitative research, as a whole (Landrum & Garza, 2015).

There will be two phases to the data collection process – empirical and interpretative. The former will involve asking the sampled participants (PR-practitioners) to provide answers to the questionnaire-based questions of relevance, codifying the received responses, and subjecting the codified data to both the correlation and regression analyses. While conducting the correlation analysis a researcher will seek to confirm the presence of the casuistic relationship between the varying aspects of how PR-practitioners go about taking practical advantage of the available AR-technologies (independent variable), on the one hand, and the measurable effectiveness of the enacted PR policies (dependent variable), on the other. The main objective of conducting a regression analysis will be to identify the dialectical aspects of the relationship in question. The research’s interpretative phase will involve discussing the discursive implications of the would-be obtained statistical insights into the analyzed issue in conjunction with the findings of the earlier conducted studies of thematic relevance (Sousa 2014).

Throughout the study’s entirety, a researcher will aim to test the validity of the following hypothetical presuppositions:

• H1: “The incorporation of AR within the operational paradigm of PR is likely to increase the effectiveness of the latter”.
• H2: “The concerned practice correlates well with what contemporary psychologists know about how people tend to perceive the surrounding natural environment and their place in it”.
• H3. “The main effect of AR on PR is that it reduces the factor of uncertainty within the context of how the affected individuals come up with executive decisions – hence, making it much easier for PR-practitioners to address their professional responsibilities.
• H4: “There is a positive correlation between the measure of a particular PR policy’s “saturation” with AR and the extent of the practicing organization’s functional competitiveness”.
• H5: “As time goes on, AR will continue to define the outcomes of PR to an ever larger extent”.

The main limitation of the suggested methodological approach to conducting the proposed study is that while collecting and analyzing the data, a researcher will be tempted to come up with the value-based judgments, concerning the discursive implications of would-be obtained analytical acumens into the issue (Trafimow 2014).

At the same time, however, the suggested methodological format to conducting this research presupposes that, in the aftermath of having gone through the study’s empirical phases, a researcher will be able to acquire a systemic understanding of how AR affects PR (Katz 2015). Moreover, there is also a good reason to assume that the research’s findings should prove to be of a high practical value to PR specialists. Finally, the proposed research should contribute towards helping the latter to realize what is going to account for future challenges in their field of specialization.

References

Bulearca, M & Tamarjan, D 2013, ‘Augmented reality: a sustainable marketing tool?”, Global Business and Management Research, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 237-252.

Gergen, K, Josselson, R & Freeman, M 2015, ‘The promises of qualitative inquiry’, American Psychologist, vol. 70, no. 1, pp. 1-9.

Hilken, T et al. 2017, ‘Augmenting the eye of the beholder: exploring the strategic potential of augmented reality to enhance online service experiences’, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 45, no. 6, pp. 884-905.

Katz, J 2015, ‘A theory of qualitative methodology: the social system of analytic fieldwork’, African Review of Social Sciences Methodology, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 131-146.

Kaul, V 2013, ‘Plugging in: new PR technologies’, SCMS Journal of Indian Management, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 33-53.

Landrum, B & Garza, G 2015, ‘Mending fences: defining the domains and approaches of quantitative and qualitative research’, Qualitative Psychology, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 199-209.

Pedro, Q, Stoyanova, J & Coelho, A 2018, ‘Augmented reality versus conventional interface: is there any difference in effectiveness?’, Multimedia Tools and Applications, vol. 77, no. 6, pp. 7487-7516.

Sousa, D 2014, ‘Validation in qualitative research: general aspects and specificities of the descriptive phenomenological method’, Qualitative Research in Psychology, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 211-227.

Stoker, K 2014, ‘Paradox in public relations: why managing relating makes more sense than managing relationships’, Journal of Public Relations Research, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 344-358.

Trafimow, D 2014, ‘Considering quantitative and qualitative issues together’, Qualitative Research in Psychology, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 15-24.

Abstract

The field of public relations has been identified by scholars as a very dynamic industry that has been under constant change. This change has been warranted by the particular fact that the target population that public relations depends on is always exposed to a number of environmental factors that are in themselves changing.

