I posted on Lauren's Blog this week on research and evaluation

Week 11

I think the key points to remember from this weeks readings were...

• Research is essential in PR. Issues arise when a practitioner is asked to prepare or evaluate a campaign or program. Information gathered during the initial phases of research provides input into the planning of a communication program. Research during the development and implementation stages of a strategy contributes to more effective outputs. Research at the en d of a communication program provides insight into the outcomes of the entire effort.
  
• In order to proceed with any research the practitioner must be aware of the range of methodologies available and the most appropriate use of these in public relations planning and development. Depending on the skills and resources available and the desired outcomes, researchers can utilise formal techniques to produce scientifically valid results or more informal techniques in order to simply increase their understanding of the situation. The researcher also has a choice between qualitative and quantitative methodologies, depending on the type of info required.
  
• Within methologies, there are many techniques available to the public relations researcher. Surveys are commonly used but they can be time consuming and resource-intensive. A wide range of other research techniques gives the public relations practitioner the ability to select options taking into consideration the time, money and skills available.
• Public relations research focuses on understanding the environment within which the organisation operates (Organisations may require info about their target publics, strengths/weaknesses of their competitors, or more about political issues that could affect their success). It is important to set clearly defined goals and objectives for the research.
  
• Input (research into the organisation, situation, publics and proposed message and strategies. Input research shows what problems or opportunities exist, what the perceptions and beliefs of the publics are.)
• Output (The actual elements of the program. Output research looks into the delivery of messages which can help to ‘fine-tune’ the campaign as it is in progress to be able to achieve greater success with the outcomes.)
• Outcomes (Outcome research indicates the level of success or failure of the strategy and shows how effective the planning and communication have been.)
• Research is undertaken either formally or informally. Formal research is broken into two categories, qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research is usually based on exploring new ideas or concepts which can stem from other research areas. Quantitative research uses information already sourced by practitioners or organisations which is then used as evidence to prove situations and ideas already known to both parties.
• According to Johnston and Zawawi (1994: 148) benchmarking is a “starting point to measure what the program will achieve”. It is an important concept because it is used to identify the situation before a program or campaign is implemented and is then used to measure consequent success or failure after its completion.
  

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that I learned that the style of research adopted by an organisation depends upon the system under which it operates, its environment and the requirements of the program being undertaken, including the objectives. Formal and informal research methods can be used to gather information, with the choice of methodology dependent on the levels of reliability needed, the information require and the project's budget. Both input and output research are necessary to plan, monitor and manage successful public relations activities. Measuring achievements through outcomes will help determine the effectiveness of a program at all three stages and provide input into future public relations programs.

Week 10

I think the key points to remember from this weeks readings were..

