PR Communication PlanTop Up Your Tactical Toolkit

Carol Moore

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PREPARING A PUBLIC RELATIONS/ COMMUNICATION PLAN

Top up your Tactical Toolkit

An Australian Event Symposium 2011 presentation

by Carol Moore MPRIA, Director, Moore Public Relationswww.moorepr.com.au | http://au.linkedin.com.in/carolmooreatmoorepr

PREPARING A PR PLAN

If your event involves people, you need a PR/communication plan!Varying format, detail and content depending on:

scopepurposesizeduration‘big picture’

Ten key elements to consider

10 Elements of a PR Plan

1. Background/situation analysis 2. Goals/General Aim 3. Research 4. Key Publics 5. Objectives 6. Communication Strategy & Tactics7. Timeline 8. Project Management 9. Budget10.Evaluation

www.stayinbedday.org

1. Background & situation analysis

Why are we communicating?Scope of plan

Internal comms, issues/crisis mgmt, media relations, community rels, etc

Facts about organisation, event, previous PR outcomesCommunication considerations

Challenges, opportunities, perceptions, attitudes, endorsers, detractors, etc…

Consider known or potential issues

What public attitudes/behaviours could cause problems for us?What do we do that impacts negatively on publics or could attract disapproval?What is our reputation & how could it be improved? What could go wrong?Most importantly: how can we prevent or fix these NOW?

Background/situation

Low awareness of AMDF Low awareness of mito disease (complex)Competition for charity $/sympathyImpact on support & fundraisingOngoing mito research & pos. newsMito families available for interviewKey medical experts supportiveSuccessful Stay in Bed DaysInternational foundations keen to be involved

2. Goals/General Aim

Aligned with organisation’s vision, mission, values, business plan – big pictureOverall program direction or goalsBroader than objectives

Goals/General Aim

AMDF mission: Fund research for diagnosis, treatment & cure of mitochondrial disorders

Educate public and doctors about mito

Support patients and families

3. Research

Needed to understand situation, set objectives, communicate effectively with key publicsDesign your plan to be measurableInclude in plan:

Previous research & resultsOther formative research requiredResearch during the campaign…

Planning Research & Evaluation in PR

When & what to research/measure

Inputs i.e. planning, pre-testingOutputs i.e. activities, media coverageOuttakes i.e. understanding, retentionOutcomes i.e. opinions, attitudes, behaviours, relationshipsAll inter-related and continuous

Range of options, from low cost/DIY to commissioned researchAim for benchmark data if possibleDesk researchField researchFormal research (qual. & quant.)

Research options

Research

Reviewed AMDF strategic/business plansReviewed PR evaluation reports, including past Stay in Bed DaysReviewed media coverage analysisCanvassed medical experts re likely news, progress on diagnosis, treatmentTalked with patients & families re medical experiences, willingness to be interviewedAnnual omnibus phone poll re public awareness (1 in 3) & understanding (1 in 7) of mito disease

4. Key publics

Different groups of people who have an impact on organisation/eventEach may require different tacticsSegment/define re:

Demographics/socio-economic detailsImportance to campaignAwareness, level of involvement, attitudes (i.e. situational analysis)

Remember internal publics/stakeholders

Event team, including volunteers Suppliers, consultantsSponsors and their staffOrganisation’s staffOrganisation’s management, boardMembers

Key Publics

Primary:People with mito disease & familyFriends, colleagues, community membersPeople interested in health/charitable causes

Secondary:Doctors with an interest in mito diseaseBusiness community re potential sponsorsCharitable foundations/trusts

Mediating:Health, medical & science journalistsWomen’s & men’s magazines with health focusGeneral news media

5. Communication Objectives

Need to be SMART, esp. measurableExclude results you can’t controlOutcome objectives

Changes in attitude, behaviour, etcOutput objectives

Related to specific activities/tactics e.g. media coverage

Integration & accountability

Link comms objectives back to business plan/strategy

How communication/event supports bigger pictureGet management buy-in: What will success look like to them?

Design plan to be measurableAccountabilityCredibilityRepeat business, more $$ next time!

PR Objectives

To increase public awareness of mito disease by X% by 30 June 2012To increase public understanding of mito disease by X% by 30 June 2012To equal or exceed impact rating and reach for media coverage of mito & SIBD by 30 June 2012

6. Communication Strategy & Implementation of Tactics

Strategy = communication rationaleApproach/direction you take to achieve objectivesProvides foundation/framework Guides selection of tactics & toolsAssists in presenting business caseEnsures best use of budget, resourcesEnables new/reactive opportunities to be considered within a framework

e.g. would this activity be ‘on strategy’?

What are communication tactics?

Tactics = activities and/or communication tools used to implement the strategy Wide variety of options, incl. eventsSelect based on situation, publics, objectives, budget, timing, etcImportant not to be merely tactical

PR Strategy

Promote mito disease and AMDF through media liaison over a sustained period to build context, awareness

Emphasise mito prevalence, human impact (patient stories), difficulties in diagnosis & treatment, no cure, research vital, AMDF funds used wisely

Utilise Stay in Bed Day to connect with unaware/disconnected publics

Emphasise fun aspect, link with mito/energy, ease of fundraising, ambassadors

Main PR Tactics

Distribute regular media updates to key health/medical/science mediaUse significant mito medical news as media hook, with AMDF mito experts as spokespeopleUtilise mito families in publicity activities & produce Media Guide help them DIY local publicityUse Global Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week and World Stay in Bed Day as media opportunities/hooks

Social media campaign: World Wide Bed on FacebookTargeted media activity, pitches

HOWMedia materialsPitch idea/storyContact, liaison S/person intv.

