SOCIAL MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICES OF SELECTED MULTINATIONAL PRODUCTS IN PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE

The study examined the topic “SOCIAL MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICES OF SELECTED MULTINATIONAL PRODUCTS IN PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE.” The objectives of the study were to examine the social media and Public relations practices of selected multinational companies in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. It investigates and shows how these companies use and leverage the social media and Public relations to promote brand awareness, manage crisis and clients and also manage stakeholders, and identify the challenges encountered in the use of social media and Public relations. The study was anchored on Excellence Theory and Technological Determinism Theory. A survey research design was employed, using a questionnaire to collect responses from a sample size of 398 participants. Findings revealed that the audience demonstrated a high level of awareness regarding the effectiveness of social media and Public relations in multinational companies . The study further showed that although social media has made a significant positive impact on brand awareness of some of these brand companies, there is a need to improve social media strategies to attract more brand visibility, create more awareness with stakeholders and clients, to make it more engaging, and more interracting.