Friday, 28 September 2007
Monday, 24 September 2007
Week 11
Chapter 6 - Research and Evaluation in Public Relations: theory and practice / edited by Jane Johnston and Clara Zawawi
I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were:
- research is undertaken at all stages of the PR process. PR research focuses on understanding the environment within which the organisation operates (Information about the needs or attitudes of their target publics or stakeholders, strenghts and weaknesses of their competitors, the environmental or political issues that could affect their success)
- the information gathered during the initial research phase provides input into the planning of a communication program
- Budgets must be justified, monitored and accounted for
- Time, money and the availability of human resources are three of the most difficult abstacles standing in the way of a thorough research programm
- Goal- and objective-seeting for both the research tasks and the communication programm is a significant part of the planing process
- Input research requires clarifying the organisation’s objectives, getting as much info on the organisation as possible, gathering info on the situation and understanding the current opinions and attitudes being held by the target group
- Output research can reflect on the delivery of messages, allowing the practitioner to fine-tune, alter or modify the plan as it is implemented, achieving greater success with PR outcomes
- Outcome research not only indicates the level of success or failure but can demonstrate how effective planning and communication have been. This information can be used in the input phase of the next planing cycle
The readings made me think more about PR theory/practice that:
the use of research at any stage of PR practice is the main determinant of wether the practitioner functions as a professional or a technician. Effective strategic management demands informed and sound judgment based on researched findings.
The practitioner should have a clear understanding of the publics that must be addressed and the type of message or messages that must be given to these publics. He also has to know where and through what communication medium the publics can be found and targeted.
I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were:
- research is undertaken at all stages of the PR process. PR research focuses on understanding the environment within which the organisation operates (Information about the needs or attitudes of their target publics or stakeholders, strenghts and weaknesses of their competitors, the environmental or political issues that could affect their success)
- the information gathered during the initial research phase provides input into the planning of a communication program
- Budgets must be justified, monitored and accounted for
- Time, money and the availability of human resources are three of the most difficult abstacles standing in the way of a thorough research programm
- Goal- and objective-seeting for both the research tasks and the communication programm is a significant part of the planing process
- Input research requires clarifying the organisation’s objectives, getting as much info on the organisation as possible, gathering info on the situation and understanding the current opinions and attitudes being held by the target group
- Output research can reflect on the delivery of messages, allowing the practitioner to fine-tune, alter or modify the plan as it is implemented, achieving greater success with PR outcomes
- Outcome research not only indicates the level of success or failure but can demonstrate how effective planning and communication have been. This information can be used in the input phase of the next planing cycle
The readings made me think more about PR theory/practice that:
the use of research at any stage of PR practice is the main determinant of wether the practitioner functions as a professional or a technician. Effective strategic management demands informed and sound judgment based on researched findings.
The practitioner should have a clear understanding of the publics that must be addressed and the type of message or messages that must be given to these publics. He also has to know where and through what communication medium the publics can be found and targeted.
Saturday, 22 September 2007
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
Week 10
Chapters 7 and 8 - Strategy, Planing and Scheduling/Tactics in Public Relations: theory and practice / edited by Jane Johnston and Clara Zawawi
I think the key points to remember from this week's reading are:
- strategy is a series of planned activities designed and integrated to achieve a stated organisational goal
- the first strategic move often needs to be made internally
- the public relations role must operate within the decision-maing dominant coalition of the organisation
Stages of the strategic process in PR are:
-the creation of organisational vision and mission statements
-creation of PR vision and mission statements
-establishment of performance indicators
-budgeting
-writing a strategic PR plan
-scheduling a PR plan activities
-The writer of an effective strategic communication plan must always remain conscious of the principles of effective communication, by beeing open, honest, two-way, responsive, receiver-oriented, timely, clear, consistent and comprehensive
- Tactics can be broken up into two major groups: controlled and uncontrolled
- Controlled tactics are those over which the PR practitioner maintains control of every aspect of the process, from message creation and crafting to final distribution (posters, brochures, direct mail, advertorial...)
- Uncontrolled tactics are those that can be altered or even blocked (media relations)
- Methods of delivery: mail, faxes, news distribution agencies, email, CD-ROM, couriers, videos, video-conferencing, personal delivery, websites.
--> each of these options has advantages and disadvantages that should be considered
- New Technologies largely evolving on the internet allow a platform for new tactics such as chat rooms, Q&A’s, video streaming and even podcasts to be available on an organisation’s website
The readings made me think more about PR theory/practice:
in the many varied tactics that can be involved in a PR campaign. It is therefore necessary to be well-considered before employing them. There is no guaranteed correct set of tactics that will ensure successful implementation of a public relations campaign. It can be seen that the strategy and tactics in PR campaigns must be selected with regard to target audiences, their appropriateness, advantages and disadvantages and the available budget.
