PR principles - Bailey\'s class PDF

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What is Public Relations? There is no consensus on a “textbook” definition. Emphasis on building mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and publics. There are 6 key words. So, what is PR? 1. Deliberate: intentional 2. Planned: organized (think research) 3.Performance: policy-based 4.Public Interest: mutually beneficial 5.Two-way communication: not an infomercial! (creating a conversation) 6.Management function: management needs to hop on board! What are some stereotypes about people who work in PR that you’ve heard? How does that make you feel? What PR isn’t: PR Stereotypes Glamourous non-stop party Always on that VIP guest list Liars Women in PR* What’s the first step in the PR process? 1. Research 2. Action 3. Communication 4. Evaluation

Diversity of PR Work Counseling Research Media relations Publicity Employee/member relations Public affairs Government affairs Marketing communications

Issue management Financial relations Industry relations Development/fundraising Multicultural relations/workplace diversity Special events

Skills of a Successful PR Practitioner      

Writing Skills Research Ability Planning Expertise Problem-solving Ability Business/economic Competence Expertise in Social Media

Chapter 2: The Evolution of Public Relations

Early Beginnings   

Ancient Olympic Games- promoted to enhance aura of athletes Roman Catholic Church- in the Middle Ages used PR (but mainly propaganda) to persuade followers to join the Crusades Virginia Company- creating flyers promoting 50 acres of free land to those who would migrate to Colonial America

1800’s: Golden Age of Press Agentry    

P.T. Barnum: the great American showman! Age of hype Lies Promotion

Politics and Social Movements Take the Stage     

Early 1800’s saw development of PR tactics on the political and activist front Ex: The Women’s Christian Temperance Union (1870’s) Used PR strategies to ban alcohol and promote suffrage movement. Missed this Missed this

Major Historical PR Themes over the Centuries     

Profit Recruitment Legitimacy Agitation Advocacy

1900’s to 1950: The Age of Pioneers   

Shift to journalistic Hype & press Agentry to facts & information Why? Press Agentry didn’t work for big corps New PR world attracted journalists who wanted objectivity and dissemination of information.

2 Big Names: Ivy Lee & Edward L. Bernays Ivy Lee  cerca 1905  Pioneer of new journalistic approach (was a journalist)  Emphasis on public information model  Dissemination of truthful, accurate information rather than distortions, hype, and exaggeration  Big client: Pennsylvania Railroad- had been hiding info and staying away from press Edward L. Bernays  1920’s  Shift from public information model to scientific persuasion  Should emphasize social science research and behavioral psych to formulate campaigns that change people’s perceptions and behaviors  Big campaign: Torches of Liberty  Break social stigma that women shouldn’t smoke  Used attractive runway models

1950 to 2000: Public Relations Comes of Age         

PR now firmly established as necessary TV emerged in 1950’s- new challenge for PR practitioners Why I PR grow during this time? Economic growth of time Increase in urban and suburban populations Growth of more impersonalized society (big business) Science and technology advances Communication revolution of mass media Bottom-line financial considerations

Recap: 4 Classic Models of Public Relations 

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Press Agentry/Publicity o One-way communication via mass media to distribute info that may be exaggerated, distorted to cause “hype” Public Information o One way distribution of info, not necessarily with persuasive intent (think journalistic ideals) Two-Way Asymmetric o Scientific persuasion is the purpose, and communication is two way (imbalanced) Two-Way Symmetric o Gaining mutual understanding is the purpose; two-way communication (balanced)

80’s & 90’s & Influx of Women into Field   

80’s buzzword: strategic 90’s buzzword: reputation management PR from male to female-dominated field (over 70%)

Classic Campaigns You Should Know! 

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Civil Rights Campaign o Used techniques such as well-written, well-delivered speeches, letter writing, lobbying, and staged (nonviolent protest) events to turn a powerful idea into a reality NASA o Cameras had unprecedented access to Johnson Space Center o Made up for several disasters that could have made us lose faith in program (and stop justifying huge taxpayer expense) Cabbage Patch Kids o Created a must have toy! o Set standard for the introduction of a new toy Seatbelt Campaign o 1980’s “buckle up!” o 12% to 50% wearing seatbelts

Hands Across America o o o

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Tylenol Crisis o

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1986 Saw 7 million people across 16 states Join hands to form human chain to raise money for hungry a homeless Product tampering

Windows 95 Launch

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Unprecedented 99% awareness level before product hit the shelves

Understanding AIDS o

Changing perception of AIDS across America

2000 to Present: PR Enters Digital Age    

Expansion of internet and social media changed the game Democratization of information: anyone can be a publisher now, bypass mass media gatekeepers Relationship management theory: building and fostering relationships with an organization’s various publics Dialog model of PR: emphasis on communication as toll of negotiating relationships (less emphasis on mass media, more on interpersonal channels)

PR in the next 5 years         

A multicultural world & Diversity in the Field Public demand for transparency Expanded role for PR Practitioners Corporate Social Responsibility Emphasis on measurement Managing 24/7 News Cycle Continued Growth of Digital Media Outsourcing PR firms Need for Lifelong Professional Development

