Just a thought...
I'm working at Parliament House today (being a sitting day) and I'm starting to gain somewhat of an understanding of how the practice of PR really infiltrates politics. As one of my co-workers said, "politics is all about PR!"
Everything (well, just about everything) that I've learned in class this semester has had practical application to what I do here. I guess I really appreciate studying PR and working in the field at the same time. In some aspects I think I've been thrown in the deep end, but the experience gained in line with study is invaluable to me, whether I end up in politics or not.
So here's my two very enthusiastic thumbs up for CMNS1290...
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Blog Comment
To match a late blog comment with my late blog post on Strategy, Planning and Tactics etc, I have commented on Alexandra Norman's blog, found at http://cmns1290alexandranorman.blogspot.com/
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Blog Comment
This week I commented on Michaela's blog, found at http://cmns1290michaelavirgara.blogspot.com/
Ch. 7 & 8 - Strategy, Planning and Scheduling & Tactics
Ok, my bad but this blog post is a week late!! Sorry!! :-)
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Without a good strategy or plan, any event can easily fall in a heap, with staff not knowing exactly what they should be doing, things not happening on time or being forgotten about entirely, venues not being booked - the list could go on! Effective planning, strategising and ensuring an accurate timeline is adhered to is important to ensure the success of any PR event.
There are many different methods of planning, from Gantt charts to checklist - my guess is that planning/scheduling techniques would vary (maybe only slightly) from organisation to organisation, depending on what works best for them. I remember an old saying from school - spend as much time planning as you do outworking. I think this is still quite applicable to any PR campaign. Without adequate planning, there is an increase in the possibility of having to go into crisis-management. Or the entire event could fall in a complete heap!!
This chapter also highlights the necessity for budgeting - without budgeting spending can go out of control. A PR practitioner needs to understand how much money is allocated to each area - from staff wages to venue hire and catering. It is just as important to stay as close to the budget as possible, without letting one area or another "blow out". The text points out that most budgets include a 10% contigency allocation, allowing additional funds for possible "blow outs". Still, while at times these things are unavoidable, it's best to stick to what the allowance is if it's at all possible. A good way of avoiding this is to ensure you have made allowances for EVERYTHING your campaign requires.
It's important to differentiate between strategy and tactics - as the text describes, strategy is the "umbrella" and tactics are the methods used with a purpose of achieving the strategic outcome.
The text illustrates the difference between controlled and uncontrolled communication - controlled being something that a PR practitioner has complete control over every aspect - eg a printed brochure, whereas uncontrolled communication is more something like a media release, where the PR practitioner has no control over the ultimate outcome.
The selection of which tactic/s to use are important to reach your public/s effectively - from media relations (eg media releases) to printed items (eg brochures, fliers), annual reports, and newsletters. The MP I work for regularly uses media releases and newsletters particularly, but all tactics are selected according to what will help reach the desired outcome. This is where effective research can be helpful.
There are gazillions of other tactics covered in this chapter, from events to celebrity spokespeople, but ultimately the success of the campaign is dependent on selecting the right type of tactic to reach the desired outcome. As the conclusion points out - "success relies on the analytical and creative skills of the public relations practitioner to consider tactics in the light o fa complex range of impacting factors. First and foremost, tactics must relate back to strategy..."
----------------------------
Without a good strategy or plan, any event can easily fall in a heap, with staff not knowing exactly what they should be doing, things not happening on time or being forgotten about entirely, venues not being booked - the list could go on! Effective planning, strategising and ensuring an accurate timeline is adhered to is important to ensure the success of any PR event.
There are many different methods of planning, from Gantt charts to checklist - my guess is that planning/scheduling techniques would vary (maybe only slightly) from organisation to organisation, depending on what works best for them. I remember an old saying from school - spend as much time planning as you do outworking. I think this is still quite applicable to any PR campaign. Without adequate planning, there is an increase in the possibility of having to go into crisis-management. Or the entire event could fall in a complete heap!!
This chapter also highlights the necessity for budgeting - without budgeting spending can go out of control. A PR practitioner needs to understand how much money is allocated to each area - from staff wages to venue hire and catering. It is just as important to stay as close to the budget as possible, without letting one area or another "blow out". The text points out that most budgets include a 10% contigency allocation, allowing additional funds for possible "blow outs". Still, while at times these things are unavoidable, it's best to stick to what the allowance is if it's at all possible. A good way of avoiding this is to ensure you have made allowances for EVERYTHING your campaign requires.
It's important to differentiate between strategy and tactics - as the text describes, strategy is the "umbrella" and tactics are the methods used with a purpose of achieving the strategic outcome.
