The corporate and non-profit realms of the public relations world are starkly different, which is not necessarily surprising. For starters, the goals, structure, and regulation of the two types of organizations are very different. Where corporations are ultimately out to make a profit for those involved, non-profit organizations are aimed at bettering a certain aspect of life for a certain group of people, animals, or the environment.
Perhaps the biggest difference between corporate and non-profit public relations is the constant effort to save face, and portray a positive image. Corporations are largely distrusted and even scorned by the public and activists, making efforts to create a more positive image an everyday struggle. While this may mean becoming more publicly transparent and socially responsible, it often also means simply making more factual information about the corporation readily available. As the Revel text on public relations states, corporations are often misunderstood in terms of what they actual contribute to society, such as GDP, volunteering hours, and charitable efforts.
On the flip side, non-profits are often already perceived as socially positive and charitable, rendering efforts to portray a positive image unnecessary. Instead, public relations professionals in non-profits focus on mobilizing individuals to donate, volunteer, and promote, as well as vote for public policies that will help the non-profit succeed in achieving its goals. These efforts can take the form of lobbying, massive demonstrations, boycotting, and actually partnering with corporations, which usually results in a win-win situation in regard to public relations.
Another major difference between corporate and non-profit public relations is the level of consultation that occurs between PR professionals and those in charge. Recently, corporations have taken to frequent meetings between CEO’s and their public relations managers, encouraging them to critique the company in ways that the public would. In contrast, non-profit PR professionals usually need not critique to those in charge, but instead brainstorm to create new ideas of how to make the public aware that their services are indeed available.
Corporate and non-profit PR professionals both need to advertise what they have to offer, though their everyday jobs and research are likely much different, just as the two types of organizations themselves.
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