COMMUNITY RELATIONS (P.7,1,10,14)

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

According to Peak W.J. in his “Community Relations” handbook, he described community relations as a public relations function in which an institution plans an active and continuing participation within a community to maintain and enhance its environment to the benefit of both the institution and the community.

            The organization should strive to be seen as a partner to the community by providing employment opportunities, scholarships, sponsorship of programs and sporting competitions, free interaction with the host community, engaging in developmental efforts like building school drainage systems and participating in conflict resolutions.

            In any given community, there are groups and individuals of diverse characters. Each group wants to be acknowledged and accorded the due respect to avoid conflict, which may be detrimental to the operations of the organization. It is therefore necessary to study and know the dynamics of the community and deal with it through, possibly, the opinion/influential leaders, social critics/opposition popularly known as vocal agitators and the on-lookers who may not be concerned.

Community relations, as a PR function is an organization’s planned, active and sustained participation within a community to maintain and enhance its environment to the benefit of both the organization and the community.

In other words, an organization needs to marry the community it settles with. The need for community relations might be seen as a wife/husband relation.

That is, the community taken a close look at her ‘marriage’ and discovering that her husband (the company) owes her more than simple financial support.

The structure of a community should be studied closely before any meaningful PR efforts can be developed.

Each community has peculiar characteristics that are important to its residents. PR efforts exploiting these features provide catalysts that bring people together and develop interest and joint cooperation between business and community.

The power structure of the community i.e. opinion leaders, prime movers and other activists must be identified clearly. The impart of such people on community relations may be quiet and behind –the- scene but it is nevertheless awesome.

THE BASIC PRIME-MOVERS

Employees families

The press

Opinion leaders

Social / philanthropic organizations

Crusaders; protest group; pressure groups

The first step in effective community relations is to know the community intimately. This requires knowledge of the community’s strength and weaknesses. It also requires an analysis of the community’s needs and welfare; as well as the company’s priorities in the area of social responsibilities.

 The second step is to set priorities from the communities list of problems and needs, and relate these needs to company’s priorities.

Thirdly, a comprehensive list of the publics within the community should be developed. This should include opinion leaders, activists, etc.

Community relations should focus on the building, for the company, a reputation for good citizenship through social responsibility.. it is important to encourage employee participation in community affairs.

Communication is also essential. This is to enable the company know as much as possible about the yearnings and aspirations of the community, as well as for the company to tell about itself, its policies and activities to the public.

MEDIA FOR COMMUNITY RELATIONS

press

publications

open house and factory visits and tours

public speeches by company’s executives

opinion leaders meetings

annual reports

involvement of company’s employees in civic activities

CRITERIA FOR PR ACTION IN COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Create something needed that does not exist before in the community

Eliminate something that causes a problem in the community

Share equipments facilities, etc. with the community

Health and safety programs

Assistance to education, agriculture and sports, etc.

Create something for the “have nots”

Promotion