to blog or not to blog (that is the question!)

To blog or not to blog is the question I have been asking myself for days - the reason for my hesitation is that my previous blogs were an assessment component of my public relations degree and going it alone (metaphorically at least) feels as if my floaties have been taken away and I now have to swim unaided… Nonetheless, nervous as I am about taking the plunge into the global gabfest, the consensus seems to be that blogging is not only the way of the future but a way for me to shape my own future in the PR industry. So, with that said, this is my re-entry (or should that read belly-flop?) into the blogosphere…

Week 11 PR blog: Research and evaluation

• Research is an ongoing process throughout any public relations campaign however the focus of the research, and therefore the techniques chosen , will change throughout
• The purpose of research is to ask relevant questions (present a hypothesis) in order to obtain relevant answers
• When selecting a research technique it is important to consider the campaign objectives, and the time, budget and skills available
• The use of research means that the PR practitioner is more than a technician as research positions PR “as a purposive goal directed and problem solving management function” (Broome & Dozier cited in Johnstone & Zawawi, 220, p. 139)
• While instinct and intuition are important PR skills management nonetheless requires PR to be accountable by considering what research the organisation can afford to do
• PR research involves gaining information relevant to the organisations current situation i.e. the needs and attitudes of stakeholders; the strengths and weaknesses of competitors; environmental or political issues that affect the organisations success

3 phases of research in a public relations campaign

• 1. Input: the initial stage of research that identifies what goes into a campaign; contributes to the next stage (outputs) or what will be used during the development and implementation stage; clarifies the organisations objectives; gathering of information about the organisations image, status, history, overviews of previous campaigns and a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats)
• 2. Outputs: the actual elements of a campaign; gathering of information regarding the external environments and factors influencing the current situation
• 3. Outcomes: research at the conclusion of a campaign to determine the results of outputs on target publics

Benchmarking identifies a situation prior to implementation of a campaign and measures a campaigns success or failure at its completion through

1. Exploratory research (to identify issues)
2. Development research (prioritises the target publics identified by exploratory research and addresses the costs involved in implementing a program)

Output research:

• Measures the extent to which the organisations goals and objectives are met
• Indicates the success or failure of a strategy
• Demonstrates the effectiveness of planning and communication
• Checks that the channels of communication or the communication mix are correct
• Gathers information on the appropriateness of message and activity content and the quality of message and activity presentations
• is useful for measuring activities but should not be used to justify the effectiveness of a program (activity should not be confused with achievement)
• should reflect a change in the target public's awareness, understanding, attitude or behaviour from an agreed benchmark (pre-determined with evaluation criteria established at the planning stage)
• Should be directed by the objectives and set out in measurable and specific terms

Both formal and informal research techniques use quantitative and qualitative technique

• Quantitative research uses verification based methods; is used by PR as confirmatory research; larger groups are sampled with samples in the form of mathematical analysis; can be replicated; is conducted by professional researchers
• Qualitative research is interpretative and in depth (smaller groups sampled); is open to additional information and insights, is descriptive and informative, emphasises analysis and syntheses of information

Primary research is original research conducted for or by an organisation

Secondary research utilises others findings such as:

• Formal research- reliable, credible and objective; begins with a question (hypothesis) that requires an answer (may be broken down into smaller questions); has predictive value

• Informal research is subjective, has no agreed procedures; does not offer prediction value; cannot be replicated; offers insight into issues

The range of research methodologies available to PR practitioners include: surveys, mail, telephone, fact to face, internet, in-depth interviews, focus groups, ethnographic studies, case studies, analysis of existing data, organisational culture studies, feedback analysis, media monitoring, content analysis, benchmark research, statistical analysis, environmental monitoring, communication audits, corporate communication archives, testimonials, expert review, internet monitoring, measurement of online presence, advertising value equivalents (AVEs), and secondary information sources. All of these factors making me consider that if you want to be a PR practitioner then you had better enjoy research!

These blog notes are taken from: Singh, R & Glenny, L ‘Research and evaluation’ in Johnstone & Zawawi, Eds., 2004, Public relations theory and practice, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest.

Week 10 PR blog: Strategy, planning and scheduling

Johnstone & Zawawi (2004) suggest that the purpose of a strategy is “to convey the detailed and complicated information necessary to enable shareholders to make an informed decision while maintaining control of the message”.

