Outline: Crisis Management

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter19: Crisis Management

I. Issues Management
The term issues management was coined in 1976 by public relations counsellor W.Howard Chase, who defined it this way:
Issues management is the capacity to understand, mobilize, coordinate, and direct all strategic and policy planning functions, and all public affairs/public relations skills, toward achievement of one objective: meaningful participation in creation of public policy that affects personal and institutional destiny.

Issues management is a five-step process that:
1. Identifies issues with which the organization must be concerned,
2. Analyzes and delimits each issue with respect to its impact on constituent publics,
3. Displays the various strategic options available to the organization,
4. Implements an action program to communicate the organization’s views and to influence perception on the issue,
5. Evaluates its program in terms of reaching organizational goals.

In specific terms, issues management encompasses the following elements:
 Anticipate emerging issues
 Identify issue selectively
 Deal with opportunities and vulnerabilities
 Plan from the outside in
 Bottom-line orientation
 Action timetable
 Dealing from the top

II. Emergence of Risk communication:
Risk communication began as a process of taking scientific data related to health and environmental hazards and presenting them to a lay audience in a manner that is both understandable and meaningful.
Seven steps are helpful in planning a risk communication program:
1. Recognize risk communication
2. Encourage management to join the “communication loop”
3. Develop credible outside experts
4. Approach the news media
5. Research perceptions
6. Understand your target audience

III. Managing in a Crisis
As any organization unfortunate enough to experience a crisis recognizes, when the crisis strikes, seven instant warning signs invariably appear:
1. Surprise
2. Insufficient information
3. Escalating events
4. Loss of control
5. Increases outside scrutiny
6. Siege mentality
7. Panic


IV. Planning in a Crisis
The key to crisis management is being prepared.
Heightened preparedness is always in order, with four planning issues paramount:
 First, for each potentially impacted audience, define the risk.
 Second, fro each risk defined, describe the actions that mitigate the risk.
 Third, identify that cause of the risk.
 Fourth, demonstrate responsible management action
Simple but appropriate watchwords for any crisis plan are the following:
 Be prepared
 Be available
 Be credible
 Act appropriately

V. Communicating in a Crisis
The key communications principle in dealing with a crisis is not to calm up
when disasters strikes. Lawyers traditionally have advised clients to either
(1)say nothing, (2)say as little as possible and release it as quietly as possible,
(3) say as little as possible, citing privacy laws, company, or sensitivity, (4)
deny guilt and act indignant that such categories could possibly have been
made, or (5) shift or, if necessary, share the blame with others.

VI. Engaging the Media
Handling the media is the most critical element in crisis. Dealing with the media in crisis demands certain “battle-field rules”; among them:
 Set up media headquarters
 Establish media rules
 Media live for the “box score”
 Don’t speculate
 Feed the beast
 Speed triumphs
 Cable Rules

Outline: Public Reltions and the Internet

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter18: Public Relations and the Internet

I. Defining the Internet
The internet, technically, is a cooperatively run, globally distributed collection of computer networks that exchange information via common set of rules.
The Internet began as the ARPANET during the Cold War in 1969, developed by the department of Defense and consultants who were interested in creating communication network that could survive a nuclear attack.
The World Wide Web, the most exciting and revolutionary part of the Internet, was developed in 1989 by physicist Tim Berners-Lee to enlarge the Internet for multiple uses
By 2005, the Internet was used by 15 percent of the world’s people, more than 972 million.
The new Internet explosion has taken new forms: blogs, podcasts, wiki sites, RSS feeds, social networks, and others. This time, unlike the first time around, the Internet as a communications and commercial vehicle is here to stay.

II. The Internet as Communications Medium
The Internet has transformed the way that people communicate and make contact with each other, Virtually all organizations, from the largest corporation to the smallest non-profit today has a Web site.
Most of the time today, it is the Web site that serves as an organization’ “first face” to the public.
Journalists, meanwhile still the primary customers for most in public relations have also embraced the Internet as their primary source for research and reporting.

III. Public Relations Internet Challenge
Use of the Internet by public relations practitioners inevitably will grow as the century proceeds, for three reasons:
o The demand to be educated rather than sold
o The need for real-time performance
o The need for customization

Public relations has become prominent in several other areas:
o E-mail
o Web sites
o Blogs
o Online media relations
o Online monitoring
o Product promotion
o Investor relations
o Webcastes

