Issues in Public Relations

• Public relations today is a complex place • PR marketplace is rapidly changing due to;– Role of Technology– Internet– Globalisation– International Associations

Role of Technology

• Smaller boutique Public Relations firms• Real time response environment• Low setup costs and high quality product• Videoconferencing• Skype

Internet

• Internet is a Public Relations tool in its own right• Facebook – Social networking sites• User forums, Chat groups• Online publications – Prompts• In house Public Relations• Additions to Company Websites

Globalisation Issues

• The world is a smaller place!!!• International Trade • Global Marketplace • Public Relations needs to be Global to meet

these issues – Culturally diverse and sensitive to international issues

International Associations• With Global Marketplace comes global Public

Relations associations • Places to share PR strategies, emerging issues,

research papers, trends • Place of recognition – PR awards • These can all drive further benefits for

organisations/ businesses associated with them

Activity – EXPLORING ISSUES in PRUSING THE INTERNET – 20 minutes1. Find 2 awarded PR Campaigns (hint google

awarded PR campaigns)For each write down

a) Name of awardb) Winning company & Agencyc) Describe the Campaign that was run

2. Locate 2 PR firms in Melbourne and describe what services they offer3. Prepare to present your answers to the class.

Public Relations Evaluation

Public Relations evaluation – is a thorough and systematic review of the public relations objectives, strategies and tactics

- look at EACH AREA of our Objectives, Strategies & Tactics AND MEASURE• WHAT WE DID?• WHAT WORKED?• WHAT DIDN’T WORK?• WHY?

What are we MEASURING

The Most Common Public Relations Measures (Performance Indicators) are1. Level of customer satisfaction2. Change in public opinions/reactions3. Investor reactions4. Supportive or critical public comments5. Changed public image6. Sales, market share and profit

PR Evaluation Activities

Mission Impossiblehttp://prexamples.com/2015/08/let-out-your-inner-action-hero-with-this-mission-impossible-stunt/

Questions1. How would I evaluate the success of this PR

Campaign2. List your examples

PR Evaluation ActivitiesWorld Wildlife Federationhttp://prexamples.com/2015/08/wwf-asked-families-on-the-verge-of-extinction-to-save-another-family-on-the-verge-of-extinction-tigers/

Questions1. How would you evaluate the success of this

PR Campaign2. List your examples

PR Evaluation Case Study

Red Bull Read the Red Bull Case Study & answerQuestions1. How did they evaluate the success of this PR

Campaign2. List your examples

Ethical & Socially Responsible Behavior

• Public Relations ethics – is the moral evaluation of public relations activities as right or wrong

• Public Relations social responsibility – is the conscious effort by a public relations business to– maximise its positive impact and– minimise its negative impact on society

Ethical issues

• Examples of unethical PR practices– Offering gifts or favors for journalists for story

placement– Paying radio announcers to make negative

comments about business rivals– Spreading rumours about rivals customers,

employees

Ethical Issues lead to Legal Issues

• Defamation

• Misrepresentation

• Intellectual Property

• Contracts