Programme Planning (APCP201 Section 2) PDF

Section 2 PROGRAMME PLANNING 1  2 Strategy is a driving force in any business or organization. It’s the intellectual force that helps organize, prioritize, and energize what they do. No strategy; no energy. No strategy; no direction. No strategy; no momentum. N...

Section 2 PROGRAMME PLANNING 1  2 Strategy is a driving force in any business or organization. It’s the intellectual force that helps organize, prioritize, and energize what they do. No strategy; no energy. No strategy; no direction. No strategy; no momentum. No strategy; no impact. — Jim Lukaszewski  The Value of Planning 3  Public relations goals should reflect the problems or opportunities defined in the research step. In addition, public relations goals should never stand in isolation; they must make sense within the context of the organization’s broader vision, its mission, and its operational goals.  In fact, the four-step public relations process outlined in the first section is based on two assumptions: that the organization has clearly defined its overall mission and goals and that public relations is part of the plan to achieve them.  Once a public relations goal is set, the next steps are identifying key publics, articulating objectives, and determining strategies and tactics.  Excuses for not Planning 4  1. “We don’t have time.” Many practitioners feel that they are already overloaded with work. Of course, they are missing the point that those with a plan typically make better use of their time, thus making time spent planning a wise investment.  2. “Why plan when things are changing so fast?” Plans get modified in light of changing circumstances; they are not cast in concrete. Having a plan, however, provides the baseline from which modifications can be made with full awareness that changes in strategy and direction are occurring. In fact, the more turbulent the environment, the greater the need to chart the changing course to the desired result, to have a plan.  Excuses for not Planning 5  3. “We get paid for results, not for planning.” Many public relations practitioners tend to focus on “doing” rather than on “thinking” or “planning.” A dollar spent on research and planning is often viewed as a dollar not available for implementing program activities. This mind-set generally leads to counting activities rather than to results that count. In fact, clients and bosses pay practitioners for results that happen according to a plan to achieve goals/outcomes.  Excuses for not Planning 6  4. “We’re doing okay without a plan.” Short-term success can change to failure if conditions change. For example, it is easy to see how an injury to a football team’s star quarterback can change an entire football season.  Such was the case in a business setting when the founder and CEO of a new and successful computer company died in an automobile accident the very day the company’s stock went public. The stock offer was withdrawn until new management was in place. A few weeks later the company stock was again offered but commanded a substantially lower price.  Soon thereafter, Eagle Computer went out of business. Part of planning involves building in strategies for handling contingencies, such as industrial accidents and other operational crises; top management decisions that attract media and public scrutiny; changes in management and other key personnel; and charges by government agencies, consumer groups, unions, or whistle-blowers.  The Value of Planning 7  The second step of the public relations process, following research, is program planning.  In the RACE acronym (Research/ Action Communication/ evaluation)this step is labeled "Action" because the organization starts making plans to do something about an issue or situation.  Before any public relations activity can be implemented, it is essential that considerable thought be given to what should be done and in what sequence to accomplish an organization's objectives.  A good public relations program should be an effective strategy to support an organization's business, marketing, and communications objectives,  8  "Strategy is a unique mixture of mental energy, injected into an organization though communication, which results in behavior that achieves organizational objectives."  In other words, public relations planning should be strategic.  "Strategic planning is deciding where you want to be in the future (the goal) and how to get there (the strategies). It sets the organization's direction pro actively, avoiding 'drift' and routine repetition of activities."  A practitioner must think about a situation, analyze what can be done about it, creatively conceptualize the appropriate strategies and tactics, and determine how the results will be measured.  9  Planning also involves the coordination of multiple methods-news releases, special events, Web pages, press kits, CD-ROM distribution, news conferences, media interviews, brochures, newsletters, speeches, and so on-to achieve specific results.  Systematic and strategic planning prevents haphazard, ineffective communication.  Having a blueprint of what is to be done and how it will be executed makes programs more effective and public relations more valuable to the organization.  