The fact that there has been a constant change in the field has meant that professionals in the field have had to review their practices to suit the demands of their target population. This has kept them on their toes, which has ensured that they apply a certain level of creativity in their daily practices.

While some people may identify the volatility in the field as an uncertainty, others may note that it is encourages positive change, which in turn ensures efficiency and cost effectiveness in customer service (Evans and McKee, 2010). This paper seeks to explore how the proposed Big Brother legislation impact Public Relations with regards to social networking sites.

Introduction

Businesses all over the world have been applying public relations techniques to keep in touch with their customers. This is often geared at increasing customer satisfaction as well as customer loyalty, which in turn translates to increased profits as well as secured revenue flows for the company (Evans and McKee, 2010).

The current popularity of social media has changed communication not only between individuals, but also among corporate (Loh, 2006). This has warranted its adoption in the public relations strategies of companies as they seek to reach more customers in the market.

The advent of social media as a communication platform has provided businesses with a cheap and more reliable form of communication that has been identified to produce even better results than the previously adopted forms of communication. Some of the commonly used social media sites include Facebook, Twitter,Linkedin, MySpace and YouTube (Barfield and Welfens, 2003).

These have been identified to be quite popular especially with the youth. It is identified that every company is currently trying to capture a huge following of the youthful population in their market so as to take advantage of their loyalty for future revenue flows (Laudon and Traver, 2007).

While the social networking field may be identified to be quite liberalized and free, a couple of recent legislations are threatening to undermine this autonomy through restrictions and regulations. These have been identified as outright threats not only to the free communication of people, but also to that of corporate.

The need to ensure that these legislations do not see the light of day has forced a number of organizations to sponsor some rather radical campaigns aimed at discouraging the support of their enactment.

While the reasons raised by the legislators on their campaigns may identify to be valid to some point, they still remain a threat to free speech and development of the social networks. The impact of such legislations has, however, been identified by some analysts to be less of a threat on the business community since they are mainly targeted at issues of national security.

The need to understand the impact of the legislations on the field of public relations lies in the need to identify efficient forms of communication that will ensure that a company interacts with its customers in a cost effective way (Loh, 2006). It is identified that the public relations department in every company is responsible for identifying and receiving customer complaints as well as giving the appropriate feedback.

The more people that a company can communicate on a one-on-one basis with, the more successful their public relations strategies are (Laudon and Traver, 2007). The need to communicate directly with more people is not limited to the public relations department alone as it is also a major concern for the marking department in their endeavor to fulfill the company’s marketing strategies.

The need to increase customer satisfaction often forces companies to invest in communication infrastructure that will make them reach as many people as possible (Barfield and Welfens, 2003).

The current developments in technology that have warranted the development of the internet has reduced the amount of money invested in communication as well as increased the number of people that are communicated to and the efficiency of the communication in terms of quality (Evans and McKee, 2010).

Literature review

According to Evans and McKee 2010, social media is a platform that has salvaged the field of public relations from increased challenges as previous communication platforms only allowed the customers to communicate between them, leaving the business to play the role of a spectator who is unable to salvage the situation (Evans and McKee, 2010).

The advent of social media has allowed organization to control both positive and negative information about them that may be circulating in the market.

This has allowed them to maximize the impact of positive information while at the same time reducing the impact of negative information in the market (Doyle, 2002). Companies are in a position to clarify negative information that may be in the market or at times contact the source of the negative information directly and try to resolve any inefficiency that the person may have had with the company’s goods or services.

Social networks also serve as a cheap marketing tool where customers who are satisfied with good services or products from a particular company, recommend the same to their family and friends (Anderson, 2010). This has a multiplying effect where more people recommend the same to their friends and increase the number of customers that a company serves in the market.

Customer satisfaction is one aspect of public relations that most organizations are keen on improving and upholding. Most organizations engage in social media conversations so as to identify the personal needs of their customers and ensure that they fulfill them.

