Sunday, September 23, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Week 11
Research and Evaluation : Why are they important? On pg 139 the text book says, "The use of research thus positions PR as a purposive, goal-directed and problem-solving management function." In other words without research and evaluation PR would have nothing to work towards and no idea how to achieve goals. There are three important terms when dealing with research. Input research, which decides what goes into a project or program. Output research decides whether the elements of the program were appropriate and Outcome research which determines the results of the output on the target audience. Research methodologies can be formal such as an interview or informal such as content analysis. They can be qualitative meaning not measured in numbers such as a focus group. Or they can be quantitative such as a survey. Methodologies can also be primary, conducted in person, or secondary, collecting research by other people. In any case and no matter what the methodology ethical considerations need to play an important role. Researchers must take into account issues such as privacy, manipulation, dishonesty and coercion. Only by researching a project or program and evaluating its success can a PR practitioner decide the next step in their over-arching strategy.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Week 10
Since Chapter 7 has already been discussed on my blog this week I am going to look directly at Chapter 8: Tactics. This is helpful since it is also my debate topic. Firstly, I wish to reiterate a strategy is an overarching plan allowing organisational goals and objectives to be achieved . A tactic is any means of achieving this strategic outcome. There are two types of tactics, controlled and uncontrolled. Controlled means the practitioner has power from the start to the very end of the process, such as advertising. Uncontrolled tactics are anything that can be altered or blocked completely such as media relations. Tactics can be dispersed through the mail, fax, news distribution agencies, email, CD Rom, couriers, videos, video-conferencing, personal delivery and websites. When deciding which to use the important factors are economics, dynamics, target audience and whether it will actually reach its destination. For example if I have an important notice about contaminated chocolate bars it would probably be more effective for me to send direct emails to papers and video footage with press kits to television stations rather than fax press releases through. The press releases might get lost in the copious amounts of paper sent to media outlets everyday and also the instantaneous nature of email will mean the urgency of the message will be understood. Finally, there are numerous tactics so I am only going to go into two in detail. The annual report is a credible method for achieving a strategy. It records ad highlights the challenges experienced by an organisation and gives financial details. It is constantly updated and is useful for 6months to a year. It is a legal document giving it great credibility and it can be easily distributed. The only negative is it can not be immediately given to the public because of the amount of information and jargon. Another effective tactic is the newsletter. This is useful especially for internal publics. it is a form of on-going communication building a good rapport with its readers. It is also cost effective, however often it is only suitable for a very specific target audience. These are just two tactics within a vast landscape of strategic tools.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Week 9
Sponsorship and event management are probably the two concepts I came into the course with, however since I have learnt they don't solely define PR. Sponsorship is the purchase of specific rights and benefits associated with events, organisations or individuals. Also sponsoring an event generally means the company expects a return, monetary or other. According to the text there are 3 types of sponsorship:
1Philanthropic: generally associated with the arts, medicine, education, research and closely linked with donating.
2Corporate:normally of an event or activity.
3.Marketing: cash and goods in return for tangible revenue, very results orientated.
Associated with this last point is something I found very interesting-Ambush marketing. This is when a company mis-represents itself being associated with an event when it has no official, legal or moral right to do so. This is something I have never even thought of, however such things are fair game. It might be morally wrong to write Powerade in the sky over a Gatorade sponsored event but gee it would attract some attention, maybe even media coverage. As a PR consultant when managing an event I guess vigilance is the key because in the end it comes down to what happens on the day. Event management has four facets:
1.Feasibility- checking the cost, expected revenue, publics effected, reasons for sourcing and time of the event.
2.Planning: creating a plan by working backwards from the date and scheduling it properly.
3.Execution:following the critical path and carrying everything out smoothly on the big day.
4.Evaluation: including a debriefing meeting, event assessment and business activity assessment.
In the end however, even with this in place success comes down to the circumstances that arise on the day!
1Philanthropic: generally associated with the arts, medicine, education, research and closely linked with donating.
