Post Public Relations Reflection

My time in the CAP220 (Fundamentals of Public Relations) course has come and gone and it’s bittersweet. At the beginning of this course I was nervous of what was to come. I had Adrienne Wallace as a professor for my CAP115 (Research Basics for Advertising and Public Relations) my first semester this year and loved her teaching style so much that I had to have her for my CAP220 course second semester as well. I actually emailed her to ask if I could be apart of her closed class and luckily she was willing to have me again! Since I had Professor Wallace before I knew the class wouldn’t be easy. I was up for a challenge if it meant I could have Adrienne as my Professor.

I was nervous about taking this course because I didn’t know much about Public Relations to begin with as you have read in my first blog. I thought I knew what Public Relations was somewhat, but I knew there was a lot more for me to learn. I came in to the class feeling like I was behind everyone else with the knowledge I thought I had about Public Relations. I now can say that I feel more confident about the knowledge I have about Public Relations. I didn’t realize all the aspects that a job in Public Relations entails until learning about it throughout this semester. I definitely feel more comfortable explaining to people what I want to do in the future and what Public Relations actually is, though many people still don’t understand even after I try to explain it. I think that’s the most irritating part!

This course really kicked my butt and I mean it really did. It was challenging and frustrating at points, but I made it through alive! I remember multiple people telling me that this was going to be one of the most challenging courses I took as a Public Relations major and they were right from what classes I’ve taken so far. They warned me of the workload and the dreaded campaign planbook… Oh, the planbook… This is where I’m thankful again for having Professor Wallace as she made the process of making this planbook a smoother one. I’m proud to say that I accomplished creating the campaign planbook and only cried a few tears.

The toughest part about the campaign planbook was me. You’re probably wondering, “what does she mean by me?”. I’ve always been a self-concious person and I’m not always the most confident. This project really intimidated me because of the multiple ways you could attack it. You could basically create the campaign book any way you wish as long as it contained all of the elements required. I didn’t know what to think when I first looked at the campaign planbook assignment; I was in shock, I didn’t think I could do it. I’m here now telling you that I’ve almost finished that campaign planbook with just some finishing touch ups left to do. Since peer review was a huge part of the success of this planbook we were required to have our work looked at throughout the semester. I wasn’t so comfortable with this because I’m not always so confident of my work, but it ended up working out in the end. A few simple words,and positive feedback by others pushed me to continue to do my best on the planbook.

I’m looking forward to turning in the campaign planbook and seeing how my hard work throughout the semester has benefited the client in some way. I’m proud of the work that I’ve accomplished throughout this semester and the new knowledge that I’ve gained as well. I’m looking forward to continuing on as an Advertising and Public Relations major and seeing where life takes me. I only hope that maybe one day I will have Adrienne Wallace as my Professor again because I owe a lot of what I’ve learned so far to her.

Evaluation and Public Relations

Evaluation plays an important role in the average persons everyday life. It plays a key role in the little things that we do everyday, such as evaluating our successes, and failures, or evaluating a text message that you receive from a friend; we are always evaluating. Google defines evaluation as the making of a judgment about the amount, number, or value of something; assessment. Evaluation also plays an important role in the jobs of public relations professionals. Measurement and evaluation are critical elements in public relations. Public relations professionals and companies who understand and believe in the benefits of public relations evaluation are able to, validate the results of their efforts, link the results to business outcomes that further the achievement of organizational goals, set smarter objectives, develop better strategies and employ more compelling and engaging tactics, make mid course program adjustments and corrections etc. (PRSA, 2009-15).

Public relations professionals spend their days evaluating whether research they’ve found is valuable and resourceful, if their campaign plan was a success, are the objectives set in place reachable, and the effectiveness of public relations as a whole. Some questions that public relations professionals may ask themselves when evaluating a campaign are, did the organization achieve its objectives, was the public relations campaign/program within budget, did the public relations campaign/program reach desired audience(s), did the audience(s) understand the message(s)? etc. (Penn Strategies, 2012).  Along with setting the objectives at the beginning of a campaign, objectives can also be established when in the process of evaluation. In order for evaluation to be successful, starting points have to be established, a basis of comparison researched, and specific objectives set (Watson, Doble, 2005). Dozier (1985) commented that’ measurement of programs without goals is form without substance; true evaluation is impossible’ (Watson, Doble, 2005).

