A new report highlights the role of public relations in management for company directors.

The Institute of Directors (IoD) and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) have published a guide to public relations for company directors to support planning, decision making, and crisis preparedness.

The guide includes a study of 100 business leaders that found that almost a fifth of organisations don’t have internal or external public relations support. Those that do are likely to have a person with responsibility at board level.

The role of public relations in managing a crisis situation is recognised with respondents acknowledging its contribution to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The majority of UK directors associate public relations with media relations and promotional activity. This view is typical. Public relations is often poorly understood by management as a promotional tool, but can help businesses navigate economic and political turbulence, and grow.

The CIPR and IoD guide was produced by Sarah Waddington CBE. Sarah is a director, Wadds Inc., former CIPR President, and an IoD Ambassador.

“This important report underlines the power of public relations and provides lots of helpful guidance on how it can help build organisational resilience - crucial at this time of economic and political turbulence. Hopefully it will help directors feel more confident in procuring a PR team or specialist and get much more from their investment,” said Sarah Waddington CBE.

The guide also includes a series of essays by leading practitioners, highlighting the role of public relations in management for company directors.

• The role of public relations in strategic planning - Dr Jon White

• The role of public relations in stakeholder mapping and engagement - Professor Anne Gregory

• The role of public relations in risk assessment, crisis preparedness and management - Kate Hartley

• The role of public relations in internal communications - Ann Marie-Blake

• The role of public relations in public affairs and lobbying - Iain Anderson

• The role of public relations in horizon scanning - Farzana Baduel

• The role of public relations in measurement and reporting - Steph Bridgeman

You can download a copy of the guide The Role of Public Relations in Strategic Planning and Crisis Preparedness from the CIPR website.