‘This is one of the best introductions I have come across to the world of public relations.’ Peter Hobday The PR Practitioner’s desktop guide Caroline Black Blank page The PR practitioner’s desktop guide Caroline Black Reprinted by Thorogood, January 2003 10-12 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3DU Telephone: 020 7749 4748 Fax: 020 7729 6110 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.thorogood.ws © Caroline Black 2001 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed upon the subsequent purchaser. No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any material in this publication can be accepted by the author or publisher. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 1 85418 260 9 Printed in India by Replika Press. Designed and typeset by Driftdesign. Acknowledgements I would like to thank my family, friends and colleagues whose encouragement spurred me on to finish this guide. Special thanks to the following,whose perceptive observations and suggestions considerably improved my early drafts: The late Barbara Atkinson, Ian Beaumont, David Churchill, David Fanthorpe, Peter Hobday, Peter Holden, Kieran Knights, Jane Lyons, Alison Miles, Jonathan Reay, Amanda Riddle, Roger Sealey, Elizabeth Underwood, Nigel Wadlow, David Wells. About the author Caroline Black BA (Hons), MIPR, Dip coun Caroline Black is a highly experienced communications consultant, writer, trainer, coach, mentor, facilitator, conference chair, lecturer and public speaker. Her specialist areas include corporate, consumer, business-to-business and issues & crisis management communications.She began her career with the international advertising agency,D’arcy,switching to PR when she joined the in-house team at Guinness. She subsequently became a public relations consultant and was Board Director at Grayling,responsible not only for a number of large clients but also for both people and business development. She has worked for a wide range of clients and brands,including Sainsbury’s,Investors in People UK,Ufi Ltd,Mobil, Mars,Pedigree Petfoods,Food from Britain,the European Union,British Gas,Smith & Nephew, Typhoo,Crookes Healthcare,the National Society for Epilepsy, the National Maritime Museum and the Rafsanjan Pistachio Producers Cooperative. She set up her own consultancy, Caroline Black & Associates, in 2001. Caroline is a member of the Institute of Public Relations and the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development. She is also a qualified counsellor and an accredited officiant for the British Humanist Association. Preface Public relations is essential to managing and leading an organisation.It is particularly important to remember that protecting the brand, and protecting your good name is as significant an activity as safeguarding financial or human assets. Organisations who manage their PR professionally are in a muc