I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that research and constant evaluation is an integral part of a PR campaign, be it formal or informal. Initial research is important as it provides input into the planning of a campaign, ensuring that the correct objectives are set. Research carried out during the development or implementation of an event ensures that the output meets the organisation’s objectives. Evaluation of the outcome means that the organisation will be able to learn from mistakes and hence ensure that the next campaign will be executed better.
In addition, there are a lot of choices for a PR practitioner to choose from when conducting research. The style of research undertaken by a PR practitioner depends on the requirements and objectives of the campaign, the organisation’s environment, and the system under which it operates.
Furthermore, formal or informal research can carried out depending how important the reliability of the data is during the decision-making process.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that there is no hard and fast rule to conducting research and that PR practitioners can be as creative as their imagination permits when carrying out research. This is especially so when there are objectives, budgets, limited resources, and deadlines to consider.
Therefore, in addition to working hard, a PR practitioner must be able to work smart. I say so because a lot of time and effort will be wasted if a PR practitioner conducts a primary research without first ascertaining if there has been prior research conducted in the same area.
Case study 6.1 is an excellent example of how to apply research in the input, output and outcome stages. It shows how research was actually a tool for the organisation to communicate with the target publics, so as to work towards changing the negative or non-chalant mindset that people had towards the Census.
What struck me the most about this case study was how the Census focused on attitudes and not just awareness. With government campaigns, there is always talk about awareness but little talk about attitudes. I feel that this bit of the Census communication plan is insightful as it is something that I overlooked completely.
(375 words)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Week 9
Now that I’ve made it through the monsters that were Chapters 7 and 8…
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that there is no one infallible tactic that is superior to others in a PR campaign. The success of a PR campaign would require the use of a few tactics that work synergistically to promote the key messages of the campaign.
Also, the message should match the medium. Having a target public to focus PR efforts on would be helpful as it would be easier to determine which medium they would be more receptive to. Acquiring this information is important, as a lot of effort would be wasted if people do not care to read or have a look at the message.
In conjunction with Chapter 7, it is once again evident that planning is key. Furthermore, having a clear strategy would enable a PR team to determine the tactics that can be used in a campaign while staying within budget.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that people will respond better when messages are presented to them through a medium that is accessible to them. Also, people are likely to warm up to messages that are presented in the lingo that appeals to them.
In case study 8.1, I thought it was brilliant how ENERGEX made things very convenient and easy for people to donate and respond. For instance, placing donation coupons in their newsletters and brochures meant that people only needed to spend a few minutes to sign up and donate, as the opportunity to do so was made easy and available to them.
In addition, they utilized ‘human interest’ stories to great effect. It made the rescue service seem like an indispensable one as it saves lives. Who wouldn’t want to contribute to the possibility of saving lives, right?
(315 words)
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that there is no one infallible tactic that is superior to others in a PR campaign. The success of a PR campaign would require the use of a few tactics that work synergistically to promote the key messages of the campaign.
Also, the message should match the medium. Having a target public to focus PR efforts on would be helpful as it would be easier to determine which medium they would be more receptive to. Acquiring this information is important, as a lot of effort would be wasted if people do not care to read or have a look at the message.
In conjunction with Chapter 7, it is once again evident that planning is key. Furthermore, having a clear strategy would enable a PR team to determine the tactics that can be used in a campaign while staying within budget.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that people will respond better when messages are presented to them through a medium that is accessible to them. Also, people are likely to warm up to messages that are presented in the lingo that appeals to them.
In case study 8.1, I thought it was brilliant how ENERGEX made things very convenient and easy for people to donate and respond. For instance, placing donation coupons in their newsletters and brochures meant that people only needed to spend a few minutes to sign up and donate, as the opportunity to do so was made easy and available to them.
In addition, they utilized ‘human interest’ stories to great effect. It made the rescue service seem like an indispensable one as it saves lives. Who wouldn’t want to contribute to the possibility of saving lives, right?
(315 words)
Monday, March 10, 2008
Week 8
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that sponsorship is an effective but expensive tool for a company’s campaign. However, in order for it to be effective, careful planning for different scenarios is essential.
Also, the event that an organisation chooses to sponsor is important as it has to be one that will actually garners media attention and coverage.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that there are many ways in which a campaign can go wrong. From the studies featured, it appears that the most important factors that need to be considered are environmental factors and competitors.
Once again, we see that planning, planning and more planning is vital to the success of the execution of a plan. On page 361 of the Zawawi text, the World Cup Triathalon critical path is used to highlight this point.