The fulfilling of personal needs is often identified to increase customer satisfaction and build customer loyalty, which in turn translates to future revenue flows and market security as well as an increased competitive edge in the market (Miletsky, 2010). It is also identified that the communication between a company and its customers is often valued in market as the customer identifies more with the company and becomes more loyal.

Loyal customers are harder to poach and any competitors that may be advancing on to such a loyal market will obviously have a harder time marketing their products to the loyal population (Anderson, 2010). The need to understand market forces also leads market researcher to scrutinize the social media traffic on particular companies through key word searches (Laudon and Traver, 2007).

The understanding of these market forces then allows companies to make major decisions on how best to serve the market and increase customer satisfaction through the serving of customer needs that their competitors are yet to identify and serve (Doyle, 2002).

This particular debate is not limited to the corporate scene as it is identified that the particular legislations that are being suggested may have a negative impact on the democracy of the country in regard to the freedom of speech and association (Evans and McKee, 2010). It has also been identified that the right to privacy may be compromised as the personal communication between individuals will be scrutinized.

What is, however, unclear is the particular autonomy that the corporate world has enjoyed in regard to communication (Tuten, 2008). While some people may identify that the information associated with corporate may not be identified as a risk against national security, there is still a need to ensure that there is as little interference in the communication as possible.

The need to reduce the effects of this legislation has warranted a number of reviews, but this has not had the desired success in increasing its popularity among the corporate as well as the general population (Laudon and Traver, 2007). This is mainly because the legislators have ignored the basic principle that ensures the development of social networks all over the world, which is autonomy (Müller, 2011).

The freedom to say anything that one may want to say at anytime and about anyone has often led people to appreciate social networks more than any other forms of communication. The current generation is identified to be quite jittery about any personal information that may be leaked to a third party especially in a network that guarantees their anonymity (Miletsky, 2010).

The breeching of this anonymity has the negative effect of discouraging people from engaging in any conversation over unsecure platforms, which would then end up making the platform redundant (Laudon and Traver, 2007). The redundancy that may be experienced after reduced traffic on social sited may kill social sites, which would not only be a loss to the society as a whole, but also the organizations that have grown to depend on them in their communication with their customers and clients.

According to Müller 2011, the problem lies in the particular perception that the population will have on the use of social media in communication. It is identified that social media as a platform to communicate with the environment, has thrived on the fact that it has given people the freedom of expressing themselves in a number of ways that they were not able to in the past.

The fact that this has also come at an almost negligible cost to them has increased its popularity even further. The undermining of the basic principles that ensure the efficiency of the social networks as well as their popularity will eventually discourage people from using them (Miletsky, 2010).

This will in turn make social networks an obsolete platform of communication, which will then result in its shunning by public relations officials (Tuten, 2008). The lack of a viable communication platform that is cheap and efficient will obviously have a negative impact on the public relations strategies of a company.

Some of the obvious implications will be the lack of customer satisfaction as well as the lack of control over the information that circulates in the market. The field of public relations is identified to thrive in the availability of information (Laudon and Traver, 2007).

The more recent the information, the better placed a public relations team is in dealing with their customers as well as potential customers in the market.

Social media has helped organizations in keeping track of public perceptions of their products in the market and even though the organizations may not be directly affected by the legislation, it is almost certain that this legislation will spell doom on social media, which would in turn negate the advances made in the field of public relations (Doyle, 2002).

Research questions

This research is meant to identify how the proposed ‘Big Brother’ legislation impact the public relations efforts of business with regards to the social networking sites that are currently in use by the corporate. This is done against the following hypotheses:

H1: The ‘Big Brother’ legislation will discourage free communication on social networks.

H2: The ‘Big Brother’ legislation will negate the developments made by public relations departments in different companies.

Methodology

This section of the study involves the survey of the ‘Big Brother’ legislation in relation to its impact on the public relations efforts of business with regards to the social networking sites as well as other e-business organizations and it employs on-line and postal questionnaire surveys (Punch, 2006).

