Components and Tools of Public Relations - Essay Example

Public Relations Introduction InterContinental Hotels Group is a group of companies that has over 4,400 properties, which are situated in over 100 countries. In fact, IHG oversees some of the renowned hotels all over the world. These hotels include Holiday Inn, Crowned Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Intercontinental, Hotel Inn Express and Stay Bridge among others. These varieties are among the indispensible hotels in the business and the world over. Its task is to create ‘Great Hotels with Guest Love’. InterContinental Hotel group have a great strength in people as they make the real difference to the industry and the hotel business as a whole. This ensures that customers receive great service and know-how that are memorable. In fact, the staff gives the guests a friendly welcome upon their arrival while the senior leaders ensure that the hotels provide value to the guests. In essence, the endowed IHG fraternity continuously gives the impression of being of handling issues in a better way and helps make the hotels improve in class. The values of IHG include guiding behavior daily to place them amongst best companies in the world. In this regard, the group has the conviction of doing what they tend to believe is right and the responsibility of making things right. Public Relations Public relations have varied definitions. However, the most important factor is ‘Public Relations’ as a profession that incorporates communication, which is used in the creation and sustainability of favorable image and reputation among its strategic stakeholders who are known as the publics. In essence, this strategy is meant to establish cordial and profitable relationship between InterContinental Hotel Group the public. These publics include directors, customers, suppliers, banks, shareholders media and other people who are related to the company internally or externally (Vasquez and Heath 2001). As a renowned company, InterContinental Hotel Group should be able to come up with public Relation program that revolves around research, planning and evaluation of different programs in the company. The Public Relations Officer in this Company needs to critically identify the pros and cons that the company is surrounded with. The results of the analysis should be able to anticipate company’s future occurrence. This prompts the Public Relations Officer to begin to council or advise management of the organisation in a constructive manner so that challenges can be averted (Weiner 2006). Components and tools of Public Relations Public relations have components and tools that are used in the handling of various issues that are in organisation and particularly InterContinental Hotels Group. Public One tool that is used in Public Relations is known as Public. Public denotes a group of people who have similar interests, problems, circumstances, goals. It has a multitude of wants and desires. It has its likes and dislikes and some times, strong likes and strong dislikes (Vasquez and Heath 2001). Staff members constitute for public and management for public too. Additionally, the state public and citizens constitute another public and many others. Individual groups are public of a sort and try to attract a different audience with its own tools and techniques. For instance, the InterContinental Hotel Group Company has public, which entails customers seeking services from them (Boone and Kurtz 2010). Relations In essence, people want to create the need to establish relations with one another. The wants that are related to individuals proudly affects their relationship. Therefore, in order to understand any relationship, it is crucial to first comprehend the wants of those that are involved. Of importance to note is that, there are various types of relationships. We have relationships such as inferior to superior, equal to equal among others. In fact, relationship may be active or passive, good or bad or better still neutral. At all cost, relationships are acceptable, ignorable altered as pleasure. (Harris 1998). Propaganda Propaganda is the alteration of symbols to transmit accepted attitudes and skills. It explains political application of publicity and advertising, in a large scale, to the end of selling an idea, cause or candidate. All of them can be incorporate (Egan 2007). Campaigns Campaigns consist of concentrated, single –purpose public program, which are usually in a more or less elaborate scale that employs corresponding publicity through the help of the fourth estate an focusing on a number of targets, but focuses on specific objectives. Campaign objectives may include candidate elections, promotions of a political cause or issue, reach of sale goals among others (Hartline and Ferrell 2010). Lobbying Lobbying entails the application of influence, smooth and measured pressure on others that is build upon urging and pressure. In general it expounds on a group putting its points of view forward in an attempt to win other groups support (Egan 2007). Research Fact finding exercise also known as research is a crucial aspect of Public Relations in any organisation. The Public Relations practitioners, in the course of his practice, should engage in a lot of Public research. In essence, the research should be carried out before, during and after InterContinental Hotels Group has conducted major campaigns in the market in a bid to promote its products. Research done before public relations campaigns guarantee that the company is sensitive of the major problems that are on the ground (Jain 2003). For instance, the InterContinental Hotels Group Company should conduct research to establish the problems that are being faces by customers in reference to accommodation and holiday destinations among other services that the company offers. Another research is conducted during the campaigns to find out how the campaign is going. The last research is carried out after the campaigns so as to evaluate the campaign in both success and failure (Lamb 2012). Essentially, public relation is a research based activity. It provides information with which public relation decisions with the