2Corporate:normally of an event or activity.
3.Marketing: cash and goods in return for tangible revenue, very results orientated.
Associated with this last point is something I found very interesting-Ambush marketing. This is when a company mis-represents itself being associated with an event when it has no official, legal or moral right to do so. This is something I have never even thought of, however such things are fair game. It might be morally wrong to write Powerade in the sky over a Gatorade sponsored event but gee it would attract some attention, maybe even media coverage. As a PR consultant when managing an event I guess vigilance is the key because in the end it comes down to what happens on the day. Event management has four facets:
1.Feasibility- checking the cost, expected revenue, publics effected, reasons for sourcing and time of the event.
2.Planning: creating a plan by working backwards from the date and scheduling it properly.
3.Execution:following the critical path and carrying everything out smoothly on the big day.
4.Evaluation: including a debriefing meeting, event assessment and business activity assessment.
In the end however, even with this in place success comes down to the circumstances that arise on the day!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Week 8
These readings were very interesting for me because I am mostly interested in the writing side of PR, therefore when I am a journalist I will be able to pick up on the tricks of the PR practitioner. There were numerous important points this week including targeting not only your audience but your publication also. For example a web blog requires clear concise and easy to read language targeted at someone who is quickly surfing between sites, however a PR release needs to be formal and draw the audience in straight away. Another important point especially about the web is that appearance plays an important role. Headings, graphics, images, colours are what attract attention these days before a person even engages with the writing. Someone with these multi talented skills will have a better chance in the industry than someone with only writing abilities. The point also must be made that PR releases are not just advertising or promotion. A journalist is never going to publish something that screams sell me. They should interest the journalist and help set an agenda. Finally a good relationship with journalists builds trust and equals space in the newspaper. Be creative don't just send a boring black and white press release. Think outside the square and draw attention but don't put on to much of a show in that it seems gimmicky and consumer related. It is an ideal balance very difficult to achieve.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Week 7
After having gone through the readings I have decided to put together my own how to guide for dealing with media relations:
1. Monitor the media and its coverage: this helps when dealing with issues and judging the landscape/trends.
2. Know news values and the importance of deadlines: the more you understand what a journalist wants the better coverage you will get when needed.
3. Understand the newsroon: this means knowing who to send particular information to, who to invite to events and who to know by name giving you credibility over another PR consultant.
4. Cater for different mediums: a press release is not always going to cut it. Television news needs visuals, papers need photographs and radio needs up-to-date sound snippets for their regular news.
5. Target your audience: in other words don't send information about a sporting event to the editor of the lifestyle section. Also don't forget minority media, such as alternative radio stations or gay press.
6. The PR practitioner has three main tools to deal with the media they are outlined below.
7. The Press Release: headline, lead and layout are the most important elements. Write for the journalist and fax or email your release.
8. The media kit: include a fact sheet, a backgrounder, a feature article however only made up of ideas the journalist can use. If necessary include profiles, maps, passes, calendars. Always include a business card with contact details and keep everything within the kit clear and uniform.
9. The media conference: it must be on at a conveniant time for journalists, avoid clashing with other events. Target the appropriate media by email invitation. A call on the day and a call for those who did not show is appropriate. The venue must be well equiped for demands such as parking. Monitor media attention afterwards and send press kits to those who did not show up.
10. Always remember people will not remember what you did right they will remember what went wrong.
Follow these basic steps and even in crisis media relations will hopefully be positive ones.
1. Monitor the media and its coverage: this helps when dealing with issues and judging the landscape/trends.
2. Know news values and the importance of deadlines: the more you understand what a journalist wants the better coverage you will get when needed.
3. Understand the newsroon: this means knowing who to send particular information to, who to invite to events and who to know by name giving you credibility over another PR consultant.
4. Cater for different mediums: a press release is not always going to cut it. Television news needs visuals, papers need photographs and radio needs up-to-date sound snippets for their regular news.