There is more preference of online surveys since they are more efficient, have downloadable responses to questions, are fast, are unlimited in content access, convenient, they seek a response to every question and they are technology based (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2007).

The collected data, which is in form of answers to the questions asked in the questionnaires, is then transferred to particular statistical packages where they are then analyzed (Fisher, 2004). Where the online survey cannot yield substantial responses there is the use of mail surveys that are meant to complete the data collection process (Punch, 2006).

Tools for Data Collection

There is the development of a set of questions, which evaluate the ‘Big Brother’ legislation impact the public relations efforts of business with regards to the social networking sites on organizations (Walliman, 2004). The questionnaire is divided into sections that had open-ended questions as well as closed questions that are presented on a likert scale (Bryman and Bell, 2003).

The whole online survey questionnaire is provided to the respondents in HTML pages, which have a submit option at the end after they have been completely filled. There was the provision of a tracking number after the submission of a page.

This allows the respondents to continue with the next page at their own convenience especially if they feel constrained by time (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2007). These questionnaires were sent to a randomly selected population of 700 respondents who were engaged in a business of any kind that adopts social networks as a platform to further their public relations programs (Bryman and Bell, 2003).

The questionnaires are sent through email and are accompanied by a short description of the research objectives. This short explanation is meant to inform the respondents of the purpose of their contributions to the study and it reiterated the significance of the study (Müller, 2011).

There is also the use of hard copy questionnaires, which are sent along with a cover letter detailing the purpose of the research as well as the questionnaire (Fisher, 2004). It also includes a link for the on-line questionnaire for those who would have preferred it and had not received or checked the emails sent to them.

Ethical implications

It is identified that in the process of conducting the research, it is very important to observe a number of ethical guidelines that will ensure that the study is fair to the respondents chosen (Bryman and Bell, 2003). The first is consent where the respondents chosen for the research, have to be communicated to before the interviews are done so as to ensure that they are aware of the study and the purpose behind it (Punch, 2006).

Before the research is done, all the important details on the research, which often include the purpose and the aim behind the study, are provided to the chosen respondents so that they can make an informed decision on participating in the study (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2007). There is the need to ensure the anonymity of the respondents where personal information is not required (Bryman and Bell, 2003).

This is because the study is only interested in their personal opinions on the ‘Big Brother’ legislation impact the public relations efforts of business with regards to the social networking sites and not their personal information (Punch, 2006). The respondents are given the freedom to charter the course of the study and have the option of withdrawing from the research at any time if they wish to cease participating (Fisher, 2004).

Reference list

Anderson, E., 2010. Social Media Marketing: Game Theory and the Emergence of Collaboration. New York: Springer.

Barfield, C, and Welfens, P. 2003. Internet, economic growth, and globalization: perspectives on the new economy in Europe, Japan, and the US. New York: Springer.

Bryman, A, and Bell, E. 2003. Business Research Methods. New York: OUP.

Doyle, G., 2002. Media ownership: the economics and politics of convergence and concentration in the UK and European. New York: Sage.

Evans D., and McKee, J., 2010. Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Fisher, C. 2004. Researching and Writing a Dissertation for Business Students. New York: Pearson Education.

Laudon, K., C. and Traver, G., C. 2007. E-commerce. New Jersey: Pearson-Prentice Hall.

Loh, P. 2006. E-commerce for the global markets. New York: Knowledgeworks Consultants.

Miletsky, J. 2010. Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers. NY: Cengage Learning.

Müller, C. 2011. The Impact of the Internet and Social Media on the Hotel Industry. Berlin: GRIN Verlag.

Punch, K., F. 2006. Developing Effective Research Proposals. London: Sage.

Richard, A. 2002. Big Brother and the National Reading Curriculum: How Ideology Trumped Evidence.Cengage: Upper Saddle River.

Saunders, K, Lewis, P, and Thornhill, A. 2007. Research Methods for Business Students. London: Prentice Hall.

Tuten, T. 2008. Advertising 2.0: social media marketing in a Web 2.0 world. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Walliman, N. 2004. Your Undergraduate Dissertation. London: Sage.