IV. E-Mail: The Dominator
E-mail has become far and away the most pervasive organizational communications vehicle. In most organizations, e-mail is the internal medium of choice for newsletters, bulletins, and internal announcements.
E-mail has also unseated the traditional employee print newsletter. Online newsletters are both more immediate and more interactive than print counterparts.
E-mail newsletters for external use-to customers, investors, or the media-are equally popular and valuable. These differ from their print brethren in several important areas:
1. No more than one page
2. Link content
3. Regular dissemination
V. Developing a Winning Web Site
In many ways, the organization’s Web site is its most important interface with the public.
The aim of any Web site is to provide information that visitors are looking for. The more you achieve that objective, the more “sticky” your site becomes.
How should you create a winning Web site? By first asking and answering several strategic questions:
1. What is our goal?
2. What content will we include?
3. How often will we edit?
4. How will we enhance design?
5. How interactive will it be?
6. How will we track use?
7. Who will be responsible?
Blogs: The Latest Phenomenon
o Blogs, Weblogs that communicate personal views on any topic imaginable, are proliferating at the rate of 70,000 a day
o There are two categories of blogs. One is the traditional Weblog in which a web surfer shares his online discoveries. The second is the Web diary in which a person shares his or her thoughts of the day.
o In terms of public relations use of blogs, organizations can use them to deliver information-product uses, sales data, consumer tips, and so on- in a more personal way.
Blogs also can be useful as an internal communications vehicle. Among possibilities for internal blogs are the following:
o Projects
o Departments
o Brainstorming
o Customers
Dealing with the Media Online
The basics of online media relations include the following:
 Web site newsroom
 News release
 Executive speeches
 Annual/quarterly reports
 Annual meetings
 FAQs

VI. Monitor the Internet….or Else!
The internet is free, wide open, international, and anonymous-the perfect place to start a movement and ruin an organization’s reputation. Public relations people monitor the internet consideration of the following:
 Discussion groups and chat rooms
 Rogue Web sites
 Urban legends

VII. Product Promotion on the Internet
The Internet provides a virtual laboratory to mesh public relations, advertising, and marketing techniques to promote products.
On the positive side, buyers and potential buyers can access your information directly, without interface. On the negative side, you are competing with hundreds of thousands of other information providers for visitor’s attention.
One popular product promotion device is the adlink. The adlink is a small display advertisement that promotes another site or page.
Online discussion groups provide another potential source of product promotion.
Web-based integrated marketing can create a new relationship with customers.

VIII. Investor Relations on the Internet
The Internet also plays a significant role in investor relations, the public relations activity that deals with a company’s stockholders and the communities-brokers and analysts-serving them.
Public companies increasingly use the Internet as a more controlled communications mechanism to reach potential investors.
The government that watches over securities markets is less convinced that the Internet is such a blessing fro investors.

IX. Of Intranets/ Extranets, Wikis; Prodcasts, and RSS Feeds
Public relations practitioners should at least be conversant in the following Internet vehicles:
 Intranets
 Extranets
 Wikis
 Podcasting
 RSS

Outline: Integrated Marketing Communication

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter 17:Integrated marketing communications

I. Public Relations vs. Marketing vs. Advertising
Marketing: literally defined, is the selling of a service or product through pricing, distribution, and promotion. Marketing ranges from concepts such as free samples in the hands of consumers to buzz campaigns
Advertising: literally defined, is a subset of marketing that involves paying to place your message in more traditional media formats, from newspapers and magazines to radio and television to the internet and outdoors.
Public Relations: literally defined, is the marketing of an organization and the use of unbiased, objective, third party endorsement to relay information about that organization’s products and practices.

II. Product Publicity:
Product publicity can be the most effective element in the marketing mix. For example:
- Introducing a revolutionary new product.
- Eliminating distribution problems with retail outlets
- Small budgets and strong competition
- Explaining a complicated product
- Generating new consumer excitement for an old product
- Tying the product to a unique representative.
- Creating an identity

III. Third-Party Endorsement:- Third-party endorsement refers to the tacit support given a product by a newspaper, magazine, or broadcaster who mentions the product as news.
- Publicity appears to be news and is more trustworthy than advertising that is paid for by a clearly nonobjective sponsor.
- Public relations counselors argue that discriminating against using product names does a disservice to readers or viewers, many of whom are influenced by what they read or see and many desires the particular products discussed.

IV. Building a Brand:
Branding: is creating a differentiable identity or position for a company or product
Using integrated marketing communications to establish a unique brand requires adherence to the following principles:
- Be early
- Be memorable
- Be aggressive
- Use heritage
- Create a personality

V. Integrating Marketing with Public Relations:
A. Article Reprints :
Marketing can be done through article reprints aimed at that part of a target audience that might not have seen the original article. It helps also to reinforce the reactions of those read the original article.
Use of reprints should be approached systematically with the following ground rules in mind
- Plan ahead.
- Select target publics and address the recipients by name and title
- Pinpoint the reprint’s significance
- Integrate the reprint with similar articles and information on the same or related subjects.
B. Trade Show Participation:
This feature enables an organization to display its products before important target audience. The decision to participate should be considered with the following factors in mind :
- Analyze the show carefully
- Select a common theme.
- Make sure the products displayed are the right ones
- Consider the trade books
- Emphasize what’s new
- Consider local promotion efforts
- Evaluate the worth
C. Use of Spokespersons
- The purpose of the spokespersons is to air their sponsor’s viewpoint
- They must be articulate, fast on their feed and thoroughly knowledgeable about the subject.
D. Cause-Related Marketing :
It brings together the fund-raising needs of nonprofit groups with the business objectives of sponsoring companies.