The text illustrates the difference between controlled and uncontrolled communication - controlled being something that a PR practitioner has complete control over every aspect - eg a printed brochure, whereas uncontrolled communication is more something like a media release, where the PR practitioner has no control over the ultimate outcome.
The selection of which tactic/s to use are important to reach your public/s effectively - from media relations (eg media releases) to printed items (eg brochures, fliers), annual reports, and newsletters. The MP I work for regularly uses media releases and newsletters particularly, but all tactics are selected according to what will help reach the desired outcome. This is where effective research can be helpful.
There are gazillions of other tactics covered in this chapter, from events to celebrity spokespeople, but ultimately the success of the campaign is dependent on selecting the right type of tactic to reach the desired outcome. As the conclusion points out - "success relies on the analytical and creative skills of the public relations practitioner to consider tactics in the light o fa complex range of impacting factors. First and foremost, tactics must relate back to strategy..."
Ch. 6 - Research & Evaluation
The importance of research in public relations is really highlighted in this chapter, but while research is a necessity, it's imperative that the right sort of research is conducted. To effectively understand the public you are attempting to reach, and to ensure the message that they receive is clear, research should be conducted.
Because research can be costly, despite it's long-term effectiveness in cost-reduction, it's important to ensure that you are conducting the right kind of research. The best way to ensure that the research is both effective and cost-wise, is to conduct research according to your specific goals and objectives.
While reading this chapter, I started to consider research in the politcal field, mainly because of the upcoming Federal election, and also because I work in this field. Intensive research is constantly being conducted, especially leading up to the election. For politicians/political parties, it's so important to be constantly in touch with their constituents and supporters, to be consistently researching and polling to stay in touch with what the public wants - after all, isn't that how they get the votes?
Interestingly, in my current job working for a local Member of Parliament, we've recently conducted an opinion survey regarding a hot issue that many constituents are concerned about. We conducted a bulk mail out of a survey, and within a day, surveys were being returned by the bucket-load (fun for us who had to sort them all!!!). But the results of the research have helped our MP to ascertain what his constituents want and believe, and to act accordingly. This is the evaluation part of the research, and is equally as important as the research itself. Without effective evaluation, the money and time we just spent conducting the survey, and the time and thoughts of the constituents, are useless.
This kind of research occurs regularly, along with other research (eg media), especially when a new Bill is being considered in parliament. But regardless of whether your PR role is in politics or for some major (or indeed minor) corporation, to get effective results, effective research must be done using effective methods.
Because research can be costly, despite it's long-term effectiveness in cost-reduction, it's important to ensure that you are conducting the right kind of research. The best way to ensure that the research is both effective and cost-wise, is to conduct research according to your specific goals and objectives.
While reading this chapter, I started to consider research in the politcal field, mainly because of the upcoming Federal election, and also because I work in this field. Intensive research is constantly being conducted, especially leading up to the election. For politicians/political parties, it's so important to be constantly in touch with their constituents and supporters, to be consistently researching and polling to stay in touch with what the public wants - after all, isn't that how they get the votes?
Interestingly, in my current job working for a local Member of Parliament, we've recently conducted an opinion survey regarding a hot issue that many constituents are concerned about. We conducted a bulk mail out of a survey, and within a day, surveys were being returned by the bucket-load (fun for us who had to sort them all!!!). But the results of the research have helped our MP to ascertain what his constituents want and believe, and to act accordingly. This is the evaluation part of the research, and is equally as important as the research itself. Without effective evaluation, the money and time we just spent conducting the survey, and the time and thoughts of the constituents, are useless.
This kind of research occurs regularly, along with other research (eg media), especially when a new Bill is being considered in parliament. But regardless of whether your PR role is in politics or for some major (or indeed minor) corporation, to get effective results, effective research must be done using effective methods.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Blog Comment
This week I commented on Alexandra Norman's blog, found at http://cmns1290alexandranorman.blogspot.com/
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Ch. 13 - Sponsorship & Event Management
By all appearances, the sponsorship/events arm of public relations practice seems quite big, and somewhat daunting considering everything that must be remembered, planned and accommodated for.
Interestingly, I didn't really realise that sponsorship can take different forms, depending on what works best for the sponsor and the organisation. I'm probably most familiar with sponsorship in the form of events and also celebrity sponsorship (like sporting stars that are sponsored by a clothing label) - Marketing sponsorship. I never figured that philanthropic sponsorship was actually sponsorship - I'd always thought of something like that more along the lines of donations... The sponsor doesn't really get anything tangible out of the deal, but their image may consequently be raised in the public eye.
