Have you ever been in a situation, where the topic of discussion for the night was already set, and all you had to do was play along? When I passed the 10th grade, every relative wanted to know how much I scored, sometimes even the ones that I had not spoken to in the last 12 years, called me up to inquire about my scores. Or when I got a job or shifted to a new city, every dinner conversation would revolve around this. It was like nobody had anything else to talk about and there was a ‘set agenda’ for the discussion. It's like the topic is the sun, and the conversations are the planets, because they continuously revolve around it. Not that I don’t like to be the center of attention, but it did get annoying when I had a lot more interesting and important things to talk about.
Similarly, when major news happens, the world’s mass media organizations take notice. Whether it’s the President of the United States making an announcement or a severe storm battering a region, when it’s a story that affects people, the news media is on alert to cover it, providing viewers with the facts and information they need to understand of what is happening. But sometimes it may seem, with so much media focus and scrutiny on a single event, the media misses or even ignores other important stories. This is the crux of the agenda-setting theory.
Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw along with G. Ray Funkhouser prepared a mass media theory known as Agenda Setting Theory in 1968. The study was conducted on North Carolina voters done in 1968 presidential election. The conclusion was later published as an article in 1972 in “Public Opinion Quarterly”, which was later revised in 1976.
Media provide cues to public which tells them where they should focus their attention. The agenda-setting theory rests on two basic assumptions. The first is that the media filters and shapes what we see rather than just reflecting stories to the audience. An example of this was seeing the scandalous story of the Clinton scandal at the top of a broadcast. A sexual affair of Bill Clinton (U.S. President) and Monica Lewinsky (an intern), created a media frenzy and became sensational news for years. Media gave full pages news as top stories. The media influenced the mindset of people so much and the news got viral to result in a presidential impeachment. And later, Clinton was acquitted for the crime. As opposed to a story that happened more recently or one that affected more people, such as an approaching storm or legislative tax reform. The second assumption is that the more attention the media gives to an issue, the more likely the public will consider that issue to be important. Another way to look at it: Mass media organizations aren’t telling us what to think or how we should feel about a story or issue, but are giving us certain stories or issues that people should think more about.
In recent years, the mass media’s relationship with the public has evolved, with social media being used as a way to both inform and spread news. In an age where anyone can voice an opinion about a company with a quick message, post, or tweet, the perception of a brand can change at a very rapid pace. Companies of every variety are now beholden to consumers who can swiftly change their opinions of a brand in response to that brand’s marketing campaign, political stance, or recent news event. More often than not, these perceptions are influenced for the worse, significantly impacting a brands’ ability to succeed.
“Brand public relations” – is this an oxymoron? Some say that PR builds reputation, while branding actually initiates the first boost. But in reality, the two work in concert….kind of like brick and mortar. One thing branding and PR have in common is that both focus on controlling the messaging around your business. If you don't do that, you're leaving the door wide open for other people to make their assumptions about your business.
This all starts with your branding. Efforts to manage your reputation using PR won't be successful if your brand is unclear. Branding allows you to take control of the narrative. It's the first step in building a positive reputation for your business.
Let's say that your business ends up going through a PR crisis because of a controversial social media post. You'll be much more likely to weather the storm and come out without a damaged reputation if you've already established a positive, trustworthy brand image in the eyes of consumers.
It’s been a year since United Airlines experienced one of the biggest public relations (PR) blunders in 2017. The video footage of an airline official removing an unwilling passenger from a flight affected consumers, a lot of people said that they would discontinue purchasing flights from United Airlines as a result.
But what about now? Are consumers still scarred by the event, or have they, and the brand itself, recovered? Is it possible that time can heal all wounds? Or, do certain events, and their ensuing message, cause permanent damage to a brand?
Often times, consumers will say one thing but do another. It’s up to companies to keep track of what people say and what they actually do to maintain the strength of their brand. When it’s clear that social norms are in place, people will respond in the way they think is socially acceptable.
The way United Airlines was positioned in the media following their PR crisis created a negative social bias against the brand. Because of this, people reacted negatively when asked about United because they thought they need to. But, they may go buy a ticket from United 15 minutes later.
Branding and PR may require separate teams and strategies, but to get the most out of them, they need to work together to build your business's image. When they're in sync, both will be far more effective. Despite the rise and continuing influence of digital and social media, which is a critical part of many of today's successful media campaigns, there is still a place and a need for good public relations.
Is public relations the only way to achieve these important cornerstones? Absolutely not. But can it play a role? Yes.
Comments