When we talk about PR Parameters we are trying to understand how PR functions. PR functions in the following ways as argued by (Odedele 2008) as follows:
a)
Press
Agently;
The organization has to be queried by its publics to provide information in
response to the query(s). This means if the public does not ask for
information, the organization would not find the need to communicate.
b)
Public
Information;
Successful organizations do not really wait for the public to query for information. They have plenty information necessary for their publics and as a way to communicate their future plans.
Emerging issues in such organizations that have public interest are freely communicated to the public even if it could be a public surprise. This means publics are not consulted if they really needed the information or not.
c)
Two-Way
Asymmetrical;
This uses scientific research techniques to find out about the business problems customers of the business are facing. The organization digs deep into finding out about needs/wants of its publics but the found information is not used to solve the problem at hand…Why? Because this function is only there to help the business know customer needs.
Question – What
would motivate the institution just know the causes of the business problem
without having driven to solve the problem.
i.
To weigh the risk of either solving
or not solving the problem
ii.
Prioritize the actual problems that
require immediate attention
iii.
It can provide edge to understand how
your publics value your competitors
iv.
It can be for planning purposes where
in future a business would come to solve them at once
v.
It least to appreciate the problems
affecting the business
vi.
To enhance inner improvements before
the programmes goes out of that business
vii. It can be a mode of deceiving customers that a business is equally concerne
d)
Two-Way
Symmetrical;
Scientific investigative or research techniques are used to find out about publics needs/wants that affect business operations. The organization uses the found information to solve the business problems and adjusts to the needs of the publics.
The information as in Two-Way Asymmetrical moves from the organization to the publics and vice-versa.
e)
Excellence
Theory;
Excellence Theory, as discussed by Grunig, holds that PR Management and Operations should always involve women's participation even in the leading roles. This responds to human rights declaration that women are equals to men.
The theory hosts that women empowerment in communication has an element of ensuring message acceptability by other women too.
Odedele 2008 quotes Grunig 1999 that all positions in PR department should not only be held by men but also women. However, although women and men are recognised to handle PR work for respective institutions, it does not really mean that either of them are exempted to manage all principles of PR (Communication, Research, Creation of lasting relations, and achievement satisfaction of publics and organization objectives/goals).
PLANNING PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAMMES
Remember PR is all about management communication of perceptions which require business attention to respond to the needs of publics for a business to succeed.
There
if PR involves management, then it must follow all management tools as argued
Henry Feyol:
1.
Planning
– Get
direction
2.
Organizing
– Resources
for operation (HR, Tech, Fin, Rep, Phys…)
3.
Coordinating
– Linking
individual efforts to represent organization/group results
4. Controlling/Commanding/Executing
– Discipline
in deadlines, use of resources, focus on results.
5. Motivating – Timely salaries, work condition – safety and hygiene, promotions, acknowledgment of good work, training, work relations…
FOUR REASONS FOR PLANNING PR
PROGRAMMES
1.
To set targets for PR operations –
against which results can be assessed.
2.
To estimate working hours and other
costs involved.
3.
To select priorities that will
control (i) the number (ii)the timing of different
operations in the programme.
4. To decide the feasibility of carrying out the declared objectives according to the availability of (i) sufficient staff of the right caliber; (ii) physical equipment such as office machines, cameras, vehicles; (iii) an adequate budget.
SIX POINT PR PLANNING MODEL
1.
APPRECIATION
OF THE SITUATION
This is about having sound knowledge of
the problem at hand and finding a reason to solve such a problem. A leading
would be…Is this worth a problem affecting our business success?
a) Logical Planning; Reasoning with your environment or sensing that something is not right. You plan based on environmental circumstances.
b) The PR Transfer Process; this enables organizations to transfer negative business-public perceptions to positive.
For example:
|
NEGATIVE |
POSITIVE |
|
Hostile |
Sympathy |
|
Prejudice |
Acceptance |
|
Apathy |
Interest |
|
Ignorance |
Knowledge |
c) A Necessary Compromise; this involves turning almost a blind eye on certain mechanisms that though they are affecting the business but you need to tolerate then until sometime when you can respond without injuring or affecting your publics or your business.
d) Investigating the Situation; actual probing of the problem using research techniques – Quest to know the cause of the problem.
e) Opinion Polls; a simple survey where perception and attitudes are collected to establish the truth about a situation.
f) Problem Solving; good PR is all about finding solutions to a business.
g)
Methods
of Appreciating the Situation
i.
Opinion, Perceptions, Attitudes or
image surveys
ii.
Media monitoring (Press cuttings,
Broadcast markings)
iii.
Customer complaints
iv.
Sale figure trends
v. Market forces: economic, social, political, technological
2.
DEFINITION
OF OBJECTIVES
Every programme is designed to achieve
intended results. PR programme like other programmes depend on objectives which
are representative with SMART [ER]
model.
Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time bound, Economic, Researchable
Example:
To
increase sales of Soya Pieces with 60% by within July to November 2018.
1.
To conduct sales promotion
2.
To
have three distribution points per trading centre
3.
To engage advertising with 6 slots per day+
3.
DEFINITION
OF PUBLICS
Check “Public Relations is Both an Art and Science “and Should be a Management Function By AB Deevado - Andrew Bishop Mkandawire article on the AB Deevado BlogSpot.
4.
SELECTION
OF MEDIA AND TECHNIQUES
Selecting the media depends on the
following factors;
1.
Frequency of the message
2.
Depth of the message
3.
Geographic reach
4.
Type of media (Advantages and disadvantages)
5.
Number of audiences
6.
Cost of disseminating the message
7.