If I was involved in events planning at the early stages, I would be really interested in seeing a sponsorship proposal being put together. How does the PR practitioner (or whoever has the job to write it!) know exactly what to put in there? How can it be best presented to the organisation to achieve the best result? The questions listed for consideration on pp.349-350 were well worth reading, and made me think how much time and research goes into preparation, let alone the time spent actually writing and perfecting the proposal. No surprise, though, when there are hours and hours poured into it, for it to only be skimmed over and fate decided within a few short minutes.
Events management is somewhat of an interest to me personally, so this chapter gave a really good overview of the different parts of events management, from the planning stages, the media coverage, generating revenue and *cringe* disaster aversion... (note to self - employ the use of risk management pp.363-364).
It was a great way to understand the process of planning an event, and it really got me thinking about how much work would have gone into the planning, preparation and outworking of all of the APEC events!! The sheer enormity of such a high-profile event would've meant quite probably years of planning.
Interestingly, I didn't really realise that sponsorship can take different forms, depending on what works best for the sponsor and the organisation. I'm probably most familiar with sponsorship in the form of events and also celebrity sponsorship (like sporting stars that are sponsored by a clothing label) - Marketing sponsorship. I never figured that philanthropic sponsorship was actually sponsorship - I'd always thought of something like that more along the lines of donations... The sponsor doesn't really get anything tangible out of the deal, but their image may consequently be raised in the public eye.
If I was involved in events planning at the early stages, I would be really interested in seeing a sponsorship proposal being put together. How does the PR practitioner (or whoever has the job to write it!) know exactly what to put in there? How can it be best presented to the organisation to achieve the best result? The questions listed for consideration on pp.349-350 were well worth reading, and made me think how much time and research goes into preparation, let alone the time spent actually writing and perfecting the proposal. No surprise, though, when there are hours and hours poured into it, for it to only be skimmed over and fate decided within a few short minutes.
Events management is somewhat of an interest to me personally, so this chapter gave a really good overview of the different parts of events management, from the planning stages, the media coverage, generating revenue and *cringe* disaster aversion... (note to self - employ the use of risk management pp.363-364).
It was a great way to understand the process of planning an event, and it really got me thinking about how much work would have gone into the planning, preparation and outworking of all of the APEC events!! The sheer enormity of such a high-profile event would've meant quite probably years of planning.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Blog Comment
I commented on Lauretta Parker's blog, found at http://cmns1290laurettaparker.blogspot.com/
*Incidentally I failed to remember I had commented on her blog last week as well. To make amends, I have commented on Emma Murphy's blog too, found at http://cmns1290emmamurphy.blogspot.com/
*Incidentally I failed to remember I had commented on her blog last week as well. To make amends, I have commented on Emma Murphy's blog too, found at http://cmns1290emmamurphy.blogspot.com/
Sunday, September 2, 2007
To Contact or Not?
This article was a reallly interesting piece and gave me the impression that the "spin doctor" tatoo that all PR practitioners seem to wear on their head is still a prevalent attitude.
This sentence (or part thereof) from the bottom of page 85 really stuck out to me as the message I got from this piece - "...practitioners must always be accurate, act ethically, become better writers, and satisfy news media’s local angle requirements."
According to this article, PR practitioners are still viewed in part as spin doctors, as pushing their point to suit their perogative, presenting the most favourable points in any news releases - doing whatever they have to do to get publicity. This got me thinking that maybe on a whole, PR practitioners will never completely lose this reputation. After all, at the end of the day, isn't that their job?? Understandably, ethics etc still need to be taken into complete consideration, but angling a news release (truthfully) to produce a satisfying outcome for the client - well, I would say job well done!
Maybe journalists and PR practitioners will always have a love-hate relationship, but I think the key is (like we discussed in class last week) to get to know the journalists that you'll be dealing with. Find out how they like to be contacted, stay in contact - not just when you want something - but don't bombard them, provide them with what they want for their story, always go over and above, and act ethically!
This sentence (or part thereof) from the bottom of page 85 really stuck out to me as the message I got from this piece - "...practitioners must always be accurate, act ethically, become better writers, and satisfy news media’s local angle requirements."
According to this article, PR practitioners are still viewed in part as spin doctors, as pushing their point to suit their perogative, presenting the most favourable points in any news releases - doing whatever they have to do to get publicity. This got me thinking that maybe on a whole, PR practitioners will never completely lose this reputation. After all, at the end of the day, isn't that their job?? Understandably, ethics etc still need to be taken into complete consideration, but angling a news release (truthfully) to produce a satisfying outcome for the client - well, I would say job well done!
