Contemporary Theory and Issues in Public Relations

The Medium Shapes the Message

2011-06-13T05:06:00.000-07:00

Technology has a great effect on how PR practitioners communicate. The content of the messages used in public relations these days really depends on the medium being used. Whether you are texting, blogging, emailing or using a website, podcast, or vodcast, the message must be modified to fit with the medium.

The medium itself can influence how the message is perceived. For example, text messaging via mobile phones must be short and precise because of the nature of this communication mode. Short forms for many words (i.e. LOL - for Laugh out Loud) are also commonly used and for someone who is not familiar with these codes it could cause them a major headache! There is a website where practitioners who are not familiar with the language of text messaging can visit to learn more about it http://www.lingo2word.com/index.php.

According to Pavlik (2007) news releases must also be modified to be accessible via mobile phones and other media channels. PR practitioners must also practice embedding links within the content that they write so that consumers can retrieve relevant information to fit with their personal needs. Pavlik (2007) suggest that "embedding links within content is also important, enabling consumers to immediately act on content or messages of interest".

It is apparent that PR agencies are also starting to incorporate interactive media, such as online games, into the content that they are sending out. We are in an era where it takes a lot to keep a persons' attention so it is important to engage consumers and to attract a younger and more versatile public by using tools such as this.

Reference

Pavlik, J. V. (2007). Mapping the Consequences of Technology on Public Relations. Institute for Public Relations. Retrieved Monday December 29, from, www.instituteforpr.org.

An Evaluation of Social Media Practices

2011-05-31T06:04:00.000-07:00

If you have been following my blog, you know that lately I have been focusing my discussion on technology and how it is redefining the public relations industry. I have provided you with a mixture of things thus far and think that it is now time to provide you with some sound research exploring the shift of influence patterns and the ways in which PR practitioners are using social media to address these changes.

A research study conducted by The Society for New Communications Research set out to uncover how organizations “define new influencers; communicate and create relationships with them; use social media to create influence; and measure the effects of these efforts”.

The study, both reliable and valid, used survey research to gather its results. They found that:

• 57% of people who responded said, “social media tools are becoming more valuable to their activities as more customers and influencers use them”.

• 27% reported, “social media is a core element of their communications strategy”. With only 3% stating that "social media has little or no value to their communications initiatives”.

• The most popular media tools fell to blogs, online videos, and social networks. Although the results show that a wide range of other information sharing channels such as podcasts, photosharing sites, and newsgroups, were also used.

• Most respondents were highly satisfied with the media tools they have used within their organizations so far.

Another interesting aspect of the study measured what the criteria that organizations use to evaluate the importance of a blogger or podcaster. Here is what they found:

This research study provides us with solid proof that social media is quickly establishing itself as the leader in circulating various forms of information to the public. While only about half of the respondents are formally measuring the effects of social media on their organizations right now, I’m sure that more companies are going to catch on to this growing trend in the near future.

Reference
Gillin, P (2007). New Media, New Influencers and Implications for Public Relations. Society for New Communications Research.

New Media Viral Video

2011-03-03T04:45:00.000-08:00

For one of our new media assignments we were required to create an online viral video campaign. I did mine on Nike ACG - All Conditions Gear. ACG has renewed Nike’s commitment to the outdoor niche by focusing on lightweight and athletic products for hiking, trail running, river activities and winter sports.

In my campaign, the new positioning of ACG is a balance of fun and function. I wanted to make ACG about lifestyle, performance, camaraderie and competition. In this video I am focusing on what ACG stands for, ‘All Conditions Gear’ and am demonstrating that the shoes are fit for all terrains.

Nike ACG - DO WHAT YOU LIKE

This video was created entirely as part of an assignment for the University of Westminster in London. It is not associated with Nike Incorporated.

The Crisis Management Formula

2010-12-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

Everyone who works within in the public relations industry knows that effective and efficient crisis management is crucial when you are on the brink of a PR catastrophe.

