Yankees utilize bottomless wallet once again… September 22, 2008
Posted by sgdavis6439 in PR Connections.Tags: Yankees
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While doing some blog surfing in the aftermath of what I think is a great American tragedy (the closing of Yankee Stadium) I came across this article. I thought it was an interesting way for the most hated team in sports to try and boost their image nationwide; what’s $1 million to an organization who spends nearly $200 million a year on its players’ salaries (and will not make the playoffs I might add)??? However, with sentiment surrounding the closing of baseball’s most famous landmark, it may have been a strategically-timed move on the part of the organization—-it should simultaneously provide assistance to a group in dire need, quiet baseball cynics as the season closes for a team with no excuse not to be a perenial playoff contender, and divert attention away from the decision to destroy a valuable piece of American history. Although as an Orioles fan I find it impossible to not despise the New York Yankees, it is nice to see the Steinbrenner’s throw some of that seemingly endless cash towards a good and worthy cause…
Chapter 9 – Communication: The Tactics of PR September 22, 2008
Posted by sgdavis6439 in Reading Notes.Tags: channels, common qualities, six main factors, tactics
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- Tactics are the actions that we devise and undertake to influence relationships with publics. Tactics allow for our true values and knowledge of a public’s values to be demonstrated, and make up the communication phase of the PR process.
- Tactics are sometimes more easily identified as channels. Three main varieties of channels, including both the traditional and nontraditional, exist: special events, controlled media, and uncontrolled media.
- Successful PR tactics have the following common qualities:
- Part of a written, approved PR plan that incorporates the value-based mission
- Target one public at a time
- Based on research about the intended public’s values, interests, and preferred communication channels
- Sends a clear message that targets a public’s values and interests while it strives to reach its objective
- Is specific
- Evaluated as they are performed and after they are executed
- Communication begins when the tactic is executed. Six main factors are incorporated into execution:
- Delegation
- Deadlines
- Quality Control
- Communication within the team
- Communication with clients and supervisors
- Constant evaluation
Chapter 8 – Planning: The Strategies of Public Relations September 17, 2008
Posted by sgdavis6439 in Reading Notes.Tags: planning process, PR plans, qualities, written plan
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- In order for effective public relations to occur, various plans are created and implemented. There exist three categories of PR plans: Ad Hoc plans, Standing plans, and Contingency plans.
- Plans are essential to good public relations for the following six reasons:
- Keep our actions in line with our organization’s values based mission
- Secure necessary resources
- Help control our destiny
- Help achieve consensus
- Allow effective management of resources
- Following the establishment of an organization’s business goals the several phases of the planning process begin; consensus building, brainstorming, and the written plan make up these phases. The written plan details the goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics to be used throughout the process.
- The following qualities are vital to a good plan.
- Supports a specific goal of your organization
- Stays goal oriented
- Is realistic
- Is flexible
- Is a win-win proposition
- Is values-driven
Chapter 7- Research and Evaluation September 16, 2008
Posted by sgdavis6439 in Reading Notes.Tags: five methods, research and evaluation, research strategy, survey research
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- Although research and evaluation are often overlooked in the process of effective public relations, they are arguably the most important. Failed execution of these two steps throughout the process negatively impacts planning and communication, ultimately causing ineffective relationships.
- Research strategy is based on two main questions: What do I want to know? How will I gather that information? There exists client, stakeholder, problem-opportunity, and evaluation research.
- When gathering the information to develop a research strategy, five methods exists: secondary/library research, feedback research, communication audits, focus groups, and survey research
- Even though survey research is generally draining on resources, it provides public relations professionals with significant and accurate information about a certain public. Surveys gauge a public’s opinions and feelings at a certain point in time and allow results to be measured accordingly during the evaluation stage, making it relatively easy to report results.
Chapter 4- The Publics in Public Relations September 10, 2008
Posted by sgdavis6439 in Reading Notes.Tags: categories of publics, co-orientation, seven questions, traditional publics
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- Publics are defined as any group whose members have a common interest or common values in a particular situation. There exist several different kinds or categories of publics: traditional, nontraditional, latent, aware, active, intervening, primary, secondary, internal, external, domestic, and international.
- Publics all differ greatly. In order to establish lasting relationships, an organization must gain key knowledge of each of its publics through a process of answering seven questions
- How much can the public influence our org’s ability to achieve its goals?
- What is the public’s stake in its relationship with our org?
- Who are the opinion leaders/decisions makers?
- What is the demographic profile of the public?
- What is the psychographic profile of the public?
- What is the public’s opinion of our organization?
- What is the public’s opinion of the issue in question?
- Co-orientation allows organizations and publics to evaluate where one another stands in terms of the issues, values, and needs each party shares in an effort to maintain effective relationships. It is based upon four questions:
- What is our organization’s view of this issue?
- What is the particular public’s view of this issue?
- What does our organization think the public’s view is?
