The different types of PR serve unique purposes in communication and brand management. Brands and organizations must understand these public relations programs to effectively shape their image and how audiences perceive them.
In this article, we'll delve into the various types of PR, how to choose the best one for your business, and the best practices for PR success.
Table of Contents
What Is PR?
According to the Public Relations Society of America, PR is “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
In essence, PR is the business of persuasion. Effective PR promotes ideas, convinces audiences to buy products, publicizes your brand’s accomplishments, or supports your existing brand position. It shapes and manages public perception, creating a favorable image for your brand.
By cultivating trust and goodwill, PR helps brands connect with their audiences and maintain long-term success in a competitive market. Browse the top public relations examples for inspiration.
7 Main Types of PR Programs
PR programs foster positive relationships and enhance brand reputation. The main types of public relations focus on different areas of communication and influence:
- Media relations
- Community relations
- Public affairs
- Crisis communication
- Social media communications
- Internal employee communications
- Strategic communications
1. Media Relations
Media relations is one of the core components of PR and focuses on building and maintaining strong, positive relationships with journalists, broadcasters, bloggers, and other media entities. The goal is to secure favorable and credible media coverage that highlights the following:
- Brand values
- Products or services
- Product launches
- Company milestones
- Expert insights
- Community initiatives
Media relations require a proactive approach, and PR professionals take short- and long-term initiatives to develop these valuable relationships. Crafting compelling press releases and media kits provides newsworthy stories to media outlets, leading to coverage.
Companies can also leverage platforms to get both paid and earned media coverage. They can reach out to potential journalists and bloggers by sending pitches through these platforms, including HARO (Help a Reporter Out). If a journalist finds the pitch newsworthy, they can start working on an article or integrate it into an existing story.
Effective media relations significantly boost popularity and recognition, customer conversions, and broader coverage with subsequent positive effects.
2. Community Relations
Community relations is another vital aspect of PR that focuses on building a meaningful and positive relationship between an organization and a local community. Organizations demonstrate a commitment to being a supportive member of the community, earn their goodwill, and gain a significant competitive edge.
Companies can use different activities as community public relations strategies:
- Sponsoring local events
- Volunteering in community projects
- Supporting charitable causes
The key is to engage in initiatives that resonate with the local population and align with your brand’s values. Effective community relations result in positive connections and long-term partnerships with local entities that boost your brand’s image in the long run.
3. Public Affairs
Public affairs is a specialized type of PR that manages relationships with governmental or regulatory bodies. The primary goal of public affairs programs is to influence public policy and ensure that your organization’s interests are well-represented in the political and regulatory spheres.
Public affairs professionals engage with policymakers at local, state, and national levels. They track relevant legislation and build coalitions with other organizations and trade associations to amplify their voices on key issues.
Effective public affairs programs foster positive relationships with public stakeholders and protect your brand’s long-term interests.
4. Crisis Communication
Crisis communication is a type of PR that focuses on managing brand messaging during times of crisis. There are different types of PR crises, which can be of varying intensity. For example, the company’s founder might engage in a spat with someone on social media, or defects may be discovered in a particular product line. These emerging issues result in a negative public image.
In such situations, crisis communication specialists come to the forefront to mitigate damage, maintain trust, and restore the organization’s image as quickly and effectively as possible. Crisis specialists leverage media coverage, press releases, and social media to clear the air and prevent misinformation that may worsen the situation.
A well-executed crisis communication strategy is honest and transparent. It must show empathy for those affected and outline steps being taken to resolve the problem.
5. Social Media Communications
In the digital age, social media has become a critical component of effective marketing. With over 60% of the global population as social media users, an effective communications strategy for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other platforms is critical for managing public perception.
An effective social media communications strategy involves curating and creating content that resonates with the audiences. Engaging, informative, and relevant content draws audiences in and builds trust. Then, in times of crisis, PR professionals can use these platforms to manage the situation through transparent and empathetic messaging.
By monitoring social channels, PR teams can track public sentiment and promptly address customer feedback. Real-time interactions foster trust and allow your brand to take control of narratives that can negatively impact your image.
6. Internal Employee Communications
Employees are every company’s most valuable assets. Keeping them on the same page and aligned with your brand’s initiatives and intentions is crucial to long-term growth and success. Timely and open internal communications with employees and stakeholders build trust, foster collaboration, and create a positive culture.
Effective internal communication involves the following channels:
- Internal emails
- Newsletters
- Intranets
- Company meetings
- Team collaboration platforms
- Internal communication channels
Executives, managers, and PR professionals share policy updates, company achievements, or crisis information. Employees can also voice their concerns, share feedback, and ask questions, which fosters a productive work environment. Transparent communication also builds trust and reduces the risk of harmful rumors circulating.
Internal communications demonstrate that your brand cares for all employees throughout their tenure with the company. Ultimately, this improves overall performance and job satisfaction.
