Week ten's readings

I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were how research is an integral part of PR. It is used to identify the requirements for a communication program, to assist in establishing that program, to monitor progress and to evaluate the effectiveness.

Information gathered during the initial stages of research provides the input into the planning of a communication program. On the other hand, research during the development and implementation stages of a strategy contributes to effective outputs. Research at the end of a PR plan provides insight into the outcomes of the entire plan.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that while a properly researched program can be more cost-effective in the long run, organisations usually see it in terms of the short-term expense, and hence, choosing not to undertake the research which is often detrimental to the entire PR plan.

Time, money and the availability of human resources are 3 of the main reasons why organisations choose not to invest in research in their PR plans. Research can be a costly part of any program and to make matters worse, those allocating the budget do not always understand its value.

Week nine's readings

As discussed in week four’s readings, a well-plan and executed strategic PR plan can help an organisation achieve its various goals.

I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were the key differences between strategy and tactics and what is it that links the two together. Strategy is the overall plan that allows the PR practitioner to ensure that organisational goals and objectives are achieved. It determines the type of PR campaign that will be eventually employed. Once the practitioner has decided on the strategy and direction of the PR campaign, the tactics can then be made. Every tactic must be in sync with the overall strategic objectives. The strategy is the masterplan that is to achieve an organisation’s goals, while the tactics are the technical aspects of the masterplan.

Tactics can be broken up into 2 major groups: controlled and uncontrolled. Controlled tactics are those which the PR practitioner maintains control of every aspect of the process. Examples would be annual reports, advertising and brochures. On the other hand, uncontrolled tactics are those that can be altered or even blocked completely. An example would be media relations.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that while many PR campaigns today employ a wide range of different tactics, a successful PR campaign need not necessarily have to use multiple tactics.

Week eight's readings

I think the key points to remember from this week’s readings were that sponsorship is popular with many organizations because it generates goodwill and provides opportunities to enhance the image and reputation of the organisation by association.
Also, sponsorship provides a focal point for sales and marketing efforts, offers product brands high visibility to potential customers and generate media coverage for the sponsoring organisation.

The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that both corporate sponsorship and marketing sponsorship are very relevant in today’s society.

We see them everywhere. Big sporting brands like Nike and Adidas are sponsoring some of the world’s biggest athletes today. Such marketing sponsorships help boost the brand’s image and appeal and this in turn leads to increased revenue.

Large events like the Olympics draw a large number of sponsors. This is not surprising as the viewership of such sporting events can easily run into the billions. The Oakland Tribune reported that Coca-Cola was one of the 11 companies that paid a whopping $55 million each to be sponsors of the US Olympic teams.

Corporate sponsorships are also very popular amongst the big companies. Examples would include the recent HSBC Women’s Champions and the Aviva Open Singapore. Such corporate sponsorships help link the sponsoring organisation to a popular or high-profile event, and this in turn would help boost the profile of the organisation.