Week 10

This week’s reading outlined the importance of tactics such as event management and sponsorship and provided an overview on how each tactic contributed to public relations strategic goals and marketing. In summary, the key points I learnt from this week's readings were that sponsorship is “the purchase of rights and benefits associated with an event, organisation or individual” (Boyd, 2004). Sponsorship expects a return and is a widely used PR tactic because it offers exclusivity, image association, hospitality for clients, product sampling, signage, networking, media coverage and more (Boyd, 2004).

However I found that it is important to note what type of sponsorship will benefit an organisation the most or even if a sponsorship will benefit the organisation at all. There a three types of sponsorship such as philanthropic (community based sponsorship with benefits in taxation), corporate (the sponsoring of events not normally linked with the organisation- e.g. the Olympics) or marketing sponsorships (primarily used to promote products and services to the target markets- a prime example of this is Tiger Woods who is sponsored by Nike for US$20 million a year). It is vital for an organisation to consider whether sponsorships have benefits, improve the image of an organisation, boosts sales, generate publicity and enhance product awareness. If none of these apply it may be a good idea to try another tactic that will better service the business.

My learning builds upon previous learning about public relations in that PR professionals do in fact use some unprincipled methods of marketing. This includes ambush marketing which is a clever yet unethical tactic used by PR professionals where a company misrepresents itself as being associated with an event (Boyd, 2004). It is essential for organisation to prevent this type of PR tactic by letting audiences know the real sponsors and making legal action pursuable.

I was interested to see that event management is public relations tactic widely used in the profession. Events can include conferences, sports activities, launches, openings, dinners and much more. If manages correctly events can achieve a number of PR goals and objectives. In order to succeed in events it is vital for organisations to plan effectively. Firstly organisation should consider whether the event is feasible (this involves assessing how much an event will cost, whether it offers opportunity to raise revenue, ability to reach target audiences etc). The execution, evaluation, budgeting and management of an event are also extremely important to the overall success of the event.

The case studies provided within the text were also extremely helpful as they provided an outlook on how different organisations utilised sponsorships and events whilst given a description of the problems and benefits involved.

Week 9

Because I have already commented of chapter 7 of the text book which outlined the importance of effective strategising, planning and scheduling, I will focus my blog on chapter 8 which essentially looks at the tactics used in public relations practice. Tactics refer to the methods PR practitioners use to achieve their strategic outcomes. My learning builds upon previous learning about public relations in that before I read the chapter I was unaware that there was such thing as controlled and uncontrolled tactics. Controlled tactics are “those over which the public relations practitioner maintains control over every aspect of the process” (Hudson, 2004). Uncontrolled tactics include advertising, reports, brochures, posters and direct mail. Conversely uncontrolled tactics are those in which practitioners do not remain in total control of the outcome or the message, for example a media release which can be altered or blocked completely.

The dissemination of tactics is also a critical part in the overall success and impact of public relations strategy. Methods of distributions of tactics include mail, faxes, news agencies, email, cd-roms, couriers, videos, personal delivery and websites (Hudson, 2004). However it must be taken into consideration that each method of distribution has both positive and negative aspects. It is important that each practitioner examine which methods will be most effective for their cause.

Some tactics utilised by public relations practitioners include-
· Media relations: this can be a cost- effective way of publicising a product event or service through a mass medium. However it is essential that PR practitioners consider newsworthiness, potential for negativity, and selection of media.
· Printed material: this includes brochures, leaflets and flyers. It is vital that the purpose, layout and design of the document is clearly defined and contributed to the organisations overall strategy.
· Annual reports: legal requirements highlighting the challenges and benefits experienced by organisations.
· Direct mail: personally addressed information targeting a specific location, demographic or income bracket. This method can be considered slow in an electronic age.
· Branding: this includes trademarks and slogans that defines how an organisation is recognised and perceived.
· Events: including functions and fundraisers promote, inform or advertise a certain product, service or renewal within an organisation
· Sponsorship: guaranteed exposure, measurable goals and synergy of sponsored events all need to be considered when undergoing sponsorship as a public relations tactic.

In summary, the key points I learnt from this week's readings were that tactics play an important role in the public relations process. Research and evaluation is vital to ensure practitioner can assess and implement tactics and methods of distributions effectively and efficiently.

Week 8

The readings this week suggest that there is a lot to consider when conducting relations with the media. This is emphasised in the reading “writing a media release” (Tymson, Lazar and Lazar, 2006). In summary, the key points I learnt from this week's readings was that media release are the most used method of media relations. It was highlighted that in order for a media release to be successful it had to be newsworthy in regards to angle, interest, emotion and achievement. Before reading the set text I was unaware that there was such thing as hard news and soft news. Hard news refers to stories that a deemed serious and usually occupy the front pages of newspapers and soft news refers to human interest stories that can be amusing or entertaining (Tymson, Lazar & Lazar, 2006).

When writing news release it is vital that you target the correct media for your message, structure your release following the rules of the inverted pyramid, choose your method of distribution wisely and conform to media deadlines. My learning builds upon previous learning about public relations in that although these are all desired when writing news releases it isn’t always the case. This is exemplified in Sallot and Johnson’s reading where out of the 156 coded journalist reports analysed for the article, 115 of the journalists “complained of practitioners lack of news sense and values, accuracy, timeliness and style of presentation- such as the inverted pyramid” (Sallot & Johnson, 2005).

I found it particularly interesting to note that in Sallot and Johnson’s reading 93% of journalists preferred or liked being contacted by email. This is why it is imperative to understand the internet as a medium when creating media relations. I learnt that when emailing it is important to never bulk address, leave out any fancy formatting, keep it simple, subject your headline and preface and personalise the email (Tymson, Lazar & Lazar, 2006). I found the email checklist and pros and cons table extremely helpful when considering what is appropriate for emailing.

Week Seven

After reading the set texts it was clear that media relations plays an enormous role in public relations practice. Chapter 10 focuses on the power and impact that media relations has on public relations activities in an organisation and emphasises its importance in regards to publicity, crisis management, campaigns and sponsorships. I found it particularly interesting that media relations is in fact a two-way relationship. It doesn’t merely involve journalists seeking information from PR professionals but also includes PR professionals monitoring the media to be aware of current issues, events and changes that may occur. Being aware of the media will give PR practitioners a competitive advantage when it comes to identifying trends and acknowledging times of heightened public interest that can ultimately lead to greater profitability. For example if the media was currently fixated on obesity it would be a great time for McDonalds to launch a healthy food campaign, this illustrates the importance for public relations practitioners to be continually aware of current media.

My learning builds upon previous learning about public relations in that there is a lot to acknowledge when communicating with the media. It is essential for PR professionals to understand what makes their product, organisation, event or profile newsworthy. Newsworthiness is often defined by impact, conflict, timeliness, proximity, prominence, currency, human interest, the unusual or money (Johnston, 2004: p. 264). It is also important for PR practitioners to understand their target audience and identifying what needs to be done to reach that target audience. For example if your target audience is children it would be unlikely for an organisation to advertise in business newspapers.

I also found both of the articles on presentations and speaking in public very useful to the preparation of our public relations debates. However I found that both of the texts were fairly similar but both offered helpful and applicable tips for creating a successful oral presentation. In summary, the key points I learnt from this week's readings were that when speaking in public it is essential to control your nerves. This can be done by having extensive knowledge on what you are going to say and being prepared to answer tricky questions. When speaking in front of an audience it’s important to have an aim and purpose to what you are trying to get across and its essential that your material coincides with your topic.

I believe that all of the readings this week gave a great outlook on what skills are needed within the PR industry, whether it is good oral and group skills or effective media relations.