TF-PR How To...

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HowToDraftaPublicRelationsStrategy

DefinitionofPublicRelations
PRisaboutreputationtheresultofwhatyoudo,whatyousayandwhatotherssayaboutyou.PRisthe
disciplinewhichlooksafterreputation,withtheaimofearningunderstandingandsupportandinfluencing
opinionandbehaviour.Itistheplannedandsustainedefforttoestablishandmaintaingoodwillandmutual
understandingbetweenanorganisationanditspublics.TheCharteredInstituteofPublicRelations(CIPR)
www.ipr.org.uk/.PRismorethansimplyproducingpublicitymaterial.Anorganisationisonlyas
strongasitsreputation.ThePRfunctionistomanagethatreputation.

WhydoyouneedaPRStrategy?
Tocomplementtheoverallbusinessplanofanorganisation
ToidentifywaysinwhichPRcanhelpachieveanorganisationsobjectives
Tofocusandmanageallthecommunicationsofanorganisation
ToensuremaximumbenefitfromallPRactivities
ItcanalsohelpeducatethosewithinanorganisationaboutthevalueofPR

Essentialquestionsastrategyshouldanswer:
1. Wherearewenow?
2. Wheredowewanttobe?
3. Towhomarewetalking(audiences)?
4. Whatdowewantthemtodoandwhydowewantthemtodoit?
5. Whatarewegoingtosaytothem(messages)?
6. Wherearewegoingtoreachthem?
7. Whenarewegoingtoreachthem?
8. Whichtechniques(methods)arewegoingtouse?
9. Howmucharewegoingtospend?
10. Whatifthereareunforeseenproblems?
11. Howdidwedo?
(Thefirsttwoquestionsareessentialonlyifyourorganisationdoesnotalreadyhaveabusinessplan.)

1.Whereisyourorganisationnow?
PRpracticeshouldideallybedrivenbyresearchandanalysissoitisessentialtocarryoutsome
researchamongkeyaudiences(canbesimplequestionnairesortelephonecalls).Analyseyourresults
toseeiftheperceptionsoftheorganisationiscorrect.Summarisewhereyourorganisationisnow(you
canincludepersonalobservationshere).

2.Wheredoyouwanttobe?
Itisessentialtogetmanagementinputhereasthisshouldbeinlinewithanorganisationsaswellas
identifywaysinwhichPRcanhelpspecificallyhelpanorganizationachieveitsobjectives.Keepthis
realisticbutvisionary(thewholeworldbeingawareofyourcompanyisnotrealisticunlessyouare
CocaCola,forexample).YouwantgroupXtoknowyouexist;YouwantgroupYtosignupforsome

Produced/revised in May 2006

Author: Joanne Barnett, TERENA.

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ofyourservices;Youwantthemediatopublishyournewsreleases;Youwanttohelpsecurefuture
governmentfunding;andsoon.

3.Towhomareyoutalking(audiences)?
PRobjectivesarenearlyalwaysaboutinfluencingsomeoneeithertotakeactionornottotakeaction,
theactionhavingsomeeffectonanorganisation,Identifyingtargetaudiencesisavitalpartofa
strategy.Thepersonorpersons(public)beingtargetedbecomethetargetaudience(e.g.suppliers,
customers,shareholdersetc.)Wherepossible,identifythesmallestpossiblegroupingsofindividuals
formaximumeffect.Onceidentified,audiencesshouldbeprioritizedasitisunlikelyyouwillhavethe
resourcestocommunicatewellwithallofthematonce.

4.Whatdoyouwantthemtodoandwhydoyouwantthemtodoit?
Whenallthepotentialaudiences(asprimary,secondary,etc.)arelisted,writedownwhatyouwant
eachaudiencetoandwhy.Thiscanbecombinedwiththeprevioussection(listedaftereachaudience).
Thewhywillmostlybeobvious,forexample,TERENAwantstheNRENsinEuropetocontinuetobe
members.Why?Becauseitisamembershiporganisation,andwithouttheNRENsitwouldnotexist.

5.Whatareyougoingtosaytothem?
Inanewsection,undereachidentifiedaudienceaddstatementsaboutwhatyoushouldsaytoeach
audienceinorderforthemtodowhatyouwant.Ensuremessagesaresimplestatementsandyoucan
listmanypotentialmessageshere.Remember:Amessagemustberepeatedmanytimesinmany
differentformsinordertohavethedesiredimpactonanaudience.Messagesshouldbetailoredtoeach
audience.Context,toneofvoiceandchoiceoflanguageshouldbeconsideredatalltimes.Dont
bombardaudienceswithtoomanymessagesatonceyoumayneedtopickacoupleofmainmessages
tobeginyourcampaign.

