The global economic downturn has sent many a company, multinational at that, to either undergo restructuring or forced to shut down. While others consider the move as a bad omen, some, however, would regard it as another opportunity to further expand their business, otherwise prove their raison d'etre. One industry that fits in the latter is the public relations business. In Saudi Arabia, though the global economic slowdown heralds a certain degree of ominous fallout, companies, in general, are cushioned and maintain optimism, albeit cautiously, reinforced with the help of professional public relations practitioners. Although, of late, a survey indicated that hard times are ahead for marketing agencies – advertising, research, branding and media planning – certain quarters in the industry remain upbeat, noting that business acumen is best tested in trying times. As a barometer of thriving public relations business in the Kingdom amid global economic decline is the fact that the number of public relations companies in the Kingdom has risen – a mark of growing demand. There are now at least some 25 companies in the industry, out of which around eight are regarded as the key players with regional and international network. The increasing presence shows that public relations really matters, asserted Montasser Al Rashidy, senior account manager, Afkar International For Public Relations which handles the public relations programs of Knowledge Economic City, among others. “Public relations job – which encompasses among others, crisis management and branding techniques – absolutely matters,” Al Rashidy said. He emphatically said that “now, more than anytime, public relations role is crucial to the success or continues growth of the company, since this is the opportune time to render our skills in crisis management.” Crisis left unresolved would have disastrous consequences for the company, like losing workers along with key talent and organizational knowledge, and sow low morale, fear, physical relocation or even untimely death for those left behind. Al Rashidy stressed that public relations firms and company owners should be well prepared prior to any professional consultation to best comprehend the insights and projections of the joint undertaking. “One of the critical roles of public relations is to help the organization develop recovery plans. These strategies should address the safety, health and welfare of employees before, during and after an emergency. Crisis preparedness, response and recovery are essential to help people begin to recover,” he said, pointing out that “helping companies and their employees achieve a sense of normalcy is also an important factor in tackling the “human side of a crisis.” He noted that “many entrepreneurs are lax, if not indifferent, to adhere to established management principles or seek out weaknesses in their operation. Yet, Al Rashidy said, by ignoring the warning signals, the risk of handling crises and embarrassing situations in the public eye increases.” As PR companies' existence depends largely on their clients, Al Rashidy cautioned that when faced with crisis, public relations firms should address it promptly. “Doing so may exhaust the year's promotional budget, but good public affairs today means your client is more likely to be in business next year,” he said. Moreover, honing on the critical role the PR business plays in the company's survival, he said a communication plan is an essential part of crisis management. “It is our job to formulate questions and draft answers based on relevant and scientific research and analysis, to deal with the immediate need of the client.” For this reason, he said a specific PR campaign customized to the peculiar need or interest of the client based on the prevailing environment is the proper approach to “minimize the damage, if not prevent it at all.” On the issue of relationship with the media, Al Rashidy said “with an effective PR strategy, you can harness the power of the press to generate good publicity. And if your company is in crisis, you'll need to talk to the press to prevent a backlash, so it's in your best interest to have open relationships established with journalists before a disaster strikes.” He however, clarified that publicity is not advertising. “You can't control publicity, and using ploys like fund drives or auctions won't give you media mileage.” To cultivate and maintain good media rapport, Al Rashidy said it is important to have “consistent and persistent communications with the various participants or sectors involved all the time, and not only in time of crisis,” adding that patience coupled with the right approach in tackling the situation would eventually pay off. “It is really a rewarding experience, not only enjoying the laurels, if we in the business of managing crisis save our client from downfall,” he said with a sigh of relief. After all, the bottom line of an entire PR exercise is the safety of the company, the well-being of its employees and the achievement of the client's desired objectives, Al Rashidy emphasized. __
