developing the public relations campaign · applying theory in developing public relations...

Developing The Public Relations Campaign

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Developing The Public Relations Campaign

A TeAm-BAsed ApproAch

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T h i r d E d i t i o n

Randy BobbittUniversity of West Florida

Ruth SullivanMarshall University

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Photo credits: p. 15: Ruth Jenkinson © Dorling Kindersley; p. 23: © Flashon Studio/Shutterstock; p. 31: © fotoluminate/Shutterstock; p. 37: © bloomua/Shutterstock; p. 62: © David Hoffman/Alamy; p. 64: © Chad McDermott/Shutterstock; p. 74: © Yuri Arcurs/Shutterstock; p. 98: © Pojoslaw/Shutterstock; p. 119: Andy Crawford © Dorling Kindersley; p. 185: © Shawn Hempel/Shutterstock; p. 190: © steheap-Fotolia.com; p. 213: Matthew Ward © Dorling Kindersley.

Text credits: p. 4: Source: “Cheers” TV Script (NBC); p. 36: Source: Strategic Business Insights (SBI), www.strategicbusinessinsights .com; p. 73: Source: excerpt taken from “The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR,” by Al and Laura Ries, Harper Business (2004); p. 78: Reprinted courtesy of the Wilmington Business Journal; p. 109: Source: excerpt taken from “Contemporary Advertising,” by William Arens, Michael Weigold, and Christian Arens, McGraw Hill (2007); p. 114: Source: NAACP; p. 154: Source: Prudential Insurance Company; p. 181: Fatjo, Tom J., Jr. and Miller, Keith, With No Fear of Failure (World Books, 1981) p.183. Used by permission; p. 214: Courtesy of United Cerebral Palsy.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bobbitt, William R. (William Randy) Developing the public relations campaign: a team-based approach/Randy Bobbitt, University of West Florida, Ruth Sullivan, Marshall University.—Third Edition. p. cm Includes index. ISBN-13: 978-0-205-06672-8 ISBN-10: 0-205-06672-0 1. Public relations. I. Sullivan, Ruth, 1955- II. Title. HM1221.B63 2013 659.2—dc23 2012042688

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ISBN-10: 0-205-06672-0ISBN-13: 978-0-205-06672-8

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To our students—past, present, and future— who remind us every day why we became teachers.

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BRiEF ConTEnTS

Part I Background 1

Chapter 1 The Nature of Persuasive Campaigns 1

Part II Public relation Process 17

Chapter 2 An Overview of the Public Relations Process 17

Chapter 3 Planning: Background Research 25

Chapter 4 Planning: Primary Research 39

Chapter 5 Planning: Goals and Objectives, Messages and Themes, Channels and Strategies 67

Chapter 6 Implementation: Traditional Media Channels 91

Chapter 7 The Internet and Social Media 117

Chapter 8 Implementation: Nonmedia Channels 135

Chapter 9 Implementation: Logistics 159

Chapter 10 Evaluation 171

Part III ProfessIonal resPonsIBIlIty 187 Chapter 11 Legal and Ethical Considerations 187

Chapter 12 International, Multicultural, and Gender Issues 205

APPENDIX A Sources and Suggested Further Readings 215

APPENDIX B Internet Resources for Public Relations 227

Index 229

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ConTEnTS

Preface xv

About the Authors xvii

Part I Background 1

Chapter 1 the nature of PersuasIve CamPaIgns 1Characteristics of Legitimate Public Relations Campaigns 2

Types Of Persuasive Campaigns 3

Applying Theory in Developing Public Relations Campaigns 4

Generalizations about Persuasion and Opinion Change 5

Decision-Making Models 5

Theories From Mass Communication 6

Theories from Psychology and Education 11Trends and Issues: Barriers to Communication 14Case Study 1: Johnson & Johnson’s “Campaign for Nursing’s Future” 15Discussion Questions 16

Part II Public relation Process 17

Chapter 2 an overvIew of the PuBlIC relatIons ProCess 17The Three-Step Process 17

The Written Proposal: Planning 18

The Written Proposal: Implementation 21

The Written Proposal: Evaluation 21

The Last Step 22Trends and Issues: Applying the Three-Step Process to Crisis Situations 22Case Study 2: When a Crisis Strikes Campus: The Three-Step Process at Work 22Discussion Questions 24

Chapter 3 PlannIng: BaCkground researCh 25Preliminary Fact-Finding 25

Identifying Priority Audiences 28

Proposed Primary Research Methods and Research Objectives 32

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x Contents

Sources of Background Information 33

Writing the Background Research Summary 34Trends and Issues: Lifestyle Trends of the Twenty-First Century 34Case Study 3: The Eight Types of Americans 36Discussion Questions 38

Chapter 4 PlannIng: PrImary researCh 39Primary Research Methods 39

Qualitative Research 40

Quantitative Research 50

Integrity and Validity in Primary Research 59Trends and Issues: Associated Press Guidelines for Reporting Research Results 61Case Study 4A: Lawyers Use Focus Groups to Design Trial Strategies 62Case Study 4B: Field Observation and the Science of Shopping 63Case Study 4C: How to Lie with Statistics 63Discussion Questions 65

