Public Relations: The Key Puzzle Piece!
Final Puzzle Piece: Â Public Relations
by Michael Perini, ABC
Perini & Associates
“Life: The Great Challenge†by Royce B. McClure is the world’s largest commercially made jigsaw puzzle. There are 24,000 pieces. Once assembled this impressive, detailed work of art of measures more than 14 feet long and 5ft. wide. The only way that you can see and appreciate this creative picture is by looking at the entire puzzle.
The results are much the same for public relations strategies. When public relations programs are dissected into separate components, like pieces of a puzzle, the return on investment is extremely limited.
Like a puzzle, a systematic and integrated approach to communication that builds to a goal is much more effective, and in the long term, the right approach.
The separate pieces of a puzzle in public relations are easily found without airbrushed acrylics that make up puzzles.  PR puzzle pieces include: social media tools, community outreach programs, media relations activities, special events, video production, crisis communication strategies. A good list to reference can be found here.
Unfortunately, there is a tendency to “plug and play†certain communication practices without an overarching, interlocking strategic public relations plan — the foundation that success is built on.
Public relations is the most important piece of the business puzzle; the critical element that completes the program, activity or a company’s return on investment.
Like the world’s largest puzzle or those much smaller, it would be frustrating to reach the end and find out that one or two puzzle pieces are missing. Every care in packaging a puzzle is taken, even to heat sealing bags. Much the same efforts need to be accomplished by business owners, event planners and issue advocates in public relations activities — except maybe for the polythene bag — to make sure that no pieces are missing and the client’s reaction is excitement rather than disappointment when seeking higher profits.