A. The Value of Planning
--a blueprint of what is to be done and how it will be executed. PR planning should be strategic, “deciding where you want to be (the goal) and how to get there (strategies).”B. Elements of a Program Plan
a. Situation Analysis
Research is needed to identify a problem/situation. Three kinds of situations dictate the
conduct of PR program:
1. A remedial program to overcome a negative perception
2. A specific, one-time project
3. An ongoing continuing program
b. Objectives
1. Informational Objective: “To increase public awareness, to educate, to inform...”
2. Motivational Objective: “To change attitudes or opinion, to influence behavior”
c. Audiences/Publics: Many methods to define publics.
1. Primary and secondary publics
2. Internal and external publics
3. Identify key publics by demographics (age, income, education, sex, residence)
or by psychographics (certain beliefs, interests people share)
d. Strategy: How an objective is to be achieved.
1. Key messages, guidelines, themes for the overall program. You can have one
or more strategies, depending on objectives and audiences. Strategies are
broad statements. Specific activities are tactics.
"Use news media to promote the benefits of HIV testing to people at risk."
e. Tactics
1. Nuts and bolts of the plan. Specific activities that put strategies in actions
2. Involves using communication tools (press releases, media kit, advertisements,
brochures, newsletters, media tour, press conference, speeches, etc.)
f. Calendar/Timetable
1. Deciding when a campaign should be conducted
2. Determining the sequence of activities
3. Compiling timelines that list necessary steps and required completion dates
* Gannt chart*
g. Budget
h. Evaluation
1. Clippings of media coverage, which determine the “reach”--number of people
who saw the message.
2. Increase in sales, market share, attendance, or participation.
3. Surveys to measure the publics’ perception before and after a campaign----updated:2/20/2001------