This week's reading covers to area of crisis and issues management, as well as public relations in the third sector.
I personally find the chapter in crisis management very interesting, because this is when the involvement of PR is very clear. In order for PR practitioners to respond well to a crisis, they need to be alert and prepared to carry out plans swiftly, because that is the most important aspect when it comes to crisis management; to respond as soon as possible. The case study on panadol for example, is a very appropriate PR management. Panadol caters to a very wide consumer base everywhere, so i feel that it is certainly not easy to reach everyone, and handle the media at the same time. I feel that the PR plan involved in this is very good, as the company was very open and transparent with its actions and allows the public to know what is going on, instead of trying to hide the facts.
Another interesting point from the readings is 'astroturfing' and 'greenwashing' in the chapter about the third sector. I personally have not come across these two terms before, so it is very interesting to know what it is about. 'Astroturfing' is the service of artificial grass roots public support offered by public relations companies, while 'greenwashing' is the use of public relations to manipulate public views that corporations are acting in environmentally responsible ways. I feel that this is a very unethical and inappropriate method of public relations, because it does benefit the public in any way. Public relations is meant to be a platform between the public and an organization, and this does not support that in any way. It also gives a bad impression about public relations, that it manipulates and deceives the public.
In conclusion, this week's readings is interesting and insightful, it will definetely become useful knowledge in my work of PR in the future.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A typical PR program
This week's readings gives a over view of how a public relations program works. It is very specific and detailed in showing the different methods and ways a PR program can be decided upon, and how it can be carried out.
I think one interesting point from the readings is that often, management only invests in PR when they feel that they require some help, like their rival company gaining more publicity for example. This topic about how PR is not taken into much consideration in an organization has been reiterated several times throughout our readings thus far, and I guess it is quite a big problem in the area of PR. Instead of being in the decision-making level of an organization, it if often just taken as an additional incentive for the organization. If taken this way, PR practitioners will not be able to contribute much to an organization, therefore defeating the purpose of having a PR department.
Another important point from the readings is the amount of thought and planning that has to be put into place before a PR program can be decided upon. There are so many considerations and decisions to make, from the setting of objectives to the types of campaigns within a PR program. It is interesting to learn of the wide variety of PR campaigns that can be used, as it gives me more insight and a better idea of PR campaigning.
Overall, this readings has helped me understand PR programs much better, because it is very thorough and detailed. This will certainly aid in my planning for the final project for this module, and also in my career in future.
I think one interesting point from the readings is that often, management only invests in PR when they feel that they require some help, like their rival company gaining more publicity for example. This topic about how PR is not taken into much consideration in an organization has been reiterated several times throughout our readings thus far, and I guess it is quite a big problem in the area of PR. Instead of being in the decision-making level of an organization, it if often just taken as an additional incentive for the organization. If taken this way, PR practitioners will not be able to contribute much to an organization, therefore defeating the purpose of having a PR department.
Another important point from the readings is the amount of thought and planning that has to be put into place before a PR program can be decided upon. There are so many considerations and decisions to make, from the setting of objectives to the types of campaigns within a PR program. It is interesting to learn of the wide variety of PR campaigns that can be used, as it gives me more insight and a better idea of PR campaigning.
Overall, this readings has helped me understand PR programs much better, because it is very thorough and detailed. This will certainly aid in my planning for the final project for this module, and also in my career in future.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
research & evaluation, sponsorship and events!
This week's readings were fairly technical as compared to the other chapters, with much information and facts to digest, especially the chapter about research and evaluation.
It is quite interesting to find out there is so much involved in researching before the actual techniques can be carried out. The diagram that shows the rekationship between a model of a PR process and research is one such example. I certainly wouldn't have known there was so much to take into consideration. The diagram is very helpful in placing all the important points together and making it a clearer picture. Also, I found the number of different research techniques quite surprising, if not overwhelming, because there is such a wide variety to choose from. This chapter also covers what we study in Audience Studies with the various research techniques, so it definitely gives me more insight into these two subjects.