E. In-kind Promotions
When a service, product or other consideration in exchange for publicity exposure is offered, it is called an in0kind promotion.

VI. Public Relations Advertising :
This technique became known variously as institutional advertising, image advertising, public service advertising, issues advertising, and ultimately public relations-or nonproduct- advertising,
7. Purposes of Public Relations Advertising :
1. mergers and diversifications
2. personnel changes
3. organizational resources
4. manufacturing and service capabilities
5. growth history
6. financial strength and stability
7. company customers
8. organization name change
9. trademark protection
10. corporate emergencies

VII. Twenty First Century Integrated Marketing :
A. Television Brand Integration :
The latest phenomenon in television is to integrate products into the fabric of what is being presented on the screen.
B. Infomercials :
They were introduced as program-length commercials, shamelessly hawking products
C. Word-of-Mouth Marketing :
Also known as Buzz Marketing, word of mouth is another alternative to traditional advertising that enlists influencers or trend setters to spread the word about particular product.
D. Television and Movie Product Placements :
Product placements in films also are proliferating at a rapid rate.
They are also known as the embedded advertisements
E. You Name It :
1. Song placements
2. Sports teams
3. Blogs
4. Whaaa?

Outline: Public Relations Writing

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter16: Public Relations Writing

I. Writing for the Eye and the Ear:
The sad facts is that PR people, by and large are horrible writers.
The chapter explores fundamentals of writing:
1) discussing PR writing in general and news releases in particular,
2) reviewing writing for reading,
3) discussing writing for listening

. writing for a reader is different than writing for a listener
. a listener has only one chance to hear the message once

II. Fundamentals of writing:
. There are four-part formulas for writers, from the novice to the novelist:
1. The idea must precede the expression: think before writing. The trick in coming up with clever ideas lies more in borrowing old ones than in creating new ones
2. Don't be afraid of the draft. an outline should precede the draft
3. Simplify, clarify: avoid jargon, complex words
4. Finally, writing must be aimed at a particular audience: avoid imprecision, ambiguity

III. Flesh Readability Formula:
Flesch gave seven suggestions for making, writing more readable.
1. Use contractions such as it's or doesn’t
2. Leave out the word that whenever possible
3. Use pronouns such as I, we, they and you
4. When referring back to a noun, repeat the noun or use a pronoun. Don't create eloquent substitutions
5. Use brief, clear sentences
6. Cover only one item per paragraph
7. Use anguage the reader undertsands

In writing fro the internet or ny other medium, should remember their A’s and B’s
. Avoid big words
. Avoid extra words
. Avoid clichés
. Avoid Latin
. Be specific
. Be active
. Be simple
. Be short
. Be organized
. Be convincing
. Be understandable

IV. The Beauty of the Inverted Pyramid
. The climax of a newspaper story comes at the begining
. The lead of a story is the first one or two paragraphs: inverted pyramid
. The lead is the most critical element, usually answering the questions concerning who, what, when, where and occasionally how.

V. The News Release
. Releases are poorly written (difficult to read)
. Releases are rarely localized (it is used when it is localized)
. Releases are not newsworthy. What determines its worthiness? Impact, oddity, conflict, known principal, proximity, also human interest stories

The Product announcement:
The Management change: newspapers interested in that
The Management Speech

VI. News Release Style
Typical Style rules:
Capitalization
Abbreviations
Numbers
Punctuation
Spelling

VII. News Release Essentials
Rationale
Focus
Facts
No Puffery
Nourishing quotes
Limit Jargon
Company Description
Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
Brevity
Headlines
Clarity, conciseness, committment

VIII. Internet News Releases
One reporter per 'to' line
Limit subject line headers
Boldface 'For Immediate Release'
Hammer home to headline
Limit Lengthh
Observe 5W format
No attachement
Link to URL
Remember Readability

IX. The Media Kit:
A calling card to introduce the organization to the media
The biography
Fact Sheets
Etc…

X. The Pitch Letter:
A sales letter, pure and simple

XI) Other Print Vehicles:
The case History
The Byliner
The Op_Ed
The Roundup Article

XII. Writing for the ear:
Every spokesperson possesses five main characteristics:
it is designed to be heard, not read
it uses concrete language
it demands a positive response
it must have clear-cut ibjectives
it must be tailored to a specific audience

XIII. The importance of editing:
An editor must be judicious, get rid of passive verbs, must be gusty enough to use bold strokes

Chapter 15: International Relations

I presented this chapter in class: the power point presentation is posted in google group of PR Class. Thank you

Outline: Consumer Relations

Amal El YahcoubiCom
4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter 14: Consumer Relations

I. Consumer Relations Objectives
Building sales is the primary consumers relations objective. A satisfied customer may return, an unhappy customer may not.
· Keeping old customers.
· Attracting new customers
· Marketing new items or services
· Expecting complaint handling
· Reducing costs

II. Consumer-Generated Media
· Consumer-generated media: encompasses the millions of consumers-generated comments,opinions and personal experiences posted in publicly available online sources on a wide range of issues, topics, product and brands.
· CGM is also reffered to as “online consumer word mouth” that originated from a variety of sources:
1. blogs
2. message board andforums
3. public disscussions
4. discussions and forums on large e-mail portals
5. Online opinion/review sites and services
6. online feedback/complaint sites

III. Office of the Ombudsperson
· Research indicates that only a handful of dissatisfied customers will ever complain.
· But there are many with the same complains that who never say anything.
· The term ombudsman originally described a government official appointed to investigate complaints about abuses commited by public officials.
· In most companies the office of the ombudsperson office investigates complaints made against the company an dits managers.
· The ombudperson office monitors the difficulties customers are having with products.

