The corporate industry is all about strong communication. Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Marketing, Advertising, etc. are some of the most opted for career choices by many young individuals. Currently, there are many successful individuals in this corporate industry who had never planned on entering these fields, however, are performing exceedingly well.
Those of you who are considering taking up PR and Corporate Communication must plan to pursue the right kind of education. There are multiple universities that offer courses specifically dedicated to PR and Corporate Communication.
If you are considering opting for PR and Corporate Communication, you must first have a clear understanding of what the two entail.
PR (Public Relations)
“An image is not simply a trademark, design, a slogan or an easily remembered picture. It is a studiously crafted personality profile of an individual, institution, corporation, product and service” says Daniel Boorstin, professor at University of Chicago. Many people don’t really get what PR actually holds.
PR professionals perform persuasive functions for brands that appoint them for promotion. PR agencies and professionals find ways to make a particular brand/product stand out as the best, from others and convince the target market how a particular brand/product is the best. PR is that medium of communication that ensures the development of a strong relationship between organisations and public.
Corporate Communication
Corporate Communication revolves around managing the reputation of the firm. Every other organisation these days has a separate corporate communication department. This department is responsible for developing, maintaining and managing the communication internally and externally. Internal communications involve ensuring a smooth flow of communication between various departments, and external communications involves the media houses, stakeholders, government bodies, and target market/customers. It can be said that corporate communications is wider in scope that public relations. Corporate communication is all about branding, not just of the company’s products but also the company, its people, and its functions. The corporate communication professionals strive to create a positive image of the company externally as well as internally.
How is PR Different from Corporate Communication?
Public Relations and Corporate Communication are way different than each other even though the functions and purpose of the communication might be the same of building and maintaining a good image of the company.
PR agencies and PR professionals approach the media houses for providing exposure to the company. They act as middlemen between the company and the media, whereas Corporate Communication professionals act as the representatives or communicators of the company/brand. While PR is only limited to companies looking out for media interactions to reach out to the end customers, Corporate Communications focus on reputation and brand building and maintaining a smooth flow of communication with various stakeholders of the company.
Both PR and Corporate Communication aim at creating a positive image of the brand/product/company and build its goodwill.
Some of the top Universities and Colleges offering the course of PR and Corporate Communication:
India:
- Indian Institute of Mass Communication (New Delhi)
- YMCA Institute for Media Studies & Information Technology (New Delhi)
- St Xavier’s Institute of Communications (Mumbai)
- Symbiosis’ Institutes (Pune, Banglore)
- EMDI Institute of Media and Communication (Mumbai)
International:
- Georgetown University (The United States)
- University Of Southern California (The United States)
- Boston University (The United States)
- Middlesex University (United Kingdom)
- University of Greenwich (United Kingdom)
- Dublin City University (Ireland)
Scope of PR and Corporate Communication:
PR and Corporate Communication industry are currently booming with opportunities. The businesses and firms are thriving at a rapid rate with their operations and networks expanding wider than ever. Such companies need professionals to handle their communication processes. Though there is a high demand for such professionals there is a skill shortage too. This makes many opportunities available to those wanting to pursue a career in these fields.
