Relating to the Public

Public relations is 100% about effective communication and persuasion. Actually, that’s pretty much exactly what it is.

One of the most vital aspects of public relations is, as the BYU program puts it, “building mutually beneficial relationships.” Public relations professionals’ number one priority is to know exactly what is needed to build that mutually beneficial relationship with a public, individual, company, department, ect. in using effective communication and persuasion tailored to that specific audience.

The purpose of public relations firms and departments is also primarily to build up the image, or brand, of an organization. In other words, the focus of my career is to use strategic planning to increase the ethos of whoever/whatever I represent through relationships, campaigns and other tactics to gain loyalty and trust.

In order to do this, I have to be aware of current trends in society in order to make my communication kairotic enough for people to pay attention. Pathos and logos are then used deliberately to craft messages with distinct rhetorical techniques designed for each specific public.  

For instance, a public relations firm might target a campaign for some kind of fast food towards young adults. They would build ethos by attaching some sort of celebrity to the brand through commercials, ads and social media; pathos by showing “cool people” eating the fast food and, in turn, making young adults think that they somehow be or feel more attractive by eating the same food; and logos by explaining why the food is an ethical or financially wise choice.

So, I guess what I’m saying is that public relations is literally relating to publics, which, as made evident by Cicero, Pericles and many other ancient and modern communicators, requires the use of rhetoric/communication and persuasion to elicit effective action.