1. “Public Relations must be managed
strategically before it contributes to
organizational effectiveness”
(J. Grunig)
RACE

2. Why planning is important
 Planning focuses effort
 Planning improves effectiveness
 Planning encourages the long-term
view
 Planning assists pro-activity
 Planning reconciles conflicts
 Planning minimises mishaps
 Planning demonstrates value for money

3. PR-plan
1. Situation analysis/Fact findingphase
2. PR-goals and objectives
3. Organising PR
4. Implementation of the plan
5. Evaluation

5. 1 phase : Situation Analysis
st
 = to identify the issues of specific
problems on which to base the
programme on

6. 1 phase : Situation Analysis
st
 Policy of the organisation
 The structure of the organisation
 The communication structure
 Defining the Product/Service
 Analysing competitors
 Historical evolution and consistency
 Image
 Relationship between management and reputation
 Relationship between management and Public
Relationsfunction
 PEST-analysis
 SWOT-analysis

7. The policy of the organisation
 Definition?
 Importance?
- Help propagate the policy
- EstimateThe CSR-content of the management
- Find relevant audiences
 Where to look for this information?
- Mission Statement
http://drdianehamilton.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/top-10-company-mission-statements-i
- Annual Report
- National ‘Gazette’
- In the head of the CEO
- Code of Conduct
- Organisational culture (behavior of the employees)
- ….

8. The organizational structure
 Purpose ?
 Types of structure :
- Hierarchical or formal structure
- Working structure
- Informal structure

10. Communication structure (1)
Definition: The total system of thoughts and
information exchange due to fulfill the policy aims
and goals of an organisation
Importance ? Communication structure has to
support the organizational structure.

11. Communication structure (2)
 Types of structure:
- Formal structure
- Informal structure
- External Communication
- Internal Communication
- the culture of an organisation

12. Communication structure (3)
 Formal structure
 = decision-making exchanges at
various levels throughout the
organization
= planned
 Informal structure
 = occasional exchange of
information, rumors (grapevine) and
gossip

13. Communication structure (4)
 External communication
– Directing information = necessary
 Internal communication
– Supports the organizational structure or
not?
– Information needs filled?
– Opinion leaders ?

14. Communication structure (5)
 The culture of an organisation
= the uniqueness of an organisation
= is formed by the norms and values, beliefs,
the principles by which one organization
distinguishes itself from an other
= the integrated pattern of human behavior,
which includes the provision of speech,
action and thinking, based on norms, values
​ and beliefs, which in a certain organization
set the tone. (eg : Gideons gang)

15. Product/service description
 Quality of the product or service
 Societal acceptance and appreciation ?
 Single of multiple offer ?
 Active in 1 or different niches/sectors ?

16. Analysing competition
 Geographical situation
 Quality products and services
 Positioning/market segments
 Identity
 Image
 ….
Drawing a Competency profile

17. Competency profile
Comp. 1 COMPETENCES MIEANS PROCEDURES STRUCTURE
Technological
Production
Products
market segments
Geographically
Image
Communicatiion
Social
Research

18. Historical context (1)
 The historical consistency of objectives
contributes to the recognition and
acceptance of the organisation
 This provides : security, continuity and
predictability

19. Historical context(2)
 Thus searching for :
– Highs and lows in the past
– Critical incidents
– Events with an impact on the image
– Shift current objectives towards earlier‘
–…

20. Image
 Self-image of the organisation
 Mirrored self-image
 Various subimages
 Global image
 ….

21. Relationship between management and
reputation
Managing the company’s reputation : a
task for the PR-practioner and
management !!

22. Relationship between management
and the PR-practioner
 Importance ? In order to determine initial
position PR.
- What is PR all about in this company ?
- Staff- or linefunction ?
- budget ?
- To whom reports the PR-practitioner ?

23. PEST(E)-analysis
= Is a known and useful technique for
analysing the environment in which
the organisation functions
- Politically
– Economically
– Socially
– Technologically
– (Ecologically)

24. PEST-analysis (2)
Politically Economically
Laws (local, regiona, national, EU,..) level of Interest rates
Regulations employment Inflation
Commercial law (also overseas) Money supply
Change of government level of energycosts
level of employment
Available income
Business cycli
Inernational and
national conditions

25. PEST-analyse (3)
Socially Technologically
Evolution of the population New inventions
Lifestyles level of change
Level of education Investments in technology
Patterns of consumption Standard of technology
Distribution income and Wealth
Social attitudes en patterns

26. SWOT-analysis (1)
 Strengths
 Weaknesses
 Opportunities
 Threats

27. SWOT-analysis (2)
STENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Financially strong Conservative on investmentlevel
Innovative investments
Good leadership/management limited production
Good and strong image Traditional, hierarchical structure
employees with great Only known through 1
knowhow product/service

28. SWOT-analysis(3)
 OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
cheap import of supplies from Onstable East European
Eastern Europe front
Exportpossibilities to China Political and economical
uncertainty of the situation
in Hong Kong

29.  Through research of the own
organisation AND the environment
(PEST-analysis), by conducting a
SWOT-analysis : the final problem and
the bottlenecks become very clear.
 So we can finish this phase with a good
diagnose of the organisation.