Approaches to Planning 10  Planning is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.  After research it is necessary to arrange the pieces so that a coherent design, or picture, emerges.  The best planning is systematic, that is: - gathering information, - analyzing it, and - creatively applying it for the specific purpose of attaining an objective. - This section presents two approaches to planning. In both cases, the emphasis is on asking and answering questions to generate a roadmap for success.  Management by Objective 11  One popular approach to planning is a process called Management By Objective (MBO).  MBO provides focus and direction for formulating strategy to achieve specific organizational objectives.  MBO in planning ensures the "production of relevant messages and establishes criteria against which campaign results can be measured."  There are nine basic MBO steps that can help a practitioner conceptualize everything from a simple news release to a multifaceted communications program.  The steps can serve as a planning checklist that provides the basis for strategic planning 12 1. Client/employer objectives  What is the purpose of the communication, and how does it promote or achieve the objectives of the organization? Specific objectives such as "to make consumers aware of the product's high quality" are more meaningful than "to make people aware of the product." 2. Audience/publics.  Who exactly should be reached with the message, and how can that audience help achieve the organization's objectives? What are the characteristics of the audience, and how can demographic information be used to structure the message? The primary audience for a campaign to encourage carpooling consists of people who regularly drive to work, not the general public.  13 3. Audience objectives  What is it that the audience wants to know, and how can the message be tailored to audience self-interest? Consumers are more interested in how a new computer will increase their productivity than in how it works. 4. Media channels  What is the appropriate channel for reaching the audience, and how can multiple channels (news media, brochures, special events, and direct mail) reinforce the message among key publics? An ad may be good for making consumers aware of a new product, but a news release may be better for conveying more credible consumer information about the product.  14 5. Media channel objectives  What is the media gatekeeper looking for in a news angle, and why would a particular publication be interested in the information? A community newspaper is primarily interested in a story with a local angle, A television station is interested in stories that have good visuals. 6. Sources and questions.  What primary and secondary sources of information are required to provide a factual base for the message  What experts should be interviewed  What secondary/primary research should be conducted?  15 7. Communication strategies  What environmental factors will affect the dissemination and acceptance of the message  Are the target publics hostile or favorable prepared for the message? 8. Essence of the message  What is the planned communication impact on the audience: information/attitude change 9. Non verbal support  How can photos/film/artwork clarify and visually enhance the written message.  A Strategic Planning Model 16  The general building blocks for planning include:  The facts:  Category facts: What are recent industry trends  Products/service issues: What are the significant characteristics of the products service, or issue.  Competitive facts: Who are competitors, and what are their competitive strengths, similarities and differences  Customer facts: Who uses the product and why  Goals  Business objectives: What are the company’s business objectives? What is the time frame?  Role of public relations: how does public relations fit into the marketing mix?  Sources of new business: What sectors will produce growth  17  Audience  Target audiences: What are the target audiences? What are their “hot” buttons  Current mind set: how do audiences feel about the product, service, or issue  Desired mind-set – How do we want them to feel?  Key message: o Main point: What one key message must be conveyed to change or reinforce mind-sets. o Various approaches lead to the next step the writing of a strategic public relations plan  Elements of a Program Plan 18  A public relations programme plan identifies what is to done, why and how to accomplish it. (A big picture)  It is common practice for public relations firms to prepare a program plan for client approval and possible modification before implementing a public relations campaign.  At that time, both the public relations firm and the client reach a mutual understanding of the campaign's objectives and how to accomplish them.  Public relations departments of organizations also map out a particular campaign or show the department's plans for the coming year.  19  Although there can be some variation, public relations plans include eight basic elements: 1. Situation 2. Objectives 3. Audience 4. Strategy 5. Tactics 6. Calendar/timetable 7. Budget 8. Evaluation  20 1. Situation  Valid objectives cannot be set without a clear understanding of the situation that led to the conclusion that a public relations program was needed.  