Long term success of a company and the growth of competitiveness between that company and other companies cannot be envisioned without public relations (Kazokiene, Stravinskiene, 2011). Public relations professionals play an important role in creating the corporate image of a company, enhancing the name awareness, supporting marketing programs, and dealing with issues arising at the time of crisis (Kazokiene, Stravinkiene, 2011). It’s important for a business, or company to prove the purpose of public relations and justify their existence. In order to do this, a company must evaluate the effectiveness of public relations and the program in relation to their companies success. Public relations professionals are continually being asked to document measurable results and returns from public relations programs compared with costs to demonstrate “return on investment” (ROI) (Pauline Leon Pooi, 2012). Management evaluates public relations by how much it contributes to advancing an organizations mission and achieving organization goals (Pauline Leong Pooi, 2012).

References

Kazokiene, L., & Stravinskiene, J. (2011). Criteria for the evaluation of public relations effectiveness. INZINERINE EKONOMIKA-ENGINEERING ECONOMICS, 22(1), 91-105.

Pauline Leong Pooi Yin, K. K. (2012). Evaluation Research on Public Relations Activities among PublicRelations Practitioners in Malaysian Corporations:An Exploratory Study. The Journal of the South East Asia Research centrefor Communications and Humanities, 44-61.

Penn Strategies. (2012, January 16). Evaluating Public Relations Campaigns. Retrieved from Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/pennstrategies/evaluating-public-relations-campaigns-11068257

PRSA Public Relations Society of America. (2009-15). Measurement Resources. Retrieved from PRSA Public Relations Society of America: http://www.prsa.org/intelligence/businesscase/measurementresources/#.VSVsMPnF-1Q

Watson, T., Noble, P., & NetLibrary, I. (2005). Evaluating public relations: A best practice guide to public relations planning, research & evaluation. Sterling, VA; London: Kogan Page Limited.

Social Media and Public Relations

Everyone these days uses some form of social media. Whether it be Facebook to post photos of their cats, or Twitter to post their day to day updates, anyone and everyone can utilize social media in some way. Social media is defined as an internet-based software and interfaces that allow individuals to interact with one another, exchanging details about their lives such as biographical data, professional information, personal photos and up-to-the- minute thoughts (Investopedia, 2015). Sounds just like how I described right? Social media originated as strictly a personal tool that people used to interact with friends and family, but now a days businesses have wanted to take advantage of the popular communication tool to reach out to their customers, and/or read opinions about their business (Investopedia, 2015). Public Relations is a specific branch of a business that has adapted to the changing world by utilizing social media on an everyday basis to solve a crisis, and/or to communicate with consumers.

Public Relations involves two-way communication and social media is the perfect internet software that allows them to do so. Public Relations is defined as a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their public’s (PRSA n.d) . Creating relationships between businesses and the public is one of the most important jobs of a public relations professional. Social media allows for these professionals to communicate and grow their relationships with their consumers and public viewers in an easier, free way.

There are many ways why public relations professionals need to utilize the use of social media. One reason is that with using social media, you no longer are talking AT the public. You are not advertising, you’re just creating conversation. As said before, you’re creating a two-way communication directly with the consumer. This live interaction allows for ongoing refinement and improvement to make a deeper connection with the public (Folkens, 2014). Human connections made possibly by listening and replying via social media bring the audience closer to a brand and softens the barrier that exists between a business and the public (Folken, 2014). Social media allows for information to be shared a lot quicker. Public relations professionals have access to content that can be shared with consumers seeking solutions to a problem (Folken, 2014). Using Twitter, a company can connect with people at the exact right time, to serve as a helpful resource, by simply creating a keyword based search. There are many ways in which public relations professionals must continue to adapt to the social media tools of today. Rather than focus on the channels, they must focus on the expectations of the audiences and how to serve as a valued resource for them (Folkens, 2014).

In order for a company, or business to fully realize the potential of the medium, businesses should utilize the channel’s multi-functionality, including the ability to post multimedia files, press releases, or summaries of their campaigns, to communicate a variety of cues and a language to users (Avery, 2010). In order for a business to utilize social media effectively they must also maintain a role as a monitor over the user comments, whether they’re addressed to the business itself, or to other users. Businesses, or companies pages are considered public space and visitors can post a message publicly in that space. There are many benefits to using social media, but a business must know how they can communicate effectively and responsibly to the public before utilizing the tool. Just like the average adolescent teenager who must watch what they post on their social media site, a business must also monitor what they post on their social media sites.

