Handbook of Public Relations is a South African text that offers academic and practical perspectives on public relations (PR) in the business and management environment.

The new edition provides current, relevant and topical PR developments in the industry using case studies on issues such as digital communication. It also aligns current international practice with local contexts to ensure a decolonised approach and relevant theories.

The pandemic that hit the world in 2020 has brought about many changes around the world. This has led to numerous changes in the world of business and new trends have emerged in the world of sales. Artificial intelligence became more prominent, the impact of videos increased and automation of sales processes became the order of the day.

One of the more noticeable sales trends that emerged in the past years is creativity. The business world changed and salespeople had to work harder to meet targets. This also led to more intense competition, which in turn, resulted in more innovative ways of doing business. Salespeople were forced to work smarter and not harder during these trying times. One of the cyber-age strategies focused on was the use of the Internet to drive sales. This, however, quickly became annoying to customers. To prevent this type of strategy from becoming an also-ran, it needs to be adjusted and adapted to be one step ahead. Creativity is called for in sales – not silliness!

It is clear that customer expectations of personal selling are constantly changing and that businesses must adapt to these changes. The days are gone where a business can tell customers what they want to hear; or will close a deal fast; or talk a lot to influence customers. Customers expect businesses to change the way they approach them.

In this edition of Personal Selling, the authors outline the key steps in the selling process that lead to a successful sale, from prospecting for a sale to the follow-up once the sale has been completed. In addition, it explains the role and place of personal selling, the impact it has on the economy and how it ties in with and supports marketing. The importance of communication in the act of selling, as well as different approaches and sales presentation methods, are explained and clarified, and a comprehensive discussion on how salespeople should manage themselves and their time is included.

Unravelling the complex worlds of public relations practitioners and journalism in a single publication is a challenge, but when the dynamic synergy of these two occupations are established their interaction is easily apparent.

Dynamics of Public Relations and Journalism unravels and explores these worlds to enhance the journalistic skills of Media Studies students and give journalists invaluable insights into the complex, multidisciplinary world of public relations. It also highlights the interdependency of the two professions and explains the need for their smooth interaction.

Key Features and Benefits

• Integrates Public Relations and Journalism and explains the relationship between the two fields in language ideal for first year students
• Use South African examples and case studies
• Locally relevant content
• Extensive support material for students and lecturers

South Africa is regularly in the international spotlight for several reasons, some of which are negative, which poses challenges to PR companies.

Businesses are increasingly realising the importance of a good reputation and the value of publicising their positive achievements.

Public Relations: Theory and Practice 3e focuses on what Public Relations is about, its role in the total marketing effort.

Customer service is not a new topic in marketing. Although most marketing texts cover customer service in some form or another, the topic is generally not given the attention it deserves. In a society where customers are becoming more informed, more protected and more demanding than in the past, it makes good business sense to ensure that your customers receive a high level of customer service. After all, a happy customer is a satisfied customer, and a satisfied customer will remember the experience and purchase from you again and again.

Customer Service draws together the important issues regarding customer service. It addresses all the key elements which need to be considered when developing a service strategy for a business. The text is not only written with undergraduate students in mind, but also for the entire spectrum of businesses – both large and small – and for employees at all levels.

This book:

• Considers the topic of customer service within the context of its role in marketing strategy
• Stresses the importance and role of verbal and non-verbal communication
• Highlights the role that physical evidence plays in supporting a service strategy
• Addresses the causes of service failures and how to fix them
• Provides guidance on how to develop a service system
• Shows how technology can be used to enhance customer service
• Gives advice on how to develop and train staff to deliver exceptional customer service
• Addresses the important issues of quality, value, expectations and satisfaction and why they form the foundation of a service strategy
• Outlines the concept of customer experience management and how to apply it to a business

Personal Branding For Entrepreneurs provides quick-fire, practical advice and real-life examples and success stories to help entrepreneurs build and market their own personal brands.