Three traditional situations often prompt a public relations program:  (1) The organization must conduct a remedial program to overcome a problem or negative situation;  (2) the organization needs to conduct a specific one-time project to launch a new product or service; or  (3) the organization wants to reinforce an ongoing effort to preserve its reputation and public support.  21  Loss of market share and declining sales often require a remedial program.  One-time, specific events often lead to public relations programs.  In the third situation, program plans are initiated to reinforce corporate reputation or to preserve customer loyalty or public support.  In a program plan, relevant research often is included as part of the situation.  22 2. Objectives  Once the situation or problem is understood, the next step is to establish objectives for the program.  A stated objective should be evaluated by asking:  (1) Does it really address the situation?  (2) Is it realistic and achievable?  (3) Can success be measured in meaningful terms?  23  An objective is usually stated in terms of program outcomes rather than inputs.  Or, put another way, objectives should not be the "means" but the "end."  A poor objective, for example, is to "generate publicity for a new product.”  Publicity is not an "end" in itself  The actual objective is to "create consumer awareness about a new product"  This is accomplished by such tactics as news releases, special events, and brochures.  It is particularly important that public relations objectives complement and reinforce the organization's objectives.  24  Professor David Dozier of San Diego State University expressed the point well in a Public: Relations Review article: "The prudent and strategic selection of public relations goals and objectives linked to organizational survival and growth serves to justify the public relations program as a viable management activity."  Basically, objectives are either informational or motivational.  Informational Objectives 25  Informational Objectives o Many public relations plans are designed primarily to expose audiences to information and to increase awareness of an issue, an event, or a product. o Many communication and marketing professionals believe that the major criteria for public relations effectiveness are: (1) an increase in public awareness and (2) delivery of key messages.  26  One difficulty with informational objectives is measuring how well a particular objective has been achieved.  Public awareness and the extent of education that takes place are somewhat abstract and difficult to quantify.  Some novices/beginners try to quantify (measure/calculate) informational objectives by stating something like "Increase awareness 30 percent."  That's very difficult to prove unless an organization has solid baseline research determining the awareness level of the target audience before the campaign was launched and then does another scientific sample after the campaign to measure any differences in the audience's knowledge or perceptions.  Another approach that many organizations and public relations firms take is to infer that "awareness" or "education" occurred because there were a large number of media placements. " In reality, message exposure doesn't necessarily mean  increased public awareness. Motivational Objectives 27  Motivational Objectives o Although changing attitudes and influencing behavior are difficult to accomplish in a public relations campaign, motivational objectives are easier to measure than informational o That's because they are bottom-line oriented and are based on clearly measurable results that can be quantified. This is true whether the objective is an increase in product sales, a sellout crowd for a theatrical performance, expanded donations to a charitable agency, or a target number of media placements regarding the product, service, or issue. o It should also be noted that a public relations program will often have a mix of informational and motivational objectives  Audience 28  Public relations programs should be directed toward specific and defined audiences or publics.  Although some campaigns are directed to a general public, such instances are the exception.  public relations practitioners target specific publics within the general public.  This is done through market research that can identify key publics by such demographics as age, income, social strata, education, existing ownership or consumption of specific products, and where people live.  In many cases, the product or service often self-defines a specific audience.  Many campaigns have multiple audiences, depending on the objectives of the campaign  29  Some organizations and public relations firms identify the media as a "public."  On occasion, in programs that seek media endorsements/validations or that try to change how the media report on an organization or an issue, editors and reporters can become a legitimate "public.“  In general, however, mass media outlets full in the category of a means to an end. They are channels to reach defined audiences that need to be informed, persuaded, and motivated.  