Media relations and PR planning
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Transcript of Media relations and PR planning
Media Relations and PR Planning
Bolaji Okusaga
Part 1: Media Relations
Introduction• Media Relations involves the strategic
deployment of the media in telling the organizational story.
• It seeks the dissemination of the organization’s objective to an audience outside the organization's immediate reach.
• And involve the transmitting of messages via the mass media.
• Media relation therefore stands on a tripod: the Organization (Sender), the Media (Transmitter) and the Target Audience (Receiver).
Media Relations: An Art or a Science?• There is little doubt that the media is an all-
pervasive and key part of modern society and communications. • However, is media relations an art or
science? And if it is both, as most practitioners believe, how can we achieve desirable results? • Developing and integrating media relations
strategies into overall communications plans are important skills for all communicators. • Also challenging is the process of actually
translating media strategies into reality, of building professional relationships with members of the media and, perhaps most important, achieving a recognition of the organization and its media relations officers as credible sources of information.
Is it an Art?• Media Relation can be said to be an art
because it engages the creativity of the PR practitioner in the work process.
• Creative Media relations, considers the following: - What groups of stakeholders do we want to appeal
to and how? - What impressions do you want each of
the stakeholder to have? - What media is most practical to use in
terms of access and affordability? - What messages are most appealing to
each stakeholder group?
The Art of Media Relations
• Media relations is essentially the art of engagement.• Engagement here operates at two levels:
- Media Operators Engagement This involves relating with Media Operators
via Press Releases, Media Tours and Press
Conferences- End-user or Audience Engagement This involves answering questions raised
on publications about your organization in the media
and gauging their reaction against the your objective
Is it a Science?
• Media Relations is a science because it involves systemic planning and measurement.• Effective Media Relations often depends
on designing and implementing a well-thought-out plan.• It involves Audience targeting, media
segmentation and media measurement in the attainment of its goals• The plan often includes description of
what you want to convey to whom and how you plan to convey it.• A media plan for instance specifies what
media methods can be used and when.
Managing the Media
CommitmentAbility to keep the issue in focus
CompassionAbility to listen to others
ClarityAbility to keep it simple
CandorAbility to acknowledge errors
CredibilityAbility to deal honestly
Choosing a Media team
- Who is the Chief Spokesperson? - Who makes the Press Calls? - Who sends the releases?
The Ideal Media Team
A COORDINATO
R
A WRITER
A SPOKESPERS
ON
The Media Coordinator
• The media coordinator must be someone who is personable, can succinctly articulate the issues, and is willing to spend a great deal of time on the telephone. • This person makes sure press releases go
out on time, keeps media lists updated, makes press calls, and works actively behind the scenes during events.• The media coordinator should be well-
known behind the camera as the organization's spokesperson is in front of it. One person handling press calls can cultivate important relationships with assignment desk personnel, news producers, and camera people.
The Spokesperson
• The spokesperson must be articulate, a good listener, have camera presence, be well-informed about issues, be able to think quickly on his/her feet, have credibility, be able to develop a good rapport with a reporter, and be intuitive enough to know when a reporter is not friendly.• He / She must be able to think through each
question that are likely to be asked, and consider carefully the possible responses. • He / She must always be ready to revise and
refine the organization’s position as defined by the media environment
The Writer
• The writer creates the substance for all your press events. • He / She must have a clear, concise, effective
writing skill. Because someone is articulate does not mean he/she can write. • Must be a good editor and always ensure
that he/she "tighten up" news material. • He/ She must have a good understanding of
the organization because everything that is written and released must reflect accurately the position of the organization.
Agenda Setting
• Agenda-setting refers to the power of the media in defining the focus of its target as to what is important in the public domain• Agenda-setting is the creation of public
awareness and concern of salient issues by the news media. • The theory of agenda-setting is based on two
assumptions:(1) the press and the media do not reflect reality; they
filter and shape it; 2) media concentration on a few issues and subjects
leads the public to perceive those issues as more important than other issues.
