Growing Importance of Public Relations
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GOOD public relations were today more important than ever before in the transport industry, Mr. J. H. Brebner, O.B.E., public relations adviser to the British Transport Commission, told the Metropolitan Section of the Institute of Transport on Monday. They had to seek to explain and make understood, both externally and internally, the challenge and impact of such current major issues as automation, economic problems and road congestion.
Mr. Brebner described public relations and publicity as being concerned with the study of the human factor in industry. A dangerous misconception about public relations was that it was a matter affecting one special department, to he used without correlation to main management policy.
Public relations must not be used simply to shelter management or staff from criticism.
"It is a good thing that the suggestions and complaints of the public and the customers of transport should receive immediate and careful consideration," went on Mr. Brebner. "It is a good thing that they should act as a spur to efficiency. We must always remember that transport is created for them and their needs, and not for Us......
Good internal relations with the employees were fundamentally essential to good public relations. An employee was more likely to render good service if he had pride and interest in the job, and knew why he had been told to do a particular job in a particular way, than if he were kept in ignorance of the policy and objectives of the management. The external presentation of an organization had a definite impact upon its employees.