Public Relations involves the professional mechanism in which any company strives to maintain an image of itself that is favorable to the general public. In today’s world, public relation poses as the most powerful tool in which any organization can use in finding its way through the competitive business world of today. In Australia, the media landscape is on a fast changing session. The internet is proving to be the most widely accessed tool when it comes to the technological error of passing information. Over the years there has been a dwindling sale of newspapers and an increase of social media online activities. The internet is proving to be more efficient in getting the information to the various outlets and in turn is being relied upon by most persons. Media firms are getting more popular in their need to pass information quickly and accurately and therefore this calls for companies and organizations to refine their ways in which they will be able to express their messages to the general public and to promote their corporate image.
This study aims at understanding the Australian global internet media environment and how it influences public writing strategies. Also we will be able to address the different factors that bring about the influence in content display and how public relations is promoted effectively. Since the interactive media is on the rise, public relations skills and techniques required to deal effectively with these channels will be discussed. The study also aims to bring into perspective how the information being dispatched in the public should be so as to attain a better understanding by the recipient. And for the organization, the message being relayed will bring satisfaction if it is understood as it was intended to.
Message Strategy
Woolworths Group is an Australian based company that operates a chain of supermarkets. It’s one of the biggest companies that operates in Australia having more than 900 stores distributed across the continent. Woolworths success can be attributed to a number of factors and having a good corporate image is one of those. Throughout its interaction with various phases of the media, Woolworths has tried to bring out a proper, well-built reputation of itself to the general public. A company’s reputation lies mostly on the impressions imposed to the general public. Even though the bigger picture of a company is expressed from its facts expressed, the doings of a company through its management, employees and the staff in general dictates whether its reputation is built for the betterment of the company or for its downfall.
Woolworths has bettered its corporate image with evidence of clear strategies that it has put in place. The evidences seen through its expression of the company’s name over the materials produced by the organization include;
Clear purpose of the company
Through the materials produced by the Woolworths Group. They have clearly stated what their purpose and position is regarding strict matters. Woolworths brings about their main major reason for existence and establishes how it intends to bring about the perfection of its objectives. Various statements expressed by Woolworths bring out the tangibility of the purpose intended. This brings about its differentiation from its competitors making it stand out and therefore can plainly be recognized.
Woolworth states that its goal is to put customers first and to do so, they have well laid priorities that they intend to follow. These already bring out the desired purpose that the company has and the plan in which they will be able to use to implement it.
Market research
Another way in which a corporate image is clearly established is by ensuring that the company knows its Market. Woolworths has established a company-customer relationship by ensuring that they have a participation in decision making for the company. Woolworths ensures that the feedback received from the customer is taken seriously and the necessary changes acted upon in due diligence. This will help keep up with improving the services and continue ensuring that the customers are satisfied with the what they receive as services being offered by the company.
Actual message
Woolworths over the different materials it uses in its attempt to reach the general public gives its actual expectations. The objectives it hopes in establishing over the years and ways in which its going to use to get these objectives a reality are made public and that makes the corporate message the actual message expressed. This message is used in conjunction with public relations to ensure that the company’s branding is maintained. Without this actual message expressed to the public, both the general public together with the investors would wonder what motivations and goals the company has in store for them and more so for itself. This self-proclamation message helps ground the company from its competitors (Marquis, 2018).
Control of damages
Taking care of the damages caused by the company to its customers publicly is also another method of being able to express their corporate message. Woolworths does this by responding to the negative comments that are received from their customers. After establishing whether the comments are of truth, they go on to ensure that the point of issue is corrected. By doing this, Woolworths promotes its corporate message in the essence that the corrective action taken by the company to be able to please its customers remains the objective of the company, which is, the consumers be able to satisfactorily enjoy the services offered by the company. Trust is also part of the biggest objectives required by a company from its consumers and therefore public admission and correction of faults by the company also helps build up that trust to the benefit of both its consumers and the company itself.