30. 2nd phase PR-goals
Goals :
- Specific
- Measurable
- Acceptable
- Realistic/Feasable
- Time related
=SMART

31. 2nd phase :Formulating PR-goals
Often related to concepts as:
-Knowledge
-Attitude
-Behaviour
Taking into account :
-Approach
-Reality
-Accountibilaty
-Regular evaluations
OR : always in correlations with
publics/stakeholders

32. 2nd phase : Setting out PR-
goals/directives
“Segmenting people into groups and
identifying their interests is the very
essence of public relations”
(Coulson-Thomas)

33. Defining the publics/stakeholders(1)
 Defining publics or stakeholders
(dependency criterion)
 Mapping of publics
– Structuring publics
Internal publics
External publics
intermediaries
 - Diagnose of missing groups

34. Defining the publics/stakeholders (2)
 Detailing of sub-groups or subgroups
 Creating a schematic pattern of
relationships :
Prioritize (sphere)
- Functional-essential
- Functional-needed /
desired
- Hierarchical-formal

35. Defining the publics/stakeholders(3)
 Creating a schematic pattern of
relationships:
- prioritize
- Quality of the relationship :
- Knowledge
- Attitude
- Behaviour
- Information Climate

36. Defining the publics/stakeholders (4)
 Mapping of the information climate
– Informing needs
– Information needs
• Consultation
• Allocution
• Conversation
 Understanding audience activity
– Level of interest : low, high, medium
– Latent publics
– Aware publics
– Active publics

37. Defining the publics/stakeholders(5)
 Structuring the audiences
 Diagnosis of the missing groups
 Detailing of subgroups
 Creating a schematic pattern of relationships
- Assign priorities to dependency
- Quality of relationship
- Climate Information Mapping
 PR policy preparation
 Participation Round

38. You have to lay down the hay in
front of the mules
Exercise : What does this mean ?

39. 3rd Phase: Organising PR
- Creating the right conditions
- Setting out the road to capture the goals
- Clearly indicating what the main and secondary
objectives are
- Attracting the right people who are committed
and motivated to achieve the objectives.
- Sufficient financial resources
….

40.  Organisational goals, mission,
positioning.
 PR-goals
 Strategy
 Message
 Tactics

41. Strategy (1)
Thinking in terms of strategy is at the
heart of public relations planning. In
the pure sense, a strategy is a plan
to use selected means in
predetermined ways to attain a
desired result. Strategic thinking
links the fact-finding phase to the
planning and programming (Cutlip,
Center en Broom)

42. Strategy (2)
Based on the Goals/directives
 Orients/Determines the selection of
message(s), channel selection and
resource(s)
= How you want to achieve your goals

43. Strategy (3)
‘The overall concept, approach or
general plan’ (Cutlip, ea)
‘The coordinating theme or factor; the
guiding principle, or purpose; and
‘the big idea’; The rationale behind
the programme.’ (Tench and
Yeomans)

44. Strategy (4)
 Strategy = dictated by
– The issues arising from the analysis of
the problem
– The foundation on which tactics are
build
– The positioning of the organisation

45. Positioning
= choices the management made in orienting the organisation
and profiling it.
Different ways to make this choice clear:
a. informational (= based on concrete attributes, rational) :
emphasis on concrete advantages
b. transformational (= bases on values and emotions) =
lifestylepositioning
c. twoway positioning : combination of a and b
d. Performance positioning : only the communication
approach differs.

46.  A succesfull positioning=
– Unique
– supportive
– Motivating (internal and external)
– Gives focus to the organisation
– consistent

47. Strategy : tools to help define it
(1)
 AIDA-principle :
- Attention
- Interest
- Desire
- Action

48. Strategy : tools to help define it (2)
Sender
Active Passive
Active exchange search
Receiver
Passive distribution killing time
(routine)

49. A PR-strategy can take on different
forms.
BUT : always take notice of :
- the identity of the publics/stakeholders
- their information need(s)
- the desired effect
- the goals one wants to reach

50. Message
An effective message is one that cost-
effectively promotes objectives,
matches the interests and meets the
needs of the publics at which is is
directed and which is suitable for
and compatible with the channels
that will be used to communicate it.