IV. The consumer Movement
· Kennedy proposed that consumers have their own bill of rights, containing four basic principles:
1. The right to safety
2. The right to be informed
3. The right to choose
4. The right to be heard.

V. Federal consumer Agencies
· Today a massive gov bureaucracy attempts to protect the consumer against abuse: more then 900 different programs administrated by more than 400 federal entities.
· Key aggencies include the :

1. Justice Departement
2. Fedearl Trade Commission
3. Securities and exchange Comission
4. Food and Drug Administration
5. consumer Product Safety Commission
6. Office of Consumer Affairs

VI. Consumer Activists on the internet
· The consumerist movement has attracted a host of activists in recent years.
· It most significant activity is to keep companies honnest has occured in the interner.
· The best known testing group is Cosumers Union that was founded in 1936 to test products across a wide spectrum of industries.

VII. Business Gets the Message:
· Few campanies can afford to shirk thier responsabilities to consumer.
· Consumer relations divisions have sprung up, either as separate entities or as part of public relations departement.
· In many companies, consumer relations began as a way to handle complaints, an area to which all unanswerable complaints were saints.

Outline:Government Relations

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter13: Government Relations

I. Public Relations in Government:
. The growth of Public Relations work both with and in the government has exploded in recent years.
. American business spends more time caling on, talking with, and lobbying government representatives on such subjects as trade, interest rates, taxes, budget deficits, and all the other issues that concern individual industries and companies.
. PR functions have traditionally been something for a “poor relations” in the government.

Government Practitioners:
. Most practitioners in government communicate the activities of the various agencies, commissions, and bureaus to the public.
. It was not always essential to form informational links between government officials and the public.
. In 1990, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management reported nearly 15,000 public relations-related jobs in the federal government.

Two Prominent Departments:
. Before the was on terrorism, the most potent public relations voices in the federal government, exclusive of the president were:

The State Department
. Has an extensive public affairs staff, responsible for press briefings, maintaining secretary of state homepage content, operating foreign press centers in Washington, L.A, and maintaining Public Diplomacy
. United States Information Agency (USIA); federal government PR arms: build institutional foundations of democracy around the world, support war on drugs, environmental challenges, free and open com.
. The communication initiatives of the state Department to spread the “gospel of America” are far-reaching. Among them are the following:
§ Radio
§ Film and TV
§ Internet
§ Media
§ Publications
§ Exhibitions
§ Libraries and books
§ Education

The Defense Department
§ The importance of Department of Defence (DOD) communications has been intensified the wartime.
§ With the DOD consisting of more than 3 million active duty forces, reserves, and civilian employees, information is the strategic center of gravity.
§ Postwar public relations efforts of the Department of Defense have run the gamut from drawing universal praise to generating opprobrium.

Other Government Agencies
§ Beyond the State and Defense departments, other government departments also have stepped up their public relations efforts.
§ The Department of Health and Human Services has a public affairs staff of 700 people.

The President
§ The broadcast networks, daily newspapers, and national magazines follow his every move.
§ His press secretary provides the White House press corps with a constant flow of announcements supplemented by daily press briefings.
§ Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were perhaps the most masterful presidential communicators in the history.
§ Mr.Reagan and his communications advisors followed seven principles in helping to “manage the news” which are:
. Plan ahead
. Stay on the offensive
. Control the flow of information.
. Limit reporter's access to the president
. talk about the issues you want to talk about
. Speak in one voice.
. repeat the same Message many times

The President's Press Secretary:
§ Some have called the job of presidential press secretary the second difficult position in any administration.
§ The press secretary is the chief public relations spokesperson for the administration.
§ Overt time, the position of press secretary to the president has taken on increased responsibility and has attained a higher public profile.
§ Over the years, he number of reporters hounding the presidential press secretary dubbed by some “the imperial press corps” has grown from fewer than 300 reporters during the President Kennedy’s term to around 3,000 today.

II. Lobbying the Government:
. The business community, foundations and philanthropic organizations have a common problem: dealing with government, particularly the mammoth federal bureaucracy.
. The occupation of lobbyist is one of the nation’s greatest growth industries.
. The number of registered lobbyists in Washington has more than doubled since 2000 to more than 34,750 a 66 percent increase. Why? Three factors according to experts:
. Rapid growth in government
. Republican control of both White House and Congress
. Wide acceptance among corporations that they need to hire professional lobbyists to secure their share of the federal budget.

