Communication Avenue: PR is About Diplomacy

In the past, the term ?Public Relations? (PR) was more to the artificial things such parties, celebrities, socialite lives, and so forth.

In the past, the term ?Public Relations? (PR) was more to the artificial things such parties, celebrities, socialite lives, and so forth. “Right now, companies start to realize that communication activities do not merely depend on advertising and promotion, but more on the endorsement, good reputation, and goodwill,” said Mariane Admardatine, managing director for Ogilvy, at the Communication Avenue event, held by Department of Communication FISIP UPH (10/3).

She acknowledged the differences in the meaning of Public Relations in Indonesia and abroad. In Indonesia, PR is just a small component in a company. While in other countries, PR has broader meaning until advocacy development, digital influence, stakeholders, and organization engagement. PR is also essential in order to build trusts and values for public. The important thing to be maintained from time to time is ?goodwill equality?, that is how other people consider our companies as the good ones. “PR manages a bad issue not by manipulating it, but by creating a positive thought,” said Mariane.

In a critical situation, for example, when a client did a ?slip of the tongue? kind of thing, the most important thing to do is stay cool and confident. “PR is all about diplomacy. Nothing can be done to change something bad that has happened, but to divert people?s attention within 40 hours,” she said. PR should try his/her best to make every sentence that came out as “sweet” and simple as possible in order to win people?s sympathy.

As a reference, in a world of communication there is a composition to reach the audience’s attention; 55% on how we look, 38% on how we sound, and 8% on what we say. Thus, the task of a PR is to take advantage of the 8% and make a key message, which is actually the essential point of a message delivery process. “No clutter, salience, and repetition. Use data to support you, “said Mariane, closing the conversation. (sar)

UPH Media Relations