• Strategy is a plan that allows a public relations practitioner to help ensure that organisational goals and objectives are achieved. This will determine the campaigns that may be necessary and the choice of tactics can then be made. Every tactic must relate directly back to its defined purpose, achieving the strategic outcome.
• Tactics include publicity, newsletters, direct mail, advertising, corporate publications, functions, speaking opportunities, internet sites, information kits, media relations, brochures, competitions, videos, mettings.
• Successful public relations does not necessarily require use of mulitple tactics. Keeping out of te media's spotlight can even be a useful tactic.
• 'culture jamming'- responding negatively to marketing advertisements through defacing public sites (Klein 2000).
• PR professionals need to be aware of operating in a world in which high-level regulation, lawsuits, watchdogs and corporate governance influence the choice of tactics, their content and how they are implemented.
• Controlled tactics- the public relations practitioner maintains control over every aspect of the process from message creation to distribution (advertising, annual reports, posters...).
• Uncontrolled tactics- those that can be altered or even blocked completely (media releases, public meetings..).
• Method of delivery- plays a critical role in determining its impact and effectiveness. These include: Mail, Faxes (instantaneous communication), News Distribution Agencies (PR-Net), Email (cost effective), CD-ROMS (info packages), Couriers, Videos, Video-conferencing, Personal delivery (build relationships), Websites (new effective technology-extensive amounts of info).
• Research- a tool for forming and evaluating campaigns. Very important to use this as a tactic always.
• Media relations- outcomes can't be controlled or guaranteed, as the agenda of the media outlet will always be more important. Only if the news generated by the PR practitioner is of high interest, the media can provide an ideal and cost effective vehicle to rapidly reach a mass audience.
• Printed materials (brochures, leaflets & flyers)- persuasive reference document. Graphic design, quality of paper, colour etc needs to be considered. They can be simply thrown out though.
• Annual reports- record the highlights and challenges experienced by an organisation, including financial details. It can be an organisations most critical communication vehicle (it provides an in-depth overview of how the organisation is developing). It is credible and legally required for public companies.
• Newsletters- ongoing communication (two-way). Use of competitions, feedback or opinion polls. A vertical newsletter is distributed within an organisation, from the floor staff to the senior executives. It is an organisational tool. Horizontal publications are aimed at a readership with a narrowly defined common interest. Design & production should be consistant (monitor colours, type face, layout, photos, writing style, grammer, icons).
• Videos/DVDs and CD-ROMs- used in situations where visuals will give the message extra impact, or where it requires movement, sound or a consistant approach. It is expensive but used when personal visits are not practical.
• Photography- use as a visual medium to get a message across. Need to be of a high quality, subject, location and source made known.
• Speeches- used to communicate to a large audience, at formal functions, to make announcements or statements, or to impart knowledge on a particular topic. Need to be short and to the point. Support message with facts, figures, case studies, examples and evidence. It must suit your audience.
• Presentations- allow for multiple communication tactics to be used through the incorporation of visual and other props that add impact to the key messages. They are used where a concept or idea needs to be actively demonstrated or to impart knowledge. (eg. powerpoint).
• Celebrities as spokespeople- Gain attention due to their high public profile. Can be seen as romodels and trustworthy. Your campaign can then gain recognition very quickly. Credibility is important.
• Events- (functions, promotions, tours, briefings etc.) They can be used to attract media attention. Involve personal interaction and facilitate in-depth discussion on a topic. Can leave a lasting impression. Large amount of detailed preparation/ time-consuming and expensive.
• Advertising- is an extremely effective tactic for PR campaigns, very powerful form of controlled communication as it uses persuasive messages, can use brochures, posters etc, to reinforce. TV is considered the most powerful form as it has the ability to leverage emotional triggers through impacting visual images and sound. It can reach a broad audience quickly and prove the cental message by demonstrating it. Can be restricted from 15-60 secs (also radio, mags, billboards).
• Sponsorship- can deliver excellent returns for an organisation. Provide funds/support.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that there is no guaranteed correct set of tactics that will ensure successful implementation of a PR campaign. Success relies on the analytical and creative skills of the PR practitioner to consider tactics in the light of a complex range of impacting factors. I have learnt that tactics must relate back to the strategy, they are the link between how it is executed or delivered to target audiences. Need to keep target audiences in mind as well as advantages/disadvantages/ budget etc.

Week 9

This weeks reading was Chapter 13 of the text book and was about Sponsorship and Event Management.
I think that the key points to remember from this weeks readings were...

• Events are a chance for PR practitioners to exercise their creative abilities. They must try to stage events that not only fulfil the aims and strategies of the organisation or the sponsor, but also attract the attention of the media.
• Daniel Boorstin (1961, The Image), describes an event as not being spontaneous but planned for the purpose of being reported on, communicates on more than one level and becomes self-fulfilling.
• Events include- conferences, sports activities, launches, openings, community/political meetings, lunches and dinners.
• Rob Tonge (1999)- successful events have the full commitment of all members of the organising body, strong leadership, an efficient event committe, effective sub-committees with defined responsibilites, sufficient planning time, strong market research, correctly chosen event dates, a marketing plan, a sponsorship plan, good budget control, successful implementation, monitoring and evaluating detailed action plans and meeting all expectations.
• practitioners must work carefully to maximise the 'newsworthy' opportunities before, during and after an event.
• Richards (1998:93)- In order for an event to have successful media coverage, a media release should be issued about the event and its sponsorship, media functions should be staged within the event, an event handbook be distributed to the media and event tickets be made available to the media.
• Careful budgeting is the backbone of any successful special event. The income and expenditure are important to monitor. Practitioners must be able to stick to a budget and still produce excellent results.
• Event Risk Management plans- are now vital and should be a priority of event planning.
• The O'Toole and Mikolaitis (2002) process is 'identify, assess, treat/manage, monitor and evaluate.' This will help to reduce risks of accidents for example happening at your event or before/after.
• Sponsorship is the purchase of specific rights and benefits associated with an event, organisation or individual. They are not donations. Sponsorship expects a return (Johnston and Zawawi, 2nd Ed, 347).
• Sponsorship is one of the most expensive tactics which can be chosen by an organisation, but the good-will delivered by a well-chosen and managed sponsorship can be very large. The larger the event, the more likely it is to require some form of sponsorship.
• Sponsorship is popular with many organisations because it generates good-will and provides opportunities to enhance the image and reputation of the organisation by association. It provides a focal point for sales and marketing efforts.
• Geldard & Sinclair (1996:7) talk about the benefits of sponsorship: exclusivity, image association, hospitality for client entertainment, product sampling, sinage rights, merchandising, networking, media coverage, promotions and sales opportunities.
• Philanthropic sponsorship- close to donation. Generally community based. Benefits include taxation consideration and community good-will to the organisation.
• Corporate sponsorship- of an event/activity, not normally linked to the sponsoring of the company's general business. Link sponsor to a high-profile event/activity and thus gain benefits from positive connection with the organisations publics.
• Marketing sponsorship- most popular and is a common inclusion as a cost-effective sales and marketing strategy. Offers cash and goods in return for tangible revenue- orientated results. Used primarily to promote products and services to targeted markets (Geldard & Sinclair, 1996).
• Understanding the motives and goals of the target audience is crucial when writing a sponsorship proposal. Keep it short and relevant to the reader, be comprehensive about what the potential sponsor is being offered.
• Ambush marketing- when a company misrepresents itself as being associated with an event when it has no official, legal or moral rights to do so. (Eg. A hot-air ballon carrying signage over an event or even a company giving away freebies outside an event). This type can break trade practice laws.
  
