What is a public affairs specialist? Here’s what you need to know
Companies are constantly looking for labels to improve their image. Media relations services help to make brands appear relevant and get results that attract customers and potential investors. But just what is a Public Affairs specialist in this context?
A Public Affair specialist works to identify and promote the best ways for a company to generate a positive and trustworthy public image, during periods of self-promotion or even during periods of crisis for the brand’s image.
In this article we have sought to answer some of the main questions about what a Public Affair specialist does, and why their work is so important.
Table of Contents
1. How to present yourself
It’s important to present your brand as one which people can trust, and return to in order to meet their needs. A Public Affair specialist identifies and executes media strategies based around informative content such as web-based materials, news releases and articles, making it easier for people to know more about the company, while dealing with everyday issues and keeping the brand’s name relevant and in the spotlight.
2. Keeping in touch with the public
The job calls for someone who can talk and write to the press, always thinking about the company’s concepts alignment and how best to represent it. Conducting research with people in different areas of the brand is also important for determining how to state a given position when asked, or during a crisis.
It’s important to always be tuned into how the media is treating the brand’s image, and how to keep providing them with access to the company’s key messages. The public affairs specialist is responsible for thinking about media strategies to keep the brand present in spaces that are aimed at its market, as well as ways to reach more people who may be interested in the company.
3. Dealing with crisis
It is not unusual for brands to occasionally go through a period of crisis. The task here involves coordinating internal and external parties in order to provide the best response possible to the press and the general public. The professional responsible for this needs to fully understand the situation, and communicate with the brand in order to establish the situation and resolve it as soon as possible.
A Public Affair specialist identifies the problem at hand, and how the brand should respond to it, providing clear and firm statements to the press that clarify the issue, and what the brand is doing to fix it. They will also use their contacts with other specialists to maintain a good, trustworthy image for investors and the general public.
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4. The different areas in a brand
What is a Public Affair specialist for an entire company? They need to get to know every part of the company, and understand their respective roles and mentalities, by talking with the employees who can explain the financial, marketing, sales and other areas. In this way, they can develop an alignment about what the whole company is thinking, and how to best present this to the media.
A public affairs specialist’s work involves not only knowing how to answer questions about the brand, but coming up with a plan to expand this to increase awareness of the brand.
