PR manager: who is he and what does he do?

PR manager is a popular profession that is in great demand in the 21st century. Young people are actively interested in this specialty in order to better understand what a PR specialist is and what he will have to face during his work.

PR-manager in translation from English (public relations) means "public relations". This specialist is engaged in the creation and maintenance of the successful reputation of a particular brand or company. Such work is the best option for people who are interested in such humanities as the Russian language, literature, psychology and social studies.

Public relations management as a profession became known in the United States not so long ago at the beginning of the twentieth century. This happened at a time when a public relations department appeared at Harvard University. At that time, the Democratic Party of the United States resorted to the services of a publicity adviser, and already in the period from 1930-1960, most companies began to hire a PR manager.

At the moment, PR-agencies are popular, which provide services to promote various fields of activity, media personalities, brands. The staff of the company includes technologists, copywriters. They are responsible for developing and implementing ideas.

In politics, a PR manager is considered an indispensable link. It is with his help that political personalities gain the trust of society.

The positive qualities of this specialty include:

• demand;
• fashionableness;
• high wages;
• communication with the media.

The main function of a PR manager is to assess, analyze and predict actions that can favorably affect the image of the company and its further development. Some people confuse this profession with the job of an advertising manager who promotes a service or a specific product. This is not so, because caring for the good reputation of a company or brand and the promotion process are completely different directions.

The functions assigned to a PR manager may differ depending on the field of activity of the company. Therefore, the functionality of a specialist may vary. It is influenced by the tasks and issues that need to be solved in the chosen business.

The main functions of a PR manager:

• determination of the direction of PR activities;
• foundation and conduct of PR campaigns;
• monitoring the available resources that are required in order to implement the conceived programs;
• forecast of the productivity of the selected programs;
• creation and support of the desired image of the company, its product line, work and the policy itself;
• evaluating the company's reputation and sounding the received data to the head;
• activities to convey information to the public about the activities, range, existing services and employees in order to achieve maximum understanding.

The list of responsibilities of a given employee will depend on the size of the firm where he works. The larger the organization, the more specialists are needed. Often, a PR manager needs an assistant, which indicates an increase in the degree of responsibility of a PR manager as a coordinating link.

In big business, there is PR and press service. In most cases, it consists of the director of the press service itself, along with the head of public relations. They have subordinate managers who are responsible for various kinds of public relations channels, as well as analysts who monitor open sources.

As a rule, the PR manager negotiates with clients, manages media relations, controls the published material along with reviews about the company and the products sold.... In simple words, this specialist monitors everything that is said and written about his company, timely and competently responds to the information received.

Also, such a specialist is entrusted with a large amount of work related to monitoring employees, along with instructing representatives from the client's side. It is the PR specialist who influences how the actions taken are justified and what the effectiveness and positiveness of the events will be.

Tasks of the PR manager:

• is engaged in PR technologies;
• develops promotion strategies;
• creates articles, makes press releases and other publications for the media;
• conducts advertising campaigns, promotions;
• organizes image programs;
• deals with budgeting and forms a campaign for the development of a PR program;
• analyzes the productivity of activities.

An intelligent professional must have many skills. The job description clearly spells out all the requirements that are inherent in this profession.

In the general provisions that are attached to the job description, there is a list of what a PR manager should own.

As a rule, the main skills are represented by the following list:

• awareness of the history of the company, the process of its development and the current situation, along with plans for the future;
• detailed acquaintance with the product line or services of the represented person;
• acquaintance with all employees, investors and managers with whom he will have to communicate;
• PR manager must have an idea of ​​the field of activity that the company conducts, familiarize himself with the list of competitors and leading companies;
• know about significant events, details about the consumer market and target audience;
• awareness of which top or profile media are suitable for a particular campaign.

Also in the list of PR manager skills is the ability to compose press releases, arrange columns, reviews, experience in writing articles, editing, media monitoring, knowledge of terminology. Skills such as high literacy, proficiency in foreign languages, the ability to express one's thoughts in writing and orally are also considered integral features of a good PR manager.

Professional PR manager must have the following traits, without which he has nothing to do in such a business.

