Public Relations and Press Releases – Essential for Business

Public Relations (PR) and Press Releases are the popular buzzword in marketing and advertising and essential for the survival and growth of a company. However, many companies many not fully understand the importance, significance, or main objectives of public relations and press releases. The objectives of public relations and press releases are as followed:



• Establish a company's credibility

• Maintain or repair a company's reputation

• Introduce a new product or service, and market a business

• Promote a favorite cause or issue

• Business awareness.



One of the main goals of a public relations department is to enhance and/or protect a company's reputation. Companies want to make sure their reputation is displayed in a positive light at all times. Companies do not want a negative issue to potentially tarnish their image. Public relations is important because it can protect the reputation of the company by constantly making the company more appealing and interesting to both the public and the media.



In today's extremely competitive business world, companies are constantly seeking new ways to develop the edge on their competitors and stand out from the crowd. The use of public relations can help companies become creative in introducing new products or services to the market and/or increase the demand for a current product or service. Companies hope that by using PR, they will raise the public's consciousness about a product, service, individual, or issue and supply a full understanding of how the company and its products work. Creating demand for a product helps companies build rapport with employees, customers, investors, voters, or the general public.

Public relations, by far, is the most economical way to reach mass audiences. Public relations includes the creation and distribution of information, primarily in the form of stories, published or broadcast by mass media such as newspapers, magazines, television and radio. Because the media do not charge for publishing these articles, but consider them valuable for their readers, PR has the power to reach millions of people for very little money, generating many valuable sales leads. According to marketing.about.com, public relations if done right can reach a large audience without the expensive cost of traditional advertising and marketing.

Studies show that PR carries a higher credibility factor than traditional marketing or advertising vehicles, and has seven times the credibility of advertising.

Press releases are usually written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media to announce the newsworthy material for the purpose of gaining positive publicity. Companies will usually fax, mail, or e-mail their newsworthy announcements to assignment editors at newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television stations, and/or television networks, and online resources. Companies must also remember to make sure that their press releases do not sound like an advertisement, and only contain newsworthy information about the product or service they're offering to customers. Press releases are more than just advertising the product or service; it provides genuine information that is of value to the people.

Press releases, if done right, can also save a business from the brink of extinction if their image has become negatively affected in the media. For example, Toyota recently released a press release stating that "Consumers who have to make repairs because of safety defects caused by the company should not have to bear additional expense and inconvenience, and we will provide these services to customers at no cost," in regards to recent defects in many of the Toyota cars. Doing this may have saved Toyota as a company from falling off. In other words, press releases are the best way of reaching out to people, without going unnoticed.



Press releases have been long used in the field of public relations as a powerful publicity tool to build business awareness. The different forms of media will publish an announcement from a company if their news story peaks interest. People are always interested in the news and are always looking for an interesting story. Businesses can release press releases to not only give people good stories to read and/or look at, but to also make a name for their company. The more publicity a company does for its' goods and services, and the more they stay in the news, the more that business gets recognized everywhere. To sum things up, press releases are important because they provide the best way to get a businesses' name into the minds of their target audience, as well as build rapport with them.



Without the use of public relations and press releases, companies are virtually unable to market their business to its' full potential. Today's recession has been ruining the dreams of many business owners. Newer, smaller businesses are having a harder time lifting their company off the ground, and larger businesses are having a hard time staying afloat. Business slump has not only dampened the overall business growth perspective, but has further faded the chances of small businesses becoming successful. The use of PR and press releases are not only very effective in marketing a business to a mass audience, but also an inexpensive investment for companies trying to survive in today's rough economy. As long as companies continue to implement PR and press releases on a constant basis, they will not have to fear that their business will plummet, and/or go ignored. Public relations and press releases should in fact be an integral part of every company's marketing program to ensure the success of their business.



This article was submitted on behalf of Elliott Creative Marketing (www.elliottcreativemarketing.com).