Chapter 5 PlannIng: PlannIng: goals and oBjeCtIves, messages and themes, Channels and strategIes 67Goals And Objectives 67

Messages and Themes 69

Channels and Strategies 69

Generalizations About Media 71

The Internet and Social Media 80Trends and Issues: News Values and Interests 86Case Study 5: Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing! 87Discussion Questions 89

Chapter 6 ImPlementatIon: tradItIonal medIa Channels 91Working with the News Media 91

Institutional Advertising 108

Donated Media 112Trends and Issues: The Future of the News Release: Does it Have One? 113Case Study 6: Two Controversies, Ten Years Apart 114Discussion Questions 116

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Contents xi

Chapter 7 the Internet and soCIal medIa 117The Future is Now 117

Electronic Mail and Texting 120

The World Wide Web 121

Social Media 122

The Blogosphere 126

The Barriers to Our New World 128Trends and Issues: Writing for the Cyberspace Audience 130Case Study 7A: Michael Vick and the Animal Rights Movement 131Case Study 7B: We are Marshall 132Discussion Questions 133

Chapter 8 ImPlementatIon: nonmedIa Channels 135Events 135

Social Responsibility and Philanthropy Programs 138

Internal and Employee Communications 143

Investor Relations Materials 145

Marketing Activities 146

In-Person Communication 150

Inserts and Enclosures 152

Miscellaneous Tactics 153Trends and Issues: Tips for the Newsletter Editor 154Case Study 8A: Prudential’s Global Volunteer Day 154Case Study 8B: Hobet Mining Promotes Community Relations through Local Schools 157Discussion Questions 158

Chapter 9 ImPlementatIon: logIstICs 159Staffing 159

Budgeting 160

Timing 163Trends and Issues: Working with Volunteers 165Case Study 9: Memorial Events Help a University Deal with Tragedy 166Discussion Questions 170

Chapter 10 evaluatIon 171The Importance of Evaluation 171

The Difficulty of Evaluation 172

The Evaluation Process 173

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Ongoing Evaluation 174

Summative Evaluation 174

Formative Evaluation 181Trends and Issues: With No Fear of Failure 181Case Study 10A: Evaluative Research in the Traveland Hospitality Industry 182Case Study 10B: Selling the Lottery in the Bible Belt 182Discussion Questions 186

Part III ProfessIonal resPonsIBIlIty 187

Chapter 11 legal and ethICal ConsIderatIons 187Public Relations and the Law 187

Public Relations and the First Amendment 187

Funding of Government Communications Activities 188

Public Relations Representatives as Lobbyists 189

Public Relations Materials and Libel Law 189

Appropriation 190

Intellectual Property 191

Relationships with Clients 192

Truth in Advertising 192

Contests and Competitions 193Trends and Issues: Public Relations on Trial 193Ethics and the Individual 194Ethics and the Organization 194What Professional Associations Say About Ethics 195What the Experts Say 195Public Relations Agencies and Unethical Practices 196A Condensed Version of the Professional Codes 197Legal and Ethical Implications of Social Media 202Case Study 11A: Free Speech and Selling Shoes 202Case Study 11B: Hill and Knowlton and the United States Catholic Conference 203Discussion Questions 203

Chapter 12 InternatIonal, multICultural, and gender Issues 205General Principles 205

Respect For Cultural Differences 207

Including Persons With Disabilities 210

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Paying Attention To Company Publications 210

Monitoring Company Advertising 211

Other Steps to Take 212Trends and Issues: Women in Public Relations 213Case Study 12: Watch Your Language! 214Discussion Questions 214

APPENDIX A Sources and Suggested Further Readings 215

APPENDIX B Internet Resources for Public Relations 227

Index 229

Contents xiii

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PREFACE

NEW TO THIS EDITION

• Therevisedintroductorychapterprovidesmoreinformationabouthowtoincorporatecommunication theories into public relations campaigns.

• Anewchapterdealswithinteractivemedia,includingtheInternet,theWorldWideWeb,and various social media.

• Otherchaptersthroughoutthebookapplymanyoftheprinciplestotheworldofsocialmedia and the Internet.

• Anewstreamlinedlawandethicschapterprovidesguidanceonhowtoavoidlegalandethical pitfalls in designing public relations campaigns, including issues associated with social media.

• Newcasestudiesthroughoutthebookbasedonnewsstoriesaffectingthepublicrelationsindustry.

• Arevisedchapteronbackgroundresearchincludestheresultsofthelatestdemographicand psychographic research into the media habits and purchasing habits of various age groups.

This book is targeted for students at advanced or “capstone” courses in public relations that typi-cally carry such titles as Advanced Public Relations, Public Relations Campaigns, or Public Rela-tions Program Development. Although it was written with such classes in mind, it was also tested in introductory classes and includes some material general enough to be used in programs in which there is only one omnibus public relations course. The various “discussion starters” at the end of each chapter can be used for either an introductory or advanced public relations course.

