Strategic Planning: A Vertiable Tool in the Practice of Public Relations: A case study of Anambra State Primary Education Board (SPEB) Awka

Abstract

Public relations is a potent strategy for the survival of any organization. It is not a gift; it is a profession and discipline that demand hard work from its practitioner in order to succeed. Any organization that uses public relations as a fire-fighting tool will run into big crisis. This is because it is reasonable for an organization to inform and deliberate with public relations personnel of an organization before a retrenchment exercise is carried out. But it is wrong to carry out retrenchment exercise without consultation and then ask the person to go and address the press after the exercise has been carried out. However, the dynamic nature of man and the society in which avarice, corruption, greed and the love for materialism is the order, have caused public relations practice, especially at organizations to assume a business statue. Public relations profession is a microcosm of a larger society. It is this modern concept of public relations practice, just like any other business, that makes it imperative for public relations practitioners to establish themselves and their public especially client and employees. It is assumed that public relations practitioners should apply strategic planning in their practice(s). the question remains “how well is this done”?