There are six fields of Public Relations (PR) that you can choose from as your major. You can pick from these specializations:
Corporate Communications
It is advantageous to have strong networking and persuasion skills in corporate communications. In this field, companies rely on PR to engage with the community to enhance their reputation. As large corporates usually receive a lot of pressure regarding their ethics, charity involvement and environmental responsibility, it is the responsibility of a PR officer to suggest a plan that can improve the company’s image in the eyes of the community.
Nonprofit Public Relations
The public relations department is often approached by nonprofit organizations for sponsorship opportunities in lieu with their community service initiative. The PR companies assist these organizations to increase awareness and educate the public about their ongoing donations and volunteer work through traditional and online methods, such as magazines, newsletters, and crowdfunding links. These would then help generate more donations and volunteers as their messages appear on more platforms.
Crisis Management
In a sticky situation, things can quickly spin out of hand. In Public Relations, Crisis Management is important to help a company recover from minor and major issues. Faulty products, oil spills and corporate investigations can ruin a company’s reputation if the problems are not dealt with quickly. The crisis management team must have knowledgeable and quick thinkers to respond with the media in a way that does not place the company’s reputation at risk.
Social Media
TikTok can be fun to use for many youngsters but poses a nuisance to other people. For PR companies, however, TikTok and other social media platforms are a blank canvas for campaigns. It is also a cost-effective way to get brand messages across. All you need to do is to post a content on a social media page and the public does the rest of the sharing for you, for free!
Media Relations
As the name implies, this field is everything media-related. From press conferences to interviews, the main goal is to provide positive coverage for a brand. A compelling story is necessary to convince the crowd to pay attention to what you are selling. This is where witty taglines, quality content and impactful press releases come in handy.
Marketing
An effective PR strategy is vital to ensure a successful campaign. Many brands seek the help of PR agencies because Public Relations is a very effective tool to communicate to the public. Venture into marketing as you utilise your PR skills to raise brand awareness for a company’s products and services.