From the chapter about sponsorship and event management, I personally find the area on ambush marketing very interesting! It's my first time coming across that term or even that concept about sponsorship. It has never occurred to me that during an event, companies who do not have a sponsorship agreement with the event may seem to the target audiences as one of the sponsors. I feel that it is difficult to define a clear boundary in order not to give the target audience a wrong idea of who the real sponsors of an event is. This problem even brings into discussion about ethics, which sporting organisations and sponsorship advocates believe it to be. Marketing executives however, argue that it separates strong brands from the weak.
In conclusion, i think that the readings for the week was very informative and insightful, and i certainly learnt a lot about this area of public relations, some of which i had never known before.
It is quite interesting to find out there is so much involved in researching before the actual techniques can be carried out. The diagram that shows the rekationship between a model of a PR process and research is one such example. I certainly wouldn't have known there was so much to take into consideration. The diagram is very helpful in placing all the important points together and making it a clearer picture. Also, I found the number of different research techniques quite surprising, if not overwhelming, because there is such a wide variety to choose from. This chapter also covers what we study in Audience Studies with the various research techniques, so it definitely gives me more insight into these two subjects.
From the chapter about sponsorship and event management, I personally find the area on ambush marketing very interesting! It's my first time coming across that term or even that concept about sponsorship. It has never occurred to me that during an event, companies who do not have a sponsorship agreement with the event may seem to the target audiences as one of the sponsors. I feel that it is difficult to define a clear boundary in order not to give the target audience a wrong idea of who the real sponsors of an event is. This problem even brings into discussion about ethics, which sporting organisations and sponsorship advocates believe it to be. Marketing executives however, argue that it separates strong brands from the weak.
In conclusion, i think that the readings for the week was very informative and insightful, and i certainly learnt a lot about this area of public relations, some of which i had never known before.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
tactics and PR in business
These week's readings covered two chapters, tactics and PR in business.
One interesting point in the chapter of PR tactics is the part about controlled versus uncontrolled communication. Prior to this, i didn't know that there are these two differentiations in the tactics of communication. It is certainly interesting to learn that controlled tactics are those over which the PR practitioner maintains control of every aspect of the process, and uncontrolled tactics are those that can be altered or even blocked completely.
While the controlled tactics can be easily understood, I find that the definition for uncontrolled tactics a bit more tricky because the term 'uncontrolled' means a different thing from what i would expect. From this, I learnt that PR practitioners have to maintain a balance between the two tactics to ensure that a message can achieve its desired impact on the public. The job of a PR practitioner seems to be much more complicated than it appears to be!
In the chapter of PR in business which is more technical with business terms, I found the part about public relations and corporate social responsibility very interesting. This relates back to the topic about ethics in PR, but instead of it being an additional tactic for PR practitioners to employ, or something for them to take into account, it is more of a necessity for companies to be socially responsible.
Termed as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it is mentioned that it is a vital aspect of business public relations in gaining the trust of the public in a long term basis. It encompasses fairness, transparency and openess to all stakeholders, and should be a part of the business goals and activities of a company. Therefore, instead of using 'ethical' or 'socially responsible' as a PR tactic, CSR should be one of the goals of a company.
One interesting point in the chapter of PR tactics is the part about controlled versus uncontrolled communication. Prior to this, i didn't know that there are these two differentiations in the tactics of communication. It is certainly interesting to learn that controlled tactics are those over which the PR practitioner maintains control of every aspect of the process, and uncontrolled tactics are those that can be altered or even blocked completely.
While the controlled tactics can be easily understood, I find that the definition for uncontrolled tactics a bit more tricky because the term 'uncontrolled' means a different thing from what i would expect. From this, I learnt that PR practitioners have to maintain a balance between the two tactics to ensure that a message can achieve its desired impact on the public. The job of a PR practitioner seems to be much more complicated than it appears to be!
In the chapter of PR in business which is more technical with business terms, I found the part about public relations and corporate social responsibility very interesting. This relates back to the topic about ethics in PR, but instead of it being an additional tactic for PR practitioners to employ, or something for them to take into account, it is more of a necessity for companies to be socially responsible.