5. Target your audience: in other words don't send information about a sporting event to the editor of the lifestyle section. Also don't forget minority media, such as alternative radio stations or gay press.
6. The PR practitioner has three main tools to deal with the media they are outlined below.
7. The Press Release: headline, lead and layout are the most important elements. Write for the journalist and fax or email your release.
8. The media kit: include a fact sheet, a backgrounder, a feature article however only made up of ideas the journalist can use. If necessary include profiles, maps, passes, calendars. Always include a business card with contact details and keep everything within the kit clear and uniform.
9. The media conference: it must be on at a conveniant time for journalists, avoid clashing with other events. Target the appropriate media by email invitation. A call on the day and a call for those who did not show is appropriate. The venue must be well equiped for demands such as parking. Monitor media attention afterwards and send press kits to those who did not show up.
10. Always remember people will not remember what you did right they will remember what went wrong.
Follow these basic steps and even in crisis media relations will hopefully be positive ones.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Week 6
This weeks readings were about the legal world and the ethical world of PR. I found the section on Defamation most helpful because I am a journalism major and this concept has always puzzled me. Therefore I have decided to concentrate on defamation and somehow flesh out an easy to use summary.
Defamation- a law aiming to protect ones reputation ( something an organisation has with strangers ). This must be however, balanced against freedom of speech. Defamation can be in the form of words, pictures, cartoons, graphics, effigies, signs and gestures. To prove you have been defamed you must show that material was 'published' in which you were identified and which caused you to be exposed to hatred, contempt, ridicule, lowering of others opinions and shunned or avoided without moral blame. Morals are of course different from ethics talked about in the next chapter because ethics are personal values which underpin the moral choices. Almost everyone in the production process can be charged for the defamation whether it was direct or indirect. Finally, there are only three defences to defamation; truth, fair comment and privilege. In summary I would like to say defamation is a mine field and journalists and PR consultants alike should be vary wary of everything they publish.
Defamation- a law aiming to protect ones reputation ( something an organisation has with strangers ). This must be however, balanced against freedom of speech. Defamation can be in the form of words, pictures, cartoons, graphics, effigies, signs and gestures. To prove you have been defamed you must show that material was 'published' in which you were identified and which caused you to be exposed to hatred, contempt, ridicule, lowering of others opinions and shunned or avoided without moral blame. Morals are of course different from ethics talked about in the next chapter because ethics are personal values which underpin the moral choices. Almost everyone in the production process can be charged for the defamation whether it was direct or indirect. Finally, there are only three defences to defamation; truth, fair comment and privilege. In summary I would like to say defamation is a mine field and journalists and PR consultants alike should be vary wary of everything they publish.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Week 5
This weeks readings were about strategy, that is a pattern or plan that integrates an organisation's major goals, policies and action. Part of a good strategy is the development of a vision and mission statement. A vision statement looks at the future state of the organisation at a selected time and a mission statement looks at steps to reaching this vision. In last weeks tut i learnt that a these statements are very important because it is difficult for exterior public to be able to identify with the aims of a company without them. For example, it was clear and easiy to discover the Australian Red Cross' mission was to be a leading humanitarian organisation interested in improving the lives of the vulnerable. After looking for over ten minutes however, it was impossible to discover the ABCs mission based on the information on their website. This shows better planning needed to be implemented when developing this site.
Secondly Key Performance Indicators should be identified to measure the progress of the company towards its mission. A strategic plan includes things such as budgeting, executive summaries and situation analysis. It is implemented through scheduling, creating checklists, flowcharts, calendars and gantti charts. After discovering all of these facets of PR strategies i have come to the understanding that a very important and useful skill to have in this industry is ORGANISATION.
