Lecture_2

PR Campaigns

DefinitionAccording to the UK Chartered Institute of

Public Relations (CIPR), which is Europe’s largest professional body in the field:

Public relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support an influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics.

The first part of this definition covers the idea of reputation

A good reputation is not something that is earned overnight.

http://pha-media.com/insights/crisis-reputation-management/top-ten-worst-reputation-management-disasters/

If a company has a good reputation the evidence is that people are more likely to:

try its new products;buy its shares;believe its advertising;want to work for it;do business with it when all other things are equal;support it in difficult times;give it a higher financial value.

The role of public relationsin organizationsAn organization consists of three elements: - fixed assets such as its buildings, office

furniture, car fleet and products;- liquid assets or the money which lubricates

the business;- people.

Who does what in public relations ?The communication technician:-Who is not involved in making organizational

decisions but who carries out public relations programmes such as writing press releases, editing house magazines and designing web pages. This person is probably not too involved in undertaking research or evaluating programmes; he or she is concerned primarily with implementation.

The communication manager:-Who plans and manages public relations

programmes, counsels management, makes communication policy decisions and so on.

Media relations role:- This is a two-way function where the individual

keeps the media informed, and informs the organization of the needs and concerns of the media.

- Communication and liaison role: - A higher-level public relations role representing

the organization at events and meetings, and positively creating opportunities for management to communicate with internal and external publics.

Preparing a Campaign PlanPreparing a Campaign Plan

Backgrounding the problem Specify major campaign aims State in general terms

Preparing a Campaign PlanPreparing a Campaign Plan

Preparing a proposal Outline strategies Include elements of situational

analysis, etc. Target audiences Key messages Establish timing and fees

Backgrounding the problem

Preparing a Campaign PlanPreparing a Campaign Plan

Preparing a proposal

Activating the plan Operating tactics, time charts, specifics The guts of the campaign

Backgrounding the problem

Evaluating the campaign Pre- and post-testing essentialPre- and post-testing essential All elements should be written outAll elements should be written out Results analyzedResults analyzed

4

Activating the plan3

Preparing a Campaign PlanPreparing a Campaign Plan

Preparing a proposal

12

Backgrounding the problem

Implementing Public Implementing Public Relations Campaign PlanRelations Campaign Plan

AdviceAdvicePublic issues research and

analysis

Public issues research and

analysis

Communications service

Communications service

Public relations action programsPublic relations action programs

Public RelationsPublic RelationsTasks & DutiesTasks & Duties

Researchingemployees

Researchingemployees

Coordinating relationships with online, print, and electronic media

Coordinating relationships with online, print, and electronic media

Coordinating activities with

legislators

Coordinating activities with

legislators

Orchestrating public interaction with

community

Orchestrating public interaction with

community

Public RelationsPublic RelationsTasks & DutiesTasks & Duties

Managing investor relations

Managing investor relations

Supporting activities with current and

potential customers

Supporting activities with current and

potential customers

Reprinting speeches, annual reports, etc.

for the public

Reprinting speeches, annual reports, etc.

for the public

Coordinating relationships with outside specialty

groups

Coordinating relationships with outside specialty

groups

Public RelationsPublic RelationsTasks & DutiesTasks & Duties

Managing institutional and nonprofit

organization image

Managing institutional and nonprofit

organization image

Coordinating graphic and photographic

services

Coordinating graphic and photographic

services

Coordinating the organizational online

“face”

Coordinating the organizational online

“face”

Conducting opinion research

Conducting opinion research

Public RelationsPublic RelationsTasks & DutiesTasks & Duties

Managinggift-givingManaginggift-giving

Coordinatingspecial eventsCoordinating

special events

Advisingmanagement

Advisingmanagement

Organizational characteristicsNature of sector. Know the sector. What are the trends for the sector?Is it expanding, contracting and are there new,

exciting markets? What is the operating environment? Is the economy in recession and are there any major issues facing the industry or the company, such as new legislation or pressing environmental demands? What is the reputation of the sector? If the sector as a whole has a bad reputation, this is an additional problem.

Competitor activity. How is the organization placed in relation to

the competition? Is it possible to take market leadership in some or all areas?