I think the key points to remember from this week's reading are:
- strategy is a series of planned activities designed and integrated to achieve a stated organisational goal
- the first strategic move often needs to be made internally
- the public relations role must operate within the decision-maing dominant coalition of the organisation
Stages of the strategic process in PR are:
-the creation of organisational vision and mission statements
-creation of PR vision and mission statements
-establishment of performance indicators
-budgeting
-writing a strategic PR plan
-scheduling a PR plan activities
-The writer of an effective strategic communication plan must always remain conscious of the principles of effective communication, by beeing open, honest, two-way, responsive, receiver-oriented, timely, clear, consistent and comprehensive
- Tactics can be broken up into two major groups: controlled and uncontrolled
- Controlled tactics are those over which the PR practitioner maintains control of every aspect of the process, from message creation and crafting to final distribution (posters, brochures, direct mail, advertorial...)
- Uncontrolled tactics are those that can be altered or even blocked (media relations)
- Methods of delivery: mail, faxes, news distribution agencies, email, CD-ROM, couriers, videos, video-conferencing, personal delivery, websites.
--> each of these options has advantages and disadvantages that should be considered
- New Technologies largely evolving on the internet allow a platform for new tactics such as chat rooms, Q&A’s, video streaming and even podcasts to be available on an organisation’s website
The readings made me think more about PR theory/practice:
in the many varied tactics that can be involved in a PR campaign. It is therefore necessary to be well-considered before employing them. There is no guaranteed correct set of tactics that will ensure successful implementation of a public relations campaign. It can be seen that the strategy and tactics in PR campaigns must be selected with regard to target audiences, their appropriateness, advantages and disadvantages and the available budget.
Sunday, 16 September 2007
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
Week 9
Ch. 13 - Sponsorship and Event Management in Public Relations: theory and practice / edited by Jane Johnston and Clara Zawawi.
The key points to remember from this week's readings are:
- Sponsorship is the purchase of specific rights and benefits associated with an event, organisation or individual. It should not be confused with donations, philanthropy or bequests.
- Sponsorship can generate goodwill and provides opportunities to enhance the image and reputation of the organisation by association
- Events are a chance for PR practitioners to exercise their creative abilities
- Sponsorship provides a focal point for sales and marketing, offers high visibility to potential customers and can generate media coverage
- There are different types of sponsorship:
- philantropic sponsorship is as close to a donation as sponsorship can get. It is usually community-based
- corporate sponsorship of an event or activity not normally linked to the sponsoring company's gerneral business
- marketing sponsorship is the most popular form of sponsorship, and is a common inclusion as a cost-effectvie sales and marketig strategy. Cash and goods are offered in return for tangible revenue-orientated results. It is primarily used to promote products and services to targeted market segments and/ or used primarily to reinforce a product, brand or promote sales activities
- Understanding the motives and goals of the target audience is crucial when writing a sponsorship proposal
- Ambush marketing can destroy the concept of sposorship and the viability of some evets
- To create a successful event four steps have to be followed:
1) Feasibility
2) Planing
3) Execution (critical path)
4) Evaluation (debriefing meeting, event assessment, business activity assessment)
The readings made me think more about PR theory/practice in that:
that it is really important to plan your sponsorship as good as possible. The effects can be huge. I think also that the right idea for a special sponsorship can be ore important than the money you spent on. Sometimes a weird, but interesting and creative idea can reach a bigger audience than a expensive, but simple one.
The key points to remember from this week's readings are:
- Sponsorship is the purchase of specific rights and benefits associated with an event, organisation or individual. It should not be confused with donations, philanthropy or bequests.
- Sponsorship can generate goodwill and provides opportunities to enhance the image and reputation of the organisation by association
- Events are a chance for PR practitioners to exercise their creative abilities
- Sponsorship provides a focal point for sales and marketing, offers high visibility to potential customers and can generate media coverage
- There are different types of sponsorship:
- philantropic sponsorship is as close to a donation as sponsorship can get. It is usually community-based
- corporate sponsorship of an event or activity not normally linked to the sponsoring company's gerneral business
- marketing sponsorship is the most popular form of sponsorship, and is a common inclusion as a cost-effectvie sales and marketig strategy. Cash and goods are offered in return for tangible revenue-orientated results. It is primarily used to promote products and services to targeted market segments and/ or used primarily to reinforce a product, brand or promote sales activities
- Understanding the motives and goals of the target audience is crucial when writing a sponsorship proposal
- Ambush marketing can destroy the concept of sposorship and the viability of some evets
- To create a successful event four steps have to be followed:
1) Feasibility
2) Planing
3) Execution (critical path)
4) Evaluation (debriefing meeting, event assessment, business activity assessment)
The readings made me think more about PR theory/practice in that:
that it is really important to plan your sponsorship as good as possible. The effects can be huge. I think also that the right idea for a special sponsorship can be ore important than the money you spent on. Sometimes a weird, but interesting and creative idea can reach a bigger audience than a expensive, but simple one.
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
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