CHAPTER ONE

1.0    INTRODUCTION

An organization, reputation, profitability and even its continued existence can depend on the degree to which its targeted publics support its goals and policies. Public relation specialists serve as advocates for business, non profit  associations, universities, hospital and other organizations, 

They build and maintain positive relationship with the publics. As managers realize the growing importance of good public relations to the success of their organization, they increasingly rely on public relations specialists for advice on the strategies and policies of such programmes.

MANAGEMENT FUNCTION OF PUBLIC RELATIONS.

Public relation is the management function that identifies, establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the various publics on whom is success or failures depends.

Furthermore, the important element of public relation are to acquaint the client with the public perception of the client and to effect these perceptions by focusing curtailing, amplifying or augmenting  information about the client as it is conveyed to the publics. Public relations encompass a variety of marketing activities that strengthen organizations credibility image and develop goodwill. There are usually targeted directly to audience, such at speaker, special events, newsletters and annual reports. Public relation involve communicating who you are, what you to why you do it and how you make a difference. Public relation is essentially concerned with communication between people, and on organization and within and between organizations.

Interestingly, public relation personnel keep management informed of changes in the opinion of various public like employees, stakeholders, customers, suppliers, dealers, community and government. The professionals counsel management as to the impact of any action or lack of action on the behaviour of the target audience. Once on organizational decision has been made, the  public relations person  has the  responsibility of community their information to the public using meted that foster understanding, consent and desired behaviour for example, the introduction of a  new predict requires public relations planning and skills.

In this case, the successful public relations practitioner is a specialist in communication arts and persuasion. The work involves various functions including programming analyzing problem and opportunities, defining goals, determining the publics activities. Writing and editing materials such at media release, speeches, stakeholders reports product information and employees publication, placing information  in the most advantageous way organizing special event such as media  functions, award programmes, exhibits and displays, setting up face to face communication  including the  preparation and delivery of speech providing research and evaluation using interviews, reference material and various survey techniques and managing resources by planning  budgeting and recruiting and training of staff to attain  there objectives.

The real tasks of public relation in the business Africa’s  large market as well as the  world’s 6th largest oil producer and  the 10th most populated nation worldwide will be sought for market by multinational firms,  especially in the restaurants. Its in this regard that a popular fast food restaurant  known as Mr. Bigg’s restaurant came to limelight.

According to Awolabi “2004) Mr. Bigg’s as one of the biggest Nigeria fast food industries came into the  market in 1985 when the  United African company (UAC) launched the Mr. Bigg’s brand. The fast food restaurant brought a change to Nigerian fast food market. Awolabi (2004) Mr. Bigg’s was like fast food revolution, an idea that was long overdue, this made some Nigerian’s to embark  the brand whole heartedly.

Accordingly to steward (1996) “successfully implementation customers referent strategies are a point of competitive advantage  which means that the customer should of ways be treated as being and should boost the heart of the operates of every businesses. Also Ogunsanya (2001) states that customers service in the Nigerian fast food  restaurant context is a bit different from what is in western countries where customer services have already move on the stage of relationship management with companies introducing several loyalty schemes  to attract and retain their customers.

To determine the level of some restaurant in regard to how they relate with their customers, Awolabi (2004) states that “almost every Nigeria fast food restaurant uses doormen and women and their main job is to open the door for customers and give them welcoming smile”

On the other hand some of the doormen have abused their duties by converting the front door to begging world may focus on corporate interest on those of marketing  products or services or image creation or defence  against attack.

BUSINESS SECTOR AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Many business sectors in Nigeria including the Kaduna Mr. Biggs restaurant have no public relations department. As a result of this, they may be confused if crisis occur. According to Nkwocha (1999) crisis is any event, issue, occurrence or situation which constituted a significant breach in the natural  order of things and products a disruptive force that can   destroy an organization”

Also Pacheva (2001) sees crisis as “a period of heightened uncertainty that increases the used to plan and a point in time which external and internal pressures change objectives and operational practices of an organization” the following are some of the types of crisis that can be obtainable in an organization, poisonous chemical leakages mass retrenchment, and ban on essential raw material, financial crisis. Unfavourable government policy and regulation, industrial accident.

Public relation should be see as a management function that tackled any unforeseen problem that faces an organization. Daniel (2001) crisis management, investor relation and community relation are some of the specialist that exists within the field of public relations.

A fundamental technique used in public relations is to identify the target audience and tailor every manage to appeal to that audience. One would have thought that Nigeria, with an estimated population of about 140 million people and esteemed position as manager.

Nworah (1997) testified to this notion by saying “it is now usual to see the door men  beg and sometimes harass a customer to give them money which is caused by their rude attitude that can sometime be unfriendly.

HEALTHY MEAL

The trend of growing fast food restaurant is the introduction of healthier meal menu. This decision was influenced by the outcry from government official and members of the public over the   worsening situation of obesity, which is  attributed to the fatty food served in most  restaurant (Nworah 1997)

Furthermore, it has been observed that there  are a lot of fast industries in Nigeria that attract customers and Mr. Bigg’s  brand if one of  the biggest establishments. Whenever and wherever meant is made to the restaurant, it becomes a  household name to many people irrespective of age, sex educational status and   nationality.

In this aspect, despite Mr. Bigg’s does not have public relation department, it uses public relations strategies to persuade its  customers, acceptance, loyalty and patronage. Marketing uses public relations concepts, principles and varieties of techniques in profit maximization. Public relations, builds protect, protect an  organizations, credibility image and good will.

Additionally, some of the competitive weapons of Nigeria fast food restaurant includes taste, variety, class, sensation, visibility and availability of parking space.

1.1    STATEMENT OF   THE PROBLEM

Kaduna and Zaria Branches of Mr. Bigg’s are increasing in popularity and rapidly making progress, yet they do not have public relation unit of their own, but uses certain strategies to keep up with their success.

These research work is therefore aimed at finding out the public relation strategies used by these restaurant to attract customers and maximize profit.

1.2    OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 

The general objectives is to find out how Mr. Bigg’s restaurant are succeeding while the specific objective.

a.           To determine the organizations relation with their external public such as customers and  communicates

b.           To also determine the extent of the positive internal  relationship in the organization

c.            To find out the segment of the public whom the food is meant for

d.           To find out why people patronize Mr.  Bigg’s

e.           To know whether the restaurant have both local and international dishes.

f.            To find out whether people will continue to be patronizing Mr. Bigg’s.

Finally, to determine the public relation  techniques and   tools used in attracting and retaining  old and new customers.

1.3    STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS

Ho: A proper use of public relations concepts, principles, techniques and tools by an organizations will help in the attraction of more customers and profit maximization.

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