6.Whereareyougoingtoreachthem?
Theaudienceshavenowbeenidentified,ashavethekeymessagesforeachaudience.Butwhereare
yougoingtoreachthem?Someaudiencesyoumayhaveallthedatayouneedinordertoreachthem
names,emailaddresses,postaladdressetc.But,theremaybesomeaudiencesyoudonothaveany
detailsof.You,therefore,willneedtousespecificmethodsofcommunicationthatcanhelpyoureach
them.Forexample,perhapsyoucanreachthembyplacingstoriesinthemagazinestheyread(media
relations).

7.Whenareyougoingtoreachthem?
Timingisveryimportant.ItisvitaltolinkspecificPRactivitiestofixedeventsinthecorporate
calendar.Forexample,theresnopointinissuinganewsreleasedaysafteranevent.Itisimportantto
includemilestonesanddeadlineshereaswell(e.g.drafttext,edittext,meetdesigner,firstproofs,etc.).

8.Whichmethodsofcommunicationareyougoingtouse?
Decidewhatyouaregoingtodoinordertoconveyyourkeymessagestoyourkeyaudiences
(brochures,newsreleases,videos,etc.)but...ensureyouareusingtherightmethodstoreacheachtarget
audience.DONOTdecideonthemethodsofcommunicationbeforeyouhaveidentifiedaudiencesand
Produced/revised in May 2006
Author: Joanne Barnett, TERENA.

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messagesthisisaverycommonmistake.Onesizedoesnotnecessarilyfitall!Rememberyouwill
needtorepeatkeymessagesinseveraldifferentformsinordertogetthedesiredresponse.Also
rememberyoucannottargetspecificaudiencesviaawebsitesoyourwebinformationshouldbeclearly
understoodbyasmanyaudiencesaspossible.

9.Howmuchareyougoingtospend?
Theanswertothisquestionwillhaveabearingonnumber8sotheyshouldbeconsideredtogether.
Unfortunatelyweallhavebudgetconstraintswhichwillhaveaneffectonthemethodsof
communicationthatwecanuse.Budget(wo)manhoursaswellasincludedesign,printing,mailing
costsetc.Allowsyoutoknowyourlimitations,setprioritiesandplaninadvanceanditmeansnonasty
surprisesforyourmanagers.

10.Whatifthereareunforeseenproblems?
Thishelpsfocusthemindonpotentialthingscan(anddo)gowrong.Brainstormwithmanagers,
colleaguesetc.Perhapsyoursoftwaredoesntworkonwindows;yourservercantcopewiththe
numberofincreasedhitsonyourwebsiteetc.Thinkhowtodealwithpotentialproblems.Contingency
planningisvital!

12. Howdidyoudomeasurementandevaluation?
Youcannotpossiblyknowifyourcampaignissuccessfulunlessyoumeasureyoursuccesssomehow.
Setmeasures(beforeembarkingonacampaign).Theycanbeassimpleas:
Numberofhits/uniquevisitorsonyourwebsite
Mediacoverage(opportunitiestosee;positiveversusnegative;etc.)
Increaseddemandforservices
Newcontactsmade
Output(newsreleases,publicitymaterialdeveloped,etc.)

Someessentialjargonbusting:
PUBLICSagroupofpeoplewithsimilarinterests
STAKEHOLDERSaspecialpublic,composedofthosewhohaveaparticularinterest(orstake)in
yourorganisation(e.g.universities)
AUDIENCESapublicwithwhomyouarecommunicating
PRIMARYPUBLICStheaudiencesyouspecificallywanttoinfluence(thepeoplewhosebehaviour
youaretryingtochange
SECONDARYPUBLICSthepeoplewhocaninterveneonyourbehalfandinfluenceyourprimary
publics(e.g.themedia)
TERTIARYPUBLICSthespecialpublicscomposedprimarilyoforganisedgroupsthatcan
mobilisequicklyandendorseyourcause(e.g.TERENAasamembershiporganisation)

Produced/revised in May 2006

Author: Joanne Barnett, TERENA.