The representatives have several objectives
. To improve communication with government personnel and agencies
. To monitor legislators and regulatory agencies in areas affecting constituent operations
. To encourage constituent participation at all levels of government
. To influence legislation affecting the economy of the constituent’s area, as well as its operations
. To advance awareness and understanding among lawmakers of the activities and operations of constituent organizations.

What do Lobbyists do?
. Fact-finding
. Interpretation of government actions
. Interpretation of company actions
. Advocacy of a position
. Publicity springboard
. Support of Company sales

Do it yourself Lobbying:
. Know the subject and status of legislation
. Know the position of the legislator and the staff
. Represent a key constituency
. Be available and eager to please
. Have influential backup at the ready
. Keep your word
. know how the system functions

Emergence of e-lobbying
§ As it has in every other areas of society and public relations work, the internet has influenced the practice of lobbying as well.
§ The internet has become a pivotal tool, used by both parties, to inform voters about election issues.

III. Political Action Committees:
. The rise of political action committees has been among the most controversial political developments in recent years.
. Each political action can give a maximum of $5000 to federal candidate in a primary election and another $5000 for the general election.
. Critics of campaign finance reform argue that the First Amendment allows the freedom to speak out for or against any candidate.

IV. Dealing with Local Government:
. In 1980, Ronald Reagan rode to power on a platform of New Federalism, calling for a shift of political debate and policy decisions to state and local levels.
. Dealing with local entities, of course, differs considerably from dealing with the federal government.
. The public information function at state and local levels to keep constituents apprised of legislative and regulatory changes, various government procedures and notices is a font-line public relations responsibility on the local level.

Outline: Employee Relations

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter11: Employee Relations

I. Strong Employee Relations Equals Solid Organizations:
· The wave of downsizing and layfoffs that dominated business and industry worldwide after the high tech bubble burst in the early years of the 21st century has taken its toll on employee loyality.
· The widenning gulf between the pay of senior officers and common workers is another reason organization must be sensitive to employee communications.
· The move toward globalization, including the merger of geographically dispersed organizations, is another reason for increased focus on internal communications.
· Research indicated that companies that communicate effectivly with their workers financilly outperform those that do not.

II. Dealing with the Employee Public:
· There is no signle “employee public”
· Employee public is made of numerous subgroups: senior managers, first-line supervisors, staff and line employees, union labours etc....
· A smart organization will try to differentiate messages and communications to reach these diffenrnt segments.
· Management should ask these tree questions about the way it conveys knowledge to the staff:
1. is management able to communicate effectivly with employees?
2. is communication trusted, and does it relay appropriate information to employees?
3. has management communicated its commitment to its employees and to fostering a rewarding work environment?
· The lack of understanding leads to dicounts, frustration, miscommunication, problems, and eventually to the feeling that the grass is greener elsewhere.

III. Communicating effectively in a Sea of Doubt:
· An organization that is concerned about getting though its employees in an area of downsizing,displacement, and dubioud communications must reinforce five specific principles:
1. Respect:
2. Honest feedback
3. Recognition
4. A voice
5. encouragement

· Milton Moskowitz: gave the six criteria for a company to succed:
1. Willingness to express dissent
2. Visibility and proximity of upper management
3. priority of internal to external communication
4. attention to clarity
5. friendly tone
6. sense of humour

IV. Credibilty: the Key
· Management must be truthful.
· Employees want managers to level with them and they want facts and not wishful thinking
· Research indicates that trust in organizations would increase if management
1. communicated earlier and more frequently.
2. demonstrated trust in employees by sharing bad news as well as good.
3. involved employees in the process by asking for their ideas and opinions.

V. S-H-O-C the troops:
· How does management build trust when employee morale is so brittle?
· Part of the answer lies in an approach to management communicatrion built around the acronym S-H-O-C.
· Management should consider a four step communication approach:
1. all communications must be strategic: where is the organization going? What is my role in helping us get there?
2. all communications must be honest.
3. all communications must be open.
4. all communications must be consistent.

VI. Employee Communication tactics:
· Once objectives are set, a variety of techniques can be adopted to reach the staff. The initial tool again is research:
1. Internal Communications audits
The three critical audit questions to probe are :
§ How do internal communications support the mission of the organization?
§ Do internal communications have management’s support?
§ How responsive to employee needs and concerns are internal communications?