  The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that... I have realised that special events and sponsorship represent a high-profile aspect of public relations that focuses public attention on an event, organisation or product, intensely over a short period of time. Events offer strong media opportunities. I also realised that sponsorship is a two-way process, with responsibility for positive benefits being taken by the PR practitioner and the sponsor. Events demand the best a practitioner has to offer in the fields of research, planning, scheduling and creativity.

Week 8

I think that the key points to remember from this week's readings were:

• How important it is for PR professionals to contact journalists the right way. This is because the news-gathering process is the transactional information exchanges between practitioners and journalists. This is what often becomes the news of the day. For journalists to want to publish your work, PR practitioners need to meet the needs of journalists and keep them happy by contacting them their proffered way!
• I thought it was interesting that studies show that many journalists perceived practitioners to lack professionalism and respect for journalists interests. Practitioners need to adhere to journalistic standards and practices.
• Journalists have strong preferences about how they like to be contacted by practitioners. E-mail has become one of the most popular but many still like face-to-face rather than having to sift through lots of text that they will probably not even use. Practitioners also need to effectively communicate with journalists by learning individual 'gate-keepers' preferences.
• Journalists depend on public relations practitioners to help set, build and frame news agendas. By improving their framing skills and adhering to journalists preferences, practitioners will know better how to contact the journalists upon whose news coverage they rely.
• The importance of writing skills should be acknowledged as it is an essential public relations skill. Research has shown that writing related issues include: run-on sentences, poor paragraph structure, poor grammar, and not having the ability to change writing styles. It is important to be able to write accordingly to the publication you are aiming for (newspapers, television, internet, radio).
  
• Students should focus on learning about client-focused writing. Writing skills are imperative for graduates of PR courses.
  

How to write a Press Release:

1. Present information of genuine worth- Help the news editors understand why your release is of interest.
2. A press release is NOT an advertisement. Don't use clichéd words and phrases.
3. Different media require different formats/versions/styles of the news release. They may need different information and even visual texts.
4. Keep it short and clear. Say it in the first sentence!
5. Make the heading relevant and have impact. Grab attention. Use sub-headings.
6. Be careful and clever with quotes. (Avoid self-serving quotes).
7. Do the reporters job for them. Provide them with additional info, statistics, quotes etc.
8. Don't overload with your company info (THIS IS SELF-SERVING).
9. Give a broad range of sources/ contacts that are USEFUL!!!
   
10. Check and double check that it is spell and fact checked for accuracy.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that it is so important to have a good working relationship with journalists and knowing the correct ways to contact them as well as how to provide them with the information in the best way possible, will ultimately help your campaign be successful.

I didn't realise how much work a PR practitioner's job entails either. I have also learnt that the majority of what is published by media outlets today, is sourced from the PR practitioners. I now realise that I need to better my writing skills in order my future news releases to be published. It is important to meet the needs of journalists so that your companies campaign will be successful and have good media coverage.