Importance of media relations to business

As, a request I have examined the effects of implementing the corporate communication function by managers relating to media relations. I have also conducted secondary research on how to implement the media relation on our organization and it’s important to our organizations. Similarly, I have also highlighted some issues related to media relations and discuss strategies to achieve long- term plan.

One of the most important corporate communication functions is media relations in every organization. The evolutions of new digital media technology are better than traditional media in the emergence of its content services and delivery platforms nowadays. According to Obrien, A (2014),  Media relations is the systematic well planned mutual co-operative relationship and company interactions with journalists, reports of mass media like television, newspaper, internet. Similarly, the company uses media to communicate information, news, by using different kind of media like twitter, facebook, newspaper, Gmail, likendln, blog, and different online portal. Cherwick, Z (2018), claims that a media relation is how the sender tells a story and what we get the message out through the media relations. Media relations communication has three main part i.e Sender (organization) who send the message, information and the transmitter (media) who gives the information through television, radio, newspaper and the receiver (audience) who read the message and provide feedback. This report will discuss importance of media relations, some issues and strategy of media relations.

The growth of business coverage in the media and building media relations

Media helps to growth in business in a different way. Brand exposure through online and television becomes more recognizable and associate to innovation, quality, and organization leadership.  Through brand exposure company reaches the target customers in effective ways. According to Silva, D (2009), communicating with media regularly makes relation strong and good. Therefore, whenever possible, inform and keep updating with positive and true information. Regular media coverage enhances the organization position. It is important to identify the key media contacts to communicate by informing regularly about organizations activities. For instance, sometimes by taking journalists for lunch, this helps to create a mutual environment. Managers should ensure that the use of media coverage to its full potential. The positive media coverage which appears on television, a popular newspaper, article, a social site like facebook, twitter helps to increase the importance of business. As a manager of the organizations has an important responsibility to create strong relationships with media and to maintain effective communication with media. Supa, D, W. (2008), argues that it is essential to maintain a productive and ongoing relationship with media.  To build strong relations with media organizations has to make sure to provide clear time, accurate information about the company’s and its activities. As a result, it helps to establish a relationship of trust. The successful media has creative communication and professional, respectful relationship and ethical practice.

Importance of media relations to business

The main goal of media relations is to maximize positive coverage of organizations, providing a clear voice in public discussions and giving visibility about the field or the organizations Obrien, A (2014). Media relations is important to increase brand awareness, achieve company reputation and to know the customer’s preference and choices.

• Increase brand awareness and achieve company reputation

The company product and services in the blog or in online social sites provide information to the customers. The good information, advertisement, news are preferred by the people and it makes a positive impact on people about the company which results to make company image better. Many people physically do not connect with the organizations that why they prefer to listen to information and giving feedback through the media. Communication plays a vital role in effective media relations. The organization that creates good media relations they must ensure that they are receiving feedback and information correctly so this will help to give reviews and communicating back to the people.  If the product or services is seen on online by viewer it is shared more and like by more people so, the information helps to increase purchasing power (Lake 2018). Media relation is an important tool for providing information to its audience.  Nowadays, customer’s problems are taken as an important part of corporate communication. The customers give feedback and their opinion in companies’ blogs, and article which help the organization to improve in their services and product. Johnston, J (2012), believes that the power of the media is to provide information and create awareness about the companies’ ideas, products, and services.

• To find the customers preference and choice

Mahoney (2013), says that interacting with the audience in media like receiving comment and opinions on the Facebook, blog, and articles help the company to find out the choice of their target customers and what type of product they want. For instance, most of the people use social site nowadays to communicating with the organization, for expressing their views in the comment box of facebook and mention which design, size, and color they want. Understanding the preference of customers helps to increase sales. The media relations allows the organization to reach the large audience choices for fairly low cost at a time by reading and analyzing the feedback online ( Cherwick, Z 2018). The organizations should develop a strong relationship with media by communicating effectively so that the media would always support the company to post right and correct news to attract its target customers and meet their choices.

Negative issues of media relation

Inappropriate information, news damages the company profile and reputation as negative opinion and comments appear on social sites.  Grunig J (1990), argues that media and journalism produce conflict because many practitioners do whatever that takes to gain exposure for their client organization in the media. Many organization and companies are related to the media to promote their products and to attract more and more audience. Lipschultz (2015) claims that the people are misinformed which brings negativity in peoples mind because of reading negative news on media. He also mentions that the companies face more loss and loose its many customers because of false news on media. For example, if any media post false news like hungry jacks provides fatty food which leads customers very aggressive and they post any comment they like which affects the company image and reputation and also company loses its many customers. Negative comment and feedback discourage customers to buy products and services. Stanton, R (2006), discuss that the main purpose of the news release to the media is to provide accurate information understanding of corporate and to carry out the responsibility to inform the public.

The strategy of media relations to build strong communication

A Media relation is important areas within any corporate communication function. Media relation is a significant profile that has added value to the business. The strategies of media relation lead the organization to achieve the long term goal. The media relations objective was set and functions strategized to achieve competitive goals. Silva, D (2009), has claimed that using the media to communicate with people is part of the communication strategy which can be a benefit for building the relationship. Many organizations have a communication plan that leads how the organizations will share news, information related to its products, the general public, and other stakeholders. An organization must think before communicating to the public and take the right steps to transmit the information effectively. Lesly, p. (1991), states that a clear strategy is important because it takes organizations to know the who is their customers, who are the competitors, and to make a good reputation in mass media. Cherwick, Z (2018), discuss that the building a media relation plan is very important this begins by identifying what is your news is or being a manager do you want to set yourself or want to build awareness for organizations which will help to understand company objectives and get success. And then He has also mentioned that is we need to identify the target audience who want to consume organization message. Media relations team will work to build a customized and highly targeted media list that will get the right message in front of the right audience.

Conclusion

Media relation is an important part of every organization. This overall study clearly examined organization communication through different media. The Growth of business coverage in the media building media relations is essential to promote the products and services. This study has focused on the importance of media related to the business organization. Moreover, the study has discussed the prominent strategies and issues of media relation and.The negative issues of media relation must take and solve to receive the trust of the audience. A manager of every organization should set a clear strategy of media relation like set the right information to post and know the target audience. Finally, a good media relation always helps to get success to organizations.

References:

• Cherwick, Zoryana , 2018, ‘ what is media relations’ ,pilot  PMR ,viewed 16 February 2019 <https://pilotpmr.com/what-is-media-relations/>
• Grunig, J.E. 1990, Theory and practice of interactive media relations, Public Opinion
• Johnston, J, 2012, Media relations: issues and strategies, 2^nd edition, Sydney.
• Lake, L 2018, ‘Creating a media strategy: Small business’, viewed 10 feburary 2019, <https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-ia-a-media-strategy-and-how-do-you-create-your-own-2295517>
• Lesly, P. 1991, Relations with Publicity Media, In Lesly’s Handbook of Public
• Lipschultz, J.H 2015, Social Media Communication: Concepts, Practices, Data, Law and Ethics, Routledge, Newyork.
• Mahoney, J 2013, Strategic Communication: Principles and Practice, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
• Obrien, A 2014, ‘public relations Vs media relations’ ,Everything PR,  viewed 12 February 2019, <https://everything-pr.com/public-relations-media-relations/>.
• Stanton, R, 2006, Media relations, South Melbourne: oxford press.
• Supa, Dustin W.2008, ‘maximizing media relations through a better understanding of the public relations- journalist relationship’, pp.24-98, viewed 15 February 2019 <http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_dissertations/144>.