An assessment of the practice of public relations practitioners in marketing the corporate image in selected organisations

The profession of public relations has suffered negative associations and connotations as far as its role and practice are concerned. Alongside these, there are theories put forward within the field suggesting ways that could be used to assist public relations practitioners to become more successful in serving their organisations, marketing their organisation’s corporate image as well as reversing public relations’ negative legacy which has long existed as suggested by Steyn and Puth. This treatise argues that the real situation of the practice of public relations, its roles and the successes of PR practitioners in marketing the corporate image of their organisation might differ from what theories proposed. Thus this study seeks and intends to correlate what has been theorized with current practice in the profession. In addition, this study reflects and corroborates public relations practitioners’ roles in marketing the corporate image of organisations within the proposed new strategic role and through the existing traditional roles as compared to theory. Finally, this study also helps establish required changes to the traditional roles of the practitioners with the aim of reflecting the current situations in the existing selected organisations. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, the views and perceptions of public relations practitioners and managers of selected organisations were examined through a survey by questionnaire. This data was then analysed to determine their roles in marketing the corporate image of organisations in terms of the new strategic role and through the existing traditional roles as compared to theory. The sample included public relations practitioners and chief executive officers of Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Holdings (Pty) Ltd , Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and Transnet National Ports Authority. The findings seem to support the hypotheses of the study in concluding that: • The strategic roles identified in theory such as the solution around the myth and allegory of success in the practice and profession of public relations might not be realised in current practice, and • Public relations practitioners’ effectiveness in marketing the corporate image of their organisations is affected by the way their roles are perceived within organisations. It is the hope of the researcher that, the findings of this investigation will set foundations for further research on the assessment and estimation of the practice of the public relations practitioners in marketing the corporate image of organisation