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