InterContinental Hotels Group Company are taken and programs are planned. The research helps in understanding the terrain upon which to operate and how to tread cautiously and carefully in an effort to sustain goodwill for the entire group (Kermani 2006). Evaluation Basically, evaluation involves assessing the results of the programme and the effectiveness of techniques used. It has various phases that have continually been used to analyses various department so as to ensure that there is balanced operation (Dibb et al 2005) Being in the Public Relations department especially in a multinational company like Inter Continental Hotel Group requires lay down strategies which should be used in the evaluation of the market for the services that are being offered. Two crucial faces of the evaluation are the first and the second phase. The first phase of Public Relations process entails recognition and listing out the information to the communicator. The second phase of Public Relations ascertains images that have been existing or the level of awareness in the common public (Green and Keegan 2012). Communication One crucial aspect of Public Relation to any company is communication. Communication is termed as the process of exchanging ideas feelings, messages among other issues between two parties. In essence, everything in an organisation or company revolves around communication. There must be exchange of ideas between the members of the company so as to ensure that it runs smoothly and can handle the entire business, which entails customers, suppliers and other people who make a major contribution in the growth of the organisation (Harris 1998). On the other hand, the client must communicate with the organisation in order to be able to purchase the products and services that are being offered by the organisation. Bearing in mind that InterContinental Hotels Group is an online product provider, the client are able to connect online during the purchasing period. Communication as an aspect of Public relations helps have a break through between InterContinental Hotels Group and the customers. The Public Relation Officer through communication is able to understand all allegations from the clients. In case the customers have complaint, the Public Relation department should be in a position to address any kind of dispute from them (Raab 2010). Moreover, it is through this department where the customers are able to communicate with InterContinental Hotels Group and be able to have free education and enlightenment on products and /or services that they are buying. Persuasive strategies are used in corporate communication where communication that does not consciously integrate elements of persuasion in bound to fail in terms of intent and purpose. This is due to the fact this kind of communication is viewed as a psychological change process, meaning that is application automatically increases the potency of corporate communication (Kotler 2003) InterContinental Hotel Group should place tactful use of logical reasoning patterns, generalization correlative thoughts process and other appropriate measures of persuasion. This helps the organisation in the persuasion of customer into purchasing the services and products that are being offered by the organisation. Corporate social responsibility According to Kotler 2010, Organisation and states have a social responsibility to the society. In essence, there is a need to provide citizens with good facilities such as roads, electricity, employment opportunities among other social facilities. Even though companies are not states, there are continually encouraged to provide some important infrastructures to the communities where they control. In this light, InterContinental Hotel Group should come up with one or several social responsibility projects where they can engage the community at one point or another. The necessity to carry out such projects in the vicinity of the operation areas ensure that InterContinental Hotels Group is seen in good light and is perceived as socially responsible. Kotler 2005 argues that, companies are part of the society in which they exist and operate. Hence, it is important to uphold corporate behavior as one of the roles in society. This implies that InterContinental Hotels Group and other organizations take so much from the society for their survival. This process contributes to the maintenance, well being and growth of the society especially through the executing certain projects that will beneficial to its operation areas. Therefore, corporate social responsibility as intelligent, objective concerns to the welfare of society is responsible of restraining individuals and corporate behaviors from ultimately destructive activities no matter how profitable they are. This leads to a positive contribution to human betterment. InterContinental Hotels Group should ensure that it has gained a reputation for fast service and product delivery, good product quality and good customer care. Additionally, it should also be in a position to have good reputations for fair dealings with its suppliers. Good reputation for projects execution in the community where it operates and the solid achievements with its shareholder (Pride and Ferrell 2012). Through mobilization and strategies that was headed by the Public Relations departments, there has been a broad geographic reach (Weiner 2006). This reach has led to an increase in the facilities to over half a million rooms which are located in nearly 100 diverse countries. This is an opportunity that has been granted to customers especially with the endless number of locations to choose from. InterContinental Hotels has varied portfolios that consist of different brands of full service hotels and resorts aimed at satisfying distinct consumer needs. This pertains to all the Hotels & Resorts that this group manages. Through strategic PR, the IHG has been able to allow for great economies of scale and the capability to capitalise on the wider base of the consumer. Moreover, the PR department has been able to strengthen the position of the IHG into becoming one of the most popular international brands names particularly in