References:

Avery, E., Lariscy, R., & Sweetser, K. (2010). Social media and shared – or divergent – uses? A coorientation analysis of public relation practitioners and journalists. International Journal ofStrategic Communication, 4(3), 189-205. doi:10.1080/1553118X.2010.489501

Folkens, D. (2014). 3 Ways Social Media Is Changing Public Relations. Retrieved from Top Rank Online Marketing Blog: http://www.toprankblog.com/2011/02/social-media-changing-pr/

Investopedia. (2015). Social Media. Retrieved from Investopedia: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-media.asp

Public Relations Society of America. (n.d.). What is Public Relations? PRSA’s Widely Accepted Definition . Retrieved from PRSA Public Relations Sociey of America: http://www.prsa.org/aboutprsa/publicrelationsdefined/#.VRiBjfnF-1R

Crisis Management and Taco Bell

Companies spend years building a brand and establishing their reputation. In the blink of an eye a crisis may occur that changes the way in which consumers view that company, or brand. This negatively effects the success of that company considering the little amount of time at which a crisis is spread throughout the news and throughout social media. When a crisis in a business, or company occurs every second counts on deciding which steps they will take to reduce, or fix the crisis. Public relations professionals play an important role in crisis management. Public relations professionals must be on top of crisis management by playing a role in crisis prevention, preparation, and planning. A recent crisis that occurred, with the very well known fast food franchise Taco Bell, nearly destroyed their brand without the help of the public relations professionals that worked for the company.

In 2011 a California woman accused Taco Bell of deceptive marketing claims, saying that their tacos have far less beef than advertised (Dorothy Crenshaw, 2012). The accusation turned in a class-action lawsuit that alleged false advertising against the franchise claiming that Taco Bells “seasoned ground beef” was not all real beef. The suit claimed that the Tacos from Taco Bell were only 36 percent beef which, if true, meant that the quality of the beef would be under USDA regulations (Dorothy Crenshaw, 2011).   Social media turned into a frenzy with multiple consumers of Taco Bell communicating negatively of the brand. During this period, a photo with a grossly looking material was shared across the internet. The unappetizing photo was called, “taco meat filling” (Dorothy Crenshaw, 2011).

After the lawsuit was filed, Taco Bell launched its “Thank You for Suing Us” campaign that left many people scratching their heads (Beck, K. 2011). The campaign ended up working in Taco Bells favor. Along with print advertisements, aggressive online campaigns via Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube identified the company’s seasoned beef as 88% USDA inspected beef and 12%, “secret recipe” (Beck, K. 2011) Along with creating the campaign, Taco Bell created specific pages on their web site labeled, “The Truth About Our Seasoned Beef” and “Taco Bell Ingredients” (Beck, K. 2011). Taco Bell opted to take a direct approach in countering the lawsuit because the company claimed that their “number one priority is to inform and reassure our customers and employees…” (Beck, K. 2011). The company chose to defend their brand the same way in which you would defend your reputation.

The campaign worked out beautifully for the Taco Bell franchise considering they relied on traditional media to control the outbreak of the crisis. If the crisis had occurred ten years earlier Taco Bell would have had more difficulty reaching the public and getting the word out on the actual truth behind the beef they sell in their products. The only problem with the campaign Taco Bell decided to use was the fact that they somewhat put down their products negatively. This in turn didn’t negatively effect the business of the company, but it was noticed by many. In the end Taco Bell successfully fixed the crisis early on by joining the conversation of the public through social media.

References

Beck, K. (2011). Taco bell’s meaty marketing campaign. Medford: Information Today, Inc.

Dorothy Crenshaw. (2012, February 15). Disaster Averted: Six Examples of Top PR Crisis Management. Retrieved from Marketing Executives Networking Group: http://mengonline.com/blog/2012/02/15/disaster-averted-six-examples-of-top-pr-crisis-management-by-dorothy-crenshaw-2/

Dorothy Crenshaw. (2011, January 30). “Thanks for suing us!” Taco Bell takes on “Beef-Gate” . Retrieved from Crenshaw Communications: http://crenshawcomm.com/thanks-for-suing-us-taco-bell-takes-on-beef-gate/

Why Research is Important

Before I declared my major in Advertising and Public Relations I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I’m not a big fan of research and I didn’t realize that this major required me to learn a lot about it. I took a class last semester that required me to come up with a research question, do secondary and primary research on that question and study the results. It actually wasn’t that bad; I kind of enjoyed going over the results that I had found. I realized after that class that research will be a very important part of my career in the future, especially if I’m going to have an emphasis in Public Relations. So the questions is, why is research an important part of Public Relations?

