5.17

• Public Relations Strategies

  a series of

  public relations activities undertaken to

  achieve a specific objective.
• Businesses embarking on a public

  relations campaign should begin by

  initially establishing their public

  relations objectives and strategies.
• STAGE 1: Establish public relation objectives

  Objectives outline what the

  campaign is trying to achieve.

   They should be developed using

  the S.M.A.R.T. principle.
• STAGE 2: Identify the intended publics

  The public relations campaign ‘target’

  group is the publics towards whom

  the public relations strategies and

  tactics are directed.
• STAGE 3: Develop specific public relations

  strategies and tactics

  There is a wide range of media from which a business can select.

   It is important to select the most appropriate and effective media for the chosen publics.

   For example, a business can choose from the following media:

  guest speakers, direct mail, social media etc
• STAGE 4: Implement the public relations

  campaign

  An action plan is devised to make sure the

  implementation runs smoothly.

   This would be distributed to all public relations

  committee members, the marketing manager,

  business group managers, executive managers

  and staff.
• STAGE 5: Evaluate the results

  A public relations campaign’s success should be

  measured in terms of its original objectives,

  before, during and/or after the campaign ends.

   A public relations manager should at least be able

  to estimate whether any change occurred in the

  attitudes or behaviour of the publics.
• Crisis Public Relations: the strategies that a

  business implements when an unforeseeable event

  generates unfavourable publicity that may threaten

  the image and reputation of the business.

  Risk Management: the process of identifying the

  risks to which a business is likely to be exposed

  and determining the best way to deal with them.

  Crisis Communication Plan: outlines the policies

  and procedures to follow when handling

  unfavourable publicity and news personnel when a

  crisis occurs
• What are some events that may bring on a crisis in a business?

  Workplace accidents, dishonest employees, unsafe products, or other negative events
• How can negative events affect a business?

  They can generate media scrutiny and publicity, which may be sudden and dramatic
• What measures can businesses take to reduce the risk of a crisis?

  Implementing quality control procedures, safety programs, and regular inspections
• Can crises always be anticipated by businesses?

  No, crises cannot always be anticipated
• What should businesses do even if some undesirable consequences occur regardless of their efforts?

  Follow some general principles to manage the situation
• What is the role of the public relations manager in a crisis?

  To develop principles into a plan
• A Crisis

  Communication

  Plan-

  In the face of a crisis, it is much better to

  initiate than to react.

   It is essential that the business pre-

  establishes a crisis communication plan

  that outlines: how the appropriate staff

  members will handle unfavourable

  publicity and deal with news personnel

  when a crisis occurs

   When a crisis occurs, a business has two

  priorities that must both be managed

  effectively:

   1. bringing the crisis under control —

  limiting the damage

   2. dealing with the intense media

  (and public) scrutiny. This is the

  purpose of the crisis communication

  plan
• ELEMENTS OF THE CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN

  STEP 1: Determine the appropriate target publics

  Publics (e.g. the news media) that the business wants to reach should be established as soon as a crisis occurs.

  STEP 2: Essential Information should be communicated to all affected publics

  Be open and honest - the media should be kept informed as more information is gathered. All

  employees should also be kept informed on a regular basis.

  STEP 4: Responses should be given as quickly as possible

  STEP 5: Be prepared to answer questions

  STEP 3: Get the facts
• What is the sixth step in the crisis communication plan?

  Provide regular updates
• What is the seventh step in the crisis communication plan?

  Establish a chain of command
• Why is it important for decisions to be clear in a crisis communication plan?

  To ensure the decision maker has adequate authority to act
• What is the ninth step in the crisis communication plan?


  Monitor the progress of the crisis communication plan
• What should be done once the crisis communication plan has been put into action?

  It must be carefully monitored and corrective action taken if needed
• What is the tenth step in the crisis communication plan?

  Evaluate the effectiveness of the crisis communication plan
• What should representatives from all aspects of the business do after the crisis has subsided?

  Revisit the crisis management plan and identify any weaknesses or shortcomings
• Why is it important to identify weaknesses or shortcomings in the crisis management plan?

  To more effectively respond to any future crisis situations
• What is the key objective of a planned public relations campaign?

  To maintain a positive relationship with the business’s identified customer base
• How does a positive relationship with customers support the 80–20 principle?

  It ensures that the business will always have a base of loyal customers
• What could happen if a business fails to maintain a positive relationship with its customers?

  It will undermine customer loyalty and rely on a less dependable flow of customers
• How can the positive customer relationship be tested?

  When unplanned events occur that might damage the business’s reputation
• What must a business be prepared to do in addition to having a planned public relations strategy?

  Deal with crises that may threaten the positive relationship with the customer base
• What is the purpose of good public relations in a business context?

  To guard against the negative impact of future contingencies related to product quality or supply.
• What does the acronym S.M.A.R.T. stand for in public relations objectives?

  Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
• What are the five main development stages in a public relations campaign?

  1. Establish objectives
  2. Identify intended publics
  3. Develop specific strategies and tactics
  4. Implement the campaign
  5. Evaluate the results
• What are some planned activities involved in public relations campaigns?

  • Advertising
  • Posters
  • News conferences
  • Use of social media
• How can negative press affect a business?

  It can negatively impact the image and profits of the business.
• What are some examples of events that can lead to unplanned public relations campaigns?

  Oil spills, food poisonings, pollution fraud, or other unforeseen negative events.
• How can businesses prepare for unplanned public relations events?

  • Establish a command chain
  • Select a ‘crisis team’
  • Fully brief a spokesperson
  • Anticipate questions and prepare honest responses