PRSA Excerpts-1993

 

WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS ?

 

"Public Relations is the management process whose goal is to attain and maintain accord and positive behaviours among social groupings on which an organisation depends in order to achieve its mission. Its fundamental responsibility is to build and maintain a hospitable environment for an organisation."

 

     As defined during a colloquim held in 1989 whose panel included distinguished leaders in the field of public relations and marketing.

·         William Ehling, professor and chairman of Syracuse University's department of public relations.

 

·         Patrick Jackson, APR, senior counsel, Jackson, Jackson and Wagner, Exeter, New Hampshire.

 

·         Larry Jones, senior vice president, Foote, Cone & Belding, Los Angeles.

 

·         Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Evanston, Illinois.

 

WHO IS A PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONER ?

 

"A public relations practitioner is an applied social scientist who advises the client or employer on the social attitudes and appropriate actions to take to win the support of the publics upon whom the viability of the client or employer depends."

 

Edward. L. Bernays, Fellow, Public Relations Society of America. Listed in the Fall 1990 edition of Life Magazine as among the 100 most important and influential people of the 20th century and the only public relations figure mentioned.

 

Bernays also counselled three U.S. Presidents:

Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover and Dwight. D. Eisenhower.

 

 

PUBLIC RELATIONS - A PROFESSION ?

 

To qualify as a profession, a field of endeavour must be endemic to the human condition.

 

• Lawyers are professionals because the need for government by law rather than by the mob affects every person.

 

• Doctors are professionals because everyone needs mental and physical health.
• Teachers are professionals because education is an essential part of all of our lives.
• Public Relations fits this criteria of professionalism. It is devoted to the essential function of building and improving human relationships.

 

Public Relations is also, like other professions, an art applied to a science. It employs replicable data from psychology, sociology and the other social sciences in its efforts to influence public relationships.

 

Public Relations qualifies as a profession because it is an endeavour in which the public interest must be served and protected.

 

Practitioners and organisations simply cannot succeed in building good, long standing relationships unless their actions are in concert with the public interest.

 

 

WHY PUBLIC RELATIONS ?

 

For a corporation to succeed and prosper over the long term, it must create a favourable climate, and win the assistance and alignment of those individuals and constituencies it relies on for support.

 

For an organisation to truly achieve competitive advantage, it must garner the support of the publics or stakeholders (including      employees,   shareholders, financial       community, suppliers, plant communities, government, media, special interest groups and the public at large), understand the current and emerging external and internal environment in which the corporation operates and competes, and learn to manage change within that environment, rather than be controlled by it.

 

Such stakeholder and environmental alignment results from research, strategic planning and the implementation of carefully developed strategic communications and advocacy programs, designed to achieve a desired result and to create specific perceptions, actions or reactions from each public with whom the company relates.

 

Even after public alignment or a company's credibility has been gained or restored, public relations is required to see that it is maintained.

 

 

 

PUBLIC RELATIONS: A MANAGEMENT PROCESS!

 

History has proved that people respond to those who articulate a vision of the future based on excellence, idealism and responsibility.

 

The articulation of a vision, requires a communication function. It requires not only presenting facts, but the creation of positive perceptions, based on interpretation of these facts. And perceptions stem from subjective considerations: trust, integrity, reputation and credibility. Public Relations adds these qualitative values in decision making.

 

When communication is seen only as an exchange of information and the transmission of it, then it is not entirely effective. This is because it does not imply judgement or strategy. Public Relations introduces these critical factors.

 

Public Relations is the skill, knowledge and experience that determines if anything should be communicated.

 

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

 

Most chief executives spend as much as 85 per cent of their time on public relations tasks: they meet the board members, employees, managers, union representatives, politicians, legislators, reporters, bankers and. financiers. They listen and present their points of view. They try to achieve consensus in pursuit of their vision for the company.

 

Public Relations is marked on the corporate side by communications.        Senior
management requires       effective communications   counsel         to       promote understanding     and co-operation among diverse groups, to motivate and build employee commitment towards the company vision and to create a more participative style of corporate management.

 

Public Relations helps the CEO develop a communications-sensitive corporate culture. A sensitive corporate culture must be based on the recognition that in a democratic society, the private interest of the organisation can only be safeguarded when it earns the consent of the public. The purpose of public relations is the engineering of that consent.

 

This is not accomplished by slogans or promotional stunts, but by aligning the corporation's performance with the public interest.

