Community relations in

Public Relations

A community is a group of people who live in the same place, share the same

government and have a common cultural and historical heritage.

The people who live in the community and the institutions that serve them are

mutually dependent.

H. Frazier Moore and Frank B. Kalupa.

What is community?

What is community relations?

Community relations is the practice of communicating with citizens

whether as individuals or as groups of stakeholders

to establish and maintain mutually good relationships, which may be developed through information dissemination and

public consultation.

A good neighbor. A wise neighbor.

• It is worth noting that the words community and communications have the same Latin root - communitas - meaning shared.

• Good community relations is about being a good corporate citizen.

Invitation to community

• Community relations is the art of becoming an insider in the community.

• To aspire to be part of a community is to aspire to be recognized by it and invited to join it.

• You must be invited in because it is not possible to invite yourself. 

Three important stepping stones:

• dialogue - establishing two-way communication.

• integrity - being what you say you are.

• credibility - you are believable and believed.

The primary goal

• gain understanding and support for what you are doing

• maintaining and improving your position in the marketplace,

• maintaining your closeness to customers

• maintaining your freedom to operate.

Business organizations serve the community by:

• Providing regular employment• Reasonable wages• Other financial benefits.• Purchasing goods and services from local

suppliers.• Paying taxes to maintain local government.• Contributing to charities and cultural projects and

assuming cultural leadership.• Helping to build better civic amenities.• Taking active part in community life

Business organizations serve the community by:

• Supporting education• Promoting community health• Combating lawlessness• Working for efficient governance.• Providing facilities for recreation.• Encourage employees to contribute funds and

service to civic organizations.• Giving it an identity in the national scenario.• Assuming the role of a good citizen by playing an

active part in local government.

The community serves the organization by:

• Supply labor • Supply Management personnel• Investing capital in the organization.• Consuming good or services.• Creating goodwill for the company• Defends the company against discriminating

regulations, taxes and legislations.• Local government provides civil amenities like

– Fire and police protection– Public utilities– Highways and sanitary services, etc.

Objectives of community relations• To inform the community about the company’s

policies, operations and other relevant information.• To inform employees about the organization and

encourage them to pass on the information to friends and neighbors in the community.

• To answer criticisms and repel attacks by local pressure groups who are misinformed about the company and the industry.

• To establish its image through contributions to local institutions and participation in neighbourhood affairs.

• To find out what the community is thinking and saying about the company.

Objectives of community relations• To promote the welfare of the community by advertising

its attractions to tourists and its resources and industrial potential to attract new industry.

• To get acquainted with the people in the community and opinion leaders by interacting with corporate executives.

• To cooperate with educational institutions by providing educational materials, furnishing training facilities and equipment.

• To provide cultural leadership by encouraging a greater appreciation of art, music and drama.

• To promote agriculture in areas where community welfare is dependent on the prosperity of surrounding farms.

Objectives of community relations

• To promote community health by supporting local health programmes and building health centres in the community.

• To encourage sports and recreation activities by providing facilities, equipment and sponsoring sports events.

• To contribute to programmes in order to gain goodwill of young people in the community.

• To promote a better understanding of national and local economic and political affairs through sponsor ship of forums and discussion groups for youth and adults.

Objectives of community relations

• To cooperate with other companies in promoting understanding of business and economic systems.

• To show citizens of the community that the company is a good citizen and a good employer.

• To convince the community that a local plant is not just a branch of a large corporation but an independent unit operating for the benefit of the community.

• To maintain a harmonious relationship and mutual respect with the community leaders.

• To establish that the company is a good place to work in for the prospective employees.

HeadquarterPR Director

Local plant manager

East

Local plant manager

West

Local plant manager

North

Local plant managerSouth

Community Relations Programme is adapted according to their needs

Local plant manager

Plant community relations manager

Industrial Relations manager

Personnel Manager

Regional PublicRelations

officers

Field Public Relations

officers

Community relations Committee

What a community should know about its business neighbors

• Nature of company’s business

• Number of employees

• Their average earnings

• Total payroll in the community

• Number of local stockholders

• Corporate investment in local property

• Products produced

What a community should know about its business neighbors

• Plant output• Local expenditure for fuel, rent, supply and

maintenance• Contribution to community welfare• Taxes paid in the community• Research and development• Financial status• Growth potential.

Poor Management

• If an organisation is managed poorly• if it doesn't have good relations with its

employees, • if it doesn't produce quality products or services, • if it doesn't establish close linkages with its

customers

then it is not likely to be in a position where it can deal reasonably with the broader community.

Good community relations• It is an expression of the culture of an

organisation. • It begins inside the organisation. • It starts with positive internal management which

treats employees like employees ought to treat other people - with courtesy, consideration and respect. 

• We do not want to turn away the community, so we do not want to turn off our employees.

Three levels of community relations

1. For stability and improvement using community relations as a marketing and communications tool. 

2. At times of rapid change, there is a need for community reinforcement and support.

3. At times of great public controversy, there is a need to ease community hostility.

Community relations problems arise out of:

• Long-term unresolved issues

• Short-term unpredicted crises.

Community relations problems arise out of:

• Focussing only on profit instead value considerations of community.

• Any rapid change in policy or services without adequate research, consultation or explanation at community level.

• The imposition of a facility or service perceived as detrimental to the community will certainly meet with opposition.

• Curtailment or dilution of services will always activate a hostile response.

• There are usually problems if the organisation does not match or if it does not adapt to social and economic changes.

• Organisations must also guard against any diminution in skills or technology that may undermine service quality.

How to win community support

1. Define the real issue because sometimes it may not be the obvious one.

2. Take every opportunity to consistently focus attention on the real issue.

3. Gain community support by ensuring community relations staff are competent, sensitive to community concerns and believe in what they are doing.

4. Develop a clear plan. 5. Do your research.

How to win community support

6. Keep your policies simple and support your staff.

7. Keep the program honest.

8. Take your case to the people.

9. Inform the people who need to know.

10.Get to know media owners, editors and workers (journalists, producers, researchers).

A few pointers about public opinion:

• Concrete events play an important part in changing attitudes and opinions.

• Opinion leaders play a major role in shaping public opinion and gaining their support can be critical.

• Attitude change is related to the immediacy of the issue to the individual.

Hallmarks of a good relationship

We know an organisation has achieved a satisfactory relationship with the community when satisfaction is articulated :

• Directly through increased business, repeat business, public praise and commendation or positive media coverage.

• Indirectly through attitude research, high staff morale or positive response to adversity.

Media of communication

• Advertising– Local newspaper– Local Radio– Local television channels

• Publicity– Local newspaper– Local Radio– Local television channels

• Open houses and plant tours• Public speaking

Media of communication

• Opinion leader meetings• Visit to community institution by

business executives• Motion pictures• Slide shows• Exhibits and displays• Annual reports• Institutional Literature

Thank you