The problem lies with where to find this effective and efficient advice. I am not an expert on crisis management so I turned to academic books written by qualified PR practitioners with loads of experience to find some tips on dealing with small and large crisis situations.

According to Regester and Larkin (2008) every organization, no matter the size, should be systematically prepared for a time of crisis. The PR team should always be one step ahead of the rest. They should be aware of any possible problems that could arise and should have sound responses to all of them, whether they are likely to happen or not. The occurrence of a crisis is not limited in scope and can happen as a result of numerous external and internal factors.

It is important to be prepared when dealing with any crisis. A Crisis Communication Plan (CCP) should be an integral part of the communication management of all organizations. This includes drawing up a “crisis inventory” that demonstrates and ranks the risks involved with the organization and the actions it takes (Regester & Larkin, 2008).

A CCP should be methodically structured and should include all parties involved, stakeholders, publics and media. It should include a way to detect any potential crises before they happen and a tested method of handling the media if the crisis starts to spin out of control. It is important to contain the media so that their imagination doesn’t start to run wild with speculations and rumours. After the crisis has been fully dealt with it is important to evaluate what the organization has lost or gained as a result and to gather some information on public opinion and start re-building the reputation of the organization. Companies should keep records of the crisis management tools they used just in case they ever have to deal with a similar situation again.

Good public relations is consistent communication and ethical practice so remember to use this when managing your own PR disasters.

Check out this video for some more tips on crisis management...

References
Regester, M., & Larkin, J. (2008). Risk Issues and Crisis Management in Public Relations: A Casebook of Best Practice. London, UK: Kogan Page Ltd.

What's the Buzz About PR 2.0/Social Media?

2010-09-22T04:52:00.000-07:00

I think that this video provides PR agencies with some good information and tips about social media. It summarizes everything very well so take a look!

Has the PR industry been slow to adapt to new media options?

2009-08-12T06:25:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I thought that I would use my background in health sciences to my advantage and evaluate some of the more recent health campaigns circulating in Britain and North America. I have created a vodcast exploring the use of new media within these health campaigns. Surprisingly, the health PR sector has been keeping up with some of the new media trends and has been using them to their advantage. Check out my vodcast to find out more!

Thoughts from PR Practitioners

2009-05-14T03:24:00.000-07:00

After reading an article appearing in the Journal of Public Relations Research I came across some interesting information regarding how PR practitioners viewed the challenges they faced when incorporating new technologies into their everyday lives.

Since this article was published over 10 years ago you may all be wondering why I even bothered to mention it, but I think that it is interesting to note that even then technology was sweeping the growing PR world.

All 17 of the PR practitioners interviewed for this research study seemed to be moving forward with where the PR industry was heading in the late 1990’s. They embraced the change that came along with the new technologies and as a result definitely benefited in the long run. These practitioners started by taking small steps towards incorporating computer technology into how they managed their daily communications. They got information from online trade journals and discussions. They also managed their research online and maximized their evaluations through email sharing. The PR practitioners of today should use this as an example to follow. They will not be able to learn all the working of new media overnight so practicing things step by step will surely increase their knowledge in the future.

All in all most PR practitioners from the research study were using new technological advances as a way to enhance their profession. Moreover, they were using technology specifically to improve the quality and quantity of their research, to advance two-way symmetric communication within their own organizations, and to increase efficiency and productivity in the office.

Reference
Johnson, M. A. (1997). Public Relations and Technology: Practitioner Perspectives. Journal of Public Relations Research, 9(3), 213-236.

Employee Blogging

2009-05-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

Public relations practitioners are adapting their communication habits to the evolving PR industry. The somewhat new trend of weblogging is changing the dynamics of how employees communicate. They are discovering new ways to become empowered by expressing their voice through their own blogs. These blogs are being used to communicate internally and externally.

There have been many articles published to date exploring the blogging phenomenon. I am particularly interested in why employees are blogging in the first place.

According to Wacka (2005) there are a few key reasons why employees are blogging. These include the following:

Becoming an expert: The employee wants to be recognised as a leader in their field. In order to accomplish this they must be accepted by their colleagues as an independent and knowledgeable resource.