Termed as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it is mentioned that it is a vital aspect of business public relations in gaining the trust of the public in a long term basis. It encompasses fairness, transparency and openess to all stakeholders, and should be a part of the business goals and activities of a company. Therefore, instead of using 'ethical' or 'socially responsible' as a PR tactic, CSR should be one of the goals of a company.
Monday, February 16, 2009
PR and the community
This week's readings is focused on the importance of taking into account the views and preferences of the community in order to succeed in plans undertaken by a company or the government.
Here are two important points mentioned in the readings:
1) how a project can be adjusted and catered to gain approval from the public community
2) the importance of understanding your target audience in order to construct meaning around a particular topic or issue
I feel that the case study about the highway in Australia is very interesting, as the methods that the PR department implemented in order to gain the favour of the community are innovative and clever. Because the community was very unhappy with the inconvenience of the construction involved, PR practitioners had to develop tactics to appease them, and one such one was by allowing children from the community to decorate the highway, which incorporated community involvement and gain the interest of the community as a whole. I think it is important that the community and the public have a sense of participation in whatever project a company is embarking on, so as to make them feel involved because they have a chance to voice out opinions.
However, this is not always possible, because PR practitioners may not have the power to make important decisions for a company. This links back to the earlier readings about how the purpose of a PR can be maximised by operating within the decision-making dominant coalition of the organisation. Otherwise, a PR practitioner would have no say in the plans of involving the public in projects or plans.
In conclusion, this week's readings gave me more insight about the close relationship required between a company and the community, and the involvement of PR in it.
Here are two important points mentioned in the readings:
1) how a project can be adjusted and catered to gain approval from the public community
2) the importance of understanding your target audience in order to construct meaning around a particular topic or issue
I feel that the case study about the highway in Australia is very interesting, as the methods that the PR department implemented in order to gain the favour of the community are innovative and clever. Because the community was very unhappy with the inconvenience of the construction involved, PR practitioners had to develop tactics to appease them, and one such one was by allowing children from the community to decorate the highway, which incorporated community involvement and gain the interest of the community as a whole. I think it is important that the community and the public have a sense of participation in whatever project a company is embarking on, so as to make them feel involved because they have a chance to voice out opinions.
However, this is not always possible, because PR practitioners may not have the power to make important decisions for a company. This links back to the earlier readings about how the purpose of a PR can be maximised by operating within the decision-making dominant coalition of the organisation. Otherwise, a PR practitioner would have no say in the plans of involving the public in projects or plans.
In conclusion, this week's readings gave me more insight about the close relationship required between a company and the community, and the involvement of PR in it.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Ethical Practice
This week's readings about ethical practice in public relations is a very detailed analysis about the importance of it in organizations, as well as how to go about making ethical decisions in companies.
I personally feel that the consideration of ethics in organizations is essential in today's society, because the consumers are becoming increasingly aware of humanistic behaviours of companies in the business world, and are also more concerned about the preservation of the environment. If companies do not take in consideration the issue about ethics, they would not gain positive publicity despite campaigns or advertising, and therefore lose consumer attention.
Two important points from this reading is the ethical challenges for practitioners and using ethnics as a public relations strategy.
I think the points raised about the challenges PR practitioners face is very helpful because it gives specific insights into the problems that they can possibly face. For example, the point mentioned about peer pressure to develop quotes based on what the spokesperson has said before in order to meet deadlines is a very evident problem that journalists face.
Using ethics as a public relations strategy as identified in the readings also show how a growing sensitivity among consumers for a cleaner environment, preservation of wildlife and their habitats and flexible working hours. Therefore it is important to take note of that trend in society in order to target audiences in campaigns.
The issue of ethics in public relations can be easily justified in theory, but I feel that it is difficult to put it into practice because not everyone in an organization would have similar interests in it. This is especially difficult if higher authorities in an organization does not take ethics into consideration, which makes it impossible for an individual to stick to morally correct decisions.
