8 Facts About Public Relation Specialists

Last Updated on September 7, 2023

The food industry is one of the most competitive sectors out there. Companies need to meet customers’ demand requirements (e.g. price, quality and quantity) and simultaneously ensure profits are high enough to allow them to grow. Standing out amongst the crowd and adapting to the consumer can be challenging in this climate. Having good public relations is one approach to stand out among the crowd.

Public relations (PR) is an ongoing, strategic communication process that improves a company’s reputation in the public eye. Those that shape this communication process are known as public relations specialists. Overall, they play a crucial role in shaping public perception, building strong relationships, and maintaining a positive image for the food organizations that they work for.

1. Public relations specialists are facilitators of communication  

At its core, public relations are about communication. PR professionals act as intermediaries between organizations and their target audiences, including customers, employees, investors, and the media. Their primary goal is to convey messages effectively, ensuring transparency and authenticity in all communications. They play a vital role in helping to build and protect brands by preparing for potential issues, addressing crises promptly and highlighting positive aspects of their company. For instance, a PR specialist working at a minority owned business incorporate may choose to promote this as a key message in their press releases and social media posts.

PR specialists will develop messaging on various platforms, from traditional television and film to digital such as Youtube and social media. Although marketing and public relations overlap in goals, the two are different. Marketing is concerned with selling specific products and services, while public relations is focused on improving a brand’s overall image. Overall, Public Relations is a multifaceted profession involving much more than simply disseminating press releases and managing media relations. PR professionals are essential to an organization’s success, serving as communication experts, reputation guardians, and storytellers. Their strategic approach, education, and crisis management are critical in today’s fast-paced and interconnected world.

2. Public relations specialists are reputation guardians

A major aspect of a PR professional’s role is to protect and better the reputation of the client or organization they work for. This involves always being prepared, anticipating potential issues, addressing crises as soon as possible, and constantly highlighting and informing the public about the positive aspects of the brand. For example, a PR specialist may work for a bakery company that prides itself on using sustainably sourced ingredients. One way they may help build a company’s PR is by crafting a narrative that tells the story of how the company came to be the way it is. This narrative would be incorporated into press releases, website content and social media posts.

3. Public relations specialists have an education in Public Relations

To be a public relations specialist you can have an education in a few things. The obvious one is a degree in Public Relations, but you can also have an education in communications, journalism, and depending on the position, an English degree. Today most employers require PR specialists to have a degree in a related field, but some require only a diploma[VH1] .

4. Public relations specialists are multi-platform experts

In today’s digital age, PR professionals must be adept at utilizing various platforms to reach their target audience effectively. From traditional media to every form of social media, PR specialists use multiple platforms of social to engage, inform and respond to the public/stakeholders. Social media management, content creation, and influencer collaboration have become a major part of PR’s toolkit.

5. Public relations specialists are Crisis management experts

When companies/employers face a crisis, their reputations can be severely affected negatively. PR professionals are experts who excel in crisis management. They provide timely responses and strategic guidance that help minimize reputational damage.

For example, a food company may fall victim to a cyberattack that forces the temporary closure of their production facilities. When faced with this challenge the PR specialist will craft strategic messages, coordinate responses, and communicate with the public. The PR expert will attempt to lessen the harm to company’s reputation by providing accurate information and demonstrating the company’s commitment to resolving the issue.

6. Public relations specialists are storytellers and content creators.

PR specialists require the skill of storytelling. Having the ability to be a skilled storyteller allows them to capture the attention of their audiences. They can create compelling narratives that resonate with the public and help showcase company values, successes, and contributions. PR professionals do this through press releases, blog posts, articles, social media, etc. Doing this allows the PR experts to shape a brand’s identity to the public and foster meaningful connections.

7. Public relations specialists are relationship builders

Building and maintaining positive relationships with various stakeholders is a central aspect of a PR professional’s role. There are five key relationships in PR: community relations, employee relations, consumer relations, investor relations, and media relations. PR professionals ensure that key stakeholders feel heard and happy with the organization’s messaging. By fostering connections with the media, industry influencers, customers, and community members, they facilitate open communication channels, garner support and build brand loyalty.

For example, PR specialists often coordinate events and sponsorships, such as food festivals, cooking competitions, and charity events. These events help promote the company’s products and build customer relationships.

8. Public relations specialists are team-players, possess marketing skills and can plan effectively

Being a Public relations specialist requires a wide range of skills. However, there are a few which are more essential than others. Important skills for a public relations specialist to have include:

• Marketing skills: Marketing goes hand-in-hand with public relations as marketing focuses on products or services while public relations is focused on the organization at large. Understanding marketing principles and departmental responsibilities helps to craft more effective messaging. Some examples of marketing skills that might benefit a PR specialist to know include SEO, trend analytics and keyword search. 
• Teamwork: PR professionals collaborate with marketing teams, executives, product managers, and many other departments to align messaging and ensure a consistent brand voice. It’s important that everyone is informed and agrees on public statements or messaging that are going out through the PR team.
• Planning: All public relations campaigns are built on strategic planning because it helps to provide a better chance that messages are correctly communicated. Strategic planning involves developing several long-term and short-term goals. PR specialists know when to send out key messages while also staying flexible enough to know when to change them.