A better approach, if the campaign is primarily designed to generate media cover- age, is to have two categories.  “Target publics" as consumers segmented by various demographics. “Target media" as national daily newspapers, travel-leisure and in-flight magazines,  Types of publics 30  Public relations scholar James Grunig developed a “situational theory of publics,” which uses three factors to predict whether publics will be latent, aware, or active, given a specific situation.  Latent publics include people who are simply unaware of their connections to others and an organization with respect to some issue or other problem situation.  Aware publics are those people who recognize that they are somehow affected by or involved in a problem situation shared by others but have not communicated about it with others. When they begin to communicate and organize to do something about the situation, they become active publics.  31  Active communication behavior is called information seeking because people in that group are likely to seek information on the issue. Passive communication behavior is called information processing because a passive audience may or may not attend to a message.  The situational theory of publics has been widely studied using a variety of issues, also known as “situation sets.” The studies consistently produce four types of publics:  1. All-issue publics are active on all issues in the situation set.  2. Apathetic publics are inattentive and inactive on all issues in the set.  3. Single-issue publics are active on one or a limited number of related issues.  4. Hot-issue publics are active after media coverage exposes almost everyone to the issue, making it a topic of widespread social conversation.  Strategy 32  A strategy is a somewhat broad statement describing how an objective is to be achieved  It provides guidelines and key massage themes for the overall programme and also offers a rationale for the actions and program components that are planned  A single strategy may be outlined or a program may have several strategies, depending on the objectives and the designated audiences.  33  Key Messages: Public relations plans, as part of the strategy, often contain a listing of key messages that the campaign wants to get across to the target audiences and the media.  Tactics : Tactics, in contrast to strategies, are the nuts-and-bolts or tactical part of the plan. o They describe the specific activities that put each strategy into operation and help to achieve the stated objectives. o In the public relations field, the implementation of various tactics is actually doing the plan and, in many ways, is the most visible part of any plan. o Tactics involves using various methods to reach target audiences with key messages.  Examples of strategies employed at Pokemon’s 34  Strategy 1: Build brand success awareness  Tactics: (1) Secure a four-page cover story in Lianse, the top trade publication, about Pokemon's 10th anniversary and staying power (remaining in power); (2) secure other features in major trade publications such as Toy & Family Entertainmt1lt, Licensing Book, and Toy Fair Times; (3) establish an interactive booth at Toy Fair trade show, using a giant 10th anniversary time line to bring the brand's history to life and showcase new products; (4) distribute media kit about the brand's history and 10th anniversary celebration activities to media attending the Toy Fair and' Pokémon's fans via the company's news center; and (5) distribute B-roll video news release to New York-based broadcast media and the major news distribution centeI5 (news feeds).  Strategy 2: Include core consumers in the 10th anniversary activities  Tactics: (1) Organize a 10th anniversary mall tour to stop in 24 major cities and include activities such as a video-game competition leading to a national championship later in the year; and (2) partner with Kids to do a 10th anniversary television special that will feature a never –seen-before Mirage (Imaginary) Pokemon. It is therefore evident that : 35  Coming up with tactics for a campaign requires a lot of creativity on the part of a public relations firm.  One approach is a brainstorming session that can generate any number of ideas from the practical to the impractical.  The goal is to come up with ideas that are innovative and unusual, but still are grounded in accomplishing the objectives of the program.  Judith Rich, a creativity expert with her own firm in Chicago, says, "It's important that creativity is not seen as a chore but rather as a challenge.  Encourage spontaneity and playfulness, and let people dream big."  Product' launches, in particular, require major creativity in terms of designing eye-catching media kits and planning events that attract people.  You need something that is fun and irresistible to get people's attention.”  Calendar/Timetable 36  The next step is to determine a timetable for the campaign or program.  Depending on the objectives and complexity of the program plan, a campaign may last less than three months.  Other programs may take more than a year to implement all the strategies and tactics required to accomplish program objectives.  