The key points of chapter 7 I identified were that

1. A strategy is an underlying rationale that guides the selection of tactics (or stages) to be used in a PR plan

2. Strategies become effective through planning, budgeting, and scheduling; each stage implemented through the strategic processes of
• Creation of organisational vision and mission statements
• Creation of public relations vision and mission statements
• Establishment of performance indicators
• Budgeting
• Writing of a strategic public relations plan
• Scheduling of public relations plan activities

3. By designing a strategic plan, the identification, implementation, and management of a public relations goal are realised and while supporting and complementing the goals of the organisation

4. Strategic plans provide a framework from which budgets can be established, tactics selected, and their implementation monitored

5. PR strategies are proactive i.e. communications are intentional and deliberately managed to be open and candid, and are focused primarily on the customer and the marketplace.

I found this final point particularly relevant as it defines the purpose of the messages written and conveyed through the field of public relations. I think the terms ‘open and candid’ provide the practitioner with an ideal applicable to most if not all circumstances; the terms “intentional and deliberately managed” are similarly unambiguous; and the terms ‘customer and the marketplace’ while sounding somewhat like marketing, are nonetheless the reason for the existence of most messages.

The first of two case studies outlined in chapter 7 is ‘ Newsletter production and distribution work instructions’ which outlines the objectives of publishing internal newsletters and demonstrates the strategies, planning, and scheduling processes that are used. By following the journalistic rules of asking who, why, when, what, where and how; ways of getting leads, and using differing styles and approaches, diverse audiences can be addressed.

The 2^nd case study ‘Hostile company takeover bid for Aliquot Asset Management’ was an example of a much less commonplace PR role and therefore was especially interesting as it demonstrated for me the power of PR to positively influence shareholder relationships.

Both of these case studies exemplify how having an underlying rationale, enables the use of proactive strategies.

Chapter 8: Tactics

The points that I found relevant in this chapter are that

• The terms ‘strategy’ and ‘tactics’ are defined as meaning different things; strategy being the over-arching plan that allows a PR practitioner to help ensure that organisation goals and objectives are achieved and which, when determined, dictates the campaigns direction and the tactics that will therefore be employed.
• There are both controlled and uncontrolled tactics- examples of controlled tactics include advertising, annual reports, posters and are ‘controlled’ in design and distribution by the practitioner. Uncontrolled tactics are those that can be altered or blocked (the most obvious example being media relations).
• When selecting a tactic the differing methods of communication delivery affect the effectiveness and impact of a message; each having both advantages and disadvantages.
• Commonly used tactics include media relations; research; printed materials such as flyers, leaflets and brochures; annual reports; newsletters; direct mail.
• All communications require consistency of design and all strategies, campaigns and tactics should be aligned to maintain ‘brand’ integrity and positioning
• The success of any campaign is dependent upon the analytical and creative skill of the practitioner to select tactics that take into consideration various complex and impacting factors
• Tactics must always relate back to strategy as they provide the link between the strategy and how it is executed or delivered
• Tactics must be selected with the target audience in mind; the tactics appropriateness accordingly considering the vehicle that will deliver the message, the advantages and disadvantages of the selected vehicle and the available budget

The case study ‘Gaining public support for the Energex community rescue helicopter service’ demonstrates how by branding all Energex messages with ‘Energex community rescue’, together with the development of emotional rescue stories as the basis for selected communication tactics, the stated objectives of the campaign were exceeded.

This chapter made me consider the technical role of being a PR practitioner and the diversity of approaches that each campaign calls for.

