Week Three

I believe the key messages from this weeks readings were…that research is the first and probably the most important part of the process, and is ongoing throughout the whole PR campaign. A campaign has little hope of being successful without knowing, firstly, what the aims and goals of the client organization are, and secondly, without researching the most effective ways to implement the plan. Basically, all the information you would gain from a SWOT analysis is the starting point to knowing what methodologies to employ for a certain company in a certain environment.

The key points in the readings could be applied to my groups work in that…I’d never even heard of our client organization before. This in itself requires research to find out what it is they actually do and/or offer. I think that since our client organization is such a huge international company there are definitely some campaign tactics that we can rule out straight away. Our group hasn’t had the initial meeting with the client yet, but even after browsing the website it was clear to me that there are some areas that stand out as needing a lot of PR work done.

The readings made me think more about PR theory and practice in that…a detailed and intimate knowledge of your client organization is essential to devising which means we use to get to their hoped for end. The research may be the boring part but it is integral to creating a plan that will put the focus back where it’s needed.

The readings related to the other reading I've done in previous weeks in that…the research coincides with the strategical planning the whole way along. Events happen, situations change and continuous research is needed to keep on top of it all. The information gathered and discussed by numerous people will also have been thought through more thoroughly, (wow, that was even confusing to type) which demonstrates the importance of team work in public relations practice.

Required reading for Week 3:

1. Please ensure you read through this information/Workshop on Using the Internet for Research - Students should note that the information and skills covered in this online workshop will stand them in good stead in other courses and in their work environments.
2. Singh, R. & Glenny, L.. (2004) Research and Evaluation. In J. Johnston & C. Zawawi (eds.), Public relations: theory and practice (pp. 137-168). Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
3. Plowman, K.D. (2005) Conflict, strategic management, and public relations. Public Relations Review, 31(1), 131-138.