Maybe journalists and PR practitioners will always have a love-hate relationship, but I think the key is (like we discussed in class last week) to get to know the journalists that you'll be dealing with. Find out how they like to be contacted, stay in contact - not just when you want something - but don't bombard them, provide them with what they want for their story, always go over and above, and act ethically!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Blog Comment
I commented on Lauretta Parker's blog, found at http://cmns1290laurettaparker.blogspot.com
Ch. 10 - Media Relations
I found this chapter really interesting, because it's such an integral part of public relations practice. I liked how it was pointed out that "the media" in the context of public relations shouldn't be thought of en masse, but rather as a "complex and multi-layered part of society". There are many different forms of media - from the major monopolies to the more alternative forms that are targeted more to specific audiences. This ought to be a major consideration in media relations planning. The media can be an enormously useful tool in a successful PR campaign, so it was great to read all of the different ways to reach a target audience.
We covered a bit on media releases in first semester in Intro to Professional Writing, so it was helpful to read a bit about how it works more from a PR perspective. It was interesting to read how editors take 30 seconds to read a media release, judging it by who you are, the headline and the lead. I guess it makes writing a really good media release pretty important hey?
Media kits sounded really great for creating interest, and with a bit of creative thought and innovation could be a great catalyst to a successful campaign. Reading the section on media kits, I thought it sounded like great fun - bolstering my opinion of being involved in the planning of a campaign. It got me wondering about what sort of things you could include in a media kit for our major assignment on Surfest.......
All in all though, this reading gave me the impression that the need to take a holistic approach to media relations is imperative in planning a successful campaign and doing so can give a strong leg-up on getting the message "out there". A PR practitioner will need to take into consideration every avenue of media, and every method of reaching that media - from media releases, press conferences and media kits.
It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall in a PR planning meeting for a big campaign, to see how they work and what sort of ideas practitioners come up with...
We covered a bit on media releases in first semester in Intro to Professional Writing, so it was helpful to read a bit about how it works more from a PR perspective. It was interesting to read how editors take 30 seconds to read a media release, judging it by who you are, the headline and the lead. I guess it makes writing a really good media release pretty important hey?
Media kits sounded really great for creating interest, and with a bit of creative thought and innovation could be a great catalyst to a successful campaign. Reading the section on media kits, I thought it sounded like great fun - bolstering my opinion of being involved in the planning of a campaign. It got me wondering about what sort of things you could include in a media kit for our major assignment on Surfest.......
All in all though, this reading gave me the impression that the need to take a holistic approach to media relations is imperative in planning a successful campaign and doing so can give a strong leg-up on getting the message "out there". A PR practitioner will need to take into consideration every avenue of media, and every method of reaching that media - from media releases, press conferences and media kits.
It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall in a PR planning meeting for a big campaign, to see how they work and what sort of ideas practitioners come up with...
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Blog Comment
I commented on Kellie O'Sullivan's blog, found at http://cmns1290kellieosullivan.blogspot.com/
Ch. 4 & 5 - Legalities & Ethics
I spent a short period of time working as a personal assistant to the managing director of a company who had developed and was in the process of trialling an innovative product. While reading Ch. 4 - The Legal Environment, I found quite a few of the passages familiar, as they had been issues that we addressed while developing this new product. One in particluar was the issue of Intellectual Property - we had to ensure that not only the product itself was protected by copyright laws (patents etc), but that the ideas, research and development surrounding the product was also secure. Even ideas that hadn't started being developed were protected by intellectual property laws.
When we took the new product to a trade show some 4 months into my joining the company, I was advised that although I could talk to interested parties about the product (what it did, briefly how it works, where we're planning to use it etc), I was not able to open the machine at all, nor discuss any schematics or exact details of how it works because the INSIDE of the product was still under work being patented. Even now, having left the company years ago, I am still bound by a contract I signed when I started there that I will not divulge any details about the product.
I am grateful to have had that short span of experience in the early workings of a company, where I could see a product, and indeed the company itself, work from the ground up. It gave me some interesting insight into the importance and legalities of developing and developed products and ideas. Although my role was primarily administrative support to the MD, I often found myself working a PR role, especially in situations such as the trade shows and investor meetings. It was important for me to have a working knowledge of the laws and copyrights that protected us.
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I'm sure many of us had heard PR practitioners referred to as "spin doctors" before we began this course. Indeed I think it is something that would commonly spring to the mind of anyone who heard the term Public Relations. It's refreshing to read a text such as this that stresses such great importance of the role of ethics in the practice of public relations.