Are competitors new, aggressive young Turks likely to steal the market?

Are there few or many competitors? Which ones are making headway and why?

What are their weaknesses? Are some smarter than others in using all communication channels and techniques effectively?

Mission. What is the mission of the organization? Is it to be the biggest, the best, the most

innovative? Is it possible to be distinctive or will it be a

‘Me too’? Is the mission realistic or a pious hope

which needs to be challenged? Will the mission be supported by stakeholders?

Size and structure. How large is the organization compared to

others inside and outside the sector? How much ‘clout’ does it have?

Does it have a single, simple structure or is it a complex conglomerate?

Is it hierarchical or flat, restructured or re-engineered? Does it operate in one or several countries?

Nature of the organization. What activities does the organization

perform? Is it single or multi-product or service?

Does it operate in a single sector or several sectors?

Are specialist public relations skills and knowledge needed, for example is a lobbying division needed, or can all activities be served from a unified or devolved public relations department?

Tradition and history. Is the company old and established or is it

new with a position to establish? Is it well known for doing things in certain ways or is it an unknown quantity?

Closely linked to this is the philosophy and culture of the organization.

Is it open and participative or is it hierarchical and directive?

Image history. How has the organization been perceived

over the years?Is it market- or thought-leading, innovative,

reliable, plodding and slow, or slightly shifty?

Has the image been constant or has it been subject to rapid or developmental change?

Types of employees. White collar? Blue collar? Graduate? Semi-

or unskilled? A complete mixture?

ISSUESStructural. The major long-term trends in society, such

as an ageing population, globalization, technological developments: things over which the individual organization will have very little control, but of which it needs to be aware.

External. Largely contextual issues such as

environmental concerns, community concerns, political imperatives.

Crises. Normally short term and arising from

unforeseen events, for example a factory disaster, war, product recall. However, sometimes crises have long-term effects on the organization’s reputation.

Internal. Long- or short-term issues that the

company faces from within, for example succession policy, industrial relations and organizational change.

Current affairs. Those things that are of immediate public

interest and which often are the subject of intense media coverage at the time.

Potential. Those issues that have not yet emerged. It

might seem rather odd to list this, but it is very much the case that some issues do appear to arise from nowhere, except that the careful practitioner will have an intelligence system at his or her disposal that can give early warning of potential issues likely to become real.

Why plannıng is important?It focuses effort. It ensures the unnecessary is

excluded. It makes practitioners work on the right things. It helps them to work smart instead of just working hard.

It improves effectiveness. By working on the right things, defined objectives will be achieved. Time and money will be saved because effort isn’t being diverted into worthy but less important tasks.

It encourages the long-term view. By definition, to plan requires looking forward. This forces a longer perspective than the immediate here and now.

It helps demonstrate value for money. If there is a fight for budgets or a need to project a return on investment, then demonstrating past achievements and being able to present a powerful, costed, forward-looking and realistic programme gives a point from which to argue a case for money.

Basic Communications Model

Source Message Medium Receiver

Feedback

Communications FundamentalsCommunicatorMessage Audience

NetworksInternal and externalFormal and informalUpward/downward & horizontal

Effective Communications

Designed for:Situation, time, place and audience

Specific messagesSpecific audiencesSpecific results

Diffusion ProcessAwareness - learns about product/serviceInterest - gets more informationEvaluation - tries it out mentallyTrials - uses or tries a littleAdoption - uses it and continues to use it

ObjectivesImpact

informationalattitudinalbehavioral

7 C’s of Communication

Credibility Context Content Clarity

Continuity and consistency

Channels Capability of

audience

Four Models of Public Relations

Press Agent/Publicity ModelPublic-Information ModelTwo-Way Asymmetric ModelTwo-Way Symmetric Model

Press Agentry/Publicity Model

Purpose: PropagandaCommunications: 1-Way, Complete

Truth NOT ImportantModel: Source ReceiverResearch: LittleExample:Used Today: Athletic events,

Theatre, Product Promotion

A press agent or publicist aims to secure coverage for a client, and truth is not an absolute requirement.

