I believe the key messages from this weeks readings were…the importance of each stage of a public relations plan and how they fit together. Also the need for in depth research and evaluation, the differences between in house and consultancy work, and having strong objectives in place in the program plan. A focus on detailed planning and clear objectives were the basis for a successful plan.
The key points in the readings could be applied to my groups work in that…we’re working through our final program using these steps and trying to avoid the common mistakes outlined in the reading. The research part was especially helpful because we’re working with a company that we have never heard of before and that really needs some help updating its brand identity. Each different part of the process has an important role and we are dividing up the workload based on this.
The readings made me think more about PR theory and practice in that…it really put the program plan as a finished work into perspective for me. Any weak point in the plan could lead to a certain part being unsuccessful, e.g. badly done research could lead to a problem with our final crisis management plan. I think an important and maybe essential step in finishing and checking our plan could be putting it through some scenarios and seeing whether we think it would stand up to the challenge.
The readings related to the other reading I've done in previous weeks in that…it once again stressed the importance of research, objectives, and evaluation. The evaluation part has confused me a little because I wasn’t exactly sure how you could check to see whether a company’s image has become more widely recognizable (as in Toastmasters case) but the reading helped clarify how the evaluation was firstly carried out and then drawn upon for future reference.
Required reading for Week 7
- Tymson, C., Lazar, P. & Lazar, R. (2006) A Typical Public Relations Program. In C. Tymson, P. Lazar, P and R. Lazar, (Eds.)The new Australian and New Zealand public relations manual (5th ed.) (pp. 74-117) Manly: Tymson Communications
