PR Manager

The Public Relations Manager (PR Manager) is under the direct supervision of the Senior PR Manager and the Head PR. The PR Manager’s role is to act as a key interface between the business and the various audiences. The role of the PR Manager is primarily to ensure that there is consistency across the business’s messages and the consumers.

The PR Manager serves as an in-house representative for the business and the consumers. With oversight from the Director of Communications, the PR Manager takes responsibility for supporting traditional/conventional PR and social media relations campaigns for the business and its consumers.

The PR Manager is also directly responsible for the execution of tactics and for securing engagement and coverage from consumers in the market and from media outlets. Day-to-day tasks of the PR Manger are inclusive of monitoring of media placements, maintenance of the business’s media databases, assisting and pitching in journalist enquiries, drafting materials for conventional public relations, among other administrative tasks as is necessary.

Objectives and Responsibilities of the PR Manager

Media: The PR Manager is tasked with the identification of relevant media and analyst targets by conducting research and outlet analyses. The PR Manager manages media and analyst lists and supports media strategies inclusive of targets and pitching concepts. At this capacity, the PR Manager is also responsible for the media outreach and coordination.

Product Launches/Events: The PR Manager is also highly engaged in the product’s launches and events. Here the PR Manager is tasked with providing assistance in the product’s launch as well as the media planning of the event. The scope of the PR Manager’s responsibilities at this capacity will include media target identification and outreach, event planning and venue research, preparation of executive briefing material, and onsite event support.

Measurement/Reporting: The PR Manager has the responsibility of constantly monitoring the business’s industry and competitive media coverage, providing the business with regular media activity status reports, managing daily coverage reports, and also providing business event progress and reports as they occur. At this capacity, the PR Manager also provides his assistance in KPI development, the evaluation of PR program impacts, as well as playing a crucial role in the business’s communication activities; which he analyses and reports on back on.

Supporting Role: As the Junior PR Manager, the occupier of this position is also charged with playing a supporting role for senior PR management, these are; the Senior PR Manager and the Head of PR. The PR Manager supports this senior management in the execution of integrated media relations plans, such as social media strategies, as directed.

At this capacity, it is also the PR Manager’s duty to fulfill basic PR duties inclusive of serving as the day-to-day media contact, attending to simple media requests for information and images, putting together activity re-cap reports for consumers, securing high-quality and consistent media placements through regular and active pitching via phone, and in-person media/consumer interactions.

In addition to this, the PR Manager handles the research, drafting, and distribution of pitch documents and press releases. He additionally builds, maintains, and organizes internal lists of social and media influencers that the PR department should take interest in and engage. The PR manager is also tasked with the formulation and creation of editorial calendars, media mailings, and press kits. Finally, in his supporting role, the PR Manager plans and coordinates business events and PR gatherings as required by the Director of Communications.

Collaboration: The role of the PR Manager is not entirely independent of cross-functional collaboration. The PR Manager liaises with the Content Editor, Marketing team, and Internal Resources in developing press stories that are in support of the business/product’s goals and objectives.

Current Affairs: The PR Manager is also tasked with keeping the business and the PR department updated on the latest public relations and social media trends and using that knowledge to improve and positively impact public relations efforts. The PR Manager is also expected to continually gather information on the business’s products and solutions, and recommend to the marketing teams, the best current markets and solutions.

Media Relations: The PR Manager is also responsible for supporting the business’s commercial initiatives by effectively executing public relations programs across all media platforms. These platforms include social media, print platforms, electronic media (emails), and press conferences.

At this capacity, the PR Manager serves as the primary public relations contact on all platforms and is responsible for building strong and lasting relationships with social and media influencers such as bloggers, industry writers/editors, business association members, and thought leaders.

Strategy: The PR Manager is additionally tasked with developing and proposing public relations strategies based on industry trends and market drivers. At this capacity, the PR Manager again liaises with the business’s marketing team in developing the PR strategies as an integrated part of the overall business communications plan. The PR Manager establishes tactical public relations plans inclusive of the messaging of the product and its solutions.

Budget: The PR Manager has some basic financial responsibilities in developing and proposing public relations budget to senior PR Management for approval. In supporting his budget allocation, the PR Manager researches and draws reports on the effectiveness of PR programs and initiatives and demonstrates the contribution of the PR initiatives to overall business’s initiatives such as new market development and sales growth.

Other Duties: The PR manager also performs other duties as delegated by the Senior PR Manager, the Head of PR, the Director of Communications, or the Employer.

Required Qualifications of the PR Manager

Education: A suitable candidate for the position of PR Manager has to have a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, International Relations, Public Relations, Communications, Information Technology, Journalism, Marketing, or any related field. Alternatively, the candidate will have a working experience of the equivalent.

Experience: A suitable candidate for the position will also have a working experience of at least 2 years in progressive Public Relations. The candidate will also have vast experience in effective social media practices on major channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram in addition to having a deep understanding of conventional/traditional public relation media landscapes. A suitable candidate will also have a proven and successful record of generating media coverage for a business as well as working in, or leading a cross-functional team in a PR setting.

Communication Skills: The position of PR Manager is one of the most interactive positions in any business. PR Managers will be in constant contact with internally collaborating personnel, media outlets, external partners, and most importantly, the consumers on various platforms. The PR Manager acts as a representative or spokes-person for the business to all these contacts and must, therefore, posses exceptionally good communication skills in both written and verbal form in order to clearly and concisely convey the business/product’s messages and to depict the business in the highest standard possible.

Technology/Web Savvy: In a world where technology has become a primary avenue of human interaction, it is necessary that a candidate for the PR Manager position be technologically competent, having honed skills in computer use and softwares as well as new and upcoming communication and interaction appliances. The PR Manager will be required to widely interact with the business’s consumers, media outlets, websites, and the business’s partners on online platforms and must, therefore, possess a deep interest and skill in technology and technological appliances.

Analytical/Visionary: A good PR Manager will also be highly analytical and visionary. The candidate will need to display a high interest in data collection and analysis. A PR Manager also needs to understand the bigger picture and be able to outline goals, define the business’s target audience, and identify what platforms will help him in scaling his PR efforts.

People/Interpersonal Skills: As a representative of the business’s image, a suitable candidate will have people skills that make him likeable and easy to relate; enabling him to establish strong and meaningful relationships with colleagues, media representatives, business partners, and consumers alike.

He will also need to possess certain interpersonal skills that enable efficient and effective performance of his duties, for example he will be highly organized and process driven, willing to take up business and product campaigns, no matter how challenging, be able to work well under pressure, be detail oriented, and have an ability to work well across organizational levels.

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