PUTTING YOUR

PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN

BACK ON TRACK
 AGENDA

• Introductions

• What is Public Relations?

• The Public Relations Plan

• Case Studies

•Q & A, open dialogue

• More info...
INTRODUCTIONS
 WHO AM I?

Name & Occupation:

Sandra Gabriel
Chief Relationship Officer
Gabriel Press & Relationships (Gabriel PR)

Experience:
Almost 7 years in PR & Communications

Education:
Ryerson University - Public Relations Diploma
Royal Roads University - Applied Communications Degree
WHO ARE YOU?
Name?
Business/What do you do?
YOUR PUBLIC RELATIONS
YOUR PUBLIC MAP
PUBLIC PERSONAS
RELATIONSHIP MEASUREMENT
PROCESS
WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS?
PUBLIC RELATIONS THEN...
PUBLIC RELATIONS NOW...
 PUBLIC RELATIONS
THEN AND NOW
• Keyword: Propaganda • Keyword: Relationships

• Viral • Systematic

• Manual • Automated

• Focus on media coverage • Focus on reputation

• Focus on sales • Focus on loyalty

• Fulfilling desires • Fulfilling needs

 PUBLIC RELATIONS &
COMMUNICATIONS

• Public relations is long-term

• Publicrelations measures outcomes (behaviour, opinion,

attitude)

• Communications is short-term

• Communications measures outputs (brochures distributed,

social media metrics, web analytics)
 PUBLIC RELATIONS IS...

the process of developing long-term mutually beneficial

relationships with YOUR public, through ongoing
measurement, management and evaluation of your
communications.
 PUBLIC RELATIONS IS...

• Long-term

• Relationships (mutually beneficial)

• Listening

• Two-Way communication

• Proactive
 PUBLIC RELATIONS TOOLS
• Media & blogger relations • Partner/sponsor relations

• Social media relations • Supplier/vendor relations

• Client/customer relations • Crisis communications

• Issues & Risk management • Investor relations

• Internal communications • Corporate Social Responsibility

• Employee relations • Industry relations

• Local/community relations • Public affairs

COMMUNICATIONS IS...
Develop Message

Transmit Message

an ongoing Feedback

process
Message Received

Message Interpreted
THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN
 PR PLAN OVERVIEW

• Research & Analysis

• Communication

• Evaluation
 RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

• Research problem

• Research design

• Research strategy

• Generate data

• Analyze data

• Produce report
 RESEARCH METHODS

• Survey

• Focus groups

• Experimental

• Textual
 COMMUNICATION

• S.M.A.R.T. objectives

• Key messages

• Strategy & Tactics

• Evaluation plan
 COMMUNICATION TOOLS

• Policies

• News and media releases

• Newsletters

• Blogs/Vlogs

• Podcasts
 EDITORIAL PLAN
Who What Where When Why How
product/product Online To increase sales by Video
Clients May News release
features/free trial TV 10% by Dec.
Advertising
product/product To improve media Email
Media Online June Media release
features/relevance relationships
blog
product/product To improve Intranet
Employees Online July employee Video
features/policy
relationships Blog
product/benefits to To increase sponsor Mailed letter
Sponsors Print August
sponsor support by 25% Email

To increase fans and facebook, twitter &

Social Media Groups product/free trial Online September
followers by 50% blog posts

product/product Print To gain industry blog posts

Industry Online October direct mail
features/relevance support
TV Advertising
 EVALUATION

• Must be planned and analyzed

• Web analytics

• Media monitoring report

• Social media monitoring report

CASE STUDIES
 CASUAL MALE RETAIL GROUP
Overview
•Casual Male Corporation facing bankruptcy in 2002
•Sold most of their assets to Designs, Inc.
•Designs, Inc. became Casual Male Retail Group
Objectives
•To introduce the new company and build a strong brand that would position the retailer as the provider of clothing for the increasing
number of big and tall men.

•To re-introduce itself to Wall Street, showcase Casual Male as a star in an otherwise dim retail sector and claim ownership of the
emerging big and tall space

Tactics
•Develop core messages for media interviews
•Arrange a series of meetings for senior Casual Male executives with key retail industry reporters to forge relationships and lay the
foundation for future coverage
•Use George Foreman and his new clothing line to create feature stories for print and broadcast coverage
•Actively promote significant corporate announcements to generate a steady stream of positive news
•Generate regional and national media coverage
Results
•Casual Male brand won recognition as the leader in its space
•Stock prices soared 65% over the next four months
•Same-store sales increased 7% in the first half of the fiscal year
•A profile story in the Miami Herald fuelled a one-day 60% sales boost
•Today, Casual Male is twenty times larger than its closest competitor
 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY
Overview
•The government issues 150 million paper checks to 20% of those who receive Social Security at a cost of $120 million in printing and
postage
•Most of those who still receive checks comprise a diverse, diffuse audience of hard-to-reach or difficult-to-persuade individuals
•Campaign goal was to execute an integrated direct deposit campaign: Go Direct, to dramatically reduce the number of checks issued
Research
•Major study was commissioned of check recipients’ attitudes toward direct deposit.
•Study showed that awareness of direct deposit option was already high and raising awareness alone would not change behaviour
•The research fed the Go Direct integrated approach to reached recipients where they live, work and socialize
•Second phase of research conducted to test key messages
•Research included quantitative phone surveys and qualitative focus groups in english and spanish
Tactics
•Grassroots outreach
•Turnkey materials
•Media relations
•Advertising
•Toll-free numbers
•Direct mail
•Websites
Results
•600,000 converted to direct deposit through Go Direct call center (does not include converts through financial institutions)
•Print and broadcast media placements secured in high-profile media outlets to an audience of 250 million
•A 450-partnership network including 30 of the largest financial institutions, hundreds of smaller banks and credit unions, national
organizations for seniors and the IRS
•18 million hits on the Go Direct website
•1.8 million brochures distributed, 28,000 posters, 44,000 table tents and 42,000 Go Direct buttons
 SUMMARY
• Stop selling

• Start listening

• Start talking

• Consider all audiences

• Consider all
communication tools

• Lose control

• Give the people what

THEY want
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
PR experience, issues, etc.?
 CONTACT ME

• Email: sandra@gabrielpr.ca

• Tel: 416-907-2560

• Twitter: @cafegabriel
THANK YOU!