Event

What coverage we want & when

What media want to cover & when

Facts/info/news Target publicsKey messagesBest channels

Comms objectives

Audience interestsWhat ‘sells’

Editorial policy/mixMedia competition

WHORange of mediaDifferent needs Indiv. contactsBest targets?

WHATTypes of newsNews elements

Angles‘Ingredients’

WHENMedia agenda

Lead timesDeadlinesEmbargoesNews cycle

MEDIA ACTIVITYLikely/possible

coverage

© Moore Public Relations 2011

MEDIA STRATEGY PLANNING

OUTCOMES

Public/corporate/philanthropic interest, support, donationsMito community engagement (patients, families, doctors)

AWARENESS OF AMDF:

Aims, services, credibility/reputation, fundraising, worthiness of cause

AWARENESS OF MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE:

What mito is, how it affects people, prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, need for research and support

ONGOING MEDIA COVERAGE & PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

Publicise mito/genetic research advances, human interest stories, Mito Info days, World Stay in Bed Day,

Global Mito Awareness WeekLeverage reputation of key doctors, educate media

Media comment/info from AMDF

OVERVIEW OF AMDF PR PLAN

6. Strategy & Tactics cont’d

Also include:Issues management initiativesCrisis management plansOutput objectives re specific tacticsKey messages, Q&AsSpokespeopleMedia liaison protocols

Top Tactical Tips

Make media events multi-purposeOver-prepare your spokespeople Double-check details and proofreadBe prepared for your plans to change…

Weather, hostile audience, no-shows, breakdowns, children/animals, pollies

Communicate regularly on progress/results and manage client expectationsUse experts where necessary

7. Timeline

Detailed to-do listWho is doing what, by whenInclude research activities, evaluation report, etcChart or tableFactor in sufficient time for various elements

8. Project management

Credentials and responsibilities of personnelAccount management details e.g. reporting, meetings

9. Budget

Must be thoroughly researchedMore expensive incl. more detail

Consider outsourced elementsPR consultancy feesBought-in servicesExpenses

Include 10-15% contingencyInclude sufficient $ for research & evaluation

10. Evaluation

Evaluation is important!Discuss mechanisms/tools to be used during and at end of campaignRefer back to objectivesInclude measurement criteriaEvaluating media coverage…

Media content analysis

DIY or outsource analysisSet criteria at outsetAnalyse each item, for example:

Reach (readership, audience)Tone/favourabilityPositioning, size/lengthKey messages, issuesUse of quotes/photosShare of voice (re sector/competitors)

Cost per opportunity to see, ROIAvoid ‘Advertising Value Equivalency’

AMDF Evaluation

Awareness & understanding: Repeat omnibus survey and measure against benchmarkMedia coverage:Monitor media, analyse coverage, measure impact and branding against benchmarkAlso anecdotal feedback from AMDF, experts, mito families, media, updates on fundraising progress

Questions?Comments?

Papers and research at:pria.com.auinstituteforpr.com

Carol Moore MPRIA, Director, Moore Public Relationswww.moorepr.com.au | http://au.linkedin.com.in/carolmooreatmoorepr

Media Coverage and Analysis Report

Organisation: Campaign/Issue: Date/period

Tone (5/3/0 pts)

Quality Ratings (0/1 pt each)

Tota

l Qua

lity

Rati

ng

Tota

l Sco

re /

10

NotesDate Media Outlet Location Media Type Reach

Posi

tive

(5)

Bala

nced

(3)

Neg

ativ

e (0

)

Obj

ecti

ve #

1

Obj

ecti

ve #

2

Obj

ecti

ve #

3

Obj

ecti

ve #

4

Obj

ecti

ve#

5

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total Reach: (or "opportunities to see")

Number of Media Items:

Average Tone: /5

Average Quality Rating: /5

Average Total Score: /10

Budget: $(PR budget for media relations)

$ Per Contact/Opportunity to See: $ (Budget ÷by reach)

Tone (5 = positive; 3 = neutral/balanced; 0 = negative). The explicit or strongly implicit characterisation of the article's or segment's subject; how a target audience feels (or is likely to feel) about the organisation, product or topic. Tone is tone is independent of the rest of the variables.

Objectives (1 = achieved; 0 = not achieved) could be for key message use, branding, use of quotes/ photo, positioning, size/length, A/B/C target media, etcCould add columns to track useful information re journalist/author, name of spokesperson, main topic, etc

Possible elements in a PR strategy

Format, elements & detail depend on situation, need and client!

Timing e.g. phases, duration, different publics at different times, build-up

Priorities best return on investment, use of timeimpact on the organisation’s mission

Integration, support for/of other activities

Possible elements in a PR strategy

Communication process/approach e.g. proactive/reactive, one/two-way, cascading, open, consultative, tailoredCommunication channelsType & mix of communication toolsMessaging, focusImage, branding, positioning

Possible elements in a PR strategy

Spokesperson/s, endorsersIssues/risk management considerationsCompetitor activityPolitical factorsConsumer sentiment

Possible elements in a PR strategy

Publics DemographicsSituational analysisInfluence of various publics over othersCurrent & desired level of effect i.e. awareness, comprehension, understanding, changing/reinforcing attitudes, behaviours…