 

 

THE PUBLIC RELATIONS APPROACH

 

"To find the basic elements and determine the causational inter-relationships in any situation."'

 

The analytical approach to solving public relations problems is characterised in the following steps.

 

• set a goal or objective
• conduct research to establish current perspective
• modify research to determine if the goal is attainable
• set strategy which consists of the four m's : mindpower, manpower, mechanics and money
• organise
• establish themes and appeals
• set up planning and timing
• determine a budget

 

Important points that are key to putting public relations on a strategic basis:

 

• the program must be planned, rather than ad-hoc
• the program must be aligned with overall corporate goals
• whenever possible, the program should be proactive, rather than reactive
• results should be quantifiable
• many people outside of public relations should contribute to the program's success
• the public relations activity must have the CEO's support and that of senior management

 

 

 

TARGETING BOTTOM LINE IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

 

The return on investment in public relations programming can be among the highest in the corporation and can manifest itself in the following ways:

 

• enhanced cash flow
• improved share price and shareholders value
• greater productivity
• more sales and better market share
• less employee turnover
• higher earnings per share

 

Key concerns for an effective public relations campaign:

 

• gaining public trust  and demonstrating social responsibility
• using trend analysis techniques to help leaders understand how decisions made today will impact tomorrows reality
• developing strategies to restore peoples confidence in existing institutions
• looking for innovative ways for effective two-way communication and targeting individuals, not publics
• communicating a company's message to consumers and preserving its brand image
• moving in the direction of total quality management
• building coalitions with governmental and volunteer organisations to address community problems
• understanding the perspective on the public affairs process for management of issues.

 

TECHNOLOGY IN THE 90s

 

Today, technology is in a state of continuous flux and has resulted in:

 

• fast and furious growth of the electronics industry
• far reaching implications of new technology on business and individual lifestyles
• limiting consumers ability to absorb technology due to its rapid pace

 

Alternate media, interactive multimedia and information networking has rapidly influenced public relations ability to reach different publics.

 

Tomorrow's successes

 

Companies that are focused on turning information into knowledge by providing artificial intelligence, neuro-networking, knowledge ware       and knowledge management software are likely to succeed in the 90s.

The companies that are going to prosper are those that are able to communicate how to use their technology and the benefits of that technology.

 

HIGH-TECH PUBLIC RELATIONS

 

Due to rapid technological changes, strategic communications capabilities and their implementation is becoming essential.

 

Increasingly, businesses are looking at information dissemination and information management function as true organisation-wide strategic functions.

 

Trends

 

High-tech public relations, like the industry it serves is growing.

 

High-tech is one of the most fertile and challenging specialties for public relations practitioners.

 

Says Robert Strayton, APR, former executive vice president and director of advanced technology, Hill & Knowlton, Waltham, Massachusetts :

 

"Communication is going to be the next really important discipline to assert itself in top management in high-tech companies.

 

By the year 2000 AD, there will be a chief communications officer in virtually every important high-tech company -- and that person will have power comparable to the head of finance, MIS or operations."

 

 

CHALLENGES IN HIGH-TECH PUBLIC RELATIONS

 

Rapid technological progress has presented fresh challenges to the high-tech public relations practitioner.

 

• using technology wisely, keeping up with change and examining new developments in the light of public interest will be the most significant challenge

 

• educating consumers about the rapid changes in technology so that they can fully utilise its potential will be equally important.

 

Practitioners also have to deal with charges of environmental damage which have now spread to what were once considered clean industries electronics, tele-communications and medical products. These charges arise due to increased commitment by public interest groups to protecting the environment and concern about the perceived risks attributable to technical progress.

 

As a result, highlighting environment friendly waste disposal, product recycling and use of safe, non-polluting materials will gain importance.

 

Practitioners will also be called to lead the way in combating criticism of an industry so as to improve public opinion.

 

 

ROLE OF HIGH-TECH PUBLIC RELATIONS

 

The most valuable contribution public relations can make is to help organisations harness technology and use it for benefit, as opposed to innovation alone. Public Relations can also anticipate, define and communicate implications of technological changes which high-tech companies create or react to.

 

In doing so, practitioners can help deal with ethical dilemmas such as:

 

• is this new technology really in the public interest?
• will it invade the consumers’ privacy?
• are there any side effects that could harm the consumer?
• will the new technology harm the environment?

 

Public relations can help justify the negative impact these advanced technologies might have on the environment.

