Music Trade Review
Issue: 1951 Vol. 110 N. 2 - Page 8
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Trade Associations Are Important in
Helping Members With Public Relations
By CHARLES GROSJEAN
New York University
(Continued from January)
that has any contact with it is one of
[Last month Mr. Grosjean dis-
cussed several phases of public its publics. It may be a consumer or-
ganization, a labor union, a political
relations including "What Cus-
party, a racial group, a school system,
tomer Relations Mean/' "Commu-
a religious group, or any one of dozens
nity Welfare," "Building Employee
of similar, specialized groups. There
Morale," etc. This month he points
may be some overlapping among the
to the importance of a good trade
groups. Individuals may belong to sev-
association and how it can help its
eral of them. It will sometimes seem
members, and the importance of
that the interests of some of these ipub-
every member of an organization
lics are in conflict with those of others.
being alert to public sentiment.—
The best way to approach one group
Editor's Note.]
T
HERE remains one more portion
of the retailer's public that is be-
coming more important to him all
the time and presents him with a some-
what different type of problem. I am
referring to government. It is manifestly
impossible for the average retailer to
maintain personal contact with the law-
makers or with government bureaus,
either federal or state. And yet it is
important that some such contact be
maintained. It could happen that some
hastily prepared statute were so harmflil
as to pretty nearly legislate him out of
business, or that some desirable re-
strictions be made needlessly harsh.
Here, the retailer's best bet is to work
with and through whatever retail asso-
ciations he belongs to.
It isn't enough just to be a member.
He must keep abreast of all pending
legislation that may affect his type of
business. He must see to it that his
association keeps him properly inform-
ed so that he and others like him may
make sure that the association is rep-
resenting the desires of its membership.
He must make sure that the various
legislative bodies and bureaus are in-
formed of his problems and thoroughly
understand his type of store and its
operation before the passing of any
regulation that will directly affect him.
A Number of Publics
That completes our rather broad out-
line of what constitutes good public
relations for the retailer. It is quite
obvious that a store does not have one
"public" but actually has a number of
different "publics." Any special group
that is of importance to the store or
may not be the right way to approach
another. In general, however, all of the
various publics would seem to be cov-
ered in the final broad groupings we
have made, namely:
1. Those who are customers or who
may become customers.
2. The store's employees.
3. The vendors from whom the
store buys the merchandise it
sells.
4. The community or neighborhood
in which the store is located.
5. Government (municipal, state
and federal).
The theme of our discussion thus far
could well be that deeds, not words, are
the foundation of good retail public
relations. If it all seems to be very ele-
mentary it is because good public rela-
tions are elementary." They are just as
simple as retailing itself and you know
that retailing is no more than the pur-
chase and sale of merchandise at a
profit.
However, be they ever so simple,
somebody must be responsible for the
public relations of a store. In many large
stores they are under the direction of
the publicity director, probably because
of his contacts with newspapers and
other publicity media. He makes sure
that news releases go through the
proper channels, that all important
changes are announced. He may even
get the store mentioned in somebody's
column. That's all very good and quite
helpful but it's far from being the
whole story. The publicity director, be-
ing the operating head of one division
of the store and being held responsible
for the way it runs, can be forgiven if
he doesn't worry too much about em-
ployee-relations, or vendor-relations, or
about anything outside the realm of his
own division. I don't think he's the
right man to take care of the store's
public relations any more than is any
other division head.
The only one who can see the entire
picture, who is free from all individual
departmental or divisional stresses, who
can coordinate the efforts of all parts of
the organization, who can make policy
decisions, is the owner himself or his
general manager. He is the logical
choice to promote and to safeguard that
tremendously valuable asset called pub-
lic relations.
Daily Application Necessary
However, it isn't enough just for the
boss to interest himself in his store's
public relations. Good public relations
result from the consistent, day-after-day
application of certain rules of conduct
by all members of the store organiza-
tion in their contacts with the store's
various publics. It is evident that this
requires a pattern or program because,
without such a pattern there can be no
consistency and without consistency
there will be confusion.
Whether the store is a large one or a
small one the first thing for the owner
to do is to determine what kind of store
he wants to run and exactly how he
wants all of its various contacts made.
These rules of conduct should be well
defined and clearly set forth in a de-
tailed and complete statement of policy.
It is only by having such a statement
that any degree of consistency can be
hoped for. All executives and super-
visors should be kept thoroughly ac-
quainted with the store's policies. It
would perhaps be wise to give each one
of them a copy of the policy book or at
least a copy of that part of it that deals
with public relations.
Once the store's pattern has been set,
the real work of public relations can
begin and that beginning must be made
in the store itself. The employees must
be told all about the policies and the
reasons for them. They must be "sold"
on them and must be made to want 1o
carry them out. This will require care-
ful planning. Employees will have to
be taken into management's confidence.