I liked the Josephson Institute for the Advancement of Ethics essential values - honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, fidelity, fairness, caring for others, respect for others, responsible citizenship, the persuit of excellence and accountability. They are standards of integrity (p.106). So when you think about it, it's not just our practice of public relations that should be ethical - our lives as a whole should reflect a strong ethical stance. I think it would be difficult to truly practice ethics in the workplace if you cannot practice ethics in every aspect of your life.
I liked reading how a public relations practitioner can have a great hand in ensuring an organisation acts in an ethical manner - also as counsellor, advocate, corporate monitor and corporate conscience. Understandably, ethical challenges will arise in any PR role at some time in our career, so it was interesting to see how these can come about. It's good to know that there are organisations such as PRIA that monitor the ethical practice of public relations, and that practitioners are held to a common code of conduct.
In the end, as the conclusion of the ethics chapter states, it comes down to a move toward genuine professionalism for PR. If PR practitioners act in a professional manner, the ethics will work hand in hand with it. Ethics will no longer be considered separate to PR, it will instead be considered part-and-parcel with PR.
When we took the new product to a trade show some 4 months into my joining the company, I was advised that although I could talk to interested parties about the product (what it did, briefly how it works, where we're planning to use it etc), I was not able to open the machine at all, nor discuss any schematics or exact details of how it works because the INSIDE of the product was still under work being patented. Even now, having left the company years ago, I am still bound by a contract I signed when I started there that I will not divulge any details about the product.
I am grateful to have had that short span of experience in the early workings of a company, where I could see a product, and indeed the company itself, work from the ground up. It gave me some interesting insight into the importance and legalities of developing and developed products and ideas. Although my role was primarily administrative support to the MD, I often found myself working a PR role, especially in situations such as the trade shows and investor meetings. It was important for me to have a working knowledge of the laws and copyrights that protected us.
------------------------------------------
I'm sure many of us had heard PR practitioners referred to as "spin doctors" before we began this course. Indeed I think it is something that would commonly spring to the mind of anyone who heard the term Public Relations. It's refreshing to read a text such as this that stresses such great importance of the role of ethics in the practice of public relations.
I liked the Josephson Institute for the Advancement of Ethics essential values - honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, fidelity, fairness, caring for others, respect for others, responsible citizenship, the persuit of excellence and accountability. They are standards of integrity (p.106). So when you think about it, it's not just our practice of public relations that should be ethical - our lives as a whole should reflect a strong ethical stance. I think it would be difficult to truly practice ethics in the workplace if you cannot practice ethics in every aspect of your life.
I liked reading how a public relations practitioner can have a great hand in ensuring an organisation acts in an ethical manner - also as counsellor, advocate, corporate monitor and corporate conscience. Understandably, ethical challenges will arise in any PR role at some time in our career, so it was interesting to see how these can come about. It's good to know that there are organisations such as PRIA that monitor the ethical practice of public relations, and that practitioners are held to a common code of conduct.
In the end, as the conclusion of the ethics chapter states, it comes down to a move toward genuine professionalism for PR. If PR practitioners act in a professional manner, the ethics will work hand in hand with it. Ethics will no longer be considered separate to PR, it will instead be considered part-and-parcel with PR.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Ch. 7 - Strategy, Planning & Scheduling
I'm starting to realise the depth and breadth of the role of a PR practitioner - I always understood it was a fairly intensive role, but the extent to which PR infiltrates an organisation is more than I realised. The PR Manager works in cahoots with top management and has a hand in the direction, planning, strategy etc of the organisations day to day and future. The sheer responsibility of such a role kind of blew me away to be quite honest. Of course, I don't believe that just because I am doing this course I am going to make it all the way to the top, in fact the idea kind of gives me the heebies at this stage because I'm ill-equipped.
But imagine for a second if you could say that you'd garnered such a wealth of knowledge and (probably most importantly) experience that you could actually perform such a role? I may be looking at this from a first-year perspective, but personally I reckon you'd have to be pretty good at your job to perform at this level. Still, I think to be involved in the public relations wing of an organisation that really embraces the part the PR plays would be well worth it.
Studying strategic planning, learning about audiences, researching, campaigning, budgeting etc - it's all stuff that will be useful and applicable in any role, whether you're the one making the decisions or following them. There's so much that goes on behind the scenes in PR, certainly more than I realised.