- What does the particular public think our organizations view is
- While traditional publics generally include employees, media, gov’ts, investors, consumers, multicultural groups, constituents, and businesses, they change depending upon the organization. All of these groups change respectively as time goes on and organizations must use research strategies such as coorientation in order to maintain effective relationships
Clemson University Carpool/vanpool survey September 3, 2008
Posted by sgdavis6439 in PR Connections.1 comment so far
I received an e-mail as I am sure everyone else with any connection to Clemson did earlier this morning about transit/parking. The e-mail discussed the horrid parking situation for students, faculty, and staff who commute from off-campus each day, and provided a link to a survey. The link leads to an article detailing the rising cost of fuel, cost efficiency of carpooling, and ways to ease the tensions regarding parking around campus. Not only was it nice to see the University make an effort to gather the opinions of the people or “public” that is Clemson, but it is a great utilization of PR to find a solution that adequeately fits the needs of everyone involved. I thought this example of the two-way symmetrical model of public relations was both something that everyone could relate to and relevant to our class discussions. A link to the survey is provided below:
http://surveysys.cu.clemson.edu/data/pooling.htm
Necessary Skills for Jobs in PR September 3, 2008
Posted by sgdavis6439 in Assignments.add a comment
Between the readings in the textbook, the posts by John Bell on PR skills of the future, and the several PR job ads, I think it is safe to say I am a bit overwhelmed with the seemingly infinite number of abilities and skills I need to learn in order to be successful in the PR. All kidding aside, while there was a lot of information, these readings were extremely educational and helped me to gain a better understanding of what the profession entails, and what I need to do to make sure I can be successful should I chose to go that direction in the future. From what I gathered from all of these sources, the following are necessary for PR: strong oral/written communication skills, in-depth/efficient researching abilities, ability to maintain/establish relationships with a variety of people, interest in an ongoing education, ability to learn about and utilize new technology, empathetic/listening skills, creativity/imagination, and being open to new ideas.
Of these skills, I know I am a great speaker and writer, can successfully conduct extensive research, am great with any and all people, understand the needs of others, enjoy technology, enjoy learning, and am full of imagination. Based mainly on the posts by John Bell, I know I need to get better at integrating new technologies into practical situations, listening so that I can take information and use it to produce a successful solution, and be constantly open to, prepared for, and ready to adapt to change. This class has already taught me quite a bit about the changing landscape of PR, and how the evolution of technology is being used to revolutionize the profession. I know as this class progresses throughout the semester I will come to better understand new technologies, and be able to use them for my own benefit in the future. My listening skills are getting better as well, due mainly to necessity in the classroom and workplace. By making a conscious effort to listen to people in all areas of my life, I think my listening skills will improve and thus help me to enrich existing relationships and establish new ones, a skill I believe is of the utmost importance in PR. Lastly, I have a habit of getting annoyed when things change, but it is apparent that in a field like PR change is both necessary and inevitable. While I do not always like change, I am fairly flexible and adapt well in most circumstances, but there exists room for improvement. To improve all these skills I think it is necessary to become attuned to what is going on within the profession of PR, something I have not done up until joining this class. By starting now to gain a better understanding of the profession as a whole, the changes and improvements being made within, and who the leading figures are I can develop myself and improve my chances of being successful after graduation.
Here are a few of the job ads I found via the PRSA website:
ProBuild Holdings- Director of Public Relations
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide- Account Director
CNA – VP Communications & Public Affairs
Chapter 13- Public Relations and Marketing September 2, 2008
Posted by sgdavis6439 in Reading Notes.Tags: consumer-focused marketing, IMC, Integrated Marketing Communications, marketing public relations
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- Unlike marketing approaches of the past which focused solely on the use of mass media, new strategies look to establish relationships between a company and its consumers. Organizations are utilizing what is being called consumer-focused marketing, or a method that employs various media outlets to build relationships with individual consumers.
- IMC is one of the most popular forms of consumer-focused marketing, and differs from mass marketing in five ways:
- Focuses on individual consumers
- Uses databases to target individual consumers rather than mass audiences
- Sends a well-focused message to each consumer through a variety of approaches
- Uses consumer-preferred media to send their marketing messages
- Favors interactive media that constantly gather new information
- While marketing, advertising, and public relations have their similarities, they differ in several ways. Where marketing focuses on a single public, and advertising purchases specific venues to promote, public relations handles several different publics and does not have to purchase anything for the purposes of promoting a product.
- Marketing public relations exists to promote the products of an organization. It uses a combination of the principles of public relations and marketing to promote a particular product to a consumer public. It focuses on building relationships with consumers, with the intention of persuading them to ultimately purchase the product.
- Integrated Marketing Communications Summarized
- IMC is successful because it focuses on individual consumers in a variety of ways, and maintains one clear message for consumers throughout the process.
- IMC campaigns usually begin with an audit that determines where an organization stands and make future recommendations. (List on p.420)
- Following the audit, a number of strategies exist which organizations utilize in order to create the most effective campaign possible for their intended purposes. (List on p.422)
