Principles of public relations and communication
Seminar
On September 11, 2007 Centire company organized seminar “Rules of public relations and communication“ in Trenčianske Teplice. The seminar was realized within the project “Professional assistance for slovak regional waterworks companies which is financed by ISPA/KF
The main goal of the seminar was by means of joint discussion find ways how to improve public perception of waterworks company and how to effectively use public relation tools to rise the company‘s performance. The other aim of this seminar was to find out the condition of PR marketing in single waterworks companies and to familiarize with the opinions of waterworks comapanies representatives, especially in what fields they need a professional assistence.
Seminar also oficially started the fullfilment of task 1.7. Principle of PR and marketing within Activity 1.
Lecturers were experts of the OPSRVS project Zuzana Mesárošová and Jaroslava Vaculčiaková who belongs among the leading experts for comunication and PR in Slovakia.
Topics that were presented dealt with:
- increase an awareness of waterworks companies’ representatives about public relations and communication as an important tool of creation of company’s renown and creation of favourable business atmosphere
- explanation of the importance and contributions of PR for waterworks companies
- pointing to the differences and particularities of waterworks companies‘ communication in comparison with other sectors of economy
- crisis comunication – because when crisis occurs it causes the loss of company’s reputation which is very difficult to gain back
- necessity of creation of reputation and company’s communication which becomes an important capital of every company; dialogue with all important target groups, it means by which he perception and reputation of the clients can be created
- the importance of good relations and media communication because it is an important part of information flow and influences the behaviour of customers and clients
- the importance of internal communication because an employee is the part of the most important target group with the biggest ability to influence the longterm success of the company
- creation of relations within region – because citizens and other target groups of region are key customers and comapny partners
The topics were added by a lot of examples not only from Slovakia but also from abroad.
During the discussion mostly opinions for the need of communication efficiency with public and media were presented and especially with such topic as the increase of water price.
Waterworks companies poited to the unsufficient communication about the water. This communicatuon mostly focused on the water price while the lifestyle feature of this issue is suppressed. Its presentation in media is also unsufficient. The experts of the project suggested that the waterworks companies should focuse on young genration and start the communication about water especially at elementary and secundary school.
In general the information about the water and activities of waterworks companies should be presented in reasonable way, not only as facts from annual reports.
Seminar was addressed to the representatives of top management and waterworks companies‘ employess who are responsible for marketing, public relation and communication. Seminar was attended by 43 representatives of waterworks companies and other experts.
Katarína Patková