The following are three aspects of establishing a calendar and timetable for a programme. Timing of a Campaign  Program planning should take into account the environmental context of the 'situation and the time when key messages are most meaningful to the intended audience.  37  Scheduling of tactics  The second aspect of timing is the schedu1ing and sequencing of various tactics or activities.  A typical pattern is to concentrate the most effort at the beginning of a campaign, when a number of tactics are implemented.  The launch phase of a campaign, much like that of a rocket, requires a burst of activity just to break the awareness barrier.  After the campaign has achieved orbit, however, less energy and fewer activities are required to maintain momentum.  To further the rocket analogy, public relations campaigns often are the first stage of an integrated marketing communications program.  Once public relations has created awareness and customer anticipation of a new product, the second stage may be a marketing and advertising campaign.  38 Compiling a Calendar  An integral part of timing is advance planning.  A video news release, a press kit, or a brochure often takes weeks or months to prepare.  Arrangements for special events also take considerable time.  Practitioners must take into account the deadlines of publications. Monthly periodicals, for example, frequently need information several months before publication. A popular talk show may book guests three or four months in advance.  In other words, the public relations professional must think ahead to make things happen in the right sequence, at the right time.  One way to achieve this goal is to compile timelines and charts that list the necessary steps and their required completion dates.  39  Calendars and timelines take various forms.  One simple method is to post activities for each day on a large monthly calendar and who's assigned responsibility for the particular project.  Gantt charts are popular for scheduling purposes and can be formatted easily using such programs as Microsoft's Excel.  Essentially, a Gantt chart is a column matrix that has two sides.  The left side has a vertical list of activities that must be accomplished, and the top has a horizontal line of days, weeks, or months.  Such charts can also track, for example, when a media kit must be written, designed, turned over to a printer, and the date of final delivery. 40  Budget 41  No program plan is complete without a budget.  Both clients and employers ask, "How much will this program cost?" In many cases, the reverse approach is taken.  Organizations establish an amount they can afford and then ask the public relations staff or firm to write a program plan that reflects the amount allocated.  42  A budget is often divided into two categories:  (1) staff time and (2) out-of-pocket expenses (OOP).  The latter often goes by the acronym OOP and includes such collateral/ security material as news releases, media kits, brochures, video news releases (VNRs), transportation, and even photocopying.  One method of budgeting is to use two columns.  The left column will list the staff cost for writing a pamphlet or compiling a press kit. The right column will list the actual OOP expense for having the pamphlet or press kit designed, printed, and delivered:  Internal public relations staffs, whose members are on the payroll, often complete only the OOP expenses.  It is good practice to allocate about 10 percent of the budget for contingencies or unexpected costs.  Evaluation 43  The evaluation element of a plan relates directly back to the stated objectives of the program.  Objectives must be measurable in some way to show clients and employers that the program accomplished its purpose.  Consequently, it's important to have a good idea what metrics you will use to evaluate whether the plan's objectives have been met.  Again, evaluation criteria should be realistic, credible, and specific. The evaluation section of a program plan should restate the objectives and then name the evaluation methods to be used.  Evaluation of an informational objective often entails a compilation of: o news clips and an analysis of how often key message points were mentioned. o Other methods might be to determine how many brochures were distributed or o the estimated number of viewers who saw a video news release.  Motivational objectives often are measured and evaluated by:  increases in sales or market share, the number of people who called an 800 number for more information,  or by benchmark surveys that measure people's perceptions before and after a campaign.  Calendar of Events and Budget 44 Date Event/ Activity Audience Reason/ Strategy Budget Subtotal Total 27th Press Conference Media To create awareness 8 000 February 2013 Venue R 5 000 Press kit R 1 000 Lunch R 2 000 30th May Anniversary Celebration Staff Include core consumers in 308 000 2013 VIP’s the anniversary activities Flee Market (Tents) Stakeholders R 2 000 Music and other R 5 000 entertainment Tour of the R 1 000 organisation (employ hosts) Competitions Prizes R 300 000 (Car, Laptops) Total 316 000 10 % Contingency 31 600 Grand Total R 347 600