These blog notes are taken from: Johnstone & Zawawi (2004)
Chapter 7: Strategy, planning and scheduling

Week 9 PR blog: Sponsorship

Another public relations tactic is that of sponsorship and special events; used by organisations to achieve specific goals. Albeit one of the most expensive tactics used by PR, the goodwill that can be delivered by a well targeted and managed sponsorship campaign can be equally large and can also be a “visible manifestation of community partnering” (Johnstone & Zawawi, 2004, p. 346). Amongst the key points identified were that the larger the event, the more likely the need for sponsorship and accordingly is the reason why both often operate in tandem. A well run event can make the PR person a ‘star’ while conversely, poorly run events can be disastrous for the PR practitioners career; success requiring creativity in not only fulfilling the aims and strategies of the organisation and sponsor, but in attracting the attention of the media.
“Sponsorship is the purchase of specific rights and benefits associated with an event, organisation or individual” and should not be “confused with philanthropy, donations or bequests” which, unlike sponsorship, do not expect a return (Johnstone & Zawawi, 2004, p. 347). However returns may not rely solely on monetary considerations and can also take the form of mutually beneficial shared relationships such as expertise and manpower. Sponsorship provides a focal point for sales and marketing by providing high visibility of products to potential customers and, as Geldard & Sinclair (Cited in Johnstone & Zawawi, 2004, p. 347) suggest, also provides exclusivity, image association, hospitality for client entertainment, product sampling, signage rights, merchandising, networking with people of importance, media coverage, use of personnel for advertising, and promotions and sale opportunities”.
Johnstone & Zawawi (2004) identify three types of sponsorship:
- Philanthropic (generally community based with tax, goodwill and community benefits; an example being the Myer family)
- Corporate (sponsorship not normally linked to an organisations business; links the sponsoring organisation with a high profile event; puts a positive impression in the organisations public minds e.g. McDonalds sponsorship of junior tennis)
- Marketing sponsorship (offers cash and goods in return for tangible revenue oriented results and is used primarily to promote products and services e.g. Nike/ Adidas)
When writing a sponsorship proposal it is essential to consider the motives and goals of the target audience and of the organisation (what is in it for them?) and to analyse factors such as what the sponsorship will achieve (i.e. boost sales, competitive advantage, publicity, goodwill, improve image, communicate key messages, improve staff morale, form business relationships, cost-effective advertising); what constitutes an unsuitable sponsorship; and the available resources (i.e. is the sponsorship being sought in conjunction with an event?).
Once this is done, a 1 page proposal is written with a particular organisation in mind and which needs to address the ‘hot-keys’ of the organisations decision-maker without any prior contact with that person (research any other sponsorship they may have participated in (check on their website) and request a copy of their annual report). The proposal should also include a cover letter, background, sponsor benefits, images of past events, and a specific request for sponsorship. Proposals should also be unambiguous with clearly defined parameters in order to protect sponsors.
Ambush marketing is when a company misrepresents itself as being associated with an event when it has no legal, moral or official right to do so. Johnstone & Zawawi (2004, p. 371) cite the case study (13.4) ‘Qantas and the Sydney 2000 Olympic games’ in which despite Ansett being the major sponsor, “Qantas was among a number of organisations accused of ambushing three years before the 2000 Olympics by using high-profile athletes in advertising campaigns”.
This case study made me consider that the unethical standpoint of the sporting organisations and sponsorship advocates suggested by Johnstone & Zawawi (2004) is somewhat surprising considering they should benefit financially from any form of sponsorship for those they represent and isn’t their responsibility to their client ? The opposing argument of ‘market competition’ by marketing executives was, I thought, quite a clever marketing technique (ethical considerations aside) and although I was previously unaware of the use of such tactics I found myself siding with Qantas as perhaps Ansett should have been more pro-active in gaining publicity (and could have taken a leaf out of Qantas’ book)?