Overall, this readings on the importance of ethics in public relations is an interesting area of study, and is something to keep in consideration in order to become a professional public relations practitioner!
I personally feel that the consideration of ethics in organizations is essential in today's society, because the consumers are becoming increasingly aware of humanistic behaviours of companies in the business world, and are also more concerned about the preservation of the environment. If companies do not take in consideration the issue about ethics, they would not gain positive publicity despite campaigns or advertising, and therefore lose consumer attention.
Two important points from this reading is the ethical challenges for practitioners and using ethnics as a public relations strategy.
I think the points raised about the challenges PR practitioners face is very helpful because it gives specific insights into the problems that they can possibly face. For example, the point mentioned about peer pressure to develop quotes based on what the spokesperson has said before in order to meet deadlines is a very evident problem that journalists face.
Using ethics as a public relations strategy as identified in the readings also show how a growing sensitivity among consumers for a cleaner environment, preservation of wildlife and their habitats and flexible working hours. Therefore it is important to take note of that trend in society in order to target audiences in campaigns.
The issue of ethics in public relations can be easily justified in theory, but I feel that it is difficult to put it into practice because not everyone in an organization would have similar interests in it. This is especially difficult if higher authorities in an organization does not take ethics into consideration, which makes it impossible for an individual to stick to morally correct decisions.
Overall, this readings on the importance of ethics in public relations is an interesting area of study, and is something to keep in consideration in order to become a professional public relations practitioner!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Media Relations
This week's readings covered the area of media relations, about the importance of media to public relations and vice versa. The first thing that came to mind when I was doing the readings is that this module is unexpectedly similar to others, such as journalism and audience studies. That aside, it is also in my opinion, the easiest set of readings so far.
One important point that I learnt from the readings is the relationship between the media and public relations. The media and public relations as mentioned, is interdependent, requiring information from each other in order to function. As such, a public relations personnel has to keep up with the media through a task of media monitoring in order to be up to date with issues, events and changes that occur.
The second important point is the need to know the media in order to work well within it. The points mentioned in the chapter, such as deadlines, hierarchy in the newsroom, media styles and audience targetting, are practical and helpful tips for a public relations personnal. This shows that the work of public relations is better achieved as a team, as a journalist or an editor cannot function alone. On a personal note, the newsroom as described in the readings gives an impression it being fast paced and chaotic, and definitely not easy to keep up with.
I feel that the readings gave me a greater understanding of how a public relations organization works and operates. Instead of just a team of journalist who put together news and information to be released, it is in actual fact so much more complicating than that. What with the deadlines to meet and the people of importance within the newsroom, the job of a public relations personnel does not seem like such an simple job to me anymore. From the areas that have to be considered as pointed out in the book, I feel that a PR personnel is someone who needs to be able to handle things rationally and logically. Take a simple media conference for example, much planning and thought have to go into it before the actual event can actually take place, and this is definitely not a simple task.
One important point that I learnt from the readings is the relationship between the media and public relations. The media and public relations as mentioned, is interdependent, requiring information from each other in order to function. As such, a public relations personnel has to keep up with the media through a task of media monitoring in order to be up to date with issues, events and changes that occur.
The second important point is the need to know the media in order to work well within it. The points mentioned in the chapter, such as deadlines, hierarchy in the newsroom, media styles and audience targetting, are practical and helpful tips for a public relations personnal. This shows that the work of public relations is better achieved as a team, as a journalist or an editor cannot function alone. On a personal note, the newsroom as described in the readings gives an impression it being fast paced and chaotic, and definitely not easy to keep up with.
I feel that the readings gave me a greater understanding of how a public relations organization works and operates. Instead of just a team of journalist who put together news and information to be released, it is in actual fact so much more complicating than that. What with the deadlines to meet and the people of importance within the newsroom, the job of a public relations personnel does not seem like such an simple job to me anymore. From the areas that have to be considered as pointed out in the book, I feel that a PR personnel is someone who needs to be able to handle things rationally and logically. Take a simple media conference for example, much planning and thought have to go into it before the actual event can actually take place, and this is definitely not a simple task.
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