PR that isn't costly: a public relations program does not need a lot of money to be effective. More essential are sound ideas and people willing to implement them.

• Author: Seroka, Patrick
• Position: Public relations

IN TODAY'S ECONOMY, banks need to work harder and smarter to get more bang for their promotional dollars. This is not an easy task even when times are good. But with the right planning, banks don't need a six-figure public relations (PR) budget to make an impact in a down economy. They just need ideas--and someone with the ability to implement them.

What is public relations?

Depending on whom you ask, you can get a diverse range of definitions for public relations. But when you boil down all the "whys" and "how tos" and "examples," you'll find the essence of PR is this: Public relations is a means of facilitating a genuine connection between an organization and its publics. It is about engaging the public, increasing recognition, building relationships, and creating goodwill that enhances an organization's image and credibility.

Public relations is often part of an organization's marketing and communications strategy because it can have a definite impact on sales; people regularly make purchasing decisions based on an organization's reputation. PR may involve any of the following aspects: research; analysis of data; strategic planning; social media; crisis management; issues management; media relations and tours; consumer relations; employee relations; development and placement of feature articles, news releases, and media kits; special events and trade shows; image development; and more.

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Public relations is sometimes referred to as "nonpaid" media because, in many instances, the organization creates messages in the form of news releases and articles, and provides them to publications for distribution. While it is true that some PR activities don't have the price tag that advertising does, don't forget that someone will have to develop and implement your PR ideas. Depending on how extensively you decide to get into PR, the function can be taken on by a current employee already involved in your communications who understands professional media protocols--or you may consider adding a staff member with experience and knowledge of public relations.

There are a number of public relations initiatives that will provide the exposure you want without breaking the bank, so to speak. These include:

1. Media Relations

   There are, undoubtedly, a multitude of media outlets in your area looking for experts to interview on stories of interest to the general population. Most business publications even put out an...