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THE ROLE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN THE SUSTENANCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL IMAGE: A CASE STUDY OF ENUGU METROPOLIS.

• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Public relation is an important marketing communication tool. Public relations on its own can be employed both within and outside the organization (Edoga, 2005:56). Many feel that public relations is an external marketing tool with the firm attempting to communicate with a wide range of external public in order to cast the organization in a favourable light in people’s mind. This way of thinking is very limited and fails to appreciate the great value of public relations as an external marketing communicating tool. Good internal marketing that is, achieving efforts, is a vital pre-requisite to effective external marking, particularly those based on the concepts of long term relationship marketing.

(Bernays, 2007:81) stated that public relations is the management functions which evaluates attitudes, identifies the process and procedures of an individual or organization with the public interest and plans to execute a programme of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.

It was also seen by (Baskin, 2002:21) as the business of inducing the public’s to have understanding for and goodwill towards a person’s firm or institution.

Public relations according to (Cuttip, 2003:56) is the involves popularizing success, down laying failures, announcing changes and many other activities.

Public relations is the management functions that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationship between an organization and the public s and whom its  success or failure depends (Cutlip, 2007: 79).

Public relations is the management functions which evaluate public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the public interest and plans to execute a programme of action to earn public understanding and acceptance (Edoga, 2005:P 32).

Public relations is the business of inducing the public to have understanding for and good will towards a person, a firm or institution or the art or science of developing reciprocal understanding and good will (Webster’s Ninth New Colligate Dictionary).

Public relations is the management function that help’s to achieve organizational objectives, defines philosophy and facilitate organizational change (Pearce, 2003:35).

• STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

There is often a misconception of what public relations are or how it is supposed to be practiced by practitioners of public relations. A public relation is often confused with propaganda which is designed to indoctrinate in order to attract followers. It does not necessarily Calls for ethical contents, so facts are often distorted or falsified for self interest. Public relations on the other hand seeks to persuade by securing the willing acceptance of attitudes and ideals. In any of the strategies or tactics of public relations adopted, there is no direct control over whether a massage is delivered or where it is placed for delivery. For instance, a marketer may spend hours talking with a magazine writer is preparing an industry story, only to find out that their company was never mentioned in the article. Public relations generally conveys information to a member of the news media (example, a reporter) who then re-crafts the information as part of the news story or feature. Thus, the final message may not be precisely what the marketer planned.

• OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this research work is to appraise the role of public relations in sustenance of organizational image in Nigeria, Focusing on coca cola bottling company, Enugu, Nigeria.

• To find out if public relations enhances the growth and profitability of coca cola Bottling Company, Enugu.
• To find out if public relations enhances the customer patronage of coca cola Bottling Company, Enugu
• To determine if public relations as practiced by coca cola bottling company Enugu, redness the rate of customer’s dissatisfaction.
• To investigate the effect of public relations on the organizational image of coca cola Bottling company, Enugu.
• To determine if public relations as practiced by coca cola Bottling Company, Enugu is satisfactory to their customers.
• To make generally recommendations as regards this research work.
  • SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research work will be of immense significance to the following groups of people:

1. The management and staffs of coca-cola Bottling company Enugu, Nigeria. This research will go a long way in enlightening this company on the role public relations play in enhancing public satisfaction among a firm’s public.
2. This research will also benefit other organizations. They will not only be enlightened on the concepts of public relations, but will understand the need to adopt the diverse public relations strategies for their enlightenment campaigns. The recommendations made from this research work will also go to a great extent in aiding them serve their customers better, thereby enhancing their growth and profit ability.
3. The general public will also benefit from this research work. They will be enlightened on the concepts of public relations and the roles it play in the marketing of diverse product and services.
4. This research will also be an immense importance to students and researchers. they will widen their scope of knowledge from the information’s contained in this research work.
   • RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions were formulated for the purpose of this research work:

1. Does public relations enhance the growth and profitability of coca cola bottling company, Enugu?
2. Does public relations enhance the customer patronage of coca cola bottling company, Enugu?
3. Does public relations aid coca cola bottling company, Enugu to sustain its organizational image?
4. Does public relations as practiced by coca cola bottling company, Enugu reduce the rate of customer dissatisfaction?
5. Is public relations as practiced by coca cola bottling company, Enugu satisfactory to their customers?
6. Does public relations create favourable image for coca cola bottling company, Enugu
7. Do public relations sustain an establishing product in the market place?
8. Does public relations help coca cola bottling company, Enugu to secure sales lead?
9. Does public relations aid coca cola bottling company, Enugu to market their products and services to their customers?

• SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research work on the role of public relations in the sustenance of organizational image in Nigeria, is focused on coca cola bottling company, Enugu, Nigeria.

• DEFINITION OF TERMS

CONCEPTUAL DEFINITION

ADVERTISING: This is a non paid form of communication about an organization, goods and services or idea by an identified sponsor.

PUBLIC RELATIONS: This is a function that helps organizations anticipate and react to significant publics and opinions and other changes, the social, economic, technological and political environment (Cutlip et al, 1999:13).

MARKETING: This is a societal process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating offering and freely exchanging products and services of value with others (Achrika, Ebne and Nnolim, 2003:34)

PROPAGANDA: This is a probilicity intended to persuade or convince people to something (Edoga, 2005:34).

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

ADVERTISING: This is a means to tell the public about a product or a service in order to encourage people to buy or use it.

PUBLIC RELATIONS: This is a business of giving the public information about a particular organization or a person in order to create a good impression.

MARKETING: The activity of presenting, advertising and seeing a company’s products in the best possible ways.

PROPAGANDA: These are ideas or statements the maybe false or exaggerated and that are used in order to gain support false or exaggerated and that are used in order to gain support for a political leader or party.