Public Relations Managers

Superheroes in Disguise

Public Relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and the public and is commonly shortened and referred to as PR. A career in PR involves gaining understanding and support for your clients and trying to influence opinion and positive behaviors. You may have heard somebody say “that’s great PR” about a commercial for a brand, or a donation to a charity from a washed up celebrity. One of the most important duties of  Public Relations managers is crisis management.

In 1996, Odwalla Good’s apple juice was contaminated with E.coli resulting in one death, 60 becoming sick, and more than 20 lawsuits. Odwalla demonstrated fantastic PR by immediately recalling all Odwalla products containing apple or carrot juice and the CEO accepted responsibility when talking to the media and vowed to pay all medical costs for those affected by the outbreak. Odwalla also released daily press briefings that updated the public along with full-page newspaper ads and a website explaining the situation. This created a sense of concern for the safety of the public and demonstrated the company’s willingness to take full responsibility for their mistake. Today, the company has been bought by Coca-Cola for $186 million.

Launching a new product is also where PR is crucial for success, and Apple is winning in that department. Apple creates a good deal of media hype around each new product before release by following some rules to live by in the PR world:

• Establishing what is newsworthy about the product
• Creating a buzz with social media
• Writing a media release
• Encouraging and dispensing Product Reviews
• Holding an Event
• Continuing the hype after release

It’s not hard to believe that when Apple is launching a new iPhone that people camp out for days to be the first to have their hands on it.

Lastly, great Public Relations Managers know how to be a skilled storyteller and put a spin on media to persuade public opinion in favor of their brand. Here at Velocity Agency, we know that spinning the news isn’t generating propaganda or blatantly lying but a tasteful skill that requires skill and experience. Our entire staff is well versed in the art of public relations that will make your brand stand apart from the crowd. If you are looking for a team that will help your brand attract not just clients and customers but fans, give us a call today.