Public Relations Advertising Principles and Practices

17-2 Questions We’ll Answer What is public relations, and what are different types of public relations programs? What key decisions do public relations practitioners? What are the most common types of public relations tools? How do you measure the results of public relations efforts important?

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17-4 What is public relations? Used to generate goodwill for an organization. Focuses on relationships with an organization’s publics. Publics/stakeholders—all the groups of people with which an organization interacts— employees, members, local communities, shareholders, customers other institutions. Publicity—getting news media coverage. PR is a managerial function and a tactical function.

17-5 Who practices public relations? Companies Governments Nonprofit organizations Travel/tourism industry Labor unions School systems Politicians Organized sports Agencies (for clients) and in-house departments

17-6 Public Opinion What people think; their beliefs based on perceptions or evaluations of events, people, institutions or products (not necessarily on fact). PR strategists want to know: –What publics are important to us now and in the future? –What do these publics think? Opinion Leaders — important people who influence the opinions of others — are especially important..

17-7 Reputation: Goodwill, Trust, and Integrity Goodwill is a company’s greatest asset — PR’s job is to create it. “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” Integrity is not just about having a positive image, it’s a result of a company’s actual behavior. Principle: Public relations is the conscience of the company, with the objective of creating trust and maintaining the organization’s integrity.

17-8 Comparing PR and Advertising Media use Control Credibility Seek to persuade media gatekeepers to carry stories about or “cover” their companies. Gatekeepers are writers, editors, producers, talk-show coordinators, and newscasters. This aspect of PR is called publicity.

17-9 Comparing PR and Advertising Media use Control Credibility With news stories, PR people are at the mercy of the media gatekeeper. They don’t have to run your story. Advertising runs exactly as the client who paid for it has approved.

17-10 Comparing PR and Advertising Media use Control Credibility Public tends to trust the media more than they do advertisers. Consumers assume a story is legitimate if it appears in the media; this is an implied third-party endorsement.

17-11 Types of PR Programs Media relations Employee relations Financial relations Public affairs Fund-raising Cause marketing Focus on developing media contacts Knowing who in the media might be interested in the organization’s story Relationships must be built on honesty, accuracy, and professionalism

17-12 Types of PR Programs Media relations Employee relations Financial relations Public affairs Fund-raising Cause marketing Programs that communicate information to employees Related program is internal marketing –Communication efforts aimed at informing employees about marketing programs

17-13 Types of PR Programs Media relations Employee relations Financial relations Public affairs Fund-raising Cause marketing Communications aimed at financial community Press releases to business magazines, meetings with investors, annual (financial) reports

17-14 Types of PR Programs Media relations Employee relations Financial relations Public affairs Fund-raising Cause marketing Communication with government and with the public on issues related to government and regulation –Lobbying to get legislators to support a bill –Issue management (monitor and communicate to and with public)

17-15 Types of PR Programs Media relations Employee relations Financial relations Public affairs Fund-raising Cause marketing The practice of raising money by collecting donations Used by nonprofits: museums, hospitals, Red Cross, etc. and directed at potential donors Sometimes called development

17-16 Types of PR Programs Media relations Employee relations Financial relations Public affairs Fund-raising Cause marketing Companies associate themselves with a cause, providing assistance and financial support Whirlpool and Habitat for Humanity

17-17 Other Types of PR Programs Corporate Reputation Management –Focused on image, reputation, trust Crisis Management –Anticipating and planning for disasters from a media perspective and with stakeholders Marketing Public Relations –Plan and deliver programs to drive sales and build customer satisfaction to communicating to address consumer wants and needs Public Communication Campaigns –To change public opinion, discourage harmful behaviors –“Truth” campaign to protest smoking

17-18 Public Relations Planning: Research A communications audit assess the internal and external environment. Benchmarking identifies a baseline from a previous audit, or a competitor. Gap analysis measures differences in perceptions between publics, or between a public and the organization. Three types of publics: –Latent publics are unaware of their connection to an organization an an associated problem. –Aware publics recognize their connection with a problem but don’t communicate about it. –Active publics communicate and act on a problem.

17-19 Public Relations Planning: Objectives and Strategies PR objectives are to change the public’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to a company brand or organization. Typical PR objectives focus on: –Creating credibility –Delivering information –Building positive images, trust, and corporate goodwill Principle: Before changing behavior, a communication program may need to change beliefs, attitudes, and feelings.

17-20 Public Relations Planning: The Big Idea Creative ideas get attention A Nevada conservation program used a 50-year-old tortoise as a mascot to promote desert ecology TBS’s Cartoon Network used electronically lit cartoon characters on buildings and bridges to promote their show “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” causing bomb scares in Boston –Cost TBS $2 million and the network head resigned

17-21 PR’s Role in IMC In integrated programs, PR and advertising communicate complementary messages. Because they’re often separate functions, the message may be inconsistent. PR and advertising use many of the same tools. PR’s greatest strengths is in an IMC program are raising awareness, creating credibility, and providing media contacts. In this fragmented media society, PR and advertising must merge or find common ground to be part of the IMC program.

17-22 Two Main Categories of PR Tools Controlled media –Sponsoring organization pays for media and controls how and when the message is delivered. Uncontrolled media –Sponsoring organization doesn’t pay for media; the media controls how and when the message is delivered. –Semicontrolled media include electronic media over which companies maintain some, but not all control (e.g., company Web sites vs. other Web sites, blogs, chat rooms).

17-23 Controlled Media (Company controls the use and placement) House ads Public service ads Corporate, institutional, advocacy advertising Publications: brochures, flyers, magazines, newsletters Annual reports Speakers Photographs Films, videos, CD-ROMs Displays, exhibits Staged events Books Table 17.1Public Relations Tools Uncontrolled Media (Media controls the use and placement) The news release (print, audio, video, , faxes Features (pitch features) Fillers, historical pieces, profiles The press conference and media advisory (media kits, fact sheets, background info) Media tours Bylined articles, op/ed pieces, letters to the editor Talk and interview shows Public service announcements Semicontrolled Media (Some aspects are controlled or initiated by the company, but other aspects aren’t) Electronic communication (Web sites, chat rooms) Special events and sponsorships Word of mouth (buzz) Weblogs (blogs)

17-24 PR Tools: Advertising House ads –Used in a company’s own publication or programs (self promo) Public service announcements –Run free on TV, radio, or print for a charities or civic organizations Corporate advertising –Focused on corporate image or viewpoint –Corporate identity advertising –Advocacy advertising Visit the Site

17-25 PR Tools: Publicity News releases –Deliver PR messages to external media; answer five “Ws” –VNRs contain video footage Pitch letters –Engaging letter about a feature story idea sent to editors who have to be “sold,” usually a human interest angle Press conferences –An event at which a spokesperson makes a statement to the media; a media kit may be sent ahead of time Media tours –“Press conference on wheels”; spokesperson makes speeches and announcements, holds press conferences, and offers interviews

Media Assessment of News Values Replace Editor’s decide to use news releases based on news value. News value is based on timeliness (something just happened or is about to happen), proximity (a local angle), impact (importance or significance), or human interest Prentice Hall, © 2009

17-27 Effectiveness and PR Excellence Evaluation is based on measurable objectives established in planning. Difficult to measure the effect on the bottom line Practitioners track the impact of a campaign in terms of: –Output—number of mentions –Outcome—change in attitude or behavior

17-28 Communications Campaign Plan Even in PR, the media and messages must work together to deliver communication objectives.