But imagine for a second if you could say that you'd garnered such a wealth of knowledge and (probably most importantly) experience that you could actually perform such a role? I may be looking at this from a first-year perspective, but personally I reckon you'd have to be pretty good at your job to perform at this level. Still, I think to be involved in the public relations wing of an organisation that really embraces the part the PR plays would be well worth it.
Studying strategic planning, learning about audiences, researching, campaigning, budgeting etc - it's all stuff that will be useful and applicable in any role, whether you're the one making the decisions or following them. There's so much that goes on behind the scenes in PR, certainly more than I realised.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Ch. 11 - Internal Relations (pp. 287-297)
I used to work for a large company in Sydney in their Financial Services department. While I was working there (as a very happy employee), the company itself was undertaking dramatic changes, with a new owner jumping on board.
Reading this text, I could relate a lot of what it was talking about to that experience. The great thing was that through the entire process, the constant stream of updates and information that came through from the top management meant that everyone was up to speed on the goings on, and felt a part of the changes. There were never questions about where we stood, our jobs were never questioned and there was excellent communication right down the line.
Even amid the major shift in company ownership, all employees were as well-treated as ever, with regular team lunches, even dinners to build and maintain a great working relationship and rapport between employees and team leaders alike. We had a fun working environment, fun competitions and team building activities that everyone got into, as well as a particular day set aside especially for getting to know the company as a whole, with loads of free stuff and enjoyable, interactive sessions. Whenever the company had a sizeable monetary bonus (regardless of the time of year), all employees were recognised for their contribution and rewarded accordingly. HR was only a phone call away if we had any problems, and in general management worked extremely hard to keep employees happy - and we were.
This is a company that has worked hard to maintain employee goodwill. Their internal PR was something that was recognised as important, and much time and effort was invested in it.
"It is in a company's best interest to keep its staff happy, loyal and safe. Keeping them informed, communicating with them, consulting with them and developing relationships with them are some of the ways that show the organisation respects them not just as 'workers', but as 'thinking individuals'. Employee loyalty and satisfaction result from deriving a healthy relationship with the employer." (page 292)
For me, my time with that particular company set a benchmark in my mind of the type of company that I will always want to be a part of, and inspired me to undertake this course so that when I'm finished, I can be a part of it again.
Reading this text, I could relate a lot of what it was talking about to that experience. The great thing was that through the entire process, the constant stream of updates and information that came through from the top management meant that everyone was up to speed on the goings on, and felt a part of the changes. There were never questions about where we stood, our jobs were never questioned and there was excellent communication right down the line.
Even amid the major shift in company ownership, all employees were as well-treated as ever, with regular team lunches, even dinners to build and maintain a great working relationship and rapport between employees and team leaders alike. We had a fun working environment, fun competitions and team building activities that everyone got into, as well as a particular day set aside especially for getting to know the company as a whole, with loads of free stuff and enjoyable, interactive sessions. Whenever the company had a sizeable monetary bonus (regardless of the time of year), all employees were recognised for their contribution and rewarded accordingly. HR was only a phone call away if we had any problems, and in general management worked extremely hard to keep employees happy - and we were.
This is a company that has worked hard to maintain employee goodwill. Their internal PR was something that was recognised as important, and much time and effort was invested in it.
"It is in a company's best interest to keep its staff happy, loyal and safe. Keeping them informed, communicating with them, consulting with them and developing relationships with them are some of the ways that show the organisation respects them not just as 'workers', but as 'thinking individuals'. Employee loyalty and satisfaction result from deriving a healthy relationship with the employer." (page 292)
For me, my time with that particular company set a benchmark in my mind of the type of company that I will always want to be a part of, and inspired me to undertake this course so that when I'm finished, I can be a part of it again.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Blog Comment
I commented on Sara Shanahan's blog, found at http://cmns1290sarashanahan.blogspot.com/
PR Research at the Crossroads
First off the bat, I have to say I certainly understand theory has it's place - there are theories out there on just about everything (yes, even about extraterrestrial existence), some work, some don't. Ultimately they help us to understand the who, what, when, where, how and why of human behaviours, but I do sometimes find it difficult to delve far into the nitty-gritty of theories (speaking like a true uni student)!!!
So this reading discussed Grunig's two-way symmetrical theory (amongst others) - the "holy grail" of PR as Melanie described in last week's lecture. Now sometimes I'm an optimist, rarely I'm a pessimist, but more often than not I'm a realist. On reading this (and the description of this theory in the textbook), I thought "can we honestly ever get the profession of PR to the level of two way symmetric?" I mean, we're talking perfect PR aren't we? So I appreciated in some aspects the criticisms that this theory has undergone by postmodernists, critical/cultural theorists and international scholars (see page 179). As much as we might wish and hope for a utopian organisational structure and function... is it really possible?