7. Strategic Communications
Strategic communications involve deploying your brand’s coordinated messages to help achieve specific goals and objectives. This type of PR overlaps with brand building, market positioning, or public advocacy. It ensures that communication efforts are cohesive and reinforce the overall brand vision.
Through strategic communication, controlled messages, and frequent updates, PR experts build a unified brand with customers, media, and employees.
For effective strategic communications, follow these steps:
- Identify your audience: Who do you need to communicate with?
- Set goals and objectives: Why do you need strategic communication?
- Develop your key message: What do you want your target audience to know?
- Draft a tactical plan: How and when should you communicate the relevant messages?
- Identify evaluation measures: How will you know if the communication plan is successful?
How Is PR Different From Advertising?
Public relations and advertising are often referred to interchangeably. However, there are quite a few subtle differences between the two.
The most important difference is that advertising is paid media while public relations is earned media. Advertising is a paid form of promotion where brands purchase space or airtime for ads to appear on various media channels (TV, print, search engines, social media). Your brand has direct control over ad messaging.
In contrast, PR focuses on shaping public perception through organic communication. PR is more credible because it relies on external sources (journalists, influencers, community leaders) to validate your brand’s message.
While PR and advertising are both integral to a well-rounded communication strategy, they serve different objectives and have distinct impacts on public perception.
Role of PR Professionals in the Various Areas of Public Relations
Effective PR strategies foster a positive brand reputation, which leads to long-term audience engagement and company growth. As such, PR professionals are crucial to your organization’s success.
PR professionals are excellent storytellers who create narratives to advance your brand’s messages and agenda. They reinforce your brand identity to capture audiences and formulate effective responses and steps to mitigate damage when issues emerge.
The prominent roles and functions of PR agencies and professionals can be summarized as follows:
- Analyze, anticipate, and interpret public opinions and attitudes toward your brand
- Create and distribute press releases for media coverage
- Assist in creating content for internal and external communications
- Develop a thorough crisis public relations strategy
- Handle media and investor relations
- Liaise with government agencies and regulatory bodies on behalf of the organization
- Communicate effectively with employees
- Connect with public groups and other related organizations on various matters
How To Choose the Best PR Type for Your Business
The best types of PR for your business depend on your industry, target audience, existing PR strategy, and goals. Follow these steps to create the most suitable PR strategy:
- Define your business goals: Are you aiming to build brand awareness (media relations, social media communication), strengthen community ties (community relations), or improve employee satisfaction (internal communication)? There is a relevant PR type for any goal you want to achieve.
- Identify your target audience: Are you targeting local communities (community relations), social media audiences (social media communication), or employees and investors (internal communication)?
- Evaluate your budget: PR programs like media relations and public affairs require a lot of money and resources. Content creation and distribution for social media can be managed in-house and with a limited budget.
- Assess your current environment: Is your brand expanding to a new market or launching new services? Media relations can build awareness and spread the word about your new endeavors. If your business is facing a reputational challenge, you need crisis communication.
- Consider your industry: Different industries require different types of PR. Healthcare, finance, and legal sectors benefit from public affairs to manage relationships with policymakers. Tech and retail companies may focus on media relations and social media to capture audiences.
Most businesses benefit from combining multiple PR types to meet different needs. A comprehensive PR strategy might include media relations to maximize external coverage, community relations to demonstrate social responsibility, and internal communications to keep employees engaged. All brands must also prepare a robust crisis communications strategy.
Tips and Best Practices for PR Campaign Success
To ensure your PR campaign is successful, here are some essential tips and best practices to guide you:
- Know your target audience: Research their media consumption habits and preferences to deliver personalized messages that drive engagement.
- Craft a compelling message: Your PR messaging should be clear, concise, and aligned with your brand values. Ensure consistency across channels to reinforce credibility and recognition.
- Build relationships: Connect with journalists, bloggers, and influencers relevant to your industry. Provide them with timely, newsworthy content to increase the chances of coverage.
- Leverage multiple channels: Maximize reach by distributing PR messages across various traditional and digital channels. Multimedia formats make your content more engaging and shareable.
- Be proactive: Build a positive image consistently over time through proactive strategies and don’t wait for a crisis to happen before you act.
- Evaluate and learn: Monitor PR campaign performance and use these insights to refine future strategies. Improve your approach based on data and experience.
Types of PR Programs Takeaways
The various types of PR programs serve distinct yet interconnected purposes. Each type plays a vital role in shaping public perception, building trust, and managing a brand’s reputation. An integrated approach to PR ensures that all areas work together to reinforce a cohesive and compelling brand image.
When you outsource the services of specialized PR companies, you can benefit from their expertise, fresh perspectives, and access to established media networks. This ensures strategic messaging, enhanced visibility, and effective crisis management.