Secondly Key Performance Indicators should be identified to measure the progress of the company towards its mission. A strategic plan includes things such as budgeting, executive summaries and situation analysis. It is implemented through scheduling, creating checklists, flowcharts, calendars and gantti charts. After discovering all of these facets of PR strategies i have come to the understanding that a very important and useful skill to have in this industry is ORGANISATION.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Week 4
I believe the most important aspect of this weeks readings to take away and remember is that of caring. Especially when working with large companies goodwill and a company that 'cares' will have a better standing in its local community. So a company must:
1. Consultate: with the community this could include information nights and town meetings
2. Scan the environment: that is the social environment so that issues can be managed. This could include surveys, focus groups and monitoring the media agenda.
3. Filling in the gaps: squashing rumours by providing as much information as possible through fliers, brochures, hotlines and a booth at the local shopping centre
4. Collaborations with community groups: key leaders involved in a task force with their own budget and own projects
5. Negotiation: the key to symmetrical PR
This leads to mutual gain and a good community relationship.
1. Consultate: with the community this could include information nights and town meetings
2. Scan the environment: that is the social environment so that issues can be managed. This could include surveys, focus groups and monitoring the media agenda.
3. Filling in the gaps: squashing rumours by providing as much information as possible through fliers, brochures, hotlines and a booth at the local shopping centre
4. Collaborations with community groups: key leaders involved in a task force with their own budget and own projects
5. Negotiation: the key to symmetrical PR
This leads to mutual gain and a good community relationship.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Week 3
This weeks readings were all about PR theory and the ideal means of communication, where the result equally beefits all parties invoved. I would like to focus on two particular theories, the two-way symmetric model and the relationship management approach. Grunig's symmetrical model suggests communication across an equal playing field where PR works to give evryone involved equal benefits and equal advocacy. In reality however, this model is merely a utopian dream because not all parties concerned would have equal power in the situation. For example, a PR consultant working under this model for a mine looking to expand would want equal debate and understanding between the mine owners and the local environmental protection lobby group. The mine owners however, due to their income, employees, company and institutional ties already have more power and sway over the situation compared to the lobby group. Therefore the dialogue between these groups can not be symmetrical.
The Relationship Mnagement Approach focuses on the relationship dimensions of a situation. For this above example the PR consultant would look at the balance of power, the credibility of both groups, the cooperation shown etc. and devise a strategy based on this information. I believe a mixture of these two models would be an ideal way to approach PR communications because it would take circumstances into account whilst still trying to achieve symmetrical benefits for the sponsor and the public.
The Relationship Mnagement Approach focuses on the relationship dimensions of a situation. For this above example the PR consultant would look at the balance of power, the credibility of both groups, the cooperation shown etc. and devise a strategy based on this information. I believe a mixture of these two models would be an ideal way to approach PR communications because it would take circumstances into account whilst still trying to achieve symmetrical benefits for the sponsor and the public.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Week 2
What is Public Relations? This is a question with an ever growing hybrid of answers. The Public Relations Institute of Australia gives a long, drawn out and somewhat heavy definition, however from what i could understand PR is about communications. A PR consultant organises publicity, promotions, marketing, press agentry and fundraising. They deal with numerous issues including management, crisus, financial, community, internal and external. Depending on their working environment they might provide event management, public diplomacy, problem solving abilties and even be involved with lobby groups.
Mc Elreath gave a good simple definition when saying, "a management function that uses communications to facilitate relationships and understanding between an organisation and its publics." I however, believe this defintion is too simple because it doesn't take into account the vast array of occupations and responsibilties within the PR profession. Van Meter has another opinion of PR believing, "Advertising is visibility, Public Relations is credibility." Not only does this have a go at the advertising profession but it tries to break down the image of PR professionals as merely spin doctors working to manipulate the image society gets.
Mc Elreath gave a good simple definition when saying, "a management function that uses communications to facilitate relationships and understanding between an organisation and its publics." I however, believe this defintion is too simple because it doesn't take into account the vast array of occupations and responsibilties within the PR profession. Van Meter has another opinion of PR believing, "Advertising is visibility, Public Relations is credibility." Not only does this have a go at the advertising profession but it tries to break down the image of PR professionals as merely spin doctors working to manipulate the image society gets.
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