Literacy levels
8. Culture/Religion of audience
5.
PLANNING
OF A BUDGET
A budget, adequate and sufficient, is important to meet costs of the right equipment, transport, salaries, and wages, multimedia production, media cover, premise, hiring of talent, etc.
6.
ASSESSMENT
OF RESULTS
Every PR program requires a check of results against objectives. This proves if the business achieved or not. Assessment of results can also provide a platform to discover other subtle opportunities.
PR
CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Crisis Management makes a lot of sense to business operators (Juniors and Managers) who always desire to see their business successful.
Crises in every business can be:
1.
Anticipated
2.
Second
or Third Party communicated
3. Un-noticed/Unexpected
Ivy Ledbetter Lee was called in by American Anthracite Coal Industry, and the Pennsylvania Railroad, in 1906 to handle pit disaster and rail accident for the stated companies.
Ledbetter used the following techniques to
handle such crises:
1.
He
demanded access to boardrooms to get the facts –
To what caused the crisis, background of the problem and quest for possible
solutions or inner improvement to avoid re-occurrence.
2.
He
allowed access by the press to scenes of disaster – Avoids
media negative publicity
3.
He
ensured and kept communication lines open –
Avoids speculation
4.
Interaction
with established Crisis Management Committee to handle crises
STAGES
IN HANDLING A CRISIS
1.
PREVENTION
– ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING
As discussed by (Jefkins 1998, p. 368) ‘Too often, disasters occur through bad management. They happen all the time in everyday public relations life let alone in large-scale industrial circumstances.’
When advocating that PR should be planned,
an excuse is sometimes made that PR often has to deal with the unpredictable.
Crisis PR means planning to deal with the unpredictable.
EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE AND IMPOSSIBLE CRISES AT SOBO
Possible Crises
1)
Fire gutting the production plat
2)
Production team striking
3)
RTA for distribution trucks
4) Laboratory chemical errors
Impossible Crises
1)
Plant close down due to lightning and
thunder strike
2)
Plant hit by aircraft
3)
Distribution vans invaded by
terrorists
4)
Government closing plant down due to
outstanding taxes
5)
All workers attacked by Cholera
EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE AND IMPOSSIBLE CRISES AT TNM
Possible Crises
1.
Slow/Gagged network
2.
Net shutdown
3.
Credit queries
4.
Rude/Incompetent customer care team
5.
Transmission tower causing perceived
infertility
6.
Delayed supply of scratch cards
7.
Failure to maintain transmission
equipment
8. Retrenchments
Impossible Crises
1.
Malfunction of all transmission
equipment
2.
Network discontinuation for more than
week
3.
Loss of over 50% of customer due to a
new entrant
4.
Issuance of wrong token numbers
2.
PREPARATION
Two things are necessary in order to be prepared for crises.
a) Establishment of a Crisis Committee; this should be composed of junior workers and superior workers like HRO, Production Manager, ED, Sales Marketing Officer, Communications Manager, Head of Guards, etc.
b)
Emphasis
on Regular Meetings; discussing issues that would help solve a
crisis
3.
PROVISION
The media will demand every kind of
information, although they have no right to anything. This is because bad news
for an organization is good for media businesses to sell negative headlines.
Every crisis invites right or wrong
criticisms. Therefore a business must prepare how it will provide information
to the public. For example, a media statement must be written and agreed upon
before releasing it to the media.
At all cost the PRO must be in control of the information flow from and when the problem is being solved, media tour should be arranged to allow media see problem-solving progress. And after the problem is solved media visit should be arranged as well to allow media cover how much the problem has been solved. This creates public trust.
DOS
AND DONTS DURING CRISIS MANAGEMENT
According to (Jefkins 1995 and 1998) The
Western Union published Dos and Donts kit called When Every Second Counts – Crisis Communications Planning which has
the following checklist:
DOS
i.
Gather all facts, and disseminate
from one central information centre
ii.
Speak with one voice, consistently,
via a designated and trained communications officer
iii.
Select a credible, trained
communication officer
iv.
Be accessible to the media
v.
Report your own bad news
vi.
Tell your story quickly, openly and
honestly
vii.
If you cannot discuss something,
explain why
viii.
Provide enough evidence
ix.
Record the whole crisis for future
uses (includes how it was solved)
x.
Update crisis communications plan
periodically
DONTS
i.
Avoid no comment, as it leads to speculation
ii.
Don’t debate the subject
iii.
Don’t fight back at media, rather address
and solve the problem
iv.
Don’t overreact or exaggerate
v.
Always operate within your policies
vi.
Don’t make off-the-record statements
SOURCES
OF CRISIS
1. Contamination
of products
2. Withdrawal
of services
3. Criticism
4. Crisis
in Public Service Industries and Events Organising
5. Product
Recall
REFERENCES
Jefkins, F 1995, Public Relations Techniques. 2nd Edition, Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann
Jefkins, F 1998, Public relations frameworks, 5th edition, Pearson Education, Harlow.
Odedele, S 2008, Public
relations and communication management in Africa, Petros-Faith Public Relations
Consult, Lagos.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Baran, SJ 2002, Introduction to Mass Communication, 2nd Edition, Boston: Mc GrawHill
Weiss, JW 2003, Business Ethics, 3rd edition, Canada: Thomson
‘Business Dictionary’ 2012, Total Quality Management, Viewed 24th March, 2012, http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/total-quality-management- TQM.html. [22/01/12]
‘Southern African Association for the Conference’ 2012, PRISA Public Relations Definition, Viewed 27th February 2012, http://www.saaci.co.za/content.asp?pageID=349
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