Meetings will have to be held and bulle-
(Turn t o P a g e 1 1 )
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY, 1951
Trade Associations Are Important in
Helping Members With Public Relations
By CHARLES GROSJEAN
New York University
(Continued from January)
that has any contact with it is one of
[Last month Mr. Grosjean dis-
cussed several phases of public its publics. It may be a consumer or-
ganization, a labor union, a political
relations including "What Cus-
party, a racial group, a school system,
tomer Relations Mean/' "Commu-
a religious group, or any one of dozens
nity Welfare," "Building Employee
of similar, specialized groups. There
Morale," etc. This month he points
may be some overlapping among the
to the importance of a good trade
groups. Individuals may belong to sev-
association and how it can help its
eral of them. It will sometimes seem
members, and the importance of
that the interests of some of these ipub-
every member of an organization
lics are in conflict with those of others.
being alert to public sentiment.—
The best way to approach one group
Editor's Note.]
T
HERE remains one more portion
of the retailer's public that is be-
coming more important to him all
the time and presents him with a some-
what different type of problem. I am
referring to government. It is manifestly
impossible for the average retailer to
maintain personal contact with the law-
makers or with government bureaus,
either federal or state. And yet it is
important that some such contact be
maintained. It could happen that some
hastily prepared statute were so harmflil
as to pretty nearly legislate him out of
business, or that some desirable re-
strictions be made needlessly harsh.
Here, the retailer's best bet is to work
with and through whatever retail asso-
ciations he belongs to.
It isn't enough just to be a member.
He must keep abreast of all pending
legislation that may affect his type of
business. He must see to it that his
association keeps him properly inform-
ed so that he and others like him may
make sure that the association is rep-
resenting the desires of its membership.
He must make sure that the various
legislative bodies and bureaus are in-
formed of his problems and thoroughly
understand his type of store and its
operation before the passing of any
regulation that will directly affect him.
A Number of Publics
That completes our rather broad out-
line of what constitutes good public
relations for the retailer. It is quite
obvious that a store does not have one
"public" but actually has a number of
different "publics." Any special group
that is of importance to the store or
may not be the right way to approach
another. In general, however, all of the
various publics would seem to be cov-
ered in the final broad groupings we
have made, namely:
1. Those who are customers or who
may become customers.
2. The store's employees.
3. The vendors from whom the
store buys the merchandise it
sells.
4. The community or neighborhood
in which the store is located.
5. Government (municipal, state
and federal).
The theme of our discussion thus far
could well be that deeds, not words, are
the foundation of good retail public
relations. If it all seems to be very ele-
mentary it is because good public rela-
tions are elementary." They are just as
simple as retailing itself and you know
that retailing is no more than the pur-
chase and sale of merchandise at a
profit.
However, be they ever so simple,
somebody must be responsible for the
public relations of a store. In many large
stores they are under the direction of
the publicity director, probably because
of his contacts with newspapers and
other publicity media. He makes sure
that news releases go through the
proper channels, that all important
changes are announced. He may even
get the store mentioned in somebody's
column. That's all very good and quite
helpful but it's far from being the
whole story. The publicity director, be-
ing the operating head of one division
of the store and being held responsible
for the way it runs, can be forgiven if
he doesn't worry too much about em-
ployee-relations, or vendor-relations, or
about anything outside the realm of his
own division. I don't think he's the
right man to take care of the store's
public relations any more than is any
other division head.
The only one who can see the entire
picture, who is free from all individual
departmental or divisional stresses, who
can coordinate the efforts of all parts of
the organization, who can make policy
decisions, is the owner himself or his
general manager. He is the logical
choice to promote and to safeguard that
tremendously valuable asset called pub-
lic relations.
Daily Application Necessary
However, it isn't enough just for the
boss to interest himself in his store's
public relations. Good public relations
result from the consistent, day-after-day
application of certain rules of conduct
by all members of the store organiza-
tion in their contacts with the store's
various publics. It is evident that this
requires a pattern or program because,
without such a pattern there can be no
consistency and without consistency
there will be confusion.
Whether the store is a large one or a
small one the first thing for the owner
to do is to determine what kind of store
he wants to run and exactly how he
wants all of its various contacts made.
These rules of conduct should be well
defined and clearly set forth in a de-
tailed and complete statement of policy.
It is only by having such a statement
that any degree of consistency can be
hoped for. All executives and super-
visors should be kept thoroughly ac-
quainted with the store's policies. It
would perhaps be wise to give each one
of them a copy of the policy book or at
least a copy of that part of it that deals
with public relations.
Once the store's pattern has been set,
the real work of public relations can
begin and that beginning must be made
in the store itself. The employees must
be told all about the policies and the
reasons for them. They must be "sold"
on them and must be made to want 1o
carry them out. This will require care-
ful planning. Employees will have to
be taken into management's confidence.
Meetings will have to be held and bulle-
(Turn t o P a g e 1 1 )
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY, 1951
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