A Study of Public

Relations in Cathay
Pacific

Presented by Cyrus, Grace, Joyce, Sam, Teddy

Introduction
The Background of Cathay Pacific

• local representative brands

• established in 1946

• has been expanding in the past half

century

• won the Airline of the Year 2006

This fruitful outcome is
contributed by

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 mainly
the PR department!!
Literature Review
 Literature Review
• Definition
• Duties
• Internal Communication
• Sponsorship
• Promoting and advertising for company
• Handling special situations
 Definition
• Public relations is the use of information
and strategies to influence the public
 Duties
• Financial relations
a major means of carrying out corporate
strategies

• Public Affairs
officials channel the flow of information,
requests from organization to government
 Duties
• Community Relations
a chance for companies to promote a
more personal image

• Publicity and Marketing Communications

establish tie-in promotions with
retailers and others
 Internal Communication
• Having a good, open, two-way
communication between the employer and
employees

• Advantages:
1. feel they are part of the company
2. motivate them and improve their
performance
3. let them give feedback and suggestions
to the management
 Internal Communication
• can be in the form of some programmes,
which is appropriate to the culture and
management style of that company

• Include: news, information and

announcements, policy, staff development
and success stories
help to break bad news without lowering
motivation
create a harmonious environment in the
company
 Sponsorship
• fulfill its social responsibility by
supporting community activities

• to familiarize the company name

• attract media interest

 Sponsorship
• several kinds of vehicles in which some
companies have used for sponsorship

sports, arts, performers, books,

exhibitions and shows, charities and
voluntary bodies, educational activities
and TV sponsorship etc…
 Promoting and advertising for
company
• promotion is one of the aspects of
marketing
comprises adverstising, personal selling,
sales promotion and public relations

• advertising is the business of drawing

public attention to goods and services
helping the company or the service
become a better known name
 Handling special situations
• to build up a strong fundamental of a
positive image of the company

• turn the negative situatuion to positive

and make the public remember the name
of the company by advertising or
promoting of the company
Methodology
Interview Result
 Selected interview questions
• How would you define “Public Relations”?

• What are your duties in your company?

• Does your company hold fund raisers for charity?

• What other strategies does your company use for PR?

• What is the key leading to success for running PR?

• Have you come over any difficulties during your work?

• What quality should a PR staff have?

How would you define “Public Relations”?

Ms Yu’s response:
• Maintain good and harmonious relationship
with the mass media

• Acts as a bridge to link up the company

and the public
 bring a positive image and good
reputation to the public
What are your duties in your company?

Ms Yu’s response:
• Distribution of Press Release
• Give first-handed information to the
mass media
• Provide updated information about
aviation on the company’s website
• Editing and delivering newsletters to
internal staff
 Does your company hold fund raisers
for charity?
Ms Yu’s response:
• Yes
e.g. sport events, festival shows,
charity walk…

• Recent event: Cathay Pacific and Civil

Aviation Department Co-Host Charity Run
and Walk (Part of the 60th anniversary
celebrations)
 What other strategies does your
company use for PR?

Ms Yu’s response:
• Offer professional training of aviation for
youngsters

• Staff published several books and

autobiographies by sharing the anecdotes
What is the key leading to success for
running PR?
Ms Yu’s response:
• Internal communication is vital
• Advantages:
address the mission, policies and
messages of the company
serve as a channel between staff and
management
• Effective internal communication:
1. The intranet
2. Co-operate with other departments
 Have you come over any difficulties
during your work?

Ms Yu’s response:
• Yes, examples like…
The SARS outbreak in 2003
The annual dinner for the 60th
anniversary celebration

• Solution: working as a crew to brainstorm

ideas for solving the problems together
 What quality should a PR staff have?

Ms Yu’s response:
• independent, outgoing and eloquent.
• Must be proficient in English and
Chinese, in both immediate oral
interactions and writing skills.
• It is expected to work for long hours
• Handle pressure and all problems with
great finesse
Discussion
Limitations & Solutions
Conclusion &
Recommendations
Conclusion

• Better understanding of daily duties

• More familiar with the structure of

department

• Internal and external communication

• Heavy workload and under pressure
(update information frequently  catch up
the ever changing business world)

• Owning certain qualities

(e.g. pleasant, initiative, good in
communication)
• Gaining from research process:

1) importance of setting good questions in

interview questions  collecting all
wanted and detailed information in a
limited time

2) should not over-rely on the reference

book and neglect the
situation nowadays
Recommendation

Cathay Pacific Singapore

Airline
Scale of large relatively small
company
Workload heavy light

Overlap Clear division

workload workload
(wasting extra
human
resources)
For a better improvement…

clear distinguishability
of division of work!
Q & A Session
 References
1. Dilenschneider, R. L. and Forrestal, D. J.
(1994), The Dartnell – Public Relations
Handbook. The Dartnell Corporation
2. Harrison S., (2000), Public Relations – An
Introduction (2nd), Business Press, Thomson
Learning
3. Mike B., (1997). Running A Public Relations
Department. Kogan Page.
4. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (Date
accessed 29 October 2006)
Advertising http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
/Advertising
5. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (Date
accessed 28 October 2006)
Promotion (marketing) http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Promotion_%28marketing%29
 THE END
THANK YOU!!