Through the following examples, we can seen that the average American, as well as large government, movie, and sports organizations, can enjoy receiving the benefits of highly sophisticated public relations management. Every day we come in contact with some form of public relations, though we are not often aware of it.
IN ENTERTAINMENT
No segment of society is more public relations-conscious than the entertainment industry. Movies, television, and theater rely heavily on public relations as their lifeblood to create a larger-than-life image. Of course, public relations can't sell a bad television program, movie, or Broadway play, but it can certainly help. It can even aid in appealing to a larger number of viewers as needed. Public relations gets people talking about a production's reputation, and word of mouth draws more customers. Nevertheless, when movies cost millions of dollars, reliance on word of mouth to create crowds at the box office is not sufficient to guarantee the film's success.
In the movie industry, no matter how financially successful a movie turns out to be, and regardless of the popularity of its leading actors, nothing is taken for granted in terms of guaranteeing maximum public relations between the industry and the general movie-going public.
Have you ever asked yourself how local film critics receive excerpts from the best parts of movies, neatly prepared on videotape? Has it crossed your mind as to how people hear about films if not from traditional news outlets? In today's youth-oriented film industry, inordinately large numbers of young people make up the viewing audience. Efforts to sell the movies are directed specifically at them—ticket promotions on rock radio stations and stars' appearances on "Saturday Night Live" continue to be an integral part of PR campaigns.
One of the world's greatest movie promotion events is the annual Academy Awards. With the glamour, the stars, the suspense, and the legions of movie fans, it might seem that public attention is virtually guaranteed. Yet, to make sure that millions of people see a well-run, first-class performance, conveying a true, positively perceived impression, a sophisticated public relations campaign begins well in advance of the Academy Awards ceremony night. And on Oscar night itself, press coverage is meticulously organized to reach the waiting world with maximum efficiency and impact.
IN SPORTS
The sports world is also a form of entertainment. Newspapers, magazines, and television devote almost as much space to sports as to national politics. However, sports teams are private businesses, managed for their owners' profit. This circumstance involves public relations at a high level—justifying athletes' high salaries, encouraging attendance for winning and losing teams, arranging appearances for players to personalize the team's public image, and creating special events (like Boy Scout nights, left-handed-people days, and so forth) to keep interest alive in off-seasons or when the play on the field is dull.
Public relations is used in high school sports, too. By posting an announcement about a basketball game between two local schools, ordinary citizens are practicing public relations at a very basic level.
Public relations is available and beneficial to many fields and industries—not just to the government, corporations, or institutions we are most likely to associate with curated public images. The sports and entertainment worlds are equally as concerned with public messaging and national audience engagement.
See the following articles for more information:
- What Public Relations Practitioners Do at Various Organizations
- Specific Occupations Associated with Public Relations
- Public Relations Tools of the Trade
- Public Relations Fields