 

The impact of high-tech has mandated that public relations look beyond product publicity and handle areas as varied as crisis management, employee communications, community and government relations.

 

 

MEDIA RELATIONS - AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION

 

Factors that have influenced this development are:

 

• greater scrutiny and in-depth coverage from news media of high-tech companies due to ownership of larger percentage of shares by institutions
• new technical collaboration agreements being signed with multinationals
• increased difficulty in getting the company's message across as competition for media space-grows.

 

Developing good media relations is therefore being given top priority. Multinationals like Hewlett Packard have built their media relations record on trust, truth and responsiveness. Hewlett Packard tries hard to figure out what editors need or what makes for good press relations.

 

Feedback from High tech editors:

 

• market and technical leadership claims must be verifiable, either by facts or by a third party
• press tours or mailed press releases preferred to press conferences
• white papers, backgrounders and information on marketing strategies helpfull
• editors want competitive data, which they view as important to editorial coverage
• when it comes to product photos, editors prefer that the product be shown alone (rather than being used) and from a straight-on viewpoint.

 

 

PUBLIC RELATIONS IN HIGH-TECH MARKETING

 

Technology which serves a practical need is most attractive to consumers. Improving the quality of life is the most important factor to keep in mind for successful technology marketing tactics.

High-tech companies can't just have a product anymore; they need a position, a message and a way to get it out there to persuade people to use it. By being part of the development team for a product or a service, public relations can prove the economic utility of their products to customers who are focused on short-term problems rather than the long view.

 

Customer service is becoming more important. Holding on to current customers is vital. Practitioners can prove their value by working well with company employees on the customer firing line -- sales people, service representatives, customer engineers and trainers.

 

High-tech public relations is also about strategic and conceptual questions :

• what is this company about in the first place?
• how does it talk about itself and its products?
• what is its niche in the market place? can its product create a new market?

 

Companies should be willing to spend money on issue identification and on research to track results.

 

This is important as there is nothing like a second chance in the computers, electronics or information business today.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER – I

 

EVOLUTION AND STRATEGIC Communications

 

CHANGE AND EVOLUTION

 

"It is a fact, that changes in the affairs of humanity and in the behaviour and aspirations of societies evolve along great, discernable trend lines. Change is therefore, better understood in terms of the theory of evolution and not cataclysm.

 

The practice of public relations evolves in a context of these trends. Our priorities and emphasis need continuous modifications to remain in harmony with these evolving trends."

 

Edward M. Block, senior consultant, Burson Marsteller and ex-senior vice president AT & T in the foundation for Public Relations Research and Education Lecture on November 8, 1987 in Los Angeles, California.

 

Over the years, the principles of public relations practice have remained largely unchanged. However, what has changed are some of the old assumptions about how to apply those principles. In this context, contemporary public relations dilemmas need to focus more time on an organisations good will and future earnings rather than on its current net worth.

 

Public relations practitioners need to spend more time on reviewing their understanding of how and why they are valuable to their companies for what they already know rather than spend time on pilgrimages to the high priests of fashionable change.

 

 

PUBLIC RELATIONS IS GOVERNANCE

 

Public Relations is all about governance: Institutional governance. Public Relations is trans-departmental.

 

The Public Relations practitioners specialty is promoting harmony between the corporation and its stakeholders-not for the sake of harmony of image or any other equally metaphysical purpose, but because no corporation can succeed when its objectives or its behaviour are in conflict with its stakeholders. By promoting good business judgment, good business performance, wise policy and good communications, public relations can help achieve a reasonable set of business objectives. It is this pay off that will ensure that public relations remains at senior managements table.'

 

The CEO is today faced with a complex range of issues-mergers, acquisitions, raiders, restructurings, down sizings, overhauling fundamental business strategies,

productivity, product liability, litigation, substance abuse, political crisis etc.

 

If public relations can't keep pace with these issues, the CEO won't hesitate to look to others for counsel, for issues analysis and if need be, for communications.

 

 

GLOBAL COMPETITION - THE NEW BUZZWORD

 

For countries struggling to retain technological, military or economic leadership, global competition can truly be a serious issue to contend with. The emergence of a new world order, will therefore impact the practice of public relations in a big way - in at least three dimensions.

 

First, strategic considerations will compel companies to enlarge their investments in areas outside their national markets. Inevitably, big corporations over times will become internationalised institutions. The biggest, most successful enterprises  will become not just multinational, but multicultural.