Chapter 4 Corporate Structure Shapes the Public Relations Role    

The role of public relations in an organization often depends on The type of organization The perceptions of top management The capabilities of the public relations executive

Having Influence is Based on Four Factors    

Perception of value by top management Practitioners taking on the managerial role Reporting to the CEO Years of professional experience

Organization of Departments  

Majority of companies are smaller and employ fewer staff in public relations area PRSA and Bacon’s Information, Inc. study of the number of individuals employed in public relations departments found o 13% had departments with 10 employees o 45% had departments with 2-5 employees

Public Relations as Staff Functions  

Traditional management theory divides an organization into line and staff functions Line managers o Can delegate authority o Set production goals o Hire employees

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o Directly influence the work of others Staff o Have little or no direct authority o Indirectly influence the work through suggestions, recommendations, and advice Although public relations departments can function only with the approval of top management, there are varying levels of influence that departments may exert.

Levels of Influence 

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Advisory o Lowest level of influence o Management has no obligation to take recommendations or even request them o Often ineffective Compulsory-Advisory o Requires management to at least listen to the appropriate staff experts before deciding on a strategy Concurring Authority o PR in position of reviewing and approving all materials/communication with external audience o Used to prevent other departments from disseminating info that doesn’t align

Cooperation with Other Staff Functions  

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Legal o Concerned about possible effects of public statements on current or potential litigation HR o Confusion over who is responsible for employee communications (HR wants to control flow of info) Advertising o Compete for fun to communicate with external audiences Marketing o Narrow vs broad publics

The Trend Toward Outsourcing    

Fortune 500 companies now spend 25% of public relations budgets on outside firms Companies of all sizes spend more than 40% of their public relations budget on services from outside firms Brings expertise and resources that cannot be found internally The most frequently outsourced activities are o Writing and communications o Media relations o Publicity o Strategy and planning o Event planning

Public Relations Firms  

Predicted to grow as more countries adopt free-market economics and Internet applications continue to expand Services provided by firms o Marketing Communications o Executive speech training

o o o o o o o o

Research and evaluation Crisis communication Media analysis Community relations Evets management Public affairs Branding and corporate reputation Financial relations

How Public Relations Firms Get Business 

RFP (Request for Proposal) o Firms invited to make presentation (pitch) regarding their capabilities and express ideas about what program they would create to address the potential client’s specific needs.

Pros and Cons of Using a Public Relations Firm 

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Pros: o Objectivity o Variety of skills/expertise o Extensive resources o Offices throughout the country o Special problem-solving skills o Credibility Cons: o Superficial grasp of a client’s unique problems o Lack of full-time commitment o Need for prolonged briefing period o Resentment by internal staff o Need for strong direction by top management o Need for full information and confidence o Costs

Fees and Charges 

A public relations firm charges for its services in several ways o Basic hourly fee, plus out-of-pocket expenses  Most common & most preferred by PR firms  Why? o Retainer fee o Fixed project fee

Purpose of Evaluation   

4th step in the PR process Evaluation- measurement of results again established objectives set during the planning process Major purpose: to do a better job planning future programs

Objectives: A prerequisite for Evaluation   

Can’t evaluate if you don’t have good, measurable objectives But wait, what’s an objective again?!?!?!? How you plan on measuring your goal

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If your goal is to increase awareness of a product on social media, your objective would explain how you plan to measure this increased awareness.

Current Status of measurement and evaluation   

Only about 5 % of budget is allocated to evaluations and measurement Some believe PR is more art than science Lindenmann suggests we use a mix of evaluation techniques, many adapted from advertising and marketing, to provide more complete evaluation. 3 levels of measurement and evaluation 1: message distribution and media placements 2: audience awareness, comprehension, and retention 3: changes in attitudes, opinions, and behaviors

5 major methods for evaluating 1. Measurement of Production 2. Measurement of Message exposure 3. Measurement of audience awareness 4. Measurement of audience attitudes 5. Measurement of audience action

#1: Measurement of Production   

Elementary form of evaluation Counts the number of news releases, feature stories, photos, guest editorial, blog postings, etc. created, published, or produced This type of evaluation is skewed because it measures quantity not quality

#2: Measurement of Message Exposure Several criteria can be used to measure message, exposure, including:  Compilation of media placements or “clips” in print, broadcast, Internet  Media impressions (how many people may have been exposed to the message)  Basic web analytics (# of visitors to a website- called hit or visit)  Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE)- value of news story or broadcast mention  Systematic Tracking- tracking media placements more systematically  Requests & 800 numbers- # if requests for more information/material  Return on Investment (ROI)- how much it costs to reach each member of audience- financially worth it?

#3: Measurement of audience awareness  

2nd level of evaluation Measured through: Survey research- unaided recall- did they understand/remember message?

#4: Measurement of audience attitudes 

Can be measured through baseline/benchmark survey- measure awareness before, during, after PR campaign.

#5: Measurement of audience action 

The ultimate evaluation! Can you change audience behavior? (hard thing to do!)

Chapter 9: Public Opinion & Persuasion Public opinion- A collection of views held by persons interested in the subject.

