MKT 310

WEEK 6
Public Relations Process
 Introduction
What is the PR Process?

The act that outlines the various steps to be undertaken before

implementing any programme or events to ensure the success of
a programme, while the public interests (internal & external) are
not affected.
Cutlip, Center & Broom (1994), PR is a scientifically managed
part of an organisation's problem-solving & change processes.
Practitioners in PR use a four-step problem-solving processes:
1. Defining the problem or opportunity
2. Planning & programming
3. Taking action & communicating
4. Evaluating the programme
 What is Research?
The first step of PR Process is Research. Before any PR
programme can be undertaken, the practitioners must know what is
the actual problem for the organisation before launching any PR
programme. Research enable the PR practitioners to point out the
actual problem through information gathering.
Fraiser Seitel (1998) - research is the systematic collection &
interpretation to increase understanding.
Broom & Dozier (1990) defined research as the controlled,
objective, & systematic gathering of information for the purpose of
describing & understanding.
Research Methods

Before a PR programme can be launched, it is necessary to be

clear about its starting point because assumptions or act by instinct
could be wrong.
A method frequently used for PR purposes is the opinion poll or
attitude study interview done through questionnaires.
Lindenmann(1993) - research method can be informal or formal.
Differences between the two approaches:

Informal Research Method (Qualitative)
Formal Research Method (Quantitative)
Informal Research Method (Qualitative)
The most common informal research technique are:

Organisational material, such as basic material that includes the
organisation's policy statement, i.e. annual report, pamphlets,
newsletter etc.

Library research, Including references books, other scholarly
publications, & books: journal about particular subject.
Online databases - research of information through computer using
on-line data base. Working professional do much of this research in
their office.
Content analysis - often applied to news stories about an
organisation through paper clipping, scrap book, letters & phone
call.
Interviewing - consist of intercept interviews & purposive interviews.
Focus group interview - to identify attitudes & motivations of
important public & to formulate or pre-test message themes &
communications strategies before launching a full campaign.
Formal Research Method (Quantitative)

Use when PR practitioner want more dependable, precise

responses with scientific sampling methods. Some of the research
techniques are:

Telephone polls, i.e. survey by telephone.

Mail surveys, by mailing the questionnaires to respondents.

Mall intercept study, can be done through observation.
Face to face interview study, by meeting the respondent in

person.
Share cost or omnibus studies, the survey that involved two or

more client.

Panel studies, through discussion with specific respondent.
The Importance of PR Research

Wilcox, Ault, Agee (1995) - it is vital to get accurate message across

at the right place to the right audience at the right time. All this only
be done with proper finding that can be gathered through research.
The importance PR research are:
Increasing fragmentation of audiences into groups that have

specific interest & consequence for example different lifestyle &

interest.

To identify & increased top management relations & personal
contact with the ext public.
PR associate with conveying accurate information & these can

only acquire through research.

One of the most important aspects of PR is the possession of

facts in order! carry out PR project.

To create a good PR plan with a starting point that could be
determine i proper research.

By doing research a PR practitioner will be able to gather all the
relevant information for organisations records.

Through research a long term planning (pro-active steps) can be

determine to improve the present situation & also for the future.

To prevent from wasting time, effort & money in implementing

any programme that) not readily solved by extensive PR
programmes, for example implementation of PR programme
without knowing the response of targeted public & etc.
Categories of PR Research

Wimmer & Dominic (1997) identified six major categories of PR

Environmental Monitoring Programmes - to observe trends in
public opinion & social events that may have significant impact
on an organisation. Eg: content analysis or panel studies of
community leaders.

PR Audits - is a comprehensive study of the PR position in an
organisation. Such studies are used to measure a company's
perception by the internal & external public. Eg: to measure the
public perspective over the image of UiTM.
Communication Audits - concern with internal & external means

of communication used by the organisations. Communications

audit also resembles a PR audit but with narrower goals. Eg:
organisation publications such as newsletter or annual report.

Social Audit - is a small scale environmental monitoring
programs designed to measure an organisation's social
performance. Eg: employee safety audits.
Evaluations Research - which refer to the process of judging the
effectiveness of program planning. Eg: extent of the program &
costs incurred, implementation & impact.

Gate-keeping Research - which analyse the characteristics of
press releases & video news releases that allow being "pass
through the gate" & appear in the mass medium.

Overall, research is undertaken to find answers to these questions:

What are the specific complaints, problem, & issue?

How many complaints, problem & issue received or involved?
How serious are these complaints, problem, & issue?
 Planning & Programming
Planning is for the purpose of making something to happen or
prevent it. PR call for a long term plan in many areas such as public
policies, social problems & it building.
The best planning would be done within the framework of a long
term plan includes strategies for any conveniences occurred.

The Importance of Planning

To estimate the working hours & other costs involved.