 

Second, the international economy will, in time, be locked into a much greater degree of interdependence than it is today. Consequently, the policies of government and the actions of government  ministries      will be even more influential in establishing the terms and conditions of commerce. In this environment, the success or failure of business strategies will hinge on the degree to which management can manage in a vastly more complex matrix of powerful stakeholders, namely, sovereign governments whose own strategies transcend the interest of individual corporations.

 

Third, the contemporary literature of business has made familiar the expression "World Class Product. The flipside of that - the emergence of a "World Class Consumer" - a development that portends the likelihood of startling shifts in distribution channels, share of market and brand loyalties is only now beginning to be recognized.

 

CHAPTER – I

 

EVOLUTION AND STRATEGIC Communications

 

CHANGE AND EVOLUTION

 

"It is a fact, that changes in the affairs of humanity and in the behaviour and aspirations of societies evolve along great, discernable trend lines. Change is therefore, better understood in terms of the theory of evolution and not cataclysm.

 

The practice of public relations evolves in a context of these trends. Our priorities and emphasis need continuous modifications to remain in harmony with these evolving trends."

 

Edward M. Block, senior consultant, Burson Marsteller and ex-senior vice president AT & T in the foundation for Public Relations Research and Education Lecture on November 8, 1987 in Los Angeles, California.

 

Over the years, the principles of public relations practice have remained largely unchanged. However, what has changed are some of the old assumptions about how to apply those principles. In this context, contemporary public relations dilemmas need to focus more time on an organisations good will and future earnings rather than on its current net worth.

 

Public relations practitioners need to spend more time on reviewing their understanding of how and why they are valuable to their companies for what they already know rather than spend time on pilgrimages to the high priests of fashionable change.

 

 

PUBLIC RELATIONS IS GOVERNANCE

 

Public Relations is all about governance: Institutional governance. Public Relations is trans-departmental.

 

The Public Relations practitioners specialty is promoting harmony between the corporation and its stakeholders-not for the sake of harmony of image or any other equally metaphysical purpose, but because no corporation can succeed when its objectives or its behaviour are in conflict with its stakeholders. By promoting good business judgment, good business performance, wise policy and good communications, public relations can help achieve a reasonable set of business objectives. It is this pay off that will ensure that public relations remains at senior managements table.'

 

The CEO is today faced with a complex range of issues-mergers, acquisitions, raiders, restructurings, down sizings, overhauling fundamental business strategies,

productivity, product liability, litigation, substance abuse, political crisis etc.

 

If public relations can't keep pace with these issues, the CEO won't hesitate to look to others for counsel, for issues analysis and if need be, for communications.

 

 

GLOBAL COMPETITION - THE NEW BUZZWORD

 

For countries struggling to retain technological, military or economic leadership, global competition can truly be a serious issue to contend with. The emergence of a new world order, will therefore impact the practice of public relations in a big way - in at least three dimensions.

 

First, strategic considerations will compel companies to enlarge their investments in areas outside their national markets. Inevitably, big corporations over times will become internationalised institutions. The biggest, most successful enterprises  will become not just multinational, but multicultural.

 

Second, the international economy will, in time, be locked into a much greater degree of interdependence than it is today. Consequently, the policies of government and the actions of government  ministries      will be even more influential in establishing the terms and conditions of commerce. In this environment, the success or failure of business strategies will hinge on the degree to which management can manage in a vastly more complex matrix of powerful stakeholders, namely, sovereign governments whose own strategies transcend the interest of individual corporations.

 

Third, the contemporary literature of business has made familiar the expression "World Class Product. The flipside of that - the emergence of a "World Class Consumer" - a development that portends the likelihood of startling shifts in distribution channels, share of market and brand loyalties is only now beginning to be recognized.

 

 

 

CHAPTER – II

 

BOTTOM LINE IN STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS

 

DEMONSTRATING VALUE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

 

Increasingly, public relations practitioners now believe

 

-        that    public relations is quantifiable and can be measured

-        that the function should be held accountable for results

-        that it can provide value to the corporation far in excess of the resources invested' in it.

 

Demonstrating the value of public relations to a corporation has become essential to survive in an era of mergers, corporate staff downsizings and demand for greater productivity. Specific public relations programs can infect show their value in terms of enhanced cash flow, improved share price and shareholders value, greater productivity, more sales, better market share, less employee turnover and higher earnings per share.