Testing ideas: Employees are using blogs to see if they can generate some interest in their ideas. The easy communication features and informal nature of blogs make it simple for individuals to get audience feedback on their thoughts.

Personalizing Relationships: Employees are connecting with their colleagues and personalizing their relationships through blogging.

There is conflicting evidence on whether employee blogging is good for bad for an organization. It seems to me that only time will tell. In the meantime employers should encourage their employees to maintain a positive atmosphere within their blogs.

Take a look at this video to hear a few reasons why companies should start a corporate blog.

Reference
Wacka, F. (2005). Guide to Corporate Blogging. Retrieved December 21, 2008, from: http://www.corporateblogging.info/

The Rise of Technology

2009-04-30T05:32:00.000-07:00

The public relations industry is continually evolving and 2008 has been no exception to this inclination. Technology is reshaping the profession and changing the dynamics of how PR practitioners manage their communications effectively.

There is an immense battle occurring between traditional media and new media. While the traditional PR agencies are struggling to hang on to their clients, the innovative agencies are leading the way in how communications will be handled in the future. One of the major trends that prevailed in 2008 was the rise of social media.

Social media has done great things for the field of public relations and as a result has become a massive PR trend in recent years. The life of PR professionals has become much easier with the upsurge of Internet communication tools such as blogs, discussion forums, social networking sites, and video sharing sites. Communicating through these means is cheaper and more efficient than taking the traditional newspaper or television route. Furthermore, social media outlets provide PR practitioners with heaps of real life consumer information and opinions that will be beneficial to both the consumer and the client.

Is getting a PR degree really that valuable?

2009-03-26T04:33:00.001-07:00

I have spent the last 6 months or so immersed in a one year Masters program focused on the theoretical and practical aspects of public relations. There has long been a debate on whether obtaining an academic PR qualification is necessary to succeeding in the working world. I am not sure what the answer to this debate is or if there is even an indefinite answer, but I can tell you that I have learned a substantial amount of valuable skills and tools from my course that will without a doubt help me when I begin to work in the PR industry. So do I think that getting a PR degree is really that valuable? Yes as a matter of fact I do because without the knowledge I learned from obtaining this degree I would not be as confident as I find myself today.

Thank you to my course leaders, Pam and Michaela, and to the rest of the MA Public Relations course at the University of Wesminster for making this year such an enjoyable experience. I wish you all the best of luck with your dissertations and in your future endeavours.

Sincerely,

Courtney

Secrets of Social Media Marketing

2009-03-19T03:56:00.001-07:00

Paul Gillin’s Secrets of Social Media Marketing provides readers with a hands-on approach to using social marketing within the online community.

This book provides students and professionals with cutting-edge and up-to-date information on how to use the new way of promoting brands and spreading messages. It provides the reader with a good overview on the tools of social media marketing while focusing on new media and Internet procedures. Paul Gillin describes how traditional print and broadcast channels are no longer the primary means in which organizations should seek to reach their target audiences; these means are not producing the same returns as they once were. You would have to be a fool not to agree with this notion; new media is rising and should be included as a component in all public relations campaigns. Gillin points to the campaign of the newly elected president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, as a primary example on the power of influencing opinions via new media channels. Obama constantly used every conceivable medium to relay his most prominent messages and ended up victorious.

The central idea, the thesis, of Paul Gillin’s Secrets of Social Media Marketing is how to use the online consumer community as a benefit to organizations. The knowledge that Gillin provides is an important tool in today’s world because consumers are publishing their own opinions online. Consumers are taking their problems directly to the World Wide Web through more personal means such as social network sites and blogs or through consumer advocacy sites. Gillin believes that a failure to listen will only be taken as evidence that the company in question does not care about their customers. Moreover, Gillin says that repeating the message back to the source and delivering a well-reasoned response can go very far towards demonstrating concern. After referring to the Southwest Airlines blog, it becomes clear why they have been cited as an excellent example of how big businesses can use new media techniques to create meaningful dialogue with their customers.

