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CHAPTER 6: PROGRAM PLANNING
OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter students should be able to:
1. Understand the value of the planning process.
3. Describe two approaches to planning.
5. Describe the essentials of each element of a plan.
SUGGESTED PROJECTS AND DISCUSSION
This planning chapter will acquaint students with the need for defining a problem and
setting realistic objectives, and the logistical steps necessary to implement a plan of action.
It is important that students see public relations activities as part of an overall plan, and that
communications tactics (news releases, brochures, etc.) are produced and distributed only
after objectives, strategies, and audiences are well defined.
1. Invite a public relations manager to discuss a public relations campaign and how
it was planned, executed, and evaluated. This talk should give students a
realistic example of planning and logistics. Showing online “results” and/or
showing off a final client plan can add insight. PowerPoint slides of the
pitch/presentation could also add context.
2. Summaries of successful public relations campaigns that show how they were
conceived, planned, implemented, and evaluated are available from the Public
Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the International Association of
Business Communicators (IABC). Every year, PRSA prepares a packet of
public relations programs that received Silver Anvil Awards. IABC has a
booklet, titled No Secrets that recaps its national Gold Quill Awards. These
materials can be ordered from the following addresses:
Public Relations Society of America
33 Irving Place
New York, NY 10003-2376 (212) 995-2230
IABC
One Hallidie Plaza, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 433-3400 http://www.iabc.com/awards/gq/
In addition, O’Dwyer’s Public Relations Services Report usually summarizes the list of
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PRSA and IABC awards in its May or June issue.
3. The text discusses the setting of objectives on pages 158-159. Have students
write objectives for the following goals:
• increase effective communication with employees
• increase sales and market share for a product
• make the public aware of a new product
• Position an art museum as a major community asset
• Position a winery as a producer of premium wines
Remember that objectives give substance to broader goals and should be
measurable. For example, some realistic objectives for increasing
communication with employees might be: (1) to produce a monthly employee
magazine; (2) to obtain10 employee responses to calls for suggestions in the
magazine; and/or (3) to achieve a 10 percent increase in employee knowledge
about company health benefits covered in a monthly magazine column based on
pre- and post-test surveys.
4. One of the sections of a program plan is a description of the audience. In teams
of two, have students develop an audience profile for the student body of your
institution. Make sure they include relevant demographics and psychographics
to best define the student body.
5. Students often struggle with differentiating strategy from tactics. To facilitate an
understanding of the difference, discuss the difference between strategy and
tactics. Use several examples to demonstrate the difference and then have
students develop strategy and tactics for the following scenario.
The local Boys and Girls Club would like to increase the number of volunteers
that come from the local colleges. They accept volunteers of any ages but believe
that college students are most successful in developing lasting relationships with
the Boys and Girls Club kids.
6. Timetables are discussed on pages 163-166. An assignment or discussion could
revolve around analyzing a specific client or issue, and finding key dates and/or
events (local and national/international) in the upcoming calendar year that
could increase the potential for publicity, especially with key media. Discuss
your findings.
7. Have students develop a campaign plan by outlining the eight elements of a
public relations plan for the following scenario.
A new upscale, Italian restaurant has opened in your town and is experiencing
tough times; business is slow and the owner believes that most people do not
know about the restaurant because it is located in a residential area of town
that does not have a lot of traffic. The owner of the restaurant has contacted
you and asked you to develop a public relations plan to 1) create awareness of
the new restaurant, and 2) increase weekend reservations by 25% over the next
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three months. Using the eight-point plan and a modest budget, develop a PR
plan that will help the restaurant meet their objectives.
CASE ACTIVITY: A PLAN FOR SUNSHINE CAFÉ
Sunshine Café has provided you with some market research and two main goals for your
public relations program. However, you will need to conduct some background research on
the business, the student body at your university, and on the community in general. This
should provide you with a strong foundation for writing a brief situation analysis. After
providing insight into the issue through formative research, establishing measurable
objectives for the campaign is the next step. Objectives need to be informational
(awareness) or motivational (participation/action). Next, description of the audience should
include demographic as well as psychographic information on your target audience.
Strategy must describe how the objectives are to be achieved; it is the broad idea and/or key
message themes that will guide the campaign tactics.
Strategy should fit the target audience; therefore, informing students about Sunshine Café
must include elements that will resonate with students. Tactics are the activities that will
put strategy into operation. The implementation of tactics should focus on student- centered
values and activities such as good food and coffee, social networks, classes, music, school
organizations, and free events. Each strategy should have at least one tactic to accomplish
to implement the strategy. A timetable should be set, scheduling tactics throughout the
academic year. Finally, a budget should be developed that stays in line with the dollars
initially allocated to the program. Most budgets include both staff time and out-of-pocket
expenses in order to itemize the costs associated with a program plan. However, students
must remember that no money has been allocated for advertising.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION
1. Why is planning so important in the public relations process?
2. What is MBO, and how can it be applied to public relations planning?
3. Explain the difference between an informational objective and a motivational
objective.
4. Should a practitioner define an audience as the “general public”? Why or why
not?
