Online public relations has the same purpose and direction as traditional public relations but utilises the World Wide Web as a communication channel. The Internet signifies a key “paradigmatic shift in corporation communication� that is changing the way some public relations companies operate (Cutlip, Center and Broom, 2000: 285).
Public relations practitioners can utilise the Internet to develop online content, organize online promotions, track consumers and competitors, manage publics and corporate image, and develop partnerships with complementary sites.
Many companies attempt to build relationships with their consumer base through their public relations practitioners. Practitioners may offer downloads such as software extensions or free games or demo/shareware products, to encourage buying products. These strategies are often utilised by computer game companies. Often these gaming companies will offer downloads on their websites that add-on to a current game the consumer may have, to build a certain repour with their customers. Or they might offer screensaver and desktop download for the same purpose. Or they might offer a demo version of a new game coming out to create a desire for this game.
Public relations practitioners might also employ email to promote new products and stock quotes in company newsletters. They might use email to act as a technology support service or provide information on the stock market for current and future investors as well. They might even suggest to the company that the company should administer a 24-hour discussion forum or chat room. These forums and chat rooms could be used as a technology support service, feedback channel or relationship-building tool.
Another way public relations practitioners utilise the web is to find out about their company’s publics and the opinions and rumours shared amongst their publics and competitors. Negative online commentary, such as negative opinions or damaging rumours, about a company or their product could “cause serious injury to an unprepared target� and can potentially sway corporate negotiations, attract regulatory inquiries, manipulate stock prices to extreme levels, and affect sales (Jackson and Stoakes, 1997: 12).
In addition to managing a company’s publics, public relations practitioners also develop partnerships with complementary websites. Before approaching a company to negotiate links between each, companies assess if the situation is beneficial for both parties and that there is no overlapping in products or services. Companies that use these links between websites must not be competitors. It is also beneficial if the services or products complement each other. Such a partnership translates into a competitive edge over competitors (www.online-pr.com/partner.htm).
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See Also:
Virtual_Communities_in_Public_Relations
Cutlip, S., Center, A. and Broom, G. (2000) Effective Public Relations, USA: Prentice Hall International, Inc.
Jackson, A. and Stoakes, U., "Internet Vigilance: Monitoring Public Opinion Online", Public Relations Tactics, November 1997, p12.
Robert Marston and Associates, Inc. “Partnership Development with Complementary Websites�, retrieved October 20, 2004, from http://www.online-pr.com/partner.htm
Daniel Newton 10:21, 29 Oct 2004 (EST)