China, which is a country that is enjoying strong growth in hotels industries. This has been influenced by the improvement on economy, infrastructure development and the growth of foreign tourism (Westwood 2011). In the recent past, the InterContinental Hotel Groups had managed to have a total of 1720 hotels, which equaled to around 200,000 in the pipeline development. This led to a huge competitive advantage to the company because it has continually brought together a global presence and capitalization of tourism and travel abroad. Growth opportunities have continually being put on toes by the Public Relations (Wong 2010). This company has been able to maintain an escalating trend with the sales being expected to be more than that the present situation. There is continuous expansion of the hotel internationally. For instance, IHG has been able to continuously develop its international pipeline aggressively leading to more returns economically. In the last one decade, the company has experienced significant increases in construction prices, especially due to the slowdown in demand for construction due to the collapse in residential construction. The group has strong strategic objectives and challenges that have continually being held by the Public Relation departments. Four strategic priorities have been practiced. They include brand performance, excellent hotel returns, marketing scale and knowledge and aligned organisation. The performance of the brand has led to development of attractive brands that have market relations that are comprehensible in response to the market rivals. Additionally, the excellent hotel returns have created higher returns through revenue delivery and improved efficiency in managing and operating the whole group. The scale and information that is gathered from the market in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world have increased profitable growth in the largest market especially outside the UK hence, enabling the company to have scale (Boone and Kurtz 2010). Of importance to note is that alignment of the company is crucial as it assist in the creation of an effective company with strong core capabilities. These core capabilities have enabled the company to grow tremendously in the market with speculation of leading the market in the near future (Weiner 2006). As of present IHG has a five year implementation of a strategic plan incorporate with a further expansion. This will help increase its value to members, as well as, enhance profitability to the company. The strategic plan that is part of the Public Relation plan for IHG is a road map to success. Basically, it has provided continuous support and access to key corporate information to the members and the external market, which consist of the clients’ suppliers among other groups of people (Vasquez, and Heath 2001) The impact of public relation is felt all over the IHG especially with the fact that the group of hotels is able to have increase in opportunities. Through the department, IHG has being able to give variety of options to clients who intend to travel to some parts of the world. It is also possible for the client to have their queries answered while they get specification on the seasonal offers that are being granted by different brand that are relate to IHG. Good Public Relation ensures that the clients are able to get the reception that they pay for including all the necessities that they may require during the time when they are using the services that are being provided by IHG (Kotler 2010) Need for Public Relations According to Vasquez, and Heath 2001, any investment on Public Relations significantly assists a company in achieving its objective effectively and effortlessly. Never the less, Public Relations do not entail creating a good image for a bad team as false image is not sustainable. The presence of having good products or services must be accompanied by an effective Public Relations campaign. This ensures that the company, IHG can attract, motivate the public to the services that they are offering or towards the purpose of the program. This encourages public involvement and a better image (Kermani et al 2006) An effective Public Relation creates and builds up the image of the organisation. In case the company is under crisis, the effective Public Relations is in a position to wipe off the misunderstanding by explaining to the public what the issue is all about and making them understand. This creates a reciprocal consideration involving the company and the public (Boone and Kurtz 2010). Public Relations established a relationship among IHG and all the clients that seeks services at any of its branches. As a science, it has come up with give-and-take understanding and good will bearing in mind that the company associates itself with one of the best economic building activity that has several and different types of clients who come from all parts of the world (Dibb et al 2005). These people require a lot of attention and information so as to enable them use the services that IHG is offering. As a department, Public Relations take an assessment process so as to understand how the public perceives the company and the services that it offers and the attitudes towards them. Moreover, the company is able to understand the interest of the public hence prepares it to execute the programmes that entail communication between the company and the public (Green and Keegan 2012) In regard to this, InterContinental Hotel Groups must have a continuous planned effort which should be manageable. Relationship between IHG and its public should be warm. There must be constant evaluation of the attitudes and opinions of the public by the company. It is crucial to have policies, procedures and actions that are related to what the public perceives it as. IHG as a company must make steps to ensure that policies it has created are well implemented and the procedures that are carried out during when they offer services with regard to public interest and socially responsible. Conclusion Public relations are rated among the crucial department in an organisation or company. 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