Community Relations
Community relations in reference to public relations refers to a company, organization, or other entity's relationship with their community. Community relations involves cultivating positive relationships and images with a company or organization's neighboring public. Positive community relations are a crucial aspect of corporate public relations. Community relations have the ability to make or break neighborly support or understanding of a company, and if positive, allow the company to make excellent strides in their public relations marketing plans. Community relations also allows the community and neighbors to understand the role and function of the corporation, and therefore be more encouraged to support it.
In order to cultivate positive community relations, it is vital for a corporation or entity to reach out to their state and city-wide community. Doing so can encourage corporate support, mutual understanding, and good corporate citizenship. The two most important steps in promoting community relations are: 1) Support, and 2) Participation.
Neighbors and communities respond to corporations that actively participate in and support local occurrences. Such involvement positively influences public relations and opens the doors to increased relations and/or exposure.
The cultivation of positive community relations involves multiple actions:
- Listening to the needs and wants of the community. Ascertaining community acceptance or rejection of a corporation is an important and ongoing piece of community relations. Listening and responding to the feedback of the community helps cultivate positive relationships.
- Dispelling any fears or misconceptions about the company or corporation. Neighbors and people in general, are sometimes apt to fear or dislike what they do not understand. Corporations should work to dispel myths, fears, or misconceptions, and be open, honest, and straightforward about their function and role.
- Defending and supporting the health and safety of the community; Corporation should promote safe business practices and prevent accidents, or damage to health or the environment, wherever possible, regardless of the item they manufacture. Accepting blame and acting immediately on accidents can more often than not maintain positive community relations.
- Attributing corporate contributions of time and money; "giving back". An internal contributions plan prepared by a corporation can allow them to efficiently give back to the community by donating to or sponsoring local events, youth sports, local arts, education programs, etc.
- Encouraging and managing employee volunteerism and community participation. Because employees represent a corporation and can, essentially, function as a corporate ambassador, corporations should keep employees informed on community relations positions, and encourage them to be involved in the community.
- Implementing fair employment practices; Fair and non-discriminatory employment practices do much to cultivate positive community relations. Communities feel supported when they know a corporation makes employment fair, accessible, and beneficial.
- Maintaining profitable and ethical operating practices. Maintaining profitable and ethical business practices serves to positively benefit the community as a whole, especially the employees who work there. Additionally, a statement of ethics and plan of community involvement do much to positively influence the community.
Participation in Community Events
A large portion of community relations is corporate participation in community events. All types of businesses, organizations, and other corporations or entities, including schools, universities, and hospitals, host or participate in community events; doing so helps cultivate positive community relationships, visible community involvement, and public relations exposure.
The following are some examples of company, organization, and other entity community event involvement:
- Campus visits and tours at colleges and universities;
- Sponsorship of community events such as concerts, theatre, competitions, fund raisers, and other local happenings, by paying for the event or a portion of the event, or donating equipment, products, service, or food;
- Hosting community wide fundraisers;
- Hosting holiday events or gatherings;
- Participating in community parades;
- Hosting conferences;
- Facility or headquarter tours;
- Informational seminars;
Links:
http://www.101publicrelations.com/sr10.html
http://www.101publicrelations.com/sr36.html
http://www.101publicrelations.com/event-planning.html
http://www.publicrelationsideas.com/special_events/
http://www.publicrelationsideas.com/the_easiest_way_to_make_the_news_000019.html
