1. COM215 Taejin Jung, Ph.D. Week 7: Program Planning

2. Components of a PR Plan 1. Situation 2. Objectives 3. Audience 4. Strategies 5. Tactics 6. Calendar 7. Budget 8. Evaluation

3. Situation Discuss it with the client to find out what he or she expects the publicity to accomplish Do your own research Evaluate your ideas in the broader perspective of the client’s long-term goals Ex) Message testing: Shared Values Campaign (http://www.prwatch.org/node/6465)http://www.prwatch.org/node/6465

4. Objectives Informational objectives - Increase awareness of an issue (event or a product) or educate people ex) To inform people about the kinds of food needed for good nutrition Motivational objectives - Increase intentions of desirable behaviors ex) To get people to eat healthier foods Considerations 1. Does it really solve or help solve the problem? 2. Is it realistic and achievable? Not “to increase sales”, but to consider “product quality, packaging, pricing, merchandizing, advertising, sales promotion, display, and competitive activity 3. Can success be measured in terms meaningful to the client?

5. Audience Identify, as precisely as possible, the group of people to whom you are going to direct your communications - Is this the right group to approach in order to solve the problem? - If there are several groups, prioritize them according to importance Ex) Ohio vaccination program for children under the age of two - Primary audience: parents with young children - Secondary audience: pregnant women

6. Audience Identify, as precisely as possible, the group of people to whom you are going to direct your communications - Is this the right group to approach in order to solve the problem? - If there are several groups, prioritize them according to importance Ex) Ohio vaccination program for children under the age of two - Primary audience: parents with young children - Secondary audience: pregnant women

7. Strategies A plan of action that provides “guidelines” for selecting the communication activity you will employ - Usually one or more strategies for each target audience - May be broad or narrow, depending on the objective and the audience Two basic concepts 1. Must reflect the audience’s self-interests 2. Must be expressed in simple terms as a key selling proposition “Project LOVE (Love Our Kids Vaccination Project)

8. Tactics The body of the plan which describes the “specific communications activities” proposed to achieve each objective - “How to do it” portion of plan - “Execution” part of the plan - Actual materials that are produced in a PR campaign In selecting communication tools-news releases, brochures, features, and so on-ask yourself if the use of each will really reach your priority audiences and help you accomplish your stated objectives Examples of “Project L.O.V.E.” - Posters in child-care centers and doctors’ offices - PSAs on radio stations that had audiences of childbearing age - Articles in newspapers and magazines catering to parents - Pamphlets sent to child-care service providers - Booklets mailed to every new mother - Letters to doctors reminding them to ask about vaccinations when a child has a check ups - Information advertisements in community newspapers

9. Calendar Usually outlined in chart form, that shows the start and completion of each project within the framework of total program A campaign must be timely - A campaign on carpooling might be more successful if it follows a price increase in gasoline - A software program on income tax preparation? The scheduling of activities during campaign - Have a systematic means of tracking activities - To concentrate the most effort at the beginning of a campaign - PR campaign often are the first stage of IMC program - To prepare a working calendar for detailed planning and internal use - Gantt chart

10. Budget How much will implementation of the plan cost? - Allocate 10 percent of the total budget for contingency Staff time & out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses - Staff time (70%): salaries and administrative fees - Out-of-pocket (30%): printing, postage, graphics, production of VNRs, travel phone, fax, photocopying, and so on

11. Evaluations Evaluation refers directly back to your stated objectives - Informational objective: before and after survey - Motivational & Behavioral objective: increased market share/increased vaccinations Before you begin, you need to agree evaluation criteria with your clients - Realistic - Credible - Specific - Appropriate to the client’s expectations