The Conceptual Model for Agenda Setting
Personal Experience and Interpersonal Communication
Media Agenda Public Agenda Policy Agenda
Real World Indicators of the Importance of an Agenda, Issue or Event
Why Set an Agenda?To
influence a
thought process
To shape
opinion
To gain empath
y
To compel action
Segmenting the Media
• The media operates at varying levels of interests as there are various kinds of individuals, belonging to different professions, sharing different social or religious views and opinions and engaging in different kinds of past times.• The strategy starts with an
understanding of your organization's position in all of the disparate interests that are available within your industry and social setting.
The How of Segmentation• Segmentation involves a demographic,
professional, ethical and psychographic parameter:
- The Conservative Media Conservative Political and Economic Inclination, as seen from
its editorial stance
- The Liberal Media Liberal Political and Economic Inclination, as seen from its editorial stance
- The Specialist Media This targets specific Industries and Professions
- The Lifestyle Media This engages in lifestyle and popular culture reporting
and are usually referred to as tabloids. Traditionally, tabloids are distinguished by sensationalism of approach and content rather than by straightforward reportage of newsworthy events.
Tools and Tricks
• The Press Kit• The Media Contact List• The Press Release• Media Calls and Tours• The Press Conference• Media Monitoring• The Tear-sheet• Audience Response Research
Part 2: PR Planning
What is PR??• PR is the management of perception/reputation
for an organisation or personality among its publics.
• The PR process is:
• Please note – it is not haphazard or a fire brigade approach
Deliberate Planned
Sustained
What is a PR Program??• It involves analyzing problems and
opportunities
• Defining goals and the publics (people whose support & understanding is needed)
• Recommending and planning activities
• It includes budgeting and assignment of responsibility to appropriate people
• We must be able to evaluate it
Where do we start??
The Brief
• A summary of the facts, instructions and information relating to a particular situation, job or task
• To develop a good PR programme the brief must be correctly interpreted or deciphered
Understanding a Brief- The Edge
• It helps focuses effort – the unnecessary is excluded
• Improves effectiveness – working on the right things
• Encourages long-term views – planning to look ahead
Next!!
Brainstorming/ Plans Board
• Session(s) where all ideas for PR activities are generated
• The sessions are stimulating
• All kinds of exciting and wacky ideas can emerge
REMEMBER• No idea is stupid – think it up! say it out!
Brainstorming/ Plans Board
• In all of these strategy must guide our sessions when developing program
• The power of creativity must come to play
WHAT IS CREATIVITY?• Developing or bringing out a new idea from
an old subject
What’s Next??
Packaging Proposals & Presentation
• Professionalism must be involved when packaging a proposal
• It must be packaged to create excitement and eliminate boredom
• Presentation must be well proofread for mistakes e.g. typos
• The team making presentation must be well acquainted about the client and the industry it operates
Packaging Proposals & Presentation
• A good proposal must include- the target- the objective- competition- activity- the strategy- medium of communication
Budgeting• It is essential to any plan
• It must be designed to project cost throughout the duration of the campaign
• These are components of plans to accomplish specific PR activity
PLEASE NOTE• In all of these budget must be competitive, defendable and
realistic
• Budget is better presented in excel sheet
Hurray!!
…Budget Approved.
Timeline/Work plan/Critical Path Analysis
• This is the schedule of all activities for a PR campaign
• A process of backtiming is determining what you want as a finished product
• How much time each step the process will take
Project Team
• A project team must be put together
• In assigning personnel - the programme must detail the human resources needed to accomplish objectives - it must also address personnel to be used for what activity
• An ideal project team must include; a good writer, client service person, an event person and out source staff (i.e. photographer, freelance writer, decorator etc.
Evaluation
• Evaluation permits PR practitioner & the client to assess the effectiveness of the efforts
• It gives an opportunity to adjust tactics while the campaign is on
• This has been a bit of challenge to us in Africa
• We are yet to determine an acceptable standard
Evaluation Technique
It includes- impact analysis- audience coverage- audience response- campaign impact- environmental assessment
…And the Conclusion of the Matter
Evaluation“Getting a PR campaign or programme off the ground can seem an overwhelming task. But as with any project, the secret of success lies in the forward planning process and its systematic management”
Thank you