This type of PR is most common in showbusiness – celebrity PR – where individuals are promoted through media coverage.

An example of this kind of PR is the American circus owner P.T. Barnum, who in the 1850s obtained massive coverage for his ‘Greatest Show on Earth’.

He coined the phrase ‘there’s no such thing as bad publicity’ and used stunts such as the ‘marriage’ of circus stars Tom Thumb and Jenny Lind to gain massive media coverage ‘pseudo events’ = activities created solely for publicity purposes.

Another example might be publicity activity surrounding a famous artist, which has been orchestrated by a number of public relations consultancies (Celebrity PR) influenced the news content of daily newspapers, as well as providing the material for magazines

Public Information Model

Purpose: Spread InformationCommunications: 1-Way, Complete

Truth IS ImportantModel: Source

ReceiverResearch: LittleExample: Used Today: Governments,

Business and Non-Profits

This kind of communication provides information to people – where accuracy is now important and essential.

This model does not seek to persuade the audience or change attitudes, but to release relevant information to those who need it one-way communication, from sender to receiver.

Current examplesLocal and central government continue to

practise public information communication through press releases giving details of committee decisions, budget allocation, or movement of personnel.

In recent years, the shift from public to private sector utilities has placed a similar emphasis on the need to explain pricing policies to customers ‘transparency’ by improved technology via the internet

Two-Way Asymmetric Model

Purpose: Scientific PersuasionCommunications: 2-Way, Unbalanced

EffectsModel: Source Receiver FeedbackResearch: Formative; Evaluate AttitudesExample:Used Today: Competitive Businesses,

AgenciesPercent: 20%

Two-way asymmetric PRThis model introduces the idea of feedback or

two-way communication. It is asymmetric or imbalanced because the

intended change is in the audience’s attitudes or behaviour rather than in the organisation’s practices.

It is also described as persuasive communication relies on an understanding of the attitudes and behaviour of the targeted publics (e.g. health campaign)

Planning and research are important to this kind of public relations.

Past examplesEdward L. Bernays established to advise the US

government during the First World War wartime propaganda

Bernays’ idea to extend Lucky Strikes’ sales of cigarettes to women by persuading ten debutantes to smoke while walking in New York’s Easter parade.

In 1929, General Electric hired Bernays to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb arranged ‘Light’s Golden Jubilee’, persuading many of the world’s utilites to switch off their power all at the same time to commemorate Edison.

Bernays was the first PR academic started the first PR education course at New York University in 1924.

Current examplesToday propaganda is seen as undesirable and

persuasion as suspicious– which partially accounts for the general distrust of public relations.

Examples of positive persuasive communication are public health campaigns, such as reducing smoking or encouraging safer driving.

Another timeless example is political campaigning at elections, where each candidate seeks to influence their constituents.

Two-Way Symmetric Model

Purpose: Mutual UnderstandingCommunications: 2-Way, Balanced EffortsModel: Group Group FeedbackResearch: Formative: Evaluate

UnderstandingExample:Used Today: Regulated Businesses, PR

Agencies, Associations

Two-way symmetric PRThis model is sometimes described as the

‘ideal’ of public relations.It describes a level of equality of

communication not often found in real life, where each party is willing to alter their behaviour to accommodate the needs of the other.

The symmetric model involves ideas of dialogue mutual understanding

Past examplesGrunig suggests that there are few

examples of two-way symmetry in practice and that most of this approach is theoretical, as taught in universities rather than practised in the workplace.

Current examplesThese days PR often involves persuading the

organisation to change its practice in the face of public pressure.

Supermarkets’ response to public opposition to genetically modified foods illustrates how an astute PR awareness of public concern can create opportunities for organisations willing to change their behaviour.

The growth in focus groups and market research to ascertain public opinion on a wide range of political as well as consumer issues could illustrate growth in two-way symmetric PR.

However, genuine two-way symmetry can occur only where both parties have equal power to influence the other the rarest form of PR.

How would you fit the following examples of public relations into Grunig’s and Hunt’s four models:Campaign to reduce smokingLaunch of a new car.Leaflet giving details of new bank charges.Invitation to discuss plans for new

supermarket.