This posts reflect on readings for week 10.
This week's reading introduces a new concept - the Third Sector. What is the third sector? There's the public sector (government), the private sector (businesses) and then there is the third sector - the activist public. While this third sector is hardly new, it has risen in prominence and influence in this age, with the advent of a more civic-minded society and the internet and other communication tools, which allow like-minded individuals to pool resources together.
What does the third sector have to do with PR? Engagement with the third sector can lead to positive results.
Apple is a positive example. Through its CEO Steve Jobs, Apple often positions itself at the forefront of the concerns of activists. When an issue was made about Apple's laptops and LCD displays containing environment-harming mercury, Jobs detailed how Apple has tried to keep its production practices environmentally friendly, and is actually in the process of rolling out mercury-free products. At a time when the major record labels were advocating placing restrictions on digital music, Jobs wrote an open letter appealing for the labels to distribute digital music with no restrictions. By consistently positioning itself to appeal to the third sector, Apple's products too gain appeal.
On the other hand, not engaging the third sector can lead to disasterous consequences - including PR crises. If an organization ignores or sidelines the concerns of the community or civic organizations, it can find itself or its projects quickly embroiled by protests, which turn public sentiment against the organization. This is especially true in the Internet age, where such community organizations are able to spread messages and mobilize themselves rapidly. PR practitioners must be mindful of these stakeholders and try to engage them to circumvent any outbreak of a crisis. In reserve, the PR practitioner should have a backup crisis management plan that includes engagement with the third sector in order to quickly restore confidence of all stakeholders in the organization.
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Slightly similar to my previous chicken or egg question, I wonder -- do Apple products create the people, or do the people create the Apple products?
ReplyDeleteAnd as stated many times in my blog, organisations have to know their audience. In Apple's case, it would be the tech-geeks, posers, those in the creative industry and rich people. Therefore, they should already be WITHIN the third sector, seeing what their products actually are.