Paul Gillin mentions in his book that not all organizations should use social media channels because he does not believe that everyone is “online-savvy”. I would have to disagree with this because in this day and age it is easy for an organization to hire someone who is capable of using new media in meaningful and successful ways. Social media marketing demands a different approach to customer interactions; it requires engaging in conversations with consumers. Gillin says, “the first thing you need to do is stop pitching” because social marketing is all about engagement. It means forming relationships with prospective customers through the exchange of useful and meaningful information. Gillin says that in the future, “success will result from continuous innovation and outstanding customer service wrapped around a continuous feedback loop”.

References
Gillin, P. (2009). Secrets of Social Media Marketing. Fresno, CA: Quill Driver Books.

Health 2.0

2009-03-10T04:40:00.001-07:00

I was doing some research for an essay and came across a podcast made by a medical student. It is about using the social media tool Twitter as a communication method in hospitals. I think that this is a great idea because it will integrate communications between healthcare workers and will also allow these professionals to provide patients with important health information. Click here to take a look at the podcast.

Do you have faith in the Starbucks brand?

2009-02-26T02:51:00.001-08:00

Reputation and credibility are important words when discussing corporate social responsibility, also known as CSR for short in the business world. A CSR program has to have integrity and be real or else everyone will just see it as window dressing; they will be able to see right through it.

In America big brands are perceived as ok, but in Europe people don’t trust big business as easily. Lets take Starbucks for instance…

I have lived in North America, more specifically Canada, for the majority of my life and I love Starbucks!

I just recently moved overseas to London and I have noticed some strange things about the popularity of Starbucks over here. I mean it’s not as if no one is going to Starbucks in London. Of course it is still mildly popular, but not like in the USA. In the States it is quite normal to see people walking around with a permanent Starbucks fix in their hand.

So I’m thinking that maybe it has something to do with trust. Maybe people in North America trust Starbucks more and therefore have faith in their CSR efforts? Starbucks has recently launched a CSR program focusing on FairTrade products and not exploiting foreign workers or land.

I walked into Starbucks the other day to get my normal, a grande skinny vanilla latté, and I saw all these posters and signs saying that Starbucks is committed to being a deeply responsible company and that they are trying to “help create a more sustainable approach to high-quality coffee production”. Did I believe it? Sure I did because I trust the Starbucks brand. Do you?

A Feminine Alternative to Management

2009-02-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

The topic of feminism within the field of public relations is one that keeps on resurfacing time after time and I’m sure will continue to be the subject of debate far into the future. After reading an article published in 1995, Towards a feminist theory of public relations, I realize that this matter has been on the agenda of women working in PR for quite some time.

So how far have we, as a collective group of females, come since then?

Well the truth is that although women have made some progress with breaking a few of the more generalized stereotypes, the roles of men and women in PR are still not equal. If you take a glance at the websites of any of the top 10 global PR agencies, you can see that although there are women who hold senior executive positions that many more men hold these same positions.

Hon (1995) talked about “A Feminine Alternative to Management”. She believed that there might be a different less conventional route to getting more women promoted to management positions. She thought that a more appropriate recommendation would be to make feminine characteristics more widely acceptable in the workplace instead of suggesting that women swap their inherit traits for more masculine ones. Hon (1995) found some support for her position from Shapiro (1990) who “argued that the time has finally come for a new agenda: women, after all, are not a big problem. Our society does not suffer from burdensome amounts of empathy and altruism, or a plague of nurturance. The problem is men – or more accurately, maleness”.

So what do you think? Should PR agencies promote more females to executive positions and in return get more empathy and altruism? Or should they continue to promote more men in exchange for more aggression and chauvinism?

I personally think that having more women in the executive office is a great thing. Although, don't get me wrong! I don’t want women to take over the PR industry, I just want it to be a bit more balanced than it currently is. I think that a good balance of the sexes is what PR needs. In fact I think that all professions need a better mix of males and females since their personality qualities are complementary of one another.

Reference
Hon, L. C. (1995). Towards a feminist theory of public relations. Jounral of Public Relations Research, 7(1), 27-88.