The subtitle of the book makes reference to a teaching method known as the competitive agency model. Professors teaching public relations and advertising classes often find a campus organization or local nonprofit organization to serve as the “client,” then divide the class into teams that compete against each other to develop campaign proposals in the same way that real-world agencies compete for the business of prospective clients.

In addition to serving as a practical tool to assist students working on team projects and the professors who supervise them, one of the new ideas introduced in this book is the sim-plification of the public relations process. The traditional formula often taught in public rela-tions classes has for many years been based on the “four-step process” of research, planning (sometimes described as action), communication, and evaluation. In developing this textbook, however, we discovered through conversations with working professionals that the four-step (or RACE) process is not the magic formula it was once thought to be, and in the “real world” it is often difficult to diagram the process. We found that the research and planning steps are often muddled together, with little or no visible dividing line.

Another problem with the RACE formula is that it oversimplifies the four-step process as one that proceeds from left to right through the four stages, as though a public relations planner could not return to the research phase after moving into the planning stage. In fact, the public relations process is seldom that linear.

For this book, however, we have instead consolidated the research and planning stages, and the result is a three-step process: planning, implementation, and evaluation (PIE). We believe, as

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do many working professionals we have spoken to, that this three-step model more accurately describes the campaign development process used in the “real world.”

The PIE formula, as detailed in Chapters 3 through 10, recognizes that the three compo-nents are not watertight compartments that require the program developer to move through the process in a straight line. For example, there may be a case in which public relations planners get to the implementation stage and realize they do not have all the information needed to choose the most effective tactics. Thus, they must return to the planning stage (in this case, for more primary research) to determine the media habits of the audiences.

Like most endeavors of this complexity, this book would not have been possible without the help and inspiration of other people in our lives. We thank the following friends, professors, colleagues, work supervisors, and mentors who have provided guidance and encouragement over the years: Donna Dickerson, Roger Dyer, Jim Foust, Dennis Hale, Don Harrison, John R. Jones, Larry Leslie, Steve Ludd, Eileen Perrigo, Barbara Petersen, Terry Rentner, Hal Shaver, Raymond Smallwood, Bruce Swain, Frank Trimble, Vicki Vega, and Gary Werner. We also thank the facul-ties and staffs of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University, the Department of Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the Department of Communication Arts at the University of West Florida, the library and computer support staffs at all three institutions, and the hundreds of students who have taken our classes and provided valuable feedback on preliminary drafts of the book.

We also thank the following individuals who helped in the development of the first and second editions: Kristi Singer, research and editorial assistant; Carol Hemmye, proofreader; Kelli Matthews and Julie Peacock, UNCW student assistants; Sue Cody, UNCW reference librarian; andDevanEzzellOwens,aformerstudentwhohelpedusreconstructthesamplefoundinChap-ters 3 through 10. For the third edition, we thank Cheryl Sullivan for her assistance, as well as Pearson staff members Ziki Dekel and Megan Hermida.

We are also grateful to the following reviewers of the text: Eric Brown, Canyon College; Robert A. Carroll, York College of Pennsylvania; Don W. Stacks, University of Miami; and Beth Wood, Indiana University.

Randy BobbittRuth Sullivan

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ABouT ThE AuThoRS

Randy Bobbitt is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Arts at the Uni-versity of West Florida. In addition to public relations, he has taught courses in journalism, com-munication law, and communication ethics. Prior to coming to UWF, he taught at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Marshall University, and the University of South Florida.

His research interests include public relations, political communication, popular culture, and communication law and ethics. Prior to college teaching, he worked professionally in both journalism and public relations. He is a past president of the West Virginia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and is a frequent speaker at professional and student public rela-tions conferences. He holds a Ph.D. in communication law and policy from Bowling Green State University.

In addition to this book, Professor Bobbitt has published five other books on topics includ-ing public relations, communication law and ethics, journalism history, and political communi-cation: A Big Idea and a Shirt-Tail Full of Type: The Life and Work of Wallace F. Stovall (1995), Who Owns What’s Inside the Professor’s Head? (2006), Lottery Wars: Case Studies in Bible Belt Politics (2007), Exploring Communication Law (2008), and Us Against Them: The Political Cul-ture of Talk Radio (2010).

Ruth Sullivan is a public school teacher in Kenova, West Virginia, and an adjunct professor in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University, where she has taught courses in public relations and print journalism for more than twenty-five years.

Prior to teaching, she worked in a variety of public relations management positions in both the education and corporate arenas. Her professional background includes work with the West Virginia coal and utility industries, where she focused on safety, environmental, and edu-cational programs, and public education, where she focused on strategic planning and manage-ment issues.

Professor Sullivan is a past president of the West Virginia Press Women’s Association, past president of River Cities Chapter of the International Association of Business Communica-tors, and past president of the W. Page Pitt Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications Alumni Association. She earned a master’s degree in mass communications from Marshall University and has won numerous national and state awards in communications competitions.

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