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Strategy, strategic contribution of public relations and change

This learning unit revises the strategic contribution of public relations and delves into the evolution of PR through key eras. It critically analyzes the role of PR in organizations and society, examining its nature, functions, and importance in today’s context while exploring the South African perspective on corporate responsibility.

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Strategy, strategic contribution of public relations and change

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  1. Strategy, strategic contribution of public relations and change REVISION Learning Unit 1 24 March 2011

  2. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 Outcomes Revision of Learning Unit 1 to prepare for the mid-term test through questions and answers theory revision application discussion What is good PR?

  3. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 Homework Answer the questions related to the SA Corporate Communication Benchmark study p 69 Class activity Develop a mind map of the important aspects of Public Relations as discussed in Learning Unit 1

  4. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 1 State and compare PR definitions Use the key concepts from the definitions put forward by the different authors to word your own definition of Public Relations pp 13-14 Example of definition in your own words: • Public Relations is a deliberate, planned and sustained management function that, through two-waycommunication, creates goodwill, influences opinion, behaviour and perceptions, manages relationships and establishes mutual understanding and benefit between an organisation and its internal and externalstakeholders • Key concepts explained on pp 18-21

  5. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 2 Explain the role of PR in the organisation and society • Public Relations activities of mutual benefit to organisation and publics (society) • Public issues should be assessed and integrated into organisation philosophy (the way the organisation functions and what it believes in) • Van Riel sees the role of the Public Relations Practitioners as both a mirror and window function • Explain mirror and window functions (slide 9)

  6. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 3 Overview of evolution of PR Summarise main points from different eras: • 1920-39: Ivy Lee focus on honesty; Edward Bernays notion of adjustment for public support • 1940: focus on publicity and propaganda diminished in 1920s-30s and definitions focused on social conduct, motivator, persuader • 1950-60: focus on PR as catalyst, spotlight, interpreter • 1970: Harlow’s definition (summarise it, p 39) • 1990: Stuart Ewen’s review of PR focused on PR as educator, news engineer, middleperson, management, organisation and publics • 2000: PR’s US origin determined history in other countries

  7. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 4 Critically analyse and evaluate statement with regard to South Africa “The business of business cannot only be business” • Organisations are no longer focused only on making a profit • Good governance practice, according to King III on Corporate Governance, requires organisations to focus on and respond to the social and economic impact they make

  8. Discuss the threats, opportunities and challenges facing Public Relations • Edward Bernays advocated licensing for the profession as the only viable solution to gain and maintain credibility • Globally, technology has strengthened communication channels, disintegrating national borders to create Marshall McLuhan’s “global village” • Public Relations has become branded as Corporate Communication, which is the communication for and on behalf of an organisation • Led to perception that PRP needs to be a strategist rather than a technician • Reality is that PRP fulfil only technical roles, ie writing media releases rather than managing function with a long-term plan and vision for the organisation

  9. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 PR strategy, nature and functions • Define strategy pp 12-13, 17 • Define PR & its key concepts pp 13-14, 18-21 • Discuss and contrast traditional and contemporary roles of PR p 26 • Describe PRP in three new roles: strategist, manager, technician pp 27-29 • Explain PR functions as a function in the organisation with examples pp 29-33 • Discuss the window and mirror functions p 33

  10. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 Context, issues, trends, environment • Compare the strategic contribution of PR to other management functions pp 38-39 • Contextualise PR in the organisation pp 39-40 • Discuss and apply the four-step process of PR pp 41-43 • Discuss issues & trends in PR theory & practice pp 43-45 • Discuss issue management pp 45-46 • Discuss environmental considerations in PR pp 46-48 • Explain use of the Internet in environmental scanning pp 48-49 • Discuss change and change management pp 53-55

  11. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 Explain the nature of Public Relations What PR is p 15 • Action that improves mutual understanding and communication between organisation and internal and external publics • Advice on presentation of public image of organisation • Action to discover and eliminate sources of misunderstanding • Actions to broaden influence of organisation through publicity, advertising, exhibitions What PR is not p 15 • A barrier between the truth and the public • Propaganda to impose a point of view regardless of the truth, ethics and the public good • Publicity aimed at generating sales • Composed of gimmicks and stunts • Unpaid advertising or merely press relations • Political in advancing the policy of any political party