In today’s fast-paced, interconnected world, you need to have a personal brand, apart from that of your company. If you haven’t already got one, you need to start cultivating it into something of your choosing before it becomes defined by those around you. Learn what your personal brand is, why it’s critical to your success as an entrepreneur and what you need to do to grow, maintain and nurture it.

Donna Rachelson, a specialist in branding and marketing, and the author of three books, distils and shares her insights from years of experience in helping entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses through the building of their authentic personal brands. Jam-packed with easily digestible nuggets of information and easy-to-apply actions, and with contributions from seven other entrepreneurs from different industries and at different stages of their personal branding journeys, Personal Branding For Entrepreneurs is a must-have in any entrepreneur’s personal development toolkit.

Strategic Communication Research highlights the importance of research in professional communication settings and provides students with the practical information and knowledge they will need to effectively consume and produce professional research within their careers. While theory and methods are emphasized throughout, the text features a unique focus on the cultivation of transferable skills and the relevant application of knowledge. Students learn why research is critical in professional contexts, a variety of approaches for conducting communication research, how to effectively evaluate research, and how to conduct their own research. Dedicated chapters cover the research process, sampling, ethics, observation and data analytics, surveys, interviews and focus groups, analyzing data, presenting results, and more. Throughout, dynamic practice activities and real-world examples actively engage students and support the applied approach. Straightforward, accessible, and highly practical, Strategic Communication Research helps students recognize the valuable role of research in the development and assessment of communication strategy. The text is ideally suited for applied methods courses in communication research, public relations, and marketing communications, as well as any course with emphasis in strategic communication.

Although much has been said and written about the need for government to adapt to the new realities that resulted from the transformed paradigms in the Information Age, the world is lacking practical, tangible solutions on how to respond to these changes. This title analyses the trends that can be regarded as manifestations of transition, as the world struggles to get to grips with adopting deeply entrenched paradigms and traditional truths to enable effective service renderings and restore the declining relationship between government and its clients, the Information Age citizenry.

The political economy deals with the structure of production and the social relations of people in production. With its focus on structures and practices, the political economy also analyzes the contradictions of capitalism and suggests resistance and intervention strategies using methods from history, economics, sociology, and political science. The dominant commercial media in capitalism operates both as a product of economic and political structure and as an industrial institution with economic and political functions. Current Theories and Practice in the Political Economy of Communications and Media is a collection of innovative research on new approaches in the political economy of communication in the process of globalization. While highlighting topics including consumer behavior, news production, and public relations, this book is ideally designed for newscasters, broadcasters, journalists, marketers, advertisers, production managers, researchers, industry professionals, academics, and students seeking to extend the border of standard political economy of communication studies into relatively undiscovered areas.

The accepted narrative of the interwar U.S. Navy is one of transformation from a battle-centric force into a force that could fight on the ""three planes"" of war: in the skies, on the water, and under the waves. The political and cultural tumult that accompanied this transformation is another story. Ryan D. Wadle's Selling Sea Power explores this little-known but critically important aspect of naval history. After World War I, the U.S. Navy faced numerous challenges: a call for naval arms limitation, the ascendancy of air power, and budgetary constraints exacerbated by the Great Depression. Selling Sea Power tells the story of how the navy met these challenges by engaging in protracted public relations campaigns at a time when the means and methods of reaching the American public were undergoing dramatic shifts. While printed media continued to thrive, the rapidly growing film and radio industries presented new means by which the navy could connect with politicians and the public. Deftly capturing the institutional nuances and the personalities in play, Wadle tracks the U.S. Navy's at first awkward but ultimately successful manipulation of mass media. At the same time, he analyzes what the public could actually see of the service in the variety of media available to them, including visual examples from progressively more sophisticated - and effective - public relations campaigns. Integrating military policy and strategy with the history of American culture and politics, Selling Sea Power offers a unique look at the complex links between the evolution of the art and industry of persuasion and the growth of the modern U.S. Navy, as well as the connections between the workings of communications and public relations and the command of military and political power.