I loved the sentence on page 185 - "Today's public relations practice is fluid and complex." I find that concept somewhat exciting, because it provides so much room for exploration and experimentation, to learn more about human behaviours, corporations and organisations, the publics that are involved and the way they all function and integrate together.
The conclusion says "We are standing at a crossroads, unclear of our direction, we should view the choices before us as opportunities... Not everything will work, Not everything will be worth adopting or saving. The process of self-reflection itself will be worth the effort." Very well said... I'm giving a cyber round of applause!
I'm not aiming to be a theorist, but looking at theories of the past, present and future have application to what I am studying, so despite reservations about getting swamped with "too much information", I'm happy to take a look. Maybe one day when I'm working away I'll suddenly realise I'm a living, breathing theory!
So this reading discussed Grunig's two-way symmetrical theory (amongst others) - the "holy grail" of PR as Melanie described in last week's lecture. Now sometimes I'm an optimist, rarely I'm a pessimist, but more often than not I'm a realist. On reading this (and the description of this theory in the textbook), I thought "can we honestly ever get the profession of PR to the level of two way symmetric?" I mean, we're talking perfect PR aren't we? So I appreciated in some aspects the criticisms that this theory has undergone by postmodernists, critical/cultural theorists and international scholars (see page 179). As much as we might wish and hope for a utopian organisational structure and function... is it really possible?
I loved the sentence on page 185 - "Today's public relations practice is fluid and complex." I find that concept somewhat exciting, because it provides so much room for exploration and experimentation, to learn more about human behaviours, corporations and organisations, the publics that are involved and the way they all function and integrate together.
The conclusion says "We are standing at a crossroads, unclear of our direction, we should view the choices before us as opportunities... Not everything will work, Not everything will be worth adopting or saving. The process of self-reflection itself will be worth the effort." Very well said... I'm giving a cyber round of applause!
I'm not aiming to be a theorist, but looking at theories of the past, present and future have application to what I am studying, so despite reservations about getting swamped with "too much information", I'm happy to take a look. Maybe one day when I'm working away I'll suddenly realise I'm a living, breathing theory!
Ch. 3 - Theoretical Perspectives
This chapter gave a general overview of different theories that apply to the PR profession. As a person with somewhat of an interest in human behaviour, I found the different theories pretty interesting in their definition, their use and their limitations.
I find semiotics particularly fascinating, because we are surrounded by it in our everyday world. Whether I'm driving my car, walking through a supermarket, watching television, reading a magazine or browsing the WWW, I'm inundated with signs, symbols and even meaningful colours (think traffic lights as a basic concept). We read so much into the simplest things without even realising it, so to understand the mechanics and the theory behind the colour/shape/size etc is really useful in understanding human behaviour, and would come in handy in an attempt to be a successful PR practitioner.
Agenda setting was another one I was curious about. It definitely sways more to the "determinism" side, does it not? The indication that the media can't (for obvious reasons) tell you what to think, but they can certainly influence what you think about! Reading this I had a chuckle because the first thing that sprung to mind was the Network Ten television show, Big Brother. I believe I'm in a minority when I say I quite adamantly dislike this program, but the fact is I cannot avoid seeing it all together!! Anytime I watch channel Ten, I will see at least one BB advertisement, or update, or voting information... So Ten can't tell me to like the program, but they can make me think about it... Scarily enough, because of this, I could almost tell you what four housemates were left in the house!!!!
Social learning theory was the other one that struck a chord with me... Where the theory is that people will modify their attitudes and behaviour to fit in with that which is exhibited by others, and the example was given of advertisements that give the impression that by using X product you will become Y. I remember being a kid when the shampoo Salon Selectives first hit the market... I still remember the jingle... "Like you just stepped out of a salon" and the image of a woman with a mane of long blonde hair stepping out of her apartment, smiling and swishing her hair about. Well, that advertisement worked on myself and my friends, we all pestered our mothers to go out and buy it so we'd all have glamourous hair!!! It became a link in the popularity chain (albeit a very shallow one!!).
Well, I still don't like Big Brother, and I now use a different shampoo, but at least I know their techniques to get me thinking!!
I find semiotics particularly fascinating, because we are surrounded by it in our everyday world. Whether I'm driving my car, walking through a supermarket, watching television, reading a magazine or browsing the WWW, I'm inundated with signs, symbols and even meaningful colours (think traffic lights as a basic concept). We read so much into the simplest things without even realising it, so to understand the mechanics and the theory behind the colour/shape/size etc is really useful in understanding human behaviour, and would come in handy in an attempt to be a successful PR practitioner.