5. What is the difference between a strategy and a tactic?
6. Why are timing and scheduling so important in a public relations campaign?
7. Why is evaluation of a campaign linked to the program’s objectives?
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CHAPTER 7: COMMUNICATION
OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter students should be able to:
1. Recognize the components of how audiences receive messages and process them.
3. Understand the role of effective communication in the public relations process.
5. Be familiar with the communication objectives of a campaign.
SUGGESTED PROJECTS AND DISCUSSION
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce basic concepts of effective communication, and
how they are applied to public relations. Particular emphasis is given to the timing, context,
and sources of messages—as well as analysis of passive and information-seeking
audiences. Students will learn to realistically assess the impact of communication, but will
also be told what barriers constantly reduce the effectiveness of communication.
1. The importance of feedback and two-way communication is mentioned on pages
175-176 in the text. Ask students for examples of two-way communication that they
have experienced recently (ways in which companies have tried to establish a
dialogue with them). For example, many retail companies are providing coupon
incentives for consumers to visit their website and complete a short customer
service satisfaction survey. Discuss the effectiveness of the two-way
communication efforts mentioned by the students.
2. Source credibility is mentioned on page 186 of the text. Conduct a class discussion
on what or who would be the most credible spokesperson for the following products
or causes:
1. AIDS information campaign for a college campus
2. The nutritional value of yogurt
3. Chicken as a healthy source of protein
4. An expensive perfume
5. An outdoor propane gas grill
6. A worldwide effort to save the African elephant
7. A fund-raising campaign to take care of the homeless in America
3. In the discussion, students should state the reasons they think a particular person or
even a cartoon character would be a good spokesperson. They may even suggest
different spokespersons for different kinds of audiences. Chapter 9 on public
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opinion and persuasion also is a good source for this kind of discussion.
4. Media uses and gratification suggests that an active audience seeks specific media
and messages that suit their needs. Discuss specific examples of media (for
newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and web) that particularly address a target
audience that would be engrossed in content from that media outlet.
5. Analyze a few news releases based on readability formulas, like the Flesch formula
and the Barr, Jenkins and Peterson formula (page 183). Calculate sentence length,
one-syllable words, etc. Contrast that with newspaper articles from a local daily
newspaper. Note significant similarities or differences.
6. Show students several well-known symbols (Nike, Smokey the Bear, AIDS ribbon,
Apple, etc.) and ask the class to analyze the symbols using the criteria listed for a
good symbol (unique, memorable, widely recognized, and appropriate). Ask for
their conclusions about the effectiveness of each symbol?
7. The choice of words and euphemisms are discussed. The point is made that
positive connotations color how messages are received. For example, lie-detector
tests for employees are now called “honesty-testing devices,” and “routine” drug
testing doesn’t stiffen resistance like “mandatory” drug testing does. Similarly,
“alcohol misuse” sounds better than “alcohol abuse.” Of course, airlines have “fare
modifications” instead of fare increases, and the military says guided nuclear
missiles are “peace keepers.” Lead a class discussion on whether the examples
given above are legitimate, or raise some ethical problems with the students.
Does use of such words tend to lower the credibility of public relations people?
8. Jargon is discussed in the text. As a class exercise, ask students to translate the
following message from a supervisor to an employee:
“Because of the fluctuation predisposition of your position’s productive capacity as
juxtaposed to government standards, it would be monetarily injudicious to advocate
an increment.” In other words, the employee is denied a pay raise. Try to find an
example of jargon in a news release, such as from a hospital or engineering
company, where complicated material may need to be communicated in “laymen’s
terms.”
CASE ACTIVITY: COMBATING AIDS IN AFRICA
Theories in this chapter address issues in media (uses and gratification, framing),
interpersonal conversations (Schramm’s model) and other common communication forms.
Understanding of AIDS, at least in this country, is not the issue it was 10 or more years
ago. Different audiences respond to different messages. Abstinence versus safe sex
(handing out condoms), and drug/substance abuse programs that range from rehab to
handing out clean needles, have been well publicized tactics. What America and other
countries are trying to do is educate less fortunate or cognizant regions (Africa) where
AIDS is still out of control. This is a daunting task, and many believe it is more important
to continue the fight in the home country. One key in communication is to be forthright and
simple. Avoid jargon or “leading” statistics that cloud the message. How are publics
influenced, and/or adopt ideas as their own? The concept of choices is key in
communication, and many believe that good communication helps people make educated
choices that can help eliminate the spread of preventable diseases such as AIDS. This
disease still has a significant social stigma, with issues in class, sexual preference, and
religion to name a few.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION
1. What are the five basic elements of a communications model?
2. Why is two-way communication (feedback) an important aspect of effective
communication?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages, from a communication standpoint, of
reaching the audience through mass media channels?
4. What kinds of messages and communications channels would you use for a
passive audience? For an active information-seeking audience?
5. Why is it necessary to use a variety of messages and communication channels in a
public relations program?
6. Why is it important to write with clarity and simplicity? How can symbols,
acronyms, and slogans help?
7. Why is it important to build repetition into a message?
8. Explain the five steps of the adoption process. What are some of the factors that
affect the adoption of an idea or product?
9. What is e-WOM and why are many organizations now using it as a major strategy
for marketing and public relations campaigns?