To set targets for PR overall operations.
To select priorities which will control the number & timing of
different operations in| program.

To decide the feasibility of carrying out the declared objectives,
e.g. staff involved, machines, & etc.
Steps in Planning & Programming

1. Define the problem - through initial research, discussion with client

& evaluation ideas.
2. Identify objectives - that is measurable & achievable. Objectives
must take consideration the organisation's overall goals.
3. Identify audience or public - internal or external. Public need to be
identifies as accurate as possible.
4. Media Selection - either electronic media e.g. television, radio or
print media newspaper, pamphlets.
5. Budget - essential part of planning in order to determine the size of
project, channel of communication and overall activities.
6. Schedule - to shows the start & completion of each project.
Calendar also enables practitioner to make sure that project is
ready when they are needed.
7. Evaluation - to evaluate the success or failure of the PR programme
through e.g. news coverage, observation, increase of sales &
product.
 Communication & Action
Communication is most visible part of public relations function.
The goals of the communication process are to inform, persuade,
motivate or achieve mutual understanding by choosing a right
medium or channel of communication.

Definitions of Communications & Action

Communication is the science & practice of transmitting information

to disseminate information, signals or messages in any way, as in
talking, gesturing or writing. Channels of communication can be
public (mass media) or private (face to face), by which ages travel
through media.
Action is the process of doing or acting on something. For instance,
if you are not happy with the toll increase then you will write to the
Minister of Transport about your dissatisfaction. Usually
communication takes place before action.
Channel of Communication

A communication channel is the means by which messages are

disseminate from one individual to another (Roger Haywood, 1984)
Channel of communication can be divided into two categories;

Electronic Media - television, radio, Internet, telex, televideo
conferencing, telephone mobile phone, fax machine & etc.

Print Media - newspaper, in-house journal, brochures, news
releases, annual pamphlets, & mail.
Processes of Communication

Wilbur Schramm's - most communication model of Communication

have five basic element:

The Source/Sender (Encoder)

Message

Channel
Receiver (Decoder)

Feedback - which is the most effective two-way communication
establishes a dialogue between sender & receiver after the
message transmitted.
 PR Reporters (1991) conclude that effectiveness of message often
depended on channel used. The following lists in order of
effectiveness are:

One-to-one, face to face conversation

Small group discussion, meeting

Speaking before a large group

Phone conversation
Handwritten, personal note

Typewritten or word-processed personal letter
Mass-produced, non-personal letter

Brochure or pamphlet sent as direct mail piece

Article in an organisational newsletter

News carried in the popular press
Barriers to Effective Communication

Cutlip, Center & Broom (1996) - in any type of communication there

are several barriers to the effectiveness communication.

Filtering - refers to manipulation of information

Selective perception - when the receiver selectively sees &
hears based on his/her needs

Emotions - how the receiver feels at the time of a communication
Language, demographic factors influence the language a person

uses
Differences in perception - way of interpreting situations based

on individual's personal experiences

Differences in semantics - study of word meanings & their effect
upon human behaviour, i.e. different communication style
between student & punk group.

Differences in status - the societal something of an individual
influences the quality of communication

Differences in organisations' climate - some organisations

encourage workers to express their opinion openly

Business jargon (technical/idioms) terms that are peculiar to

some people

Differences in Preconceived Judgement or opinion (Bias) -

personal judgement by an individual before the fact is known.
Stereotyping is also a barrier in a face-to-face communication.
 Evaluation
What is evaluation?

It is the process which involves assessing the preparation,

implementation & results of a PR programme. Adjustments also are
made while the programme is implemented & base on evaluation
feedback one will decide to continue or stop the programme.

Prerequisite for evaluation

Wilcox, Ault & Agee(1998) - it is important to have a clearly
established set of measurable objectives before any PR
programme can properly evaluated, they are:
1. PR personnel & management should agree on the criteria that
will evaluate success in attaining objectives.
2. Do not wait until the end of the PR programme to determine
how it will be evaluated.
 Purpose of Evaluation

1. To determine whether accomplishment of organisation's goal has

modified or changed the overall objectives.
2. The systematic way to do assessment of programme & its result.
3. Determine problem in progress & improved them.
4. Better job done in future & proper planning on similar
programme.
Methods of Assessment

To evaluate a program/event there are several methods of

assessment that are as follows (Grunig & Hunt, 1984):

Publicity - can be done through compilation of paper clippings on
programme or campaign

Opinion polls - by conducting a benchmark survey

Unobtrusive Indicators - indication on company's performance
based from varies sources e.g. sales figures, replies to
advertisement or feedback from internal staff
Interviews/questionnaires - through face-to-face interview at
shopping mall or at the meeting in order to find out how people
feel & think

News Monitoring - obtain through compilation of press clippings,
electronic clippings, broadcast scripts (radio-television
mentioned) etc.