A Study of Public Relations Practices in Commercial Bank of Ethiopia and Nib International Bank
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Date
2025-06-23
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The general objective of this study is to analyze public relations (PR) practices in the banking sector, with a specific focus on the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) and Nib International Bank (NIB). The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Primary data were collected from employees of both banks through questionnaires and interviews.
Purposive sampling was used to gather in-depth insights from key informants, including the corporate communication department team leader and the deputy public relations and media manager at CBE, as well as the external relations manager at NIB. A descriptive survey analysis method was applied to analyze the collected data and study findings.
The researcher endeavored to conduct interviews with an equal number of Public Relations (PR) department heads from both banks. However, due to Nib Bank’s unwillingness to allow interviews with more than one department head, the number of PR heads interviewed from commercial banks was ultimately lower than intended.
The results reveal that the PR practices of CBE involve strategic communication with various publics, proactive media engagement to ensure accurate and timely messaging, reputation management, and the cultivation of strong relationships with stakeholders, including customers.
Conversely, NIB’s public relations practices demonstrate a notable adaptation to emerging communication trends, particularly through the use of social media, which appears to be reshaping its PR approach more significantly than in the case of CBE.
"Overall, the study concludes that the public relations practices of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) are more comprehensive and better established through the application of PR principles compared to those of Nib International Bank (NIB)."