Is it morally acceptable?

2009-02-11T11:44:00.001-08:00

Ethics, ethics, ethics…. This is a topic of discussion that comes up quite often in the field of public relations. We all have our own moral code that as professionals is guided by a larger and more specific set of guidelines put together by a governing body.

In PR we have the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS), the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), to name only a few.

I can sit here and speak to all of you about PR ethics, but I thought that it would be more useful to speak a bit about what’s behind the ethics. So here it goes…

Morality is the practice of defining what is right or wrong, given a specific culture or institution that denotes standard customs and clear rules of conduct (Faden, Beauchamp, & King, 1986). Within the context of the public relations industry there are specific rules and guidelines set forth by governing bodies of practice such as the CIPR. According to Faden et al. (1986), morality exists before these rules are deemed acceptable or unacceptable; therefore it is the moral philosophy principles that evoke deliberation about what is morally right or wrong.

Faden et al. (1986) imply that the principles of respect for autonomy, beneficence and justice are based on a solid foundation, have been thoroughly analyzed and can be used to justify a moral point of view. Moreover, it is the judgment of these principles that aids in the process of determining if the issue at hand is morally acceptable or unacceptable.

The moral principle of respect for autonomy emphasizes the importance of independence and is historically embedded in Western culture’s notion of freedom (Faden et al., 1986). Every individual has the right to express their moral view; however, they are accountable for their opinions. Faden et al. (1986) define respect for autonomy as the acknowledgement of a person’s point of view and their ability to make value statements based on their right to hold opinions and to make choices about various issues.

Beneficence is a moral principle that encourages the welfare of others and includes four underlying elements; one should not inflict evil or harm, one should prevent evil or harm, one should remove evil or harm, and one should do or promote good (Faden et al., 1986).

Civilization is comprised of collaborative undertakings of clear moral, legal and cultural principles (Faden et al., 1986). According to Faden et al. (1986) the third principle of moral philosophy, justice, is different from the principles of respect for autonomy and beneficence in the sense that it is an appeal to a broader category of what is generally justified or morally right. Faden et al. (1986) suggest that a person has been treated with justice if they have been treated in alliance with what is fair, due or owed.

References
Faden, R. R., Beauchamp, T. L., & King, N. (1986). Foundations in Moral Theory. In F. Baylis, J. Downie, B. Hoffmaster, & S. Sherwin (Eds.), Health Care Ethics in Canada (pp. 6-15). Toronto, ON: Thomson Nelson.

Barack Obama is a PR machine

2009-02-10T01:57:00.001-08:00

“We are not red states and blue states. We are the United States of America”

– Barack Obama

It has been quite some time since an American politician like Barack Obama has come along… some are even comparing him to the likes of Martin Luther King. It is safe to say that Obama has provided Americans and the rest of the world with a breath of fresh air. He gave ordinary people someone to believe in and someone to trust. Does good PR have anything to do with his positive image in the media? I’m going to make a fair guess and say yes it does.

Any PR person knows that it's not easy to create a good image from complete scratch, but Obama provided the means needed to be such a media success. He was something new and America was in great need of change so Obama’s PR team used this to their advantage and his campaign was born, CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN.

This message and other messages about change were spread across traditional media outlets such as print, radio and television. Consumer products such as T-shirts were sold and Obama’s PR team also used new media techniques to further drive his positive image across the World Wide Web. All of these techniques gained the attention of various demographics leading to Barack Obama’s victory.

I for one am very happy that Barack Obama is the new president of the United States of America and hope that he transforms his brilliant campaign idea into real change for his country.

New Media makes the impossible possible...

2009-01-29T04:29:00.001-08:00

New Media makes the impossible possible for PR practitioners. Not only does it allow us to control the message, it gives us a degree of control over how soon our message appears in a search engine if done correctly. New media techniques provide people with the power to spread their message within a matter of seconds across the World Wide Web. These techniques also make it possible to spread messages to the correct audience by using search engine optimization tools. The only problem with this is that as soon as that enter key is pressed then there is no going back….it’s like a loose cannon ball. So make sure your message is accurate before submitting it!