2. Online communications :
blogs
wikis

3. The intranet :
Ø consider the culture
Ø set clear objectives and then let it evolve
Ø treat it as a journalistic enterprise
Ø Market, market, market
Ø Link to outside lives
Ø Senior management must commit

4. Print Publications
An internal newsletter editor must consider the following steps in approaching the task:
Ø Assigning stories
Ø Enforcing deadlines
Ø Assigning photos
Ø Editing copy
Ø Formatting copy
Ø Ensure on-time publication
Ø Critiquing

5. Employee annual Report
Typical features of the employee anual report include the following :
Cheif executives ' letter
use of funds statement
financial condition
description of the company
social responsibility highlights
staff financial highlights
Organization policy
Emphasis on people

6. Bulletin Board

7. Suggestion Box and town Hall Meetings.

8. internal Video

9. Face to face communictions

Outline: Electronice Media Relations

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter10: Electronic Media Relations


I. 24/7 Television News:
In the 21st century, no TV shows dominate American television the way news and talk shows do.
The credit for the rise of television news around the world has been the growth of the Cable News Network (CNN).
The growth of cable television has created enormous new publicity placement posibilities for public relations professionals. Cable Networks offer so called "narrowcasting" opportunities for everyone.

II. Handling Television Interviews:
To be effective on television, executives must accept guidance from public relations professionals on how to act appropriately in front of a camera that never blinks:
1) Do prepare (key of success of broadcast appearance)
2) Do be yourself (interviews should be relaxed)
3) Do be open and honest (credibility must be established early)
4) Do be brief (avoid jargon, do summaries)
5) Do play it straight (don’t look stupid)
6) Do dress for the occasion (no colors or accessories)
7) Don't assume the interviewer is out to get you
8) Don't think everything you say will be araid
9) Don't let the interviewer dominate
10) Don't say "No comment"
11) Do stop

III. Video News Release:
New releases in video form VNR have become standard tools in the practice of public relations. The best VNRs are those that cover breaking news such as a press conference or a new announcement that brodcasters would cover themselves if they had the resources.
Before VNR is attempted, different questions must be considered
what reasonable expectation of a VNR?
How should a VNR be distributed?
Are you out of luck if a VNR doesn’t get picked up?
How important is it to localize a VNR?
what kinds of subject should a VNR treat?

VNR Caveats :
VNRs are not without risks and good ones are expensiveVNR must becreated,produced, packaged and distributed proffesionally.
Before a VNR is created the following questions must be asked:
-is the VRN needed?
-how much time do we have?
-how much do we have to spend to make the VNR effective?
-Is video really the best way to communicate this story?

IV. Satellite Media Tours:
Several steps must be taken to ensure the viability of an SMT:
Defining objectives
Last minute jugglingsatellite time
B-roll: background footage
Availability of deddicated phone lines
Spokespersons briefing
Consider controversy
avoid becoming too commercial

V. Public Service announcements:
Public Service announcements(PSA) is a television or radio commercial, usually 10 to 60 seconds that is broadcasted at no cost to the sponsor.
Users of PSA are: non profit organizations and commercial organizations.
PSAs can be grouped loosely into three categories:
1. public affairs
2. Public Relations
3. Marketing communications

VI. Growth of Talk Radio:
Each week, 15 million people listen to radio, and talk radio listners in about 21 percen more than all others.

Talk radio really emerged in the 1987 repeal of the Fairness doctrine, which opened the door to uninhibited discussion of controversial issues on the radio.
Securing radio Publicity
1) Strong focused message
2) Localization
3) Positive spokespersons
4) Timeliness

Outline: Print Media Relations

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter9 : Print Media Relations

I. Number One Medium
Despite the growth of the Internet and electronic media, print still stands as the number one medium among public relations professionals.

II. Objectivity in the Media
Whether the mass media have lost relative influence to other proliferating alternative communications vehicles or not, the fact remains that securing positive publicity through the media still lies at the heart of public relations practice.
Some executives fail to understand the essential difference between the media and their won organizations. That is:
The reporter wants the “story” whether dad or good
Organizations, on the other hand, want things to be presented in the best light
Because of this difference, some executives consider journalists to be the enemy, dead set on revealing all the bad news they can bout their organization.

III. The Internet Factor
The internet has ushered in a new age of journalistic reporting: immediate, freewheeling, unbridled. To others, the internet is responsible for the collapse of journalistic standards and the ascendancy of rumor mongering.

IV. Dealing with the Media
An organization’s must establish a formal media relations and also must establish a philosophy for dealing with the media, keeping in mind the following dozen principles:
1. A reporter is a reporter
2. You are the organization
3. There is no standard issue reporter
4. Treat journalists professionally
5. Don’t sweat the scepticism
6. Don’t “buy” a journalist
7. Become a trusted source
8.Talk about not “selling”
9. Don’t expect “news” agreement
10. Don’t cope a tude
11. Never lie
12. Read the paper

V. Attracting Publicity
Publicity, through new releases and other methods, is eminently more powerful than advertising.
The benefit of paid advertising include the following communications areas that can be “guaranteed”:
1. Content
2. Size
3. Location
4. Reach
5. Frequency
Publicity offers two overriding benefits that enhance its appeal far beyond that of advertising:
-First, publicity costs only the time and effort expended by public relations personnel and management in conceiving, creating and attempting to place the publicity effort in the media
-Second and more important, publicity, which appears in news rather than in advertising colums, carries the implicit third-party endorsement of the news source that reports it.