3 elements:  Conformity: o passive public o issue engages some but not all  Self-Interest: o Interest comes from can I be impacted? o Does this apply to me?  Events: o Public doesn’t anticipate events- events trigger formation of PO o Evets of unusual magnitude can sway PO, o Ex. Las Vegas shooting.

Opinion Leaders as Catalysts Opinion leaders: people who are knowledgeable and articulate about specific issues  Characteristics of opinion leaders: o Highly interested in issue o Better informed o Avid consumers of mass media o Early adapters o Good organizers-get others to act  2 types of opinion leaders o Formal opinion leaders: election officials, heads of groups, etc. o Informal opinion leaders: have clout with peers

Why do we care about opinion leaders?     

People rarely make choices on their own. Influenced by different people (friends, family, etc.) PR professionals want to influence leaders (“influentials”) so they can influence public at large “Influentials” 10-12% of general public are opinion leaders Characteristics: o Active in community o College degree o Relatively high income o Regularly read news o Participate in recreational activities

Role of mass media 

Several theories help explain how PR people inform the public and shape public opinion via the mass media. o Agenda Setting o Media Dependency Theory o Framing Theory o Conflict Theory

Agenda Setting   

Definition: Media content sets the agenda for public discussion Explanation: media, through the selection of stories and headlines, tell the public what to think about, but not necessarily what to think. Example: Apple iPad sale rose as media reported its success as hot item.

Media Dependency Theory  

Definition: When people have no prior information on a subject, the mass media will play a role in telling people what to think. Media dependency occurs when the media are quite dependent on PR sources.

Framing Theory Definition: Related to journalists and the information they select and how they give it.  Two types: media framing and audience framing o Framing is continuous process and behavioral, attitudinal, cognitive, and affective states of individual are involved in how they interpret issues. o Also- media’s power to prime people (persuasive effect)  Example: PR professionals working for political campaigns want to emphasize things that will help voters decide in their favor.

Conflict Theory     

Conflict: a situation in which two or more people/groups perceive a divergence of interests. Conflict theory: Concerned with gaining insight into differences among individuals/groups and explaining these conflicting interests. Public opinion reflects these conflicting views. Media may play role in unfolding a conflict and promote public debate via escalation. PR people should try to transform conflicts in constructive ways.

The Dominant View of Public Relations 

Dominant view of PR: persuasive communication actions performed on behalf of clients o To do this- PR professionals use variety of techniques to reach/influence audience o It’s important for PR professionals to understand persuasion

The Dominant View of Public Relations 

3 uses of persuasion o Change or neutralize hostile opinions (hardest to do) o Crystallize latent opinions and positive attitudes o Conserve favorable opinions (easiest to do)

Factors in Persuasive Communication 

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8 factors involved in persuasive communication: o Audience analysis o Source credibility o Appeals to self interest o Clarity of messages o Timing and context o Audience participation o Suggestions for action o Content and structure of messages Audience Analysis o Important to know audience characteristics to persuade them o Helps communicator tailor messages that are salient, answer a need, and provide a course of action. o 2 types of audience analysis: demographics, psychographics o audience analysis + tailored messages = channeling

Persuasive messages are more effective when they take into account the audience’s lifestyles, beliefs, and concerns. Source Credibility o Message more believable if source has credibility o Source credibility based on 3 factors: o Expertise o Sincerity o Charisma Appeals to Self Interest o Example: charities o They don’t sell products, but the need volunteers/donations. They do this through structuring messages that appeal to self-interest. o People will give, but unless they get something in return- they’ll stop. That something could be: o Self-esteem, contributions to society, recognition, sense of belonging, ego gratification, tax deduction o PR people understand this- that’s why we are constantly recognizing volunteers o People motivated by 8 basic appeals o Power, respect, well-being, affection, wealth, skill, enlightenment, physical/mental vitality o PR people need to tailor messages to address these appeals Clarity of Message o Many messages fail because audience doesn’t understand them o Most persuasive messages are direct, simply expressed, and contain one primary idea o Need an explicit request for action if you want audience to know what’s expected of them Timing and Context o Message more persuasive if environmental factors support message (timing) or if message is received within context of other messages and situations with which the individual is familiar (context) o Play important role in achieving publicity in mass media o Value of info and its newsworthiness based on timing and context- PR professionals must know news and public affairs to disseminate info at just the right time. Audience Participation o Change in attitude or reinforcement of behavior enhanced by audience involvement/participation o Thanks to social media/web- user-generated content can be beneficial for creator (and audience) o Ex: health campaigns for teenagers encourage UGC by teens about health issues and their solutions can strengthen/reinforce positive attitudes towards healthy lifestyles. (Define Your Line). Suggestions for Action o People endorse ideas only if sponsor proposes action o Ex: PR actioners not only ask people to conserve energy, but also must tell them why and how they should do so. o

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Content and Structure of Messages o 7 techniques to make messages more persuasive:  drama  statistics  surveys/polls  examples  testimonials  endorsements  emotional appeals

Limits of Persuasion 

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4 limitations on effective persuasive messages o Lack of message penetration  People just did...