I can imagine that being the PR practitioner who oversees this event would require a lot of dedication. Not only does he/she have to make sure everything goes according to plan, he/she also has to evaluate the team’s performance and highlight areas to improve on. Also, he/she will have to contend with ambush marketers to make sure that the sponsors are kept happy.
All in all, the business of event management seems a tiring, frustrating, but rewarding one.
(230 words)
Also, the event that an organisation chooses to sponsor is important as it has to be one that will actually garners media attention and coverage.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that there are many ways in which a campaign can go wrong. From the studies featured, it appears that the most important factors that need to be considered are environmental factors and competitors.
Once again, we see that planning, planning and more planning is vital to the success of the execution of a plan. On page 361 of the Zawawi text, the World Cup Triathalon critical path is used to highlight this point.
I can imagine that being the PR practitioner who oversees this event would require a lot of dedication. Not only does he/she have to make sure everything goes according to plan, he/she also has to evaluate the team’s performance and highlight areas to improve on. Also, he/she will have to contend with ambush marketers to make sure that the sponsors are kept happy.
All in all, the business of event management seems a tiring, frustrating, but rewarding one.
(230 words)
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Week 7
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that it is incredibly important for a PR practitioner to understand how journalism works. Journalists have a lot on their plate as they are constantly trying to meet datelines, so it makes sense that they would probably only read the first three paragraphs of anything before deciding if it is newsworthy.
Basically, the first three paragraphs are ‘make or break’ for a practitioner wanting to get something published. While, adapting to a particular journalist’s contact preference to facilitate information seems slightly sycophantic, I suppose that that would make a journalist more willing to give them the time of day.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that PR practitioners and journalists need each other, though the latter would be hard pressed to admit it. Perhaps the long-standing myth that all PR is based on spin has something to with it. What company would give a journalist information about their malpractices, right?
I feel that the relationship between journalists and PR practitioners would improve significantly if there were more honesty involved during communication. However, that may be too idealistic a notion, as both parties would have their own vested interests to look out for. Nevertheless, something ought be done to build up trust between PR practitioners and journalists, which would mean that interpersonal skills should come into play as long as it remains within the boundaries of professionalism.
(245 words)
Basically, the first three paragraphs are ‘make or break’ for a practitioner wanting to get something published. While, adapting to a particular journalist’s contact preference to facilitate information seems slightly sycophantic, I suppose that that would make a journalist more willing to give them the time of day.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that PR practitioners and journalists need each other, though the latter would be hard pressed to admit it. Perhaps the long-standing myth that all PR is based on spin has something to with it. What company would give a journalist information about their malpractices, right?
I feel that the relationship between journalists and PR practitioners would improve significantly if there were more honesty involved during communication. However, that may be too idealistic a notion, as both parties would have their own vested interests to look out for. Nevertheless, something ought be done to build up trust between PR practitioners and journalists, which would mean that interpersonal skills should come into play as long as it remains within the boundaries of professionalism.
(245 words)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Week 6
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that interaction with the media is a significant aspect of public relations practice. There are a lot of things to consider when holding media conferences, such as logistics, providing refreshments, and providing factsheets during media conferences.
Also, time planning is an important facet of organizing press conferences. The event has to be held at a time when people will actually show up. Hence, the PR department has to ensure that their event does not clash with other events. In addition, there is always a possibility that unforeseen circumstances may arise, such as the arrival of a celebrity to the country, or a bridge may collapse, drawing attention away from the media conference.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that I did not know that news releases were written according to the news style of writing, which is the inverted pyramid. It is no wonder then, that in chapter two, we saw how the pioneers of in the field of PR were actually journalists.
Furthermore, a PR practitioner needs to have some degree of aptitude for writing as they have to prepare media kits that often consist of factsheets, backgrounders, feature articles and profiles.
Therefore, while there are many perks that come with a job in PR, the job is a difficult one where a lot of things need to be taken into consideration in order for the effective execution of a PR campaign.
(252 words)
Also, time planning is an important facet of organizing press conferences. The event has to be held at a time when people will actually show up. Hence, the PR department has to ensure that their event does not clash with other events. In addition, there is always a possibility that unforeseen circumstances may arise, such as the arrival of a celebrity to the country, or a bridge may collapse, drawing attention away from the media conference.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that I did not know that news releases were written according to the news style of writing, which is the inverted pyramid. It is no wonder then, that in chapter two, we saw how the pioneers of in the field of PR were actually journalists.