 

"Proving this value in the public relations arena requires thinking and acting strategically. The most successful practitioners have always made strategic thinking the cornerstone of their work".

 

Philip J. Webster, APR, president of The Webster Group, a public affairs and corporate communications consulting firm in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

 

To be strategic, public relations must pass one basic test: everything done must be aligned with the corporate vision or mission-and must substantially contribute to achieving the organisations' objective.

 

Ideally, public relations should be part of the team helping to create the corporate mission and set the objectives.

 

 

NEED FOR STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS

 

For a corporation to succeed and prosper over the long term, it must create a favourable climate and win the assistance and alignment of those individuals and constituencies it relies on for support.

 

All of these publics or stakeholders, including employees, shareholders, the financial community, suppliers, plant communities, government„ media, special interest groups, and the public at large are inter-related. Their collective perception of a corporation forms the climate of public opinion in which the company must operate.

 

For an organisation to truly achieve competitive advantage, it must win the support of these publics, understand the current and emerging external and internal environment in which the corporation operates and competes and learn to manage change within that environment, rather than be controlled by it.

 

Such stakeholder and environmental alignment results from research, strategic planning, and the implementation of carefully developed strategic communications and advocacy programs, designed to achieve a desired result and to create specific perceptions, actions or reactions from each public with whom the company relates.

 

 

COMPONENTS OF A STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAM

 

First, the company needs to determine

-        a clear view of where it is going

-        what it wants to be

-        the specific objectives it must achieve to get there

 

Second, public relations should develop a strategic plan for the entire function and, ideally for each sub-function. The plan should include:

 

-        a snapshot description of public relations as it is presently constituted at your company

-        a view of the end state you need to achieve to advance the company's objectives

-        a description of the voids that exist between the departments current status and the desired goals

The plan should address :

-        the strategies and tactics that have to be put into place to reach the firms overall objectives

-        sections on the constituencies you are trying to influence

-        the primary messages you need to articulate.

Third, the support of the organisation is critical in developing an effective public relations plan. You need the agreement and willing assistance of a broad based team composed of people within and outside of the P.R. staff.

-        enlist the views of the CEO and senior managers and try to make them real partners in creating the plan.

-        enlist your colleagues on the public relations team to help develop the plan, particularly if they are going to be asked to help implement it.

Essentials required to execute the plan:

-        management commitment

-        adequate human resources: staff or consultants

-        adequate budget

-        enough time to succeed

Fourth, to ensure the success of the plan:

-        you must have the discipline to follow the strategic plan

-        flexibility to amend it as circumstances warrant

-        determination to stick to the blue-print

-         

That blue-print becomes a contract with your employer/client and you will be expected to deliver the results on time and on budget.

 

 

 

CHAPTER - III

 

CORPORATE PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY

 

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

 

Strategy is not just a gambit, ploy or maneuver. It is the CEOs grand plan for winning the long war against the competition.

 

Strategy should therefore be part of a repertory of PR services by showing corporations how to be more competitive. As a rule, strategy should be at the center of every corporate communications program.

 

In order to become good strategists, public relations practitioner's should therefore:

 

-        develop a peripheral vision

-        become experts at collecting and analyzing competitive intelligence

-        ask the right questions and supply answers that have strategic value

-        focus  on strategy as a way of thinking about communications problems.

 

Identifying a company's key message and communicating it is critical.

 

David R Drobis, president, Ketchum Public Relations, New York City says: "Every company has one story and one story only. This is how we serve our customers, this is what makes us different. For the communication strategist, the challenge is to extract that story from a bewildering mass of data."

 

 

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

 

STEP I: Survey the existing situation. Questions to ask include:

 

-        How does the company see itself in the market, the territory populated by customers and competitors?

-        What does the company's strategy seem to be?

-        Is there an explicit statement of strategy?

-        Does it make sense?

-        Does it concur with the reality of marketplace?

 

STEP II: Examine the environment the company operates in:

 

-        What are the industry's problems and opportunities?

-        What does it take to be successful?

-        Who are the leading players?

-        What are their apparent strategies?

-        What are their strengths and weaknesses?

-        How does the client company measure up?

-        Are the leaders moving in a new direction - towards new kinds of markets, new kinds of products and services or new technologies to improve productivity?

-        Is the industry attracting the attention of government regulators?

-        How will this change the way companies operate?

 

STEP III: Rethink everything

 

-        Is the company on the right track?