VI. Value of Publicity
Publicity makes great sense in the following areas:
1. Announcing a new product or service
2. Reenergizing an old product
3. Explaining a complicated product
4.Little or no budget
5. Enhancing the organization’s reputation
6. Crisis response

VII. Pitching Publicity
The activity of trying to place positive publicity in a periodical of converting publicity to news is called pitching. The following hints may help achieve placement of a written release:
1. Know deadline
2. Generally write, don’t call
3. Direct the release to a specific person or editor
4. Determine how the reporter wants to be contacted
5. Don’t badger
6. Use exclusive, but be careful
7. When you call, do your own calling
8. Don’t send clips of other stories about your client
9. Develop a relationship
1O. Never lie

VII. Online Publicity
The vehicles that form the nucleus of online publicity are:
1. News releases
2. Announcements
3. Links
4. Newsletters
5. Libraries
6. Public Appearances
7. Promotions
8. Events

VIII. Dealing with Wires
Wire services are a compulsory vehicles for distributing news.
In preparing copy for paid wires, public relation professionals must consider the following
1. Always include headlines
2. The “lead” is critical
3. Identify the stock symbol
4. Include contact names and numbers at the end
5. Specify timing
6. Specify targets
7. Check for accuracy

IX. Measuring Publicity
After an organization has distributed its press materials, it needs an effective way to measure the results of its publicity. The following are outside print and online services that can help:
Media Directories:
Press Monitoring Bureaus
Broadcast Transcription Services
Media Distribution Services
Content Analysis Services

X. Handling Print Interviews
The following 10 do’s are important in newspapers, magazine, or other print interviews:
1. Do your homework in advance
2. Relax
3. Speak in personal terms
4. Welcome the naïve question
5. Answer questions briefly and directly
6. Don’t bluff
7. State facts and back up generalities
8. If the reporter is promised further information, provide it quickly
9. There is no such thing as being off the record
10. Tell the truth

XI. Press Conference
Press conferences, the convening of the media for a specific purpose, are generally not good idea. In fact, they can often prove suicidal.
The following are guidelines in a press conference:
1. Don’t play favorites
2. Notify the media by mail well in advance
3. Follow up early and often
4. Schedule the conference in midmorning
5. Hold the conference in a meeting room, not someone’s office
6. The time allotted for the conference should state in advance
7. Keep the speaker away from the reporters before the conference
8. Prepare materials to complement the speaker’s presentation
9. Remember television
10. Let the reporters know when the end has come
11. Cue the reinforcements

Outline: Research

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter 8: Research

I. Essential First Step:
-Every public relations program or solution should begin with research. Most don’t, which is a shame.
-Research should be applied in public relations work both at the initial stage, prior to planning a campaign, and at the final stage to evaluation a program’s effectiveness.
-Early research helps to determine the current situation, prevalent attitudes, and difficulties that the program faces.

II. What is Research?
It is the systematic collection and interpretation of information to increase understanding.
A firm must acquire enough accurate, relevant data about its public, products, and programs to answer these questions:
--How can we identify and define our constituent groups?
--How does this knowledge relate to the design of our massages?
--How does it relate to the design of our programs?
--How does it relate to the media we use to convey our messages?
--How does it relate to the schedule we adopt in using our media?
--How does it relate to the ultimate implementation tactics of our program?

III. Principles of Public Relations Research:
The principles in setting standards for public relations research are:

1. Establishing clear program objectives and desired outcomes tied directly to business goals.

2. Differentiating between measuring public relations ouputs, generally short temr and surface, and measuring public relations outcomes, usually lore far reaching and carrying impact.

3. Measuring media content as first step in the public relations evaluation process.

4. Understanding that no one technique can be expected to evaluate PR effectiveness.

5. being wary of attempts to compare Public Relations effectiveness with advertising. effectiveness.

6. Organization should have a clear identified key messages, target audiences, and desired channels of communication. The more confused an organization is about its target, the less reliable its public relations measurement will be.

IV. Types of Public Relations Research:
Research is conducted to do three things:

1.Describe a process, situation or phenomenon
2.Explain why something is happening, what its causes are, and what effect it will have
3.Predict what probably will happen of we do or don’t take action

Applied Research:
Applied Research in Public Relation can be either strategic or evaluative.
--Strategic research is used primarily is program development to determine program objectives, develop message strategies, or establish benchmarks
--Evaluative research, sometimes called summative research, is conducted primarily to determine whether a public relations program has accomplished its goals and objectives.

Theoretical Research:
This research is more abstract and conceptual than applied research. It helps build theories in public relations work about why people communicate, how public opinion is formed, and how a public is created.
It is important as a framework for persuasion and as a base for understanding why people do what they do.
It can help practitioners temper management’s expectation of attitude and behavioural change resulting from public relations programs.

Secondary Research
It allows examined or read about and learn from someone else’s primary research, such as a library. It is also called “desk research”.
Among the typical sources of secondary research are:
---Industry trade journals
---Government
---Informal contacts
---Published company accounts
---Business libraries
---Professional institutes and organizations
---Omnibus surveys
---Census data
---Public records
---Online database

V. Methods of Public Relations Research:
Three primary forms of Public Relations dominate the field which are:
---Surveys: to reveal attitudes and opinions
---Communication: Communication between management and target audiences
---Unobtrusive measures: such as fact-finding, content analysis and readability studies.

