Planning Programs and Campaigns Chapter 18

Mastered PR “Tactical” Aspects and Techniques Right? News releases Feature placements Publicity photos Video news releases Satellite media tours Media relations NewslettersSpeeches Key concepts of campaign management and public relations programming should now be addressed This involves the coordination of multiple tactics as part of an overall program to achieve organizational objectives

Written Plan is Imperative A written plan is a “blueprint” It explains the situation, analyzes what can be done about it, outlines strategies and tactics, and tells how the results will be evaluated This planning skill can help you become more than a public relations writer You will become a public relations manager

First Step to Plan Development Consult with the client or your management This will get these people involved And is likely to give you the basic information you need to start making the plan Such meetings will help to identify the problems and opportunities confronting the organization

Research Key sources for information You cannot know too much about the subject you need to promote Organization -examine marketing research, talk to sales reps, get an overall pix of the organizations successes/failures References -what’s been written about the organization? Use library and online databases to see what/how written about in news media Questions - review experiences of others in similar situations Analysis of communications -review consumer complaints, telephone hotline issues, field reports from organization representatives Brainstorming - get colleagues to help kick around ideas and suggestions Focus group interviews - interview a group of people who are representative of the audience you want to reach Surveys - if the organization doesn’t have relevant data on hand you may want to do formal surveys to ascertain attitudes/perceptions of target audience Media databases -to plan your tactics, you need to know which channels of communication will be most efficient. Media directories provide profiles of various media outlets and their audiences Demographics - study statistical breakdowns of audience characteristics and lifestyles, consumer buying habits and information sources

Analyzing the Information After gathering and analyzing all the information, you can go to management and/or the client and say: –These are the facts that I have –This is the situation as I see it –These are the objectives I think we should select and pursue –This is the strategy I suggest

Planning the Plan– 8 Key Elements SituationObjectivesAudienceStrategyTacticsTimingBudgetEvaluation See details of these Components of a Public Relations Plan ( p.487) Sunkist PR Plan ( p.490) Two types Objectives: –Informational-trying to increase awareness of an issue, event, or product –Motivational- more ambitious, trying to change attitudes, opinions and modify behavior

How PR Helps Fulfill Marketing Objectives Can develop new prospects for news markets, such as inquiries from people who saw or heard a product release in the news media Can provide third-party endorsements- via newspapers, magazines, radio, TV- through news releases about a company’s product or services, community involvement, inventions, and new plans Can generate sales leads, usually through articles in the trade press about new products and services It can pave the way for sales calls

PR and Marketing Objectives (More) Can stretch the organization’s advertising and promotional dollars through timely and supportive releases about it and its products Can provide inexpensive sales literature for the company, because articles about it and its products can be reprinted as informative pieces for prospective clients Can establish the organization as an authoritative source of information on a given subject

Submitting a Plan for Approval The written proposal to management or a client for approval Title page- date, program name, client/organ., and team members Executive summary- overview of the plan Table of contents- name and page number of each section Statement of principles- the planner’s approach to the situation such as how it is integrated with marketing and overall goals of the organization Capabilities of the team or PR firm submitting the plan The eight sections of the program plan from situation to evaluation Conclusion- summary of why this is the best plan and asking for approval ###