51. Defining the message
Based on the positioning
Central theme
Submessages

52. 2 important criteria
3. Close to the intellectual level and
the referential knowledge of the
publics
4. In corelation with the information
needs of the publics/stakeholders

53. Tactics
 Should flow easily and naturally
 Strategy should guide brainstorming
and be used to reject activities that
do not support the strategic intent or
the programme objectives
THUS : there should be a clear link
between objectives, strategy and
tactics

54. Trap
Creative ideas are taking over while
ignoring the key aim and objectives

55. Designing the tactical elements
of a campaign
 2 questions should be answered :
– Is the tactic appropriate ?
• Will it reach the target publics ?
• Will it have the right impact ?
• Is it credible and influential ?
• Does it suit the content in terms of creative
treatment and compatibility with other
techniques used ?

56. – Is the tactic deliverable ?
• Can it be implemented successfully?
• Is there sufficient budget ?
• Are the timescales correct ?
• Can one rely the right people and expertise
to implement it ?

57. Capacity en facilities
Availability
Capacity
Deployment of skilled people
Infrastructure and accommodation

58. Budget
 = An itemized forecast of an individual's or company’s
income and expenses expected for some period in the
future
 = A Budget is a plan that outlines an organizations
financial and operational goals. So a budget may be
thought of as an action plan; planning a budget helps a
business allocate resources, evaluate performance, and
formulate plans.
 = important for an organisation : to act, to make decisions,
to evaluate.

59. Budget (2)
= action expressed in money
= normative for everyone in the
organisation

60. Advantages
 Increases the management of costs,
manpower and materials
 Better possibilities to delegate
 Augments efficiency
 Evaluation is easier
 Feasibility of the PR-Plan becomes more
clear

61. Budgetingsystems
 Close-end budgeting
 Open-end budgeting
 Administrative budgeting
 Program budgeting
- PPBS
- Zero Based Budgeting

62. Ground rules
 Continuity
 Flexibility
 Timescaling

63. Timescaling
= an instrument to handle deadlines
Because :
- Time is a finite commodity
- The life of a PR practitioner is notoriously
busy
- PR often involves the cooperation of
others
- Deadlines can be externally imposed or
internally driven by the organisation

64. Year Planning
 yearplanning
 Timesheets

65. Projectplanning
 Ganttchart
 CPM or Critical path method
 PERTanalysis (Program Evaluation
Review Technique)

66. 4th phase : Implementation of the
PR-plan
Plans, if they are to be carried out
effectively, must be monitored at
each step of the way. Follow through
on plans is just as important in the
practice of public relations as it is in
a good golf swing.

67. 5th phase : Evaluating PR
- If Public Relations is to command greater
management attention and support, it
must demonstrate that it works, which is
what measurement and evaluation are all
about
-The Achilles heel of many public relations
operations is weak feedback of results to
management”

68. Exercise
 Students of 2PR G organised a welcome event for the
Mocomastudents in february 2012.
Directive : A quick integration of the foreign students in
our University college and in our city.
 Activities :
–Invite per mail
–Information Session and guided tour in Kantienberg
–Buddie-event
–Pub Crawl
–Quest in Ghent
–Visit of a Brewery
How would you try to find out if the students of 2 PR G
were successful ?

69. Evaluation :
 Focuses effort
 Demonstrates effectiveness and efficiency
 Encourages good management and
accountability

70. Evaluation :
 =
– Regularly checking if the programme is on track
– An ongoing process and should be considered at
the objective-setting stage : it does not happen at
the end of the programme
– Ongoing monitoring
– end of the programme : has the plan met its
overall objectives

71. Keywords
 Systematic en cylic
 THUS :
- Implementation Check
- In-Progress monitoring
- Outcome Evaluation/impact Evaluation

72. Different levels
 Short term Effects (immediate)
-Contact
-Knowledge
-Understanding
-Accept
 Long term Effects
-knowledge
- attitude
- behaviour

73. Dimensions of Evaluation
- Formative evaluation (pretesting)
- Before the programme is in operation
- Summative evaluation (posttesting)
- Assessing outcomes and impacts as
they take place towards the end of a
programme
- Impact Evaluation
- Evaluates results against objectives

74. Principles that make evaluation
easier :
 Setting SMART objectives
 Evaluating from the start
 Agreeing measurement criteria with whoever will be
judging success
 Evaluating and monitoring as the programme
progresses
 Taking an objective and a scientific approach
(training in research methods or employing
specialists)
 Establishing open and transparent monitoring
processes (monthly reports),..)

75. Baskin en Aronoff
 Closed evaluation system
- production , distribution, interests,
reach, understanding and attitude
- within the PR-programme and related
to the publics involved.
- short term effects
 Open evaluation system
- keeping track with the environment
- long term effects