• Sociability... You can rarely find an introvert in such a profession, because a PR specialist is a person who is able to communicate at an impeccable level through communication, establish the necessary contacts, work with information, and solve the necessary issues.
• Curiosity... It allows a specialist to get acquainted with the company in detail, to study its history of origin, the process of development. This feature forces a specialist to study not only the information provided, but also independently obtain additional data, trying to find out as much as possible.
• Curiosity... This quality should apply to the following areas: mass media, competitors' market, study of investors, partners, target audience. A competent PR manager must be aware of everything that happens around his company in order to be able to respond correctly and in a timely manner.
• Initiative... Without this quality, a PR specialist will not be able to achieve success in his work. The initiative will be required in publications and news feeds. You should also show initiative in research, assessment, information search, and work with the media.
• Quick wits... This point is integral to extracting the necessary information from the incoming stream of information, examining business cases from different angles, the ability to transform the information received and sell it competently.
• With the help of dedication and perseverance, a PR specialist will be able to achieve the desired results.... Modest and insecure individuals are unlikely to achieve the kind of success that awaits a more confident manager.
• Intelligence must accompany the PR man around the clock. This quality will allow you to negotiate, find compromises in your activities and establish the necessary connections.
• Friendliness... No evil and gloomy PR person has yet been able to achieve success. In any situation, a specialist is obliged to maintain goodwill, not succumb to provocations, be able to correctly respond to negativity from clients or the media.
• Stress tolerance... This is an important point that will help the PR specialist to always be in his direction and not succumb to the setbacks and negativity that he will still have to face. Despite numerous acquaintances, interesting meetings and events, scandalous situations can often occur that you need to be able to cope with.
• Mobility, efficiency... A PR manager must always be in touch, be able to move quickly. The media often requires an urgent response, and if the PR specialist does not pick up the phone at the right time, someone else will be able to answer for him, which can lead to negative consequences for the PR campaign.

There are rights and responsibilities in any profession, so a PR manager is no exception. The key right of a PR manager is to request information and respond quickly to information received.

Responsibility depends on rights. That's why A PR specialist is obliged to be responsible for all information that he provides to the public.... In this regard, he must correctly filter information and take his work with the utmost seriousness.

Many people are attracted to the profession of a PR manager, but not everyone knows where to study for such a specialty.

It's no secret that education is the foundation of every profession. A PR manager is required to possess a large list of knowledge in the field of psychology, journalism, sociology, marketing. However, this does not mean that a person without specialized education will be able to get a job as a PR specialist.

Employers respond positively to applicants who graduated from Moscow State University, MGIMO, RUDN or Russian State University for the Humanities. Other universities are not an obstacle to getting the desired job. International certifications will be an advantage along with complementary training in PR courses.

A similar humanitarian specialty is available in any university where there is a department of "Advertising and public relations"... For admission, it is imperative to pass such subjects as social studies, Russian. The rest of the disciplines may vary depending on the educational institution in which the training is planned.

You can also take advantage of courses offered by different companies. The Russian Institute of Professional Education "IPO" is popular... It regularly conducts training for those wishing to study for the specialty of PR-manager, and on a remote basis.

SkillBox is considered a unique course for PR professionals as it was developed according to professional standards. The preparation of the course belongs to the Russian Association for Public Relations. This organization is the oldest association of PR managers in the Russian Federation, the existence of which dates back to 1991.

After receiving education, graduates should already have the basic foundations of PR management, be willing to work and develop in the chosen field. Experts with no experience can contact PR agencies, a publishing house or the media, and you can also pay attention to public relations departments, which are in many companies related to advertising.

When an employee has worked for two years in this field, he is already subject to increased requirements, in contrast to newcomers. To the list of skills, you can add knowledge of how articles are written, press releases, advertising campaigns are drawn up. The specialist must know the principles of planning PR strategies.

As a rule, already in the third year of work, a specialist acquires skills in organizing exhibitions, knows how to conduct seminars along with press conferences.

It should be noted that the level of earnings at this stage is also increasing. The size of payments becomes 1.5 times higher than the initial rate. Those specialists who have worked for over three years in the chosen field receive a higher salary. The employee acquires his own experience, a base of necessary contacts, knows how to develop PR strategies.

Usually girls go to PR managers. The number of men in this profession is about 30%.

You need to think about creating a resume that will act as a PR business card... It is with the help of such a questionnaire that the applicant will be able to advertise himself, his skills, demonstrating clearly how he will promote the product of the future employer.

We must not forget about work experience, education, a description of your qualities and skills, taking additional courses. All points should be reflected in detail in the summary.

A portfolio is a confirmation of the professional career of a PR manager, so every specialist should own it.... This is due to the fact that the skills of a PR specialist can be easily tested, and using the compiled portfolio, the employer will be able to assess the activities of his potential employee and its results.