This blog is taken from: chapter 13 ‘Sponsorship’ in Johnstone & Zawawi (2004),

Week 8 PR blog

With much of the literature “portraying journalist-practitioner relations as adversarial, and with journalists denigrating practitioners professional behaviours and status,” how to contact journalists can leave PR practitioners in somewhat of a quandary argues Sallot & Johnson (2006, p. 83). By being familiar with media processes, practitioners are more able to frame their stories and consequently for them to be placed within the news media- which in turn influences public opinion and the public agenda. Sallot & Johnson (2006) studied journalists in order to research how journalists assess the quality of practitioners’ framing in their information subsidies for news media, and the modes of contact journalists preferred practitioners to use.
The study found that journalists “complained of practitioners’ lack of news sense and values, accuracy, timeliness, and style of presentation” (i.e. the inverted pyramid); with one journalist suggesting that practitioners “know the nature of the beat, know the style of the journalist, know how they [sic] write and what interests them, and the result will be mutually beneficial relationships”. Other complaints included lack of the use of local angles; subsidies that were “overly self-serving”; poor quality writing and inaccuracies. However Practitioners representing non-profit organizations were seen as less self-serving with many journalists who make use of subsidies that benefit non-profits “feeling good” for “helping the cause”.
Of more concern are the Sixty-nine percent who charged practitioners were lacking ethics. “Common complaints concerned practitioners who lie, withhold “truth” and cover up, and try to win coverage for their clients”. Some journalists considered practitioners with prior experience as journalists to be more skilled and ethical.
With some journalists liking and others disliking the following: e-mail with attachments; press kits; links toWeb sites; CD-ROMs; PR Newswire; promotional items; samples of products; photos; VNRs; file footage; and free CDs and DVDs, concert tickets and lunches; and others preferring practitioners to ask exactly which mode they personally preferred, meaning that media practitioners Sallot & Johnson (2006) argue, “have their work cut out for them”. That said “practitioners who tailor delivery of their subsidies to individual journalists’ preferences vastly improve their media relationships and chances of success” (Sallot & Johnstone, 2006).

Tymson, Lazar & Lazar (2006) suggest that with hundreds of press releases issued daily, it is important that the media release is newsworthy, well written, appropriately targeted and professionally presented. The points that I have taken from this weeks readings is that while approaching journalists is sometimes uncomfortable, PR practitioners, by preparing media releases well and by observing the comments made by journalists as regards what they are seeking, in this way are acting professionally and it is hoped they will be treated accordingly – by acting professionally and ethically practitioners are aiming to be the best that they can be.

Week 8 Pr Blog taken from
Sallot, M. & Johnson, A. (2006). To contact …or not?: Investigating journalists’ assessments of public relations subsidies and contact preferences. Public Relations Review. 32 (1) 83-86.
Tymson, C Lazar, P. & Lazar, R. (Eds.). (2006). ‘Writing a media release, The new Australian and New Zealand public relations manual (5th ed.). Manly: Tymson Communications.

Week 7 PR blog: Media relations

The most obvious role of public relations within society is that of media relations-dealing with the media therefore integral to public relations activity. Often confused with publicity, media relations is however a much broader field encompassing crisis management, community relations, special events and sponsorship, and political campaigns, and may mean dealing with a few, or hundreds, of media personnel.
Increasingly, media convergence permits a single message to reach wider audiences, with audiences able to seek out items in their own time. Good avenues of publicity include community and alternative presses and broadcasters, professional and occupational trade presses; each examples of flourishing media platforms targeting specific audiences. Mainstream media is more concentrated and relies on “synchronated work, press agencies and news subsidies” channelled though public relations practitioners (Johnstone & Zawawi, 2004, p. 263). The good news being (for PR practitioners) is that less staff and complexity of news issues means it is easier to gain access to media- one study showing 30% of newspaper articles were wholly or partially based on press releases. All media should be monitored Johnstone & Zawawi (2004) suggest, to gauge public opinion and trends noting that professional media monitoring or clippings services are also available to provide daily ‘clippings files’ for organisations.

Public relations practitioners need to be, in the same way as journalists, focused on the differing news values, these being:
- Impact
- Conflict
- Timeliness
- Proximity
- Prominence
- Currency (the story was already topical)
- Human interest
- Unusual
- Money
Depending on the media, PR practitioners should be familiar with that mediums styles and deadlines and work within them; in this way assisting the media as information providers while maximising their opportunities for gaining exposure for their organisation. By understanding the personnel make-up of a newsroom and knowing the names and roles of those within the newsroom hierarchy, positive working relationships are fostered. Typical newsroom hierarchal structure being:
- Editor
- News editor/chief of staff
- Section heads
- Chief sub-editors
- Journalists/roundspeople
- Copy people
(Journalists and roundspeople are responsible for sourcing stories and as such are the ones to approach and allocate stories to)

The term ‘media’ Johnstone & Zawawi (2004) argue is not amorphorous but complex and multi-layered requiring the needs of each to be known and considered by PR practitioners. For example, magazines may require photographs while TV may require written press releases which will be adapted by television journalists. Less commonly used are Video News Releases (or VNR) which are packaged PR generated stories containing vision, interview grabs, and scripted stories but are largely viewed by Australian journalists as being too promotional- the lesson being to allow for journalistic input while servicing the client organisation and the media.