The number of voices who are competing for sound has dramatically risen in recent years.

The general trend is that people get news from one another, which is a simple explanation for why social network sites are currently part of the top visited sites on the Internet. Word of mouth is one of the most effective means to getting a message across. Could it be possible that the public perceives information on the Internet as a form of word of mouth messaging rather than news? If so, this helps explain why the Internet is such a powerful tool for spreading messages. What do you think?

War and Propaganda

2009-01-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

"We must remember that in time of war what is said on the enemy’s side of the front is always propaganda, and what is said on our side of the front is truth and righteousness, the cause of humanity and a crusade for peace"

— Walter Lippmann

Is it possible to have a war free of propaganda? I’m not too sure about this one, but I feel inclined to say that it isn’t possible.

Which side is telling the truth? During a war, there are always TWO SIDES to the story. Depending on where you reside you will often see various sources of media providing you with the same story that was most likely given to them from a journalist safely embedded in one of the war zones.

During the initial stages of the Iraq War, I was living in Canada. Therefore, I was watching and reading mostly American fueled media sources and guess what? The American’s always came out on top. They were going to war to defend their country. Is this the truth? Well I’ll leave that up to you to judge. I just wanted to remind people that you can’t always trust the media to tell you “the whole truth and nothing but the truth”. In important times such as war, it becomes people’s individual duty to seek various mainstream and alternative media outlets in order to gather as much information as possible to make an informed decision about their own feelings towards the war that is going on.

Here are two videos on Iraq War Media Propaganda - Al Jazeera Perspectives 1 and 2. Take a look to get another view on the Iraq War.

Blog Data

2008-12-29T05:03:00.000-08:00

I am currently sailing across the Atlantic Ocean on a cruise ship and I am astonished to see that I am not the only person onboard blogging in the Internet cafe at this moment in time! This got me wondering... how may people keep a blog?

I found some American data published by John V. Pavlik in his article Mapping the Consequences of Technology on Public Relations:

8% of Internet users (12 million American adults) keep a blog.

39% of Internet users (57 million American adults) read blogs.

54% of bloggers are under the age of 30.

79% of bloggers say that they blog for themselves and not for an audience.

79% of bloggers have a broadband connection at home (compared to 62% of all Internet users).

49% of bloggers believe that they personally know most of the people who follow their blog.

15% of bloggers use the video tool on their blog.

Reference
Pavlik, J. V. (2007). Mapping the Consequences of Technology on Public Relations. Institute for Public Relations. Retrieved Monday December 29, from, www.instituteforpr.org.

Everyone is a Publisher

2008-12-25T04:59:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!

I doubt that many of my fellow PR classmates are blogging today as it is a very important day for most cultures, but the widespread accessibility of the Internet has yet again allowed me to get my work done from outside the comfort of my own home. As I wait in the Toronto airport for my next flight I cannot help but glance around the business lounge and see various people glued to their technological devices; laptops, blackberry's, iPod's... to name only a few.

Then a thought struck me...

One of the main reasons why technology is taking over the public relations industry is because the public is already online. Simple yes I know, but let me elaborate.

Almost everyone I know from my 8-year-old cousin to my 80-year-old grandmother is online. The Internet allows anyone and everyone to be a publisher.

For the first time the public is free to express their own opinions on a global scale. PR practitioners must adapt to this growing trend by learning how to use the Internet effectively and efficiently. They must lean how to swim within a sea of sharks if they ever want to direct their clients in the right direction.

PR practitioners have begun to recognize some potential concerns that can arise due to the impact of the Internet. Company behaviours can be influenced online by just about anyone who has access to the World Wide Web. Campaign protests can be organized through discussion forums or private websites. Crises can arise from mistaken information being spread across the web. Consumer products and services can be openly criticized by anyone who cares enough to make a comment online. These are a few of the things that have set off alarms in the PR world and are the things that we as future PR professionals will need to manage.