Effective communication
Communication within any company is essential to the company. Communication ensures that the corporate message being brought about by the company is clear to everyone and that each person gets to understand it. The corporate message should be expressed to the whole company and extended further to the consumers so as to establish the goal that is expected. Failure in proper communication of the message risks destroying the strength in which the message holds. Woolworths clearly expresses its message through the company’s websites that are able to be accessed at any point by both the staff working within the company and by the general public. This enhances the mutual understanding between the consumers benefiting from the services offered by Woolworths Group and also by the company itself which is able to fulfill its goals through the general public (Marquis, 2018).
For the corporate message to be clearly received by the recipients, various elements of style grammar, rules and approaches to this writing have been used. Messages relayed by the company to the public should be received in the particular and singular manner in which the company intended it to be received. Failure to do so distorts the message being relayed and it may not be able to get to the amount of population that was intended for it or worse off it may not be understood at all. Woolworths uses various ways to be able to relay its corporate message clearly.
Effective grammar
Proper use of languages in formulation of sentences and statements makes it easy for someone else to understand what is being referred to. Different words have different understanding according to specific people. Words with similar meanings may not be understood if not placed at the right places. Therefore, for proper understanding, words should be chosen keenly and accurately so as to ensure that the message relayed is perfect. Woolworths ensures that its information relayed to the public through various sources of the media and mostly through the internet is of the correct grammar and is therefore understandable to the receiver (Mitchell, 2014). The words being used are simple and easy to understand and also keep intact the message that is being communicated. By doing this, Woolworths daily updates to its customers through various avenues will be received and understood as it was intended by the company.
Preciseness
Big pieces of information are mostly not received well by most persons. For messages to be passed effectively, they should be able to relay the information needed with the minimal words possible. What is communicated should be simple, concise and straight to the point. Woolworths achieves this by ensuring that what is communicated is concise and expresses the company’s desires effectively. Matters that are of most importance are given first priority and are therefore relayed first as considered to matters that back it up. This gives the general receivers of the information a chance to grab the information as soon as they set their eyes on the information available (Bivins, 2009 p.91).
Repetition is also a way in which information may be lost. Information that is straight to the point should not be repeated as it makes the whole statement lose its meaning. Woolworths ensures that its information gets to its destination with its meaning intact. And it does this by ensuring that important matters are established and relayed first and without repetition.
Accuracy
Wrong information is no information at all. If the intended information to be relayed is wrong, it will bring no benefit to those who receive it. Worse off it may impact the receivers negatively and in the end the negativity will be pushed back to the source. Woolworths ensures that its information is accurate. The information involving figures and dates are done accurately to avoid any loopholes when consumers of their products get the information. This therefore places Woolworths Group in good terms with their consumers. It also keeps their information reliable and agreeable by the receivers.
Conclusion
Woolworths Group being one of the largest companies that are being managed in Australia clearly expressed itself through its corporate messages that are expressed through various internet sources and materials. These messages expressed by Woolworths to their consumers and the rest of the staff bring about the clarity at which the company strives to communicate with its customers. Also, the messages are being done with the proper techniques that will ensure that the company gains the required interests as the right message is being passed.
Since the global internet media environment in Australia is shifting and more persons are getting acquainted with the online materials found in the internet, Woolworths is also finding the internet a better avenue as to which it will relay its messages to its consumers. Also, the consumers are able to relay their concerns to the company and through that a mutual communication is set. Public relations strategies are expressed in all aspects of how the information is relayed, and what needs to be done to ensure the information does not get distorted in the end.
References
Bivins, T. (2009). Public Relations Writing. The Essentials of Style and Format (7th ed., pp. 89-93). Thomas Bivins.
Marquis, A. (2018). What Comprises Corporate Messaging. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/comprises-corporate-messaging-26226.html
Mitchell, S. (2014). Woolworths committed to cutting prices in battle with Coles, Aldi. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 February 2015, from https://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/woolworths-committed-to-cutting-prices-in-battle-with-coles-aldi-20140905-10cqir.html
