The A - Z of PR
"The Role of Public Relations is to inform, educate and
create understanding through knowledge..."
"Public relations concern any organisation, commercial or non commercial. It exists whether we like it or not - you cannot decide to have or not have public relations. Public Relations consists of all communications with all the people with whom an organisation has contact. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics."
Institute of Public Relations (UK)
As I work for many different types of companies, no two campaigns are ever the same and much will depend on the scale of the campaign and of course the available budget. Below are some of the activities where Public Relations is employed as a powerful business tool within an organisation.
a) Writing and distributing news releases, photographs and feature articles to the Press, compiling press lists.
b) Organising press conferences, receptions and facility visits.
c) Maintaining a media information service.
d) Arranging press, radio and television interviews for management.
e) Briefing photographers and maintaining a picture library.
f) Editing and producing staff magazines or newspapers and organising other forms of internal communication such as videotapes, slides presentations etc.
g) Editing and producing external journals aimed at distributors, customers etc.
h) Writing and producing printed material such as educational literature, company histories, annual reports, induction literature for new staff, educational posters for schools etc.
i) Commissioning audio-visual aids such as documentary films, corporate films etc.
j) Commissioning and organising PR exhibitions and displays, including provision of vehicles.
k) Commissioning and maintaining forms of corporate identity and house styling such as logos, colour schemes, print house style and typography, livery of vehicles, distinctive clothing etc.
l) Handling PR sponsorships
m) Organising works or similar visits, eg site tours, social events etc.
n) Attendance of appropriate board meetings and meetings of production, marketing, sales and other executives.
o) Attendance at sales and dealer conferences.
p) Representation of the company at trade association meetings.
q) Liaison with other media specialists, (if employed).
r) Training PR staff
s) Commissioning opinion surveys
t) Supervising advertising and liaising with advertising agency.
u) Liaison with politicians and civil servants
v) Official openings of new premises - arrangements for VIPs, guests and press.
w) Advising on submission of materials for business awards (Queens Award for Industry, Business Of The Year, etc.)
x) Celebrating centenaries, Queen's Award for Industry, etc.
y) Organising feedback of press cuttings, radio and television transcripts and monitoring and other reports from outside.
z) Analysis of feedback and evaluation of the results, in relation to the original declared objectives.
The above activities should give you some idea as to the kaleidoscopic nature of PR work! Obviously we would neither want nor need to employ all of the above activities in one single public relations programme.
It is therefore of great importance at the initial meeting that an agenda is set along the following lines:
a) set the objectives of the campaign
b) identify the relevant areas of PR to achieve these objectives
c) determine the budget allocation and feasibility
What makes a successful PR programme?
Before a PR programme can be devised it is necessary to be clear about its starting point. What image do our public have of us? Are there negative attitudes that need to be converted? There is no point in spending money just to get favourable publicity and a collection of press cuttings!
The following simple six -point plan encompasses all the requirements of a successful PR programme.
a) Logical Planning
b) Definition of objectives
c) Definition of target audience
d) Selection of media and techniques - the range of PR media
e) Planning the budget
f) Assessment of results
Charging and budgeting fees.
There are many ways by which fees are arrived at but the most common method is to charge on the basis of:
1. Project fees
At the commencement of the project an estimate will be made as to the man hours likely to be involved. In addition an estimate of the material costs will be calculated. This will provide a total cost for the project and will be paid in stage payments, to be agreed upon commission of the project.
The budget will be discussed on a monthly basis and any additional work required will be incorporated into a revised budget to be agreed by both parties.
2. Retainer
To get the best results from public relations, the relationship between the client and the Consultant should be considered as a long-term investment. This will allow the Consultant to build up a full and in-depth understanding of both your company and your long term objectives and to evaluate the results of planned campaigns.
As a Consultant has a number of clients the services cannot be exclusive, however if a client has retained their services, then that client will have a priority, which has undoubted benefits to the client when an urgent PR project is required.
When a Consultant is on a retainer, the fee structure for any specific project changes to take account of the ongoing relationship and the set monthly fee. By employing this method the Consultant provides a set number of days per month exclusively for that client. This enables both the client and the Consultant to budget accordingly.
In addition to fees any material costs (stationery, faxes, telephone calls, postage, visual aids, photographs etc) and out-of-pocket expenses incurred on the client’s behalf, will be charged at cost and itemised separately.
It is vital that the client understands the amount of work a single activity represents and the labour involved. Without this understanding they may feel that they are being overcharged for a seemingly simple task. Let's take the example of the press release, the first activity in the A - Z of Public Relations.
When a press release is written the following stages must be followed:
a) researching the story
b) writing the story
c) seeking client approval and possibly having to produce a revised version
d) writing different versions for different classes of journal
e) compiling a special mailing list
f) running off the releases
g) addressing the envelopes
h) posting the envelopes
i) commission a press cutting agency
j) answering editorial queries
I am sure you will now appreciate the amount of time which has to be budgeted for something as "simple" as a press release!
I hope this brief synopsis has proved both informative and interesting and has helped to convince you that by employing professional public relations in your company, greater market penetration and public awareness of both you and your products will be gained which will ultimately lead to increased profitability in the coming year.
Valerie Jefferys MIDM FFMSc
Ultimedia Marketing Ltd