  12. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1&2-Revisions Window and mirror functions Mirror function p 33 • Monitors relevant environmental developments • Anticipates the consequences on the organisation • PRP functions as ‘early warning system’ to identify issues of relevance • PRP gathers, interprets and uses the strategic information • Example: buying behaviour due to economy has impact on sales, more innovative selling Window function p 33 • Preparation and execution of PR strategy and policy • PRP knows environment and stakeholders • Messages that portray policies, practices and philosophies of top management to stakeholders • Portrays image of organisation • Example: policy of global warming, PRP must decide how to communicate it

  13. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 Explain ‘good’ Public Relations ‘Good PR’ happens when PRPs know how to: • Explain authoritatively how effective strategic communication can drive change, inform culture, underpin strategy and manage reputation • Deliver the sought-after end result of stakeholder brand engagement, brand recommendation, customer and employee retention, greater market share, increased brand value and overall market capital • Measure implementation to prove the above and demonstrate that their services add value • Convince business leaders that PR needs to report directly to the CEO as a valuable component of business • Display intelligence, integrity, communication skills and a perceptive understanding of what PR is really about

  14. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 Distinguish between organisational change and change management Organisational change p 53 • Often starts slowly • Implemented incrementally • Subject to change as information is gathered about the effectiveness of the process • The above is the approach adopted by experts with extensive experience in planned organisational change • External factors: new technology, changes in market place, customer expectations, competitor activities, quality and standards, legislation, political values, economic cycles • Internal factors: management philosophy, organisational structure and culture and internal systems of power and control

  15. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 Distinguish between organisational change and change management Change management p 53 • Acknowledges that organisations operate in changing environments • Renews organisation’s direction, structure and capabilities and drives transformation to meet customer needs • Two distinct forms of change depending on turbulence in environments • Continuous change: gradual or incremental shifts in consumer demands, legislation or the economy so that organisations can plan pro-actively, seen as evolutionary or convergent, small-scale and restructured to individual or localised change • Discontinuous change: profound, more dramatic, can alter industries and economies, requires innovative responses, comprehensive, radical, fundamental on large scale at foundation of organisation

  16. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 Describe the models of Public Relations with examples pp 35-36 Public information model • Developed by Ivy Lee • Focuses on receiver and dissemination of information through one-way communication • Truth is very important when communicating messages • Mainly used in government, non-profit and non-government organisations and businesses • Examples: • press releases, brochures and static web content used as information dispensers to tell a story • Government campaigns such as for HIV/AIDS or driver education

  17. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 Describe the models of Public Relations with examples Two-way symmetrical model pp 35-36 • Developed by Edward Bernaystogether with educators and professional leaders • Based on the concept of creating mutual understanding through two-way communication so that the receiver understands and analyses messages as the sender intended • Feedback leads to a balanced effect • Focus in on a group and is used in regulated businesses and agencies • Examples: • PRP as mediator representing all interests, Green Peace initiatives, sustainability projects, socially responsible CSI programmes

  18. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 Environmental scanning Relate the characteristics of environmental scanning to the Coca-cola case study p 51 • Assists management to understand the environment and think strategically – could have helped Coca-Cola in anticipating reactions of activists and acting pro-actively • Aligns strategy, the environment and stakeholders – could have helped stakeholders to understand Coca-Cola’s stance on matters • Sources and uses information about events, trends and relationships in organisations’ external environments to help management plan a future course – could have provided Coca-cola with the information and knowledge to adjust their planning and course of action

  19. DPR3-Public Relations-LU1-Revision 24/3/2011 Discuss the use of the Internet in environmental scanning pp 48-50 • Means by which managers monitor and study business environments • Sources, identifies and assesses new information in external environments through three sources • Documentary: journals, newspapers, magazines, Internet • Human: sales people, competitors, consultants, customers, employees • Combination: human and documentary information • Looks at and for information in different modes • Undirected viewing: scan broadly, peripheral vision, out of box • Conditioned viewing: tracks trends, early warning about emerging issues • Informal search: profiles issues, identifies features, assesses impact • Formal search: gathers relevant info to enable decision-making • Scanning supported by online info gathering and communication methods from novel, variety of info to accurate and focused info • Secondary to primary source, many-to-many and 1-on-1 communication • Chaotic informal www to structured online databases

  20. Homework Test on Learning Unit 1

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