Media Tools

Media release:
press or news release written in news style i.e. who, what, where, when, why and how; for print news use an inverted pyramid style of writing as editors take 30 seconds to peruse a media release, their key concerns being who you are, the headline, and the lead (all media releases are controlled by gatekeepers so should not be too weighty)
Media conferences:
- Held to allow widespread dissemination of a story and give all media access to a story at once, also allows journalists to ask questions
- It is necessary to find a time convenient for journalists (10 a.m. early in the week being most desirable)
- Consider who the message should reach and the best media available to reach that market (keep up current lists of who to invite- media guides provide information from which to compile lists e.g. Margerat Gee’s Australian media guide)
- Invitations should be appropriate to the conference being held
- Media response will depend on the event (will veer towards less commercial events knowing they can pick up other news by phone or news release)
- Venue is also dependent on the event
Media kit:
- May contain one or several media releases
- a business card is essential
- Backgrounders: background to an event or organisation (factual account written in narrative or chronological order
- Feature articles: may be written in full or idea developed and passed on to journalist to develop (these articles do not date, are novel, usually human interest or unusual stories)
- Profiles or blogs: background on a individual or company (latest information first, may be included in a media kit)
- Media passes: should identify the event, dates of entry, person or organisation distributed to)
- Other items include: Maps, posters, T-shirts, key-rings, caps, newsletters, brochures, annual reports, calendar of events (Gantt chart)
*The overall design and style of a kit should be consistent and uniform in order for messages to be clearer.
*Media relations requires writing, organisation and planning, and interpersonal skills, and current news and events knowledge.

This week’s reading made me consider just how much of PR is, in practice, journalism and accordingly the responsibilities that this role incurs. Added to this is the need to gain the approval of gatekeepers which at this stage seems more than a little daunting…

However I found the Drew (2001) oral presentation skills reading useful (it’s always reassuring to realise that you’re not alone in being concerned about something) and plan to keep this, and the article by Van Emden & Becker (2004) for future reference. In particular the points made about looking at group work as being sharing of the load, and ways in which to divide the work up, helpful in that it gave some practical guidelines to follow. Van Emden and Becker (2004) suggest that group work allows a variety of ideas to be proposed and that each member works to support others. Groupwork also means that individual strengths can be used to the groups advantage, and to consider the image the group wishes to convey (a concept I had not previously considered). Van Emden & Becker’s (2004) suggestion that question time should be welcomed gave me another perspective as generally this part of a presentation is the one I like least probably because as Van Emden & Becker (2004) argue, this is when the audience gets to set the agenda. I also found the timeline of audience interest useful as the worst thing when giving a presentation is knowing that you are failing to keep the audiences attention.

These notes taken from: Johnstone & Zawawi (2004) Chapter 10 ‘Media relations’
"The student skills guide", Chapter 8, 2nd ed., c2001, pp. 98-114
Van Emden, J. & Becker, L. (2004). Presentation skills for students. pp. 77-93

Week 6 PR blog

The three functions of public relations are:
Communication
Advisory/counselling
Business management
I think the key points to remember from this week are that in all areas of public relations practitioners need to be both
Informed
And reflexive (assessing all risks)
(Which not only requires foundation knowledge of the law but PR practitioners should also use the services of a legal practitioner- one who respects the professionalism of the PR practitioner and therefore is able to “ensure the best outcomes from both the legal and public relations perspectives” (Johnstone & Zawawi, 2004, pg. 99).
And, in regard to the ethics chapter, ‘best practice’ public relations serves the public interest by developing mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics and in so doing contributes to informed debate about societal issues. The flow-on effect being that complex and pluralistic societies, are better able to reach decisions and function more effectively when public and private policies are in accord.

