Components of Effective Public Relation Planning

Components of an Effective Public Planning

            The effectiveness of Public Relations is determined by the extent to which it can communicate understandable information to a large percentage of its target publics. Therefore, proper planning should be exercised to ensure that all the components are perfected for better performance of the Public Relations. These Components include;

1.      Media and Social Media Relations

The Public Relations should involve using of media news, contacting freelancers and also using social sites such as twitter and Facebook to create awareness about a certain matter to the target audiences. In order to ensure more impact to the publics the message provided in the media houses should be news-worthy. It should be well structured to communicate the correct message without arising contradicting perspectives.

2.      Management and Administration

It should define the objectives of the organization, establish goals to be achieved and provide the best strategies to be used depending on the type of the target audiences. It should consider passing simple information if the message is intended to be received by a large portion of the society where people have different levels of education. However, if the public relation aims its publics at professional levels, the message should be communicated in a formal method.

3.      Research

It should be considered in order to support the message with facts. This helps in convincing many people to follow the requirements of the Public Relation. Research helps the organization to know the best method which it can use to influence its target audience. For instance, if an organization aims at creating awareness to the local people of a certain area, it is necessary for it to conduct a research to establish whether the people can be communicated to effectively through a roadshow or through announcements using the media news.

4.      Writing and Editing

They are very important components of public relations which determine the persuasion of the people to understand the message being communicated. Therefore, there should be no unnecessary errors during writing of the message. A message containing many grammatical errors shows the carelessness of the managers in charge of public relation in the organization hence making it to be largely ignored. After writing, the person in charge should go through the message again to ensure that any mistakes involved are corrected. The sentences should be well structured and short in order to promote understanding of the message. 

5.      Training

This involves teaching the executives and preparing them to be ready to handle all matters concerning public relations. They should be prepared in terms of improving communication skills, investigating the needs of their publics and addressing matters in time.

Conclusion

The effectiveness of a public relation is determined by the performance in each of the stated areas. Failure in performance of a certain area leads to the impairment of success of the overall organization. This is because the publics will not be able to receive the intended information about it.

References

Argenti. (2009). Corporate Communication. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Charles. (1996). Reputation: Realizing Value from the Corporate Image. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Krone, P. a. (1987). Communication Theory and Organizational Communication: Multiple Perspectives. Newbury Park: Sage Publications.

Guidelines of Effective Public Relations

Question1: What is the Relevance of PR in an Organization?

1.      Public Relation is used by an organization to inform its publics its progress e.g. establishment of new branches.

2.      It is used to inform shareholders about any changes in the price of shares.

3.      It enables an organization to inform its publics about its financial status.

4.      It is used to inform partners and shareholders about the organization’s Annual General Meeting.

5.      It enables the assistant financial director to present an investment appraisal to the financial director.

6.      It can be used to inform the public about new employees within the organization.

7.      It can also be used to inform workers about relevant seminars for them to attend.

8.      It enables representatives of the organization in a business meeting to present a report of the proceedings to the shareholders.

9.      It enables the manager to communicate to the partners of the organization about new contracts signed.

10.  It is used to inform the public about workers who have been sacked.

Question2: Reasons to Justify the Use of PR in an Organization

1.      Without PR, it would be impossible for shareholders to know about the current price of shares. Therefore, PR is important to an organization.

2.      Absence of PR would make it impossible for shareholders to know about the AGM.

3.      Absence of PR would hinder success of the organization due to lack of communication.

4.      Lack of PR would impair the organization’s management in case new senior officers are employed since junior officers will be confused about where to take performance reports.

5.      PR helps managers to seek guidance from the other workers hence its absence would force them to make uninformed decisions.

Question3: Challenges likely to face internal PR overseer

1.      It is hard to choose an effective media to communicate to a large number of workers.

2.      It is challenging to win the trust of all internal publics to believe the information being communicated.

3.      It is impossible to measure the impact of the information communicated on the relevant publics.

4.      It is difficult to win the attention of the public due to completion from other departments such as the advertising and marketing departments.

5.      It is challenging to plan and maintain the brand identity hence any changes in the market needs would force the PR officer to develop proper brand identity in order to survive the competition.

Models of Public Relation

Introduction

            There are four models of public relations which were developed by James Grunig. These methods vary from one another in their mode of communication and the attention paid to different parties in the communication channel. They include;

1.      Press Agentry/Publicity

            This model is also called the PT. Barnum model. It follows only one way of communication whereby the flow of information is only from the sender to the receiver. There is no special attention given the feedback from the second party. It is by experts in public relations to enhance the image of the organization to its stakeholders, employees or partners.

