Public Relations Day (PR no Hi)

What Is PR Day?

October 12 is "PR Day" in Japan. It was established by Mie Efap Japon Co., Ltd., which runs a school that teaches public relations (Efap Japon, now M.I.C), and was registered with the Japan Anniversary Association (the registration is said to have since ended). The date comes from the idea that the number "10" can be seen hidden in the letter "P" and "12" in the letter "R." The day aims to spread awareness of the importance of public relations work.

A Brief History of Public Relations

PR is often used to mean "advertising," but it originally refers to building good relationships between an organization and society.

• Ivy Lee, "father of modern PR": In the early 20th century, the American Ivy Lee argued that companies should release accurate facts to the press rather than hide information. His 1906 "Declaration of Principles" is considered one of the starting points of modern PR.
• PR in Japan: After the war, under the guidance of the occupation authorities, government offices in Japan began setting up public relations departments, and the practice later spread to companies.

PR vs. Advertising

• Advertising: A company pays for space and decides the message itself.
• PR: Building relationships with the media and the public, earning coverage as news, and engaging in dialogue. Because the message passes through third parties, it cannot be fully controlled, but it tends to build trust.

PR Trivia

• Press releases: Documents companies issue to the media about new products or initiatives. Today the public can read them directly online.
• "Jiko PR" is a Japanese usage: "Self-PR," used in Japanese job hunting to mean selling yourself, is a Japan-specific usage; public relations does not originally mean self-promotion.
• Crisis communication: When a scandal or accident occurs, how quickly and honestly the facts are shared greatly affects trust afterward.
• Internal communication: Sharing information with employees through newsletters and the like is also an important part of PR.

Ideas for PR Day

• Reflect on how your own messages are received by others.
• Read a press release from a company you're interested in and think about what it wants to convey.
• Be a little more careful than usual with reporting and updates at work — internal PR is a basis of trust too.
• Practice explaining the value of your work from the other person's point of view.

A Day to Review How We Speak and Listen

October 12 is a day to reconsider the importance of PR work. PR is not about dressing yourself up; it is about conveying facts honestly, listening to others, and building good relationships. Today, try to be a little more careful with both how you speak and how you listen.