Cutlip & Center's Effective PUBLIC RELATIONS

1. Cutlip & Center'sEffectivePUBLIC RELATIONS PART III Management Process Chapter 13 Step Three: Taking Action and Communicating Tenth Edition

2. Study Guide After studying Chapter 13, you should be able to: Differentiate between the action and communication components of program strategy. Define action strategy to include primarily internal adjustment and adaptation. Discuss major issues related to: (a) framing the message, (b) semantics, (c) symbols, and (d) barriers to communication. 13-1

3. Study Guide After studying Chapter 13, you should be able to: List and briefly describe the six criteria traditionally applied by gatekeepers to determine news value of messages. Outline the five major reasons why information campaigns fail and the three major ways to increase their chances of success. Outline the five stages of acceptance in the diffusion of new ideas. 13-2

4. Public Relations Strategic Planning Process 13-3

5. 1. The Problem, Concern or Opportunity “What is happening now?” 2. Situation Analysis (Internal and External) “What positive and negative forces are operating?” “Who is involved and/or affected?” “How are they involved and/or affected?” Public Relations Strategic Planning Process Four-Step Process Strategic Planning Steps and Program Outline STEP ONE: Defining the Problem (Chapter 11) 13-4

6. 3. Program Goal “What is the desired situation?” “By when?” 4. Strategy “What is the overall action and communication plan for achieving the program goal?” “What is the budget available to implement the program?” Public Relations Strategic Planning Process Four-Step Process Strategic Planning Steps and Program Outline STEP TWO: Planning and Programming (Chapter 12) 13-5

7. 5. Target Publics and Objectives “Who—internal and external—must the program respond to, reach, and affect?” “What must be achieved with each public to accomplish the program goal?” Public Relations Strategic Planning Process Four-Step Process Strategic Planning Steps and Program Outline STEP TWO: Planning and Programming (Chapter 12) 13-6

8. 6. Action Strategy “What changes must be made to achieve the outcomes stated in the objectives?” Public Relations Strategic Planning Process Four-Step Process Strategic Planning Steps and Program Outline STEP THREE: Taking Action And Communicating (Chapter 13) 13-7

9. Action Strategy • Includes changes in an organization’s policies, procedures, products, services, and behavior. • These changes are designed to help achieve objectives and organizational goals in ways that serve the mutual interests of the organization and its publics. • Action strategy requires knowing hot policies, procedures, actions, and outputs contribute to public relations problems. 13-8

10. 6. Action Strategy “What changes must be made to achieve the outcomes stated in the objectives?” 7. Communication Strategy “What message (content) must be communicated in order to achieve the outcomes stated in the objectives?” Public Relations Strategic Planning Process Four-Step Process Strategic Planning Steps and Program Outline STEP THREE: Taking Action And Communicating (Chapter 13) 13-9

11. Framing the Message 13-10

12. Framing the Message • Message must be newsworthy, according to the standards of the media gatekeepers. • Messages must be understandable, uncomplicated, free of jargon, and simple to grasp. • Most importantly, messages must be immediately actionable, empowering receivers to act on their interests and concerns (“mobilizing information”). 13-11

13. Media Gatekeepers’ Criteria Impact—number of people affected, seriousness of consequence, immediacy Proximity—distance and local connection Timeliness—perishability, currency Prominence—recognizable, well known Novelty—unusual, bizarre, deviant, offbeat Conflict—strikes, fights, disputes, war, crime, politics, sports 13-12

14. Semantics • …is the science of what words mean. • Denotative meaning is the common dictionary meaning, generally accepted by most people with the same language and culture. • Connotative meaning is the emotional or evaluative meaning we read into words because of our experience and background. 13-13

15. 6. Action Strategy “What changes must be made to achieve the outcomes stated in the objectives?” 7. Communication Strategy “What message (content) must be communicated in order to achieve the outcomes stated in the objectives?” “What media best deliver that content to each of the target publics?” Public Relations Strategic Planning Process Four-Step Process Strategic Planning Steps and Program Outline STEP THREE: Taking Action And Communicating (Chapter 13) 13-14

16. ControlledversusUncontrolled 13-15

17. Media Mix Considerations • Coverage—potential for exposure to message • Reach—percentage actually exposed • Frequency—average number of exposures in a given time period • Impact—relative prominence, potential attention to display 13-16

18. Why programs fail: 1. Hard core of “chronic know-nothings” are not reachable. 2. Interested people acquire the most information. 3. People seek information compatible with their prior beliefs. 4. People interpret information differently. 5. Information does not necessarily change attitudes and opinions. 13-17

19. Why programs succeed: 1. Assume that most of the target publics will not be interested in your topic. 2. Make sure that program goal(s) can be reasonably achieved with the means available. 3. Delineate specific target publics—based on how they are involved and/or affected in the specific situation. 13-18

20. 8. Implementation Plan “Who will be responsible for implementing each of the action and communication tactics?” “What is the sequence of events and the schedule?” Public Relations Strategic Planning Process Four-Step Process Strategic Planning Steps and Program Outline STEP THREE: Taking Action And Communicating (Chapter 13) 13-19

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