-        Does what you have learned suggest a new direction?

-        How should the company's strategy be changed to fit the market and its position in the market?

-        How should the company be communicating with its customers, its suppliers, its employees and the public?

 

 

COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

 

Every company has a competitive strategy. Often, frontline departments form some sort of impression of the competitive forces in the industry and work out a mode of operation without any guidance from the CEO or his managers. But these independent modes of operation are unlikely to add up to an effective strategy. Companies with confused strategies are vulnerable. The way to outperform them is to zero in on your clients or your firms competitive advantage.

 

Competitive intelligence is necessary to answer many questions involved in strategic communications. The most successful intelligence effort is not the one that yields the greatest quantity of information but the one that yields insights of the highest quality.

 

Collecting and analyzing competitive intelligence helps in the following ways:

 

-        to predict what competitors will do

-        to prepare the appropriate countermove

-        to understand your own or your clients organisation better.

 

Among the questions that it helps to answer are:

 

-        What are the competitors doing that we should be doing''- Why do some competitors get better information from the sales force than we do?

-        Why does their message seem so much clearer than ours? How do they get so much news coverage?

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER – IV

 

INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC PLANNING

 

DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN

 

"Strategic planning is an effective corporate tool with great application to the public relations field. As people in any other area of business, skilled public relations professionals need to function within the disciplines of controlled budgets, specific methodologies and objective evaluation of results,"  Sheryll Reid, President, Argyle Communications Inc., Toronto, Ontario.

 

Strategic planning involves both a process and a philosophy. The process in which you involve as many people in your business or department as possible - is considered as the most important part of the whole exercise.

 

Advantages of a strategic plan:

 

-        helps create a framework from which consistent business decisions can flow

-        provides you with the opportunity to assess your business or department in the context of your competitive or hierarchical position, and in relation to the future needs or demands of your clients

 

GUIDELINES IN STRATEGIC PLANNING

 

First, budget enough time

 

-        to reduce scrambling to solve problems later on

-        to demonstrate purpose and good organisation

 

Second, follow a definite procedure

-        establish overall objectives for your firm or public relations department

-        think through your organisations philosophy of doing business and define it as clearly as you can

-        review your organisational structure, alongwith all available resources

-        keeping your objectives and organisational philosophy in mind, establish the strategies and tactics to meet them

-        plan necessary changes in your structure and resources that are required to meet your objective

-        set up policies as necessary to guide you in the day-to-day operation of your organisation

-        establish management programs and define systems and procedures that will help your organisation do its job better

 

STAGES IN DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN

 

Determine what your corporate mission is or should be and work with your staff to develop the major elements of this mission statement. These could be:

 

-        to achieve and maintain a reputation for a superior level of expertise and innovation by your people in public relations practice

-        a reputation for high ethical standards

-        to maintain continuous growth.

 

Set specific objectives

 

-        sub-divide objectives for different functions like marketing. employee, financial etc. Likely objectives could be

·         to provide the most responsive, creative and cost effective services of any public relations firm

·         increasing net fee billings by 20% per year  and maintaining a pre-tax profit margin of 10%

·         Strengthening national           and    international capabilities

 

 

IMPLEMENTING A STRATEGIC PLAN

 

Strategies to achieving objectives

 

-        acting quickly to rectify problems so that client/management dissatisfaction are not allowed to develop

-        providing regular opportunities for client/management to evaluate your services or instituting formal semiannual reviews

-        internal idea generating session for improving client service

-        making new business development top priority by setting aside specific staff time for canvassing prospects and developing proposals.

 

 

Set policies from this document

 

policies should be considered as assisting the normal flow of activity in any organisation, rather than as rigid do's and don'ts that trample initiative and

creativity.

well thought out policy can actually free up your own and your staffs time and energy by setting a certain code of action in a given situation.

 

Keep your plan alive

 

-        at the end of your strategic planning exercise, write up your plan in clear language and ensure that each staff member has a copy

-        explain document to any staff member not involved in the planning process

-        the plan can and should be changed when it is necessary to abandon or redefine a course of action

-        let the document serve you and your staff by helping you reduce ad hoc problem solving, time wasting fire fighting and impulsive decision making.

