PR Jargon Buster

B2B: Public relations marketing communication dedicated to providing information resources between businesses. Includes professional services, training, human resources and office supplies.

B2C: As B2B, but between businesses and the consumer.

Community Relations: Corporate social outreach programmes designed to build relations and foster understanding of the role of the business to neighbours in the local community

Consultancy: Externally hired public relations services, either an individual consultant or a public relations consultancy

Copywriting: the production of text for publications, advertising, marketing materials, websites etc. Most agencies employ specialists skilled with a direct and succinct writing style

Corporate Communications: Public relations for a corporation integrated as part of the company’s strategic objectives.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Borne from the belief that trade brings obligations, CSR makes companies responsible for their use of resources, both environmentally and socially. The role of public relations in CSR strategies is to communicate effectively to build corporate accountability and transparency.

Crisis Management: Having a plan in place that can be effectively actioned when something goes wrong for an organisation.

E-PR/Online PR: Communicating over the web and using new technology to effectively communicate with stakeholders.

Evaluation: Measuring the impact of a public relations campaign. This process is typically linked with planning and research.

Fees: The charges consultants and consultancies make for the time of their staff working on client programmes, usually invoiced in regular monthly installments or quarterly in advance.

Financial PR: Financial services sector communications demanding understanding of consumers, their buying patterns and how to influence them, the position of companies in markets and corporate processes such as Initial Public Offerings (IPO’s), Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A’s), demutualisation and hostile bids.

Fundraising/Sponsorship: Looking for partners to provide financial support or support 'in kind' for an event or activity where both parties will benefit.

Healthcare Communications: PR sector specialising in public and private healthcare provision, including leisure health, effect of drugs and impacts of medical research.

In-House: Staff within a company or organisation responsible for public relations function.

In-House Magazines/Newsletter: A tool to communicate with employees about news, issues and developments of interest to them about the organisation they work for.

Internal Communications: Organisational use of process communication to help achieve corporate objectives. Includes employee and shareholder communications.

Media/Presentation Training: Training to help when dealing with the various media (including television and radio), with journalists and when making a pitch to prospective clients.

Media Monitoring: Monitoring a company's coverage in the press, on TV and radio, and on the internet.

Media Relations: Dealing with and building up good working relationships with journalists from the broadcast and print media.

Pitch: A presentation of a recommended public relations programme, generally carefully researched and costed, which can take up to four weeks to prepare and for which some consultancies reserve the right to charge a fee if not subsequently appointed.

Press Office: A press office handles all media enquiries and puts out all company messages to the media on behalf of their organisation.

Press Release (also known as a News Release): Statement describing an event or item which is considered to be of sufficient interest to readers/viewers/listeners for an editor to publish reference to it.

Print Production: The process of producing printed material such as brochures, posters and leaflets.

Public Affairs/Lobbying: Those aspects of public relations communication involving relations with governmental or statutory bodies or their semi-official organisations through sophisticated use of political intelligence and pressure.

Public Relations: The determined, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics. Also understood as reputation management.

Research: Finding out background information about a company, product or person to assist with a public relations campaign.