Research is an important part of many career choices because without research many of us wouldn’t know much of anything. When you type a question into Google you are technically researching because you’re looking up an answer. Though Google isn’t always the most reliable source to do research it does get the job done especially if you’re looking for a quick response. Most businesses that do research do it over a long period of time, researching all aspects of a specific problem or question they are trying to ask. Specifically, research is an important part of Public Relations because it helps with making a strategy, or plan (Sanchez, 2013).

Public Relations has a lot to do with planning and making the right decisions for a customer. It is important for someone in Public Relations to make some sort of plan in order to come up with realistic goals, meet communications objectives and increase their campaigns chances for success (Sanchez, 2013). In order to make a plan that works efficiently it is important to do research beforehand in order to minimize costs and maximize efficiency (Sanchez, 2013). With a successful strategy, or plan, someone in Public Relations has a better chance of targeting the appropriate audience, finding the right influencers and determining a cost efficient budget (Sanchez, 2013).

There are various type of research that are conducted in Public Relations, such as market research, industry research, news tracking, and competitive analysis (PR Friend, 2015). These all play a role in Public Relations considering all PR projects involve research in someway (Lang, 1951). With these types of research methods someone in Public Relations can have a better understanding of a client, and or business (Lang,1951). Through research you also get to know your client a little bit better (PR Friend, 2015). It helps to have a good background understanding of your client so you know how to handle their campaign properly and know what standards that client has. With proper, extensive research someone in Public Relations can successfully build a campaign that satisfies the clients needs (Sanchez, 2013).

Outside voices and opinions on a business are also very important. In order for a business to be successful it is important to understand what the consumers want to see (Lang, 1951). To do this Public Relations can research what the consumers want and don’t want. Through research Public Relations can see the opinions people have on a business and they may be able to change that through a successful campaign plan in which they also did research for (Lang,1951).

As you can see, research plays a very important role in the job of Public Relations. I only touched base on some of the important aspects of research in Public Relations, but there are so many more reasons why it is important.

Work Cited

Lang, F. (1951). The role of research in public relations. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 15(1), 54-64. doi:10.1086/266278

PR Friend. (2015, January 25). The Importance of research in public relations . Retrieved from PR Friend: http://www.prfriend.com/research-in-public-relations/

Sanchez, C. (2013, September 24). 3 Reasons Why Research is Crucial to Effective Public Relations. Retrieved from Weber Shandwick: http://www.webershandwickseattle.com/2013/09/3-reasons-why-research-is-crucial-to-effective-public-relations/

Pre – Public Relations Reflection

Hello! I thought I would start of this blog by telling you a little about myself, and why this blog was created. My name is Kirsten Mann and I’m a Sophomore at Grand Valley State University earning my degree in Advertising and Public Relations. I didn’t declare my major till the end of my Freshmen year considering I didn’t know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I still don’t know what I want to do with my degree, but I’m hoping that I can work with non-profits, and/or animal conservation. This blog was created for my CAP220 (Fundamentals of Public Relations) course here at Grand Valley so I could blog about the concepts of public relation that I will be learning about throughout the semester in this course.

I guess I’ll start off by saying that I wasn’t the one to officially declare my major as Advertising and Public Relations. Sounds strange right? I actually needed help from an advisor to decide on what to major in because I didn’t know where to start. Once I declared my major I did some research into it considering I didn’t exactly know what the major entailed. I actually got excited thinking of the opportunities and job choices I could have with the major. From the beginning I wanted to work with animal conservation and this major allowed me to do so if I were to choose to have an emphasis in public relations.

Now I didn’t really know what public relations meant and still don’t fully understand what people in “public relations” do. I guess this class will allow me to learn more about this, right?  To me, public relations revolves around the word “communication” because people in this field have to communicate a lot.  I think public relations involves communicating with other businesses/organizations to reach a goal, or solve a specific problem. Public relation has the word “public” in it which also entails that they work with the public as in people just like you and me.

Yes I know, I probably sounded like I was repeating myself a little bit there, but I honestly still have a lot to learn about public relations. I came into this class feeling like I understood what public relations was on some level, but once we do syllabus day and lets see what you know day I feel like I’m at day one again and behind everyone else. This in turn leaves me feeling a bit discouraged that I don’t fit with my major decision. I know I’m not the only one that feels this way; its college and it happens to the best of us. What would college be if we didn’t question the major we have chosen to decide what we will do for the rest of our lives?

I look forward to seeing how much my knowledge of public relations will grow while taking this course. I know that I may feel behind now, but I do believe that I did pick the right major for me. I know it will take time before I feel like I’m ready to take on the world with degree in my hand, I mean, I’m only a Sophomore right?