 

 

CHAPTER – V

 

PUBLIC RELATIONS IN STRATEGIC PLANNING

 

THE ROAD TO STRATEGIC PLANNING

 

PRESENT STATUS

 

-        impact increasing at top level of corporations and varies with corporate culture

-        inclusion in top level corporate planning circles is by no means a standard practice in business and industry

-        in some companies. PR is not part of strategie planning but is brought in when agreed upon strategies need to be implemented via internal and external communications

-        in other cases, PR experts are brought in when a crisis occurs and a new strategy needs to be developed and implemented in a hurry.

 

WHAT HELPS

 

-        the skills and aggresiveness of a practitioner in a corporate setting can influence whether or not he or she gets on the strategic planning board.

-        expertise in marketing or crisis management could be used as a means of attracting positive attention from top management and an invitation to the planning process

-        networking and being at the right place at the right time might lead to a inclusion in corporate planning sessions.

-        taking initiative and coming forward with suggestions and ideas and showing the CEO that you can play a vital role in this ongoing process.

-        supporting strategic objectives in the early stages of his or her career, individual performance and relationship to the general strategist also helps to earn the chance to plan strategy in the future.

 

 

STRATEGIC INFLUENCE BY PUBLIC RELATIONS

 

Gaining entry at strategic planning sessions, where the opening moves are mapped out is the most effective way of helping management avoid a crisis in the first place.

 

While handling a crisis is a valuable skill, it is better to get involved in strategic planning at the outset, rather than at the outcry." Vito A Turso. deputy commissioner, public affairs, New York City, Department of Corrections.

 

Two elements govern the amount of strategic influence that public relations can exercise:

Corporate Culture:

 

-        Companies    with   a culture that          recognizes    the importance of the soft side of strategic development tend to include communicators on their strategic planning teams. The soft side of the development tends to formalise tasks as awareness building, creation of teams, free discussion of options, testing of ideas, consensus building, formation of coalitions and extant politics.

 

Individual ability:

 

-        The ability to transcend the boundaries of their own skills and analyse and understand the needs and strategies of their operating and supporting units also helps some public relations professionals gain a place at strategy sessions.

 

However, while helping map corporate strategy is a worthwhile career move, it also involves political risk. To reduce this risk.

 

-        gather, analyse and evaluate relevant data about the company

-        extensively read both internal and external      documents and research studies.

 

Among other issues, this help to better determine the needs and wants of the customer, how to get a bigger market share and how to deal most effectively with competition.

 

 

PUBLIC RELATIONS - A SEPARATE ENTITY

 

Public Relations can be effectively used to build personal relationships with customers - relationships that can lead to long term sales success and benefit the bottom line.

 

Advertising revenues continues to decline as a percentage of total marketing budgets, while the growth area in the marketing mix is public relations.

 

When public relations strategy is combined with the creative power of advertising, you have an unbeatable mix - the marketing communications of the future.

 

Marketing has already gained recognition for its strategic value. Marketing can provide a lever useful for practitioners wanting to enter strategic planning.

 

However, others caution about co-mingling marketing and public relations.

 

CASE - GENERAL MOTORS

 

In 1990, the public relations function was placed under the aegis of marketing. However, the merger of public relations and marketing at GM was a 'disastrous mistake'.

In response to this, Alvie L. Smith, APR, former director of corporate communications at GM remarked:

 

"PR should not be under marketing. They're just two totally different functions. PR can't operate at a high professional level under marketing."

 

In recognition of the strategic distinctions between public relations and marketing. GM in July 1991 announced that these two functions would again be treated as separate entities. GM realised that what it needed was a strong public relations vice president with walk-in privileges.

 

 

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING

 

While contribution to risk management and marketing enhancement make powerful arguments for a public relations voice in strategy development, some practitioners hold that asset protection is the strongest argument.

 

The Logic: The more valuable an asset is, the more strategically important it is. Those who manage valuable assets should help formulate the strategy for optimizing

these assets. Buildings depreciate, patents expire, but, properly managed, a company's name and reputation grow in value every year.

 

Customers, investors and prospective employees frequently base decisions on reputation. Therefore, reputation is a company's most valuable asset and it must be managed strategically by the public relations practitioner charged with its care.

 

Describing strategic planning in public relation terms, S. Morgan Morton, president, Warner Lambert Canada Inc, Scarborough, Ontario says :

 

"The successful implementation of any strategic plan relies on three very important considerations: Communication, Communication, Communication. The GM/CEO must seize upon every opportunity to reaffirm the strategic direction of the business and articulate where the business is going and the role of each unit in carrying out specific activities related to the achievement of the overall plan."

