Strategic Internet Public Relations
July 27, 2025
One of my original objectives for this master's course was to learn best practices in digital marketing and media and apply them to my own business. This month, we explored Strategic Internet Public Relations. Each week, this course builds on the next, which was extremely helpful when trying to understand what public relations is. Public relations plays a crucial role in determining a business's success with the public (Hayes, 2024). It enables a company to craft its brand narrative in any situation, whether positive or negative. I have learned a great deal about the history behind public relations, including the teachings of Edward Bernays, which shed light on how public relations originated and how it has shaped the world of public relations today. Whether it is through advertisements on TV or political campaigns, public relations is everywhere.
When reflecting on best practices within the public relations field, one of the most valuable lessons I learned was the importance of having a crisis response plan in place before a crisis occurs within a company. Many noteworthy projects are tied to how a crisis is received and handled from a business standpoint. To start, the week one assignment related to press releases was an excellent teaching lesson for me, as press releases allow a business to define its situation or itself. In short terms, control the narrative. Another note is that once the press release has been created, the business must prepare a lengthy distribution strategy plan, such as the week three assignment: Distribution Strategy. The week three assignment significantly enhanced my research knowledge and skills in finding contacts and businesses that could help distribute the strategy plan. It also shed light on best practices and steps when communicating with the public, for example, in a crisis. Empathy is an important tone to have with the public, while denial of the situation is a public communication "Do not".
However, the most important lesson I learned this month came in week four, and that was how to handle a crisis once it has already happened. My key takeaways from our week four assignment, which was a crisis management case study for a $625 million crypto heist, are that communication is key to helping regain a company's trust with the public. From a professional standpoint, one thing I learned is that taking accountability is extremely important at the beginning of a crisis. As a professional, sometimes owning up to a situation can be difficult, but I have learned that honesty always prevails over lies in any circumstance.
The lessons I have learned from this will be essential to my future in the digital marketing field. Crisis are unpredictable, but having a plan to combat those crises is important to establish. This month embodied what it means to be proactive in any situation, and why I believe PR knowledge is essential and one of the most valuable practices of marketing.
Hayes, A. (2024, June 11). Public Relations (PR): Meaning, Types, and Practical Examples. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/public-relations-pr.asp
