Be aware of public concerns
The last 20 years have seen a huge increase in public concern over environmental issues. Every day newspapers are full of stories with an environmental angle – holes in the ozone layer, diminishing fish stocks, endangered species, destruction of the rainforests, increases in radiation levels, pollution of rivers and so on. It seems that, the entire human race is becoming more focused on the potential degeneration and ultimate destruction of the planet. Will future generations find us guilty of gross neglect and dereliction of our global duty? This is a question more and more people seem to be asking.
This sentiment is largely behind public outcry over two decisions taken in 1995 with major potential for impact on the environment – namely the resumption of nuclear testing by the French in the South Pacific and Shell’s decision to sea-dump its disused Brent Spar oil rig.
In both cases the powers that be completely misread the level of international dismay which greeted their decisions. The public determination to try and turn these decisions around by hitting those concerned in their pockets – by boycotting Shell petrol stations and refusing to buy French products – is another new phenomenon which corporations ignore at their peril when handling sensitive environmental issues. In Shell’s case, it was certainly a prime mover in making the company swiftly review its policy. Meanwhile, the French government faced increasing flak from its own electorate, and an already struggling economy felt the backlash from overseas buyers, irate at what they considered to be an arrogant and entirely intransigent French stance on the issue.
Reflecting the increase in public environmental awareness, national governments are learning to address a wide range of environmental issues through the introduction of new legislation to cover areas as diverse as improved effluent pollution controls to the protection of endangered birds and animals. It is fair to say that there has been more environmental legislation passed by UK and European Community (EC) governments in the last ten years than in the previous century. And this shows no signs of letting up as the pressure to improve environmental standards increases.
With this background of heightened public awareness and ever-growing legislation, it is essential for every commercial enterprise to be clear where it stands on the environmental issues which may affect its operations. The less enlightened will do the legal minimum and justify a reluctance to go further by quoting the extra costs involved. More intelligent companies will embrace the issues, make bold decisions and seize the environmental opportunities to gain a competitive edge.
Public relations can play a vital role in the management process on two counts when dealing with environmental issues. First, it is the antenna which provides management with information and monitors changing public attitudes to relevant environmental issues. Second, it can provide the communications advice and skills necessary to actively present a company’s environmental policy and actions to its target audiences.
However, just telling people may not be enough – as Brent Spar taught Shell. The comments of John Whybrew, corporate affairs director of Shell UK should be etched on the hearts of all public relations practitioners. He said, ‘What Brent Spar taught us is that being open isn’t sufficient when you are dealing with a highly sensitive decision. You’ve got to make more effort to listen as well as explain’.
This sentiment is reflected in Shell’s subsequent decision to invite suggestions from companies and the public to help dispose of the rig in a manner acceptable to the environment. It made a strong commitment to cooperate with Greenpeace whose misinformation, gladly regurgitated in the media, at first succeeded in making Shell’s management lose face so spectacularly when it decided to abandon sea-dumping at very short notice.
What a pity that a process of public consultation wasn’t embarked upon in the first place, scoring lots of brownie points with the public at the same time. By demonstrating awareness of publics concerns, Shell could have at least been seen to have openly considered all the options, even if at the end of the exercise sea-dumping was scientifically shown to be the best means of disposal from an environmental point of view. It would have been much more difficult to mount a sustainable argument against the company in those circumstances.
- Ильина о.К., Тычинский а.А.
- Предисловие
- Методическая записка
- Content
- Marketing communication
- The role of public relations in the marketing mix
- Public relations planning in the marketing mix
- Marketing integration
- Campaign development
- Diagnosing the solution
- Product launches
- Improving brand equity
- Public Relations in the future marketing mix
- Step-by step planning process
- Exercises
- I. Discuss the following questions.
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- Marketing integration
- III. Match the following definitions with the word-combinations below.
- IV. Complete the words.
- Internal communication
- Why communicate?
- What do people want to know?
- Some communication techniques
- Communication and leadership: the bp Oil experience
- Background
- Preparing the ground
- Creating the right attitude
- 1 The right attitude (see Figure 2.2)
- Attitude Technique Talent
- 2 The communication road map
- 3 The good communicator
- 4 The head office communication forum
- The virtuous circle
- Link with human resources
- Where is bp Oil now?
- Exercises
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- IX. Translate the following text from Russian into English.
- (Виктория Чупровская. Внутренний pr способен решить коммуникативные проблемы в компании. Www.Prlink.Ru)
- Сommunity relations
- Background
- What is community relations?
- Why bother?
- Methods used in a community relations programme
- One piece in the jigsaw
- Research
- Strategic objectives
- Project selection criteria
- A sponsorship example
- Donations policy
- How can the project be developed?
- Measurement and evaluation criteria
- Business benefits of the programme
- Employee participation in the community involvement programme
- Why bother involving your employees?
- How do you know that the programme is a success?
- Internationalising the programme
- Future developments
- Conclusion
- Exercises
- I. Discuss the following questions.
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- IV. Complete the words.
- V. Translate the following word-combinations from Russian into English consulting the article.
- Financial public relations
- How do you define financial public relations?
- The basic task
- Corporate public relations
- What contribution does financial public relations make to the success of a company?
- What are the rules that govern financial public relations?
- Why has this business become such a major industry?
- Investor relations – Is it public?
- Coordination and consistency
- A time to speak and time to remain silent
- How does it fit in with other areas of public relations?
- In-house or consultancy?
- Vickers plc – a very brief case study
- Conclusion
- A checklist
- Exercises
- Corporate public relations
- Vickers plc – a very brief case study
- VIII. Translate the following text from English into Russian.
- IX. Translate the following text from Russian into English.
- X. Summarize the article “Financial Public Relations”.
- XI. Solve the following pr problem.
- Local government and government relations
- Why central and local government matter
- Effective public affairs
- Defining public affairs
- Central and local government
- Government
- Members
- Local government
- Gaining access
- Case studies
- Bail Bandits – a campaign to change the law
- The execution
- Trident – battle of the dockyards
- Key points
- Exercises
- Business to business public relations by Nigel Lawrence
- The customer rules
- How do you know it works?
- The trade press
- Getting it right
- Being prepared
- Getting the good news across
- Joining forces
- Conclusion
- Exercises
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- Public relations for non-commercial organizations
- The mission
- Not-for-profit pr
- The public presence
- Partnership – the sum is greater …
- Provision of services
- Involvement of interested parties
- Case studies – the human face
- Aims, objectives and realization
- Checklist for a successful campaign
- Exercises
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- Involvement of interested parties
- III. Match the following definitions with the word-combinations below.
- VI. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English using active vocabulary.
- VII. Translate the following text from English into Russian.
- Sponsorship
- Definition of sponsorship
- What makes a successful sponsorship?
- Do’s and don’ts of sponsorship
- The sponsorship package
- Sponsorship package checklist
- The public relations agency agenda
- Exercises
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- The sponsorship package
- III. Match the following definitions with the word-combinations below.
- IV. Complete the words.
- V. Translate the following word-combinations from Russian into English consulting the article.
- Environmental public relations
- Be aware of public concerns
- Chemicals industry – in the limelight
- The Rhône-Poulenc initiative
- Changing public perceptions
- Putting the case for recycling
- Looking to the future
- Exercises
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- III. Match the following definitions with the word-combinations below.
- IV. Complete the words.
- (Dorothy Seed. Global warming changes attitudes to nuclear power / Behind The SpinPublic Relations. Http://publicsphere.Typepad.Com/behindthespin/2006/11)
- Glossary a