Agenda setting was another one I was curious about. It definitely sways more to the "determinism" side, does it not? The indication that the media can't (for obvious reasons) tell you what to think, but they can certainly influence what you think about! Reading this I had a chuckle because the first thing that sprung to mind was the Network Ten television show, Big Brother. I believe I'm in a minority when I say I quite adamantly dislike this program, but the fact is I cannot avoid seeing it all together!! Anytime I watch channel Ten, I will see at least one BB advertisement, or update, or voting information... So Ten can't tell me to like the program, but they can make me think about it... Scarily enough, because of this, I could almost tell you what four housemates were left in the house!!!!
Social learning theory was the other one that struck a chord with me... Where the theory is that people will modify their attitudes and behaviour to fit in with that which is exhibited by others, and the example was given of advertisements that give the impression that by using X product you will become Y. I remember being a kid when the shampoo Salon Selectives first hit the market... I still remember the jingle... "Like you just stepped out of a salon" and the image of a woman with a mane of long blonde hair stepping out of her apartment, smiling and swishing her hair about. Well, that advertisement worked on myself and my friends, we all pestered our mothers to go out and buy it so we'd all have glamourous hair!!! It became a link in the popularity chain (albeit a very shallow one!!).
Well, I still don't like Big Brother, and I now use a different shampoo, but at least I know their techniques to get me thinking!!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
"The Big Picture"
This was a great reading on PR in the "real world".
It's useful to read what PR practitioners do, and what PR practitioners think make a good PR practitioner - seeing as though it's a job I'll be doing one day! I didn't personally hold the misconception that PR is all cocktail parties and glamour Sex in the City style, but it was great to read how involved a PR practitioner is in such an event. For me (and I know this is probably weird!), the behind-the-scenes organising and hard work is what I would want to do, not just because I had to.
The section on the industry itself was really helpful, considering it's only a matter of a few years before I'll be job hunting in the industry myself. It's reassuring to know that I'm studying a profession that's not on its way out, but is growing and even specialising into different areas. Career options include working for a consultancy, in-house, or even overseas.
The interviews in "Meet some employers" were helpful in getting a grasp on what employers are looking for in candidates for PR positions, and the different methods of recruitment used.
Ch. 2 - PR History
This chapter was really interesting! I really liked reading the history of newspapers and how advertising was involved, then how public relations emerged. PR has been evolving since day one!
It was interesting reading briefly about the early days of the Packer dynasty! Frank Packer seemed to have immense influence on print media - and he didn't give much credence to PR practitioners!
Probably the biggest thing I got out of this chapter though, was the social responsibility theory, formed out of the various commissions, which holds the media in an ethical and responsible manner. I could regurgitate all the information I read about the commissions and social responsibility theory, but the text does such a great job!! I went back and re-read pages 36 to 38 because after reading it the first time, I felt it was important to grasp as an aspiring PR.
It was interesting reading briefly about the early days of the Packer dynasty! Frank Packer seemed to have immense influence on print media - and he didn't give much credence to PR practitioners!
Probably the biggest thing I got out of this chapter though, was the social responsibility theory, formed out of the various commissions, which holds the media in an ethical and responsible manner. I could regurgitate all the information I read about the commissions and social responsibility theory, but the text does such a great job!! I went back and re-read pages 36 to 38 because after reading it the first time, I felt it was important to grasp as an aspiring PR.
Ch. 1 - What is PR?
This chapter aimed to define exactly what public relations is, and what public relations practitioners do. It delved into different definitions of roles, tasks and activities that are involved in being a public relations practitioner.
As a starting point, I found the "ultimate" definition of PR to be invaluable, because it puts the entire chapter in a nutshell...
As a starting point, I found the "ultimate" definition of PR to be invaluable, because it puts the entire chapter in a nutshell...
The ethical and strategic management of communication and relationships in order to build and develop coalitions and policy, identify and manage issues and create and direct messages to achieve sound outcomes within a socially responsible framework.
"Socially responsible framework" jumped out at me, as I have often heard PR practitioners criticised for "spin doctoring" or "bending the truth". This mentality is openly refuted within the very definition of public relations, and I am relieved that the profession is ethical and responsible.
This also made me think of how limited my perception was of public relations and it was great to read about so many different areas that come under the umbrella of PR, and also how it differs from marketing and advertising.
All in all, I found this chapter really refreshing, and it confirmed in my mind that this definitely where I want to be.
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