            Organizations hire public relation experts to build a positive image to the target audiences through arguments and reasoning. They influence their potential customers through imposing ideas and creating a positive image of their products. The communication flows only from the public relation experts to the target audiences.

2.      Public Information Model

            It is concerned with enhancing the image of the organization through communicating relevant and meaningful information to its publics. The public relation experts rely on press release, video release, news release or any other recorded material which is often directed to the media to be passed to the publics.

            This model requires public relation experts to be good in putting thoughts into meaningful ideas and have a flair for writing. They can use newsletters, brochures, magazines and testimonials to pass information to the publics about the organization’s products brand and its subsidiaries. It involves a way communication whereby no special attention is given to the feedback from the target audiences.

3.      Two Way Asymmetrical Model

            This model involves a two way communication between the parties concerned. After the information is passed to the target audiences an attention is given to the feedback which is received. Through both parties participate in the communication process, this model is somewhat unbalanced.

            The public relation experts position the brand and organization in their minds as a whole in order to try to manipulate the publics to have favorable ideas and behave according to their expectations. However, the organization does not utilize much of its manpower and resources to find out the reactions of the stakeholders, partners or any other party among the target audience.

4.      Two Way Symmetrical Model

            It is an ideal model for enhancing the organization’s reputation among the target audience. The public relation experts depend on a two way communication to position their brand among the end users. The communication flows from both sides and any disagreements arising are solved through mutual discussions between the organization representatives and their target audiences. Decisions are arrived at after considering the feedback which is obtained from the target audiences which may include stakeholders, partners, employees, or investors.

Conclusion

            Public relations aims at ensuring an understanding between an organization and its publics hence the proper model of public relations should be chosen regarding the publics targeted. Improper communication would hinder the smooth running of the organization’s activities. This would result due to misunderstanding between the organization’s management team and its customers or other related parties.  

Work Cited

Hunt, J. G. (1984). Managing Public Relations. Orlando: FL. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Kramer, J. C. (2008). Basics of Public Relations Mangement. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Seitel, F. P. (2007). The Practice of Public Relations. New York: Seitel Publishers.

Effective Public Relation- Weight Training

Public Relation Plan about the Importance of Weight Training in Makueni County

Weight Training is a very important physical activity which ensures proper body composition hence eliminating lifestyle diseases. However, the people of Makueni County have been ignoring it since they have a perception that their daily activities can help in improving the body composition better than weight training can do. Therefore, the purpose of this Public Relation is to make them aware of the benefits of weight training and eliminating the myths about the physical activity which might be held by members of the society.

Objectives of the Public Relation

The main aim of the Public Relation is to show the difference in benefits between weight training and normal daily activities. This plan will educate the members of the public that weight training is very important and involves more benefits to the body than performing the normal daily activities. It is also aimed at changing the myth held by the females of Makueni County that weight training will make their bodies more muscular hence losing the feminine look.

Target Audience

This message will be mostly targeting the people between the age of 18 years and 35 years. However, there will also be advice to people above 35 years and also the children below the age of 18. The main target audience is identified because their bodies have developed and hence they have enough energy to start practicing weight training.

Appropriate Media to be used and Budget

This Public Relation will involve use of roadshow to communicate to the people. However, magazines which provide the guidelines of weight training will also be provided to the people. This campaign is approximated to cost Kshs. 300000 to cater for the all the expenses which will be incurred.

Tactics to be employed and Timetable of the Campaign

The first day of the roadshow we will encourage people to volunteer to be tested for their Body Mass Index. This will help in convincing the members of the county that being physically fit is not the same has having big body sizes. The people have shifted their attention from maintaining proper body composition to having big body sizes for prestige. This campaign will help in correcting that perception. The second day will involve showing the members how their bodies should be like. This will be arrived at through hiring people from fitness centers to accompany us in the second day of the roadshow. The third will be open to any member of the public to volunteer for competition whereby the winner up to the second runners-up will be awarded prices. The magazines will be distributed free of charge to the members of the county in order to ensure that the message reaches as many people as possible.

Importance of Weight Training

The campaign will educate people that weight training improves both the cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory systems hence eliminating lifestyle diseases such as heart attack, diabetes and cancer. It also ensures muscle toning which helps people to perform their daily activities with ease. Therefore, each person should train three days within a week in order to ensure better results. For the young and the aged, they can perform other activities such as jogging and swimming since their bones are weak and weight training may do more harm than good to them.

References

Ferguson. (1999). Communications Planning: An Integrated Approach. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Taylor, a. J. (2005). Space Race: An Inside View of the Future of Communications Planning. New York: Jonh Wiley & Sons.

Young, a. A. (2010). Brand Media Strategy: Integrated Communications Planning in the Digital Era. Palgrave: Macmillan Publishers.