Furthermore, a PR practitioner needs to have some degree of aptitude for writing as they have to prepare media kits that often consist of factsheets, backgrounders, feature articles and profiles.
Therefore, while there are many perks that come with a job in PR, the job is a difficult one where a lot of things need to be taken into consideration in order for the effective execution of a PR campaign.
(252 words)
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Week 5
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that the legal aspects of PR must be taken seriously of there will be serious consequences. When in doubt, a legal professional should always be consulted. I think the main challenge that PR practitioners face is that people do not adhere to contracts or unforeseen circumstances may sabotage the effective execution of a campaign.
Moreover, some issues need to be addressed when embarking on litigation as seen in the case of McDonald’s, where a legal win did not translate into a PR win.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that ethics should be a fundamental part of PR practice in order to project a credible image to targeted publics. However, I feel that different cultures have different perceptions of ethics, as moral standards may differ in different countries. I also feel that the quote by Kant which states that ‘no one can make another person virtuous’ highlights this point. It is true that different people may perceive certain actions differently.
Also, I also feel that ethics is situational as some actions done in the correct context may be acceptable, and vice versa.
In addition, associations like PRIA and MEAA can only enforce codes to its association members, but it is difficult to make non-members comply.
Therefore, I feel the power to carry out campaigns ethically resides within the individuals who are part of the PR team for any campaign, as the ethical aspects of PR planning would depend heavily on their better judgement..
(262 words)
Moreover, some issues need to be addressed when embarking on litigation as seen in the case of McDonald’s, where a legal win did not translate into a PR win.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that ethics should be a fundamental part of PR practice in order to project a credible image to targeted publics. However, I feel that different cultures have different perceptions of ethics, as moral standards may differ in different countries. I also feel that the quote by Kant which states that ‘no one can make another person virtuous’ highlights this point. It is true that different people may perceive certain actions differently.
Also, I also feel that ethics is situational as some actions done in the correct context may be acceptable, and vice versa.
In addition, associations like PRIA and MEAA can only enforce codes to its association members, but it is difficult to make non-members comply.
Therefore, I feel the power to carry out campaigns ethically resides within the individuals who are part of the PR team for any campaign, as the ethical aspects of PR planning would depend heavily on their better judgement..
(262 words)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Week 4
I think the key points to remember from this week's readings were that careful strategising, planning and scheduling should be carried out prior to the execution of an event in order to ensure that things go smoothly without any glitches. The text has illuminated the various stages of the strategy development process that must be performed to successfully achieve the company’s PR objectives.
I always thought that vision and mission statements were fancy, and that people hardly read them anyway. However, I now feel that the most important stage is the creation of the organisational and public relations vision and mission statements. The process of coming up with these statements allows a company to seriously evaluate their goals and establish an achievable target. Thus, I feel that a company’s vision and mission statements are more important and relevant to its internal public as they bring awareness to its employees with regard to what they should strive for and how they should achieve it. In addition, a company’s vision and mission statements help to manage expectations with its external publics.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that I was unaware that the expenditure and budget of a company was continually and frequently assessed. I always thought that each department within a company would have an annual budget that was discussed and looked into annually. However, I realized that it takes a lot more work to ensure that each department within a company sticks to its budget. This takes a great deal of planning and organisation that can be facilitated with the use of flowcharts, Gantt charts and checklists.
Therefore, the strategies discussed in this week’s reading offer a useful insight into the organizational skills required for the achieving a company’s goals.
(297 words)
I always thought that vision and mission statements were fancy, and that people hardly read them anyway. However, I now feel that the most important stage is the creation of the organisational and public relations vision and mission statements. The process of coming up with these statements allows a company to seriously evaluate their goals and establish an achievable target. Thus, I feel that a company’s vision and mission statements are more important and relevant to its internal public as they bring awareness to its employees with regard to what they should strive for and how they should achieve it. In addition, a company’s vision and mission statements help to manage expectations with its external publics.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory and practice in that I was unaware that the expenditure and budget of a company was continually and frequently assessed. I always thought that each department within a company would have an annual budget that was discussed and looked into annually. However, I realized that it takes a lot more work to ensure that each department within a company sticks to its budget. This takes a great deal of planning and organisation that can be facilitated with the use of flowcharts, Gantt charts and checklists.
Therefore, the strategies discussed in this week’s reading offer a useful insight into the organizational skills required for the achieving a company’s goals.
(297 words)
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