 

Two points to remember about this communication process:

 

-        while the longer-term vision of the business may be very clear to top management, For most of          the organisation, the focus is on  much shorter time frames, usually the 1 month operating plan.

 

-        In addition to giving the long-term perspective, also concentrate on the linkage between the   current operating plan or specific projects and the longer-term plan.

 

-         

Any communicator who can help senior managers with strategic communications will rapidly gain a place at the strategy planning table.

 

 

 

CHAPTER - VI

 

APPLYING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT TO PUBLIC RELATIONS

 

STRATEGIC COUNSEL IS KEY

 

The CEO is looking to public relations professionals for strategic counsel, not in-house journalism." Paul. S. Forbes, Fellow, PRSA, president of The Forbes Group, counselors to senior management, Fairfax, Virginia.

 

Strategic management is in the vanguard of current management thinking. It is a process that enables any organisation, company, association, non-profit or government agency to identify its long term opportunities and threats, mobilise its assets to address them and carry out a successful implementation strategy. In contrast, long range planning is what you plan to do later and strategic planning is what you do now to bring about a future result.

 

In strategic management the entire process is goal-driven and when employed, you are driven towards accountability. It helps to provide management with measurable results in public relations programming.

 

Strategic management of public relations works-best when the organisation is driven by process. If the CEO and the board know where they want to go and how to get there, the role of public relations will be clearly defined. A public relations strategy can then be based on the corporate plan.

 

A well planned public relations strategy will help you to position yourself as an indispensable advisor to the CEO. During the next decade. the role of public relations will undergo radical changes. The traditional public relations department of old will gradually give way to purchased services. What will be left will be strategic counselors to the CEO.

 

 

THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS - I

 

Strategic Management can be summarised as a six step circular process in two parts.

 

I. Scanning the Future

 

To stay on top of change, an organisation should:

 

-        anticipate and understand the future

-        develop a formal process for looking at least a decade ahead for opportunities and threats posed by social economic, political, technological and environmental trends

-        inventory its structural, cultural and resource assets and liabilities in addressing these challenges

 

II. Building Scenarios

 

Since it is impossible to predict the future with certainty, the trends identified in the future scanning process should be translated into three scenarios :

-        an optimistic outcome

-        a more pessimistic outcome

-        another outcome somewhere between the two

 

This should serve as the basis of contingency planning for each of the three possible outcomes.

 

III. Reviewing the Mission

 

A mission statement should be drawn up for the organisation and the public relations department. The mission statement should not be immutable, but should be reviewed annually, to keep it relevant to the emerging future.

 

The mission statement should define:

 

-        what business the organisation and the department are in ?

-        what line of business should he taken in view of dramatic changes

 

 

THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS - II

 

I.       Setting Objectives, Strategies and Policies

 

The mission statement should then be set into objectives:

 

-        the direction where the organisation and/or- public relations department wants to go

-        strategies on how to get there

-        establishing a series of policies to serve as a frame work for the implementation of these strategies.

 

II. Implementation Strategy

 

Consists of the development and execution of detailed action plans and budgets that carry out the objectives and strategies set by senior management. These objectives and strategies should be developed with the input of the department heads involved. The strategically managed organisation manages by exception. It gives each person the freedom to develop a plan of action and report to management only when there is divergence from the plan.

 

III. Evaluating and updating the Plan

 

-        Strategic management includes a process for an annual review of assumptions and updating of strategies where necessary.

-        This is a time to assess whether the agreed-upon goals and objectives for the year have been attained and to review the performance of those who were entrusted with achieving them.

 

The annual evaluation completes the circular- process of strategic management.

 

 

ADVANTAGES OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

 

Strategically managed organisations have in-built system for managing change, because :

 

-        they are rarely blindsided by events

-        they stay ahead of the competition by anticipating events and finding the right competitive niche before others do.

-        they spot emerging trends and take necessary corrective actions before being forced to do so by consumer or environmental activists.

-        here senior public relations officers are part of the planning' process and use public relations strategies to build harmony between the organisation and all its external and internal publics.

 

In contrast, in organizations that are crisis driven rather than strategy driven, the public relations department is generally forced to be reactive instead of proactive.

 

Here the public relations executive should engage in his or her own future scanning. This helps to come up with crisis preventing solutions to emerging threats, and to identify emerging opportunities that can be exploited to the organisations benefit.