Legal frameworks for public relations practitioners:

Tort of negligence: specifies professional duty of care to clients and general public
Tort of defamation: outlaws unjustified publications which may harm a persons reputation- defences are truth (must have admissible evidence); fair comment; and privilege (protection from liability e.g. parliament and when publishers have moral, social, or legal obligation to publish)
Contempt law- body of law protecting the administration of justice
Contract law
Statutory regulations regarding product liability, market controls, consumer protection (will affect many public relations decisions)
Section 52 Trade Practices Act- an objective test determines whether conduct is misleading or deceptive, likely to mislead or deceive
Sub-judice laws- restrict what can be published about matters pending (may prejudice the outcome)
Contempt of court- balance between the need for people to scrutinise the courts and the courts need to be free to judge matters before it
Intellectual property protection (see Johnstone & Zawawi, 2004, pp. 90-91, Table 4:1)
Personal (no comprehensive system)
Real property (land and things affixed to land)
Intellectual property (also protected by laws of trespass and nuisance)
Trademarks (Trademarks Act 1995)
Designs (how ideas are expressed, creative and inventive endeavours): Copyright Act 1968, Circuits Layout Act 1989, & Copyright Amendment Digital Agenda which means permission of the copyright owner is needed to put material online-press releases attract copyright as they are not an original expression of news (Electronic Transaction Act 1999- aims to ensure the law is the same for paper based and electronic commerce)
Patents (Patents Act 1990)
Law of Trade Secrets- both intellectual property and a strategy for protecting intellectual property (should be supported by confidentiality agreements with, for example, staff, contractors and clients)
Contract law: (pivotal to PR), defines the relationship between parties, essential ingredients being an offer; acceptance of the offer to the offerer; consideration (should start early and ensure completeness, clarity and measurability)
Public relations should not borrow ideas too broadly from their client’s competitors (tort of passing off- sections 52 & 53 TPA and trade marks act 1995)
Public relation’s professionals should vet all public statements, press releases, and promotional material for possible copyright infringement

Some laws are common law (judge made) and some are created by statute (parliamentary at either state, territory or federal level), which, while seeming disparate, are all connected by public relations. Additionally the differing jurisdictions within Australia and the laws of individual countries must be considered. Public relations practitioners therefore need to have a good relationship with legal advisors, and should also consider the “legal environment and the commercial and professional risks that may arise (Johnstone & Zawawi, 2004, p. 76
Johnstone & Zawawi (2004) cite the McDonalds Corporation vs. Greenpeace where McDonalds, despite winning, did not ‘win’ in regard to positive public relations meaning Johnstone & Zawawi (2004) warn, “good reputations and positive images” need to be factored into the cost of any legal actions. They also suggest that public relations practitioners ask themselves three questions:
What are my legal rights/responsibilities?
How do they translate into everyday work practices?
What will be the public relations implications of any dispute?

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that while the previous readings made me aware that the role of public relations practitioners are varied and therefore require a diverse range of skills, this had nonetheless inspired me. However the legal ‘minefield’ described by Johnstone & Zawawi (2004) I found to be quite daunting and made me reconsider whether this was the occupation for me. The growth of new technology has further complicated the legal ramifications for PR practitioners (for example the Gutnick case) in a global context and I can only foresee this becoming more complicated, especially as we seem to be becoming increasingly litigious as a society.
However Chapter 6 did make me more optimistic and hopeful because, as Johnstone & Zawawi (2004, chapter 5) suggest, “The role of public relations in today’s society is to build bridges and alliances with different publics to create a conducive environment in which businesses, government, voluntary agencies, hospitals and other institutions can operate”; achieved through effective relationships with different publics.
Accordingly the public relations role has ethical implications acting as counsellor (where, as the moral keeper of an organisations communications and actions, they perform a boundary-spanning role between corporate citizenship and social responsibility); advocate (publicly representing an individual, organisation or idea, the major objective being persuasiveness); corporate monitor and corporate conscience.

The ethical challenges for PR practitioners can occur between themselves and their peers or superiors in the workplace (Interpersonal); between the practitioner and the organisations internal policies and protocols (Organisational); and between an organisation and its publics (stakeholder). In Australia an ethical framework is provided by PRIA’s 15 point professional association code and the MEAA’s Australian Journalists Assoc. code of ethics (relevant to PR in their role as journalists). However membership of both of these organisations is voluntary meaning that the codes are only enforceable on members. Ethics are ultimately up to the individual, mainstream management and all decision makers. Public relations, when practices properly, becomes the leader rather than the follower in ethical practice.

Week 6 PR blog notes taken from Johnstone & Zawawi (chapters 4-5, 2004)