Comm 313 Notes for Final Exam 03 13 2014 Public Opinion vs Mass Opinion Public Opinion certain issue of the publics Mass Opinion o PRs must break the audience into meaningful subgroups for a o PRs must design communication strategies for each segment o The average opinion taken from a group with many different opinions is not very useful for PR o The average opinion blurs the strength and direction of attitudes Criteria for Audience Segmentation Segments must be o Definable o Mutually exclusive o Measurable o Accessible o Pertinent to an organization s mission o Reachable with communication in an affordable way o Large enough to be of importance for a campaign Audience Segments qualities o Members of a segment share similar qualities that determine their attitude or behavior Knowledge Constraints Motivation o Members of a segment can be reached through similar media organizational or interpersonal channels o Problem there is no easy formula to identify those segments Shortcuts to identify segments o Demographic Only valid if variables correlate with antecedents knowledge constraints and motivation for attitude or o Using motivation or constraint variables that influence behavior attitude and behavior E g a segment of your adult athletes with peer norms supporting performance enhancers supplements Qualitative and quantitative methods in audience segments o Representativeness is a crucial issue in audience segmentation Problems with focus groups and in depth interview People who agree to participate are often typical o Problem of multivariate classification Amenable by cluster analyses Time consuming effortful and expensive Matching segmentation strategies to resources and task o If segments are known borrow them from previous research o NEW LECTURE Strategic Planning What is planning about Planning is about achieving something a goal in the future o The future is uncertain Planning is about devising the best possible path to achieve a goal in a dynamic environment o A dynamic environment is uncertain To devise the best possible path you must o Find out where you are o Find out what are the trends in the environment o Assess your strengths and weaknesses in relation to your goal o SWOT analysis To plan is to be proactive o What is it like to be proactive o What is it like to be reactive To be proactive is to consciously engage in constructing reality Just reacting to situations events can put an organization in a vulnerable position Preventative public relations is likely to avoid problems Two categories of planning o Strategic plans long range plans made by upper management use environmental scanning to analyze and prioritize strategic issues identification and centrality of issue strength of opinion o Tactical Plans Concerns the day to day operations of an organization Concerns the immediate future Techniques for developing plans o Public opinion surveys scientific research o Brainstorming All ideas are accepted initially No negative feedback or critique during the discussion o Scenario Construction Hypothetical description of future events Explores the dynamics of various alternatives 03 25 14 COMMUNICATION IN PUBLIC RELATIONS Elements of a PR Plan Situation Objectives Audience Strategy Tactics Calendar or timeline Budget Evaluation PR Campaign Planning Document 12 Steps 1 Goals must be related the organization s mission 2 Description of the problem o big or small o Should it be broken down o Is a PR audit necessary 3 Description of threats and opportunities in connection to achieving the goal SWOT analysis 4 Selection of target audience 5 Development of a theme for the program or campaign message 6 Development of the objectives for the plan or campaign development measurable 7 Creation of strategies to accomplish your objectives 8 Developing tactics to implement strategies 9 Creating evaluation techniques 10 Developing a budget o list resources people time and equipment o estimate the use of resources o determine the cost of resources Remember o campaigns budgets are building blocks for annual public relations departmental budgets and for bids submitted by independent PRs o PR s engage in competition for organizational resources 11 Working out a timetable for each step in the process 12 Assigning personnel o the plan must detail in house and out house human resources needed for the project CHAPTER 7 THE PUBLIC RELATION PROCESS Action and Communication Strategic Communication o The right message through the right media to the right audience at the right time and with the right effect Influencing publics to accept and adopt your plan campaign program Diffusing information Facilitating the adoption process Influencing decision makers managers o To carry on your PR plan in and out of the organization o To respond to feedback criticism Diffusing information o Selecting the target audience o Devising the critical path of influence Facilitating the Adoption process o Using traditional media and new media o Using subtler forms of influence persuasion Categorizing the Audience Primary Publics o The group to whom the action is directed Intervening Publics o Publics who have direct contact with primary audience family significant others co workers peers Moderating Publics experts o Publics with high credibility with primary public in topic areas The Diffusion Process The way new ideas are adopted in a society Channels of influence Diffusion Theory Five Stages in the Diffusion of Innovation Process o Knowledge o Persuasion o Decision o Implementation o Confirmation o Accept o Reject Critical Path of Influence Diffusion theory o Awareness spread through the mass media and social media o Interest people seek more information mass media and social media influence o Evaluation people make decision to try the new product or idea significant others influence o Trials practical application begins early adopters significant others influence o Adoption experience adoption by the target audience personal Channels of Influence Mass Media and Social Media electronic and print media Biased Intermediaries salespeople Unbiased Third Parties consumer groups government agencies Significant Others friends and relatives Personal Experience actual use of innovation Facilitating the Adoption Process Application of the critical path of influence o press releases to raise awareness and interest o intervening publics evaluation and trial o unbiased third parties evaluation and trial 04 01 14 Meaning of