Surveys:
Surveys come in two types:
1.Descriptive surveys
2.Explanatory surveys
Survey consist of four element
1.Sample
2.Questionnaire
3.Interview
4.Analysis of Results

The Sample:
It must be representative of the total public whose views are sought.
Random Sampling: equality and independence
There are four types of random sampling:
1.Simple random sampling
2.Systematic random sampling
3.Stratifies random sampling
4.Cluster sampling
Nonrandm sampling:
Come in three types
1.Convenience samples
2.Quota samples
3.Volunteer samples

The Questionnaire:
Researches should observe the following in designing their questionnaire:
1.Keep it short
2.Use structured rather than open-ended questions
3.Measure intensity of feeling
4.Don’t use word or words that have more than one meaning
5.Don’t ask loaded questions
6.Don’t ask double-barrelled questions
7.Pre-test
8.Attach a letter explaining how the respondents’ answers are, and let recipients know that hey will remain anonymous
9.Hand-stamp the envelopes, preferably with unique commemorative stamps
10.Follow up your first mailing
11.Send out more questionnaires that you think necessary
12.Enclose a reward

Interviews:
Interview can provide a more personal, firsthand feel for public opinion.
Focus group: It must follow the following guidelines
1.Define your objectives and audience
2.Recruit your groups
3.Choose the right moderator
4.Conduct enough focus groups
5.Use a discussion guide
6.Choose proper facilities
7.Keep it tight rein on observers
8.Consider using outside help
Telephone Interviews:
Mail Interview
Drop-off interviews
Intercept Interviews
Delphi Panels
Internet Interviews

VI. Evaluation:
Evaluation of public relations programs depends on several things:
---Setting measurable public relations program objectives
---Securing management commitment
---Determining the best way to gather data
---Reporting back to management
---Selecting the most appropriate outcomes

VII. Research and the Web:
Evaluating Web Sites
The number of times a Web Site is visited by an individual.
---Value of the web
---Intimacy
---Precision
---Timeliness
---Cost

Web research consideration :
Establish objectives
Determine criteria
Determine benchmarks
Select the right measurement tool
Compare results to objectives
Draw actionable conclusions

Project Proposal

Statement of problem:
Internal communication is considered a vital part in any private or public organization. With a successful internal communication employees can know their responsibilities and values as well as recognize the organization’s goals and objectives. In my Public Relations project I will take “Bank Populaire” (BP) of the city of Nador as my case study and I will talk about its internal communication. I was an intern in this bank and I have acquired a lot of information concerning its internal communication. Through my observation and experience I pointed out some problems concerning their internal communication that can affect employee motivation. Internal communication of BP of Nador in comparison with others BP in Morocco is weak and need to be developed.

Basic research design (Literature review):
My basic research design will be the internal communication of “Banque Populaire” of Nador in Comparison with other banks in Morocco especially (Rabat and Casablanca). I will use my knowledge, report and my experience in this bank as the main source. Also, I will look for sources in the internet about internal communication in organizations. The course book will be also a source that will help me create a good recommendation list for the Bank in order to improve its internal communication.

Research question :
What steps will be useful to create a good internal communication? How this will help to improve employee motivation and performance?

The rationale, and explanation of what the findings of this project will contribute in the future :
The findings of my project will contribute to help organizations be aware of the importance of internal communication. Also, my recommendations will be useful for them to improve their internal communication.

Communication process :
I will inform my audience about what is internal communication and persuade them about its importance through good arguments and give real examples or work place situations.

Background
I will talk about background information of BP internal communication, how employees communicate with each other, what are the means of communication they use.

Situational analysis :
I will talk about the history of “Banque Populaire” in Morocco.

Message statement
The message statement of Banque Populaire is the following: “An individual care is a common care”

Target audience:
My main audience will be employees of BP of Nador, than other organizations who do not have a good internal communication and want to improve it.

Key audiences messages:
My key audience message is to address the message that says how internal communication is important in any organization.

Communication vehicles:
I will try to create a blog for the Bank of Nador.

Timing:
§ 23rd September, 2007: Proposal due.
§ 3rd October, 2007: 1st draft of the project.
§ 4th October, 2007: Creation of the Blog.
§ 30th October 2007: Final Draft of the Project.

Outline: Management

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter5: Management




I. Manegement Proces of Public Relations :
What are we attempting to achieve, and where are we going in the pursuit
What is the nature of the environment in which we must operate?
Who are the key audience we must convince in the process?
How will we get to where we want to be?

II. Reporting to Top Management:
For the public relations function to be valuable to management, it must remain independent, credible and objective as an honest broker.
Public Relations, rightfully, should be the corporate conscience.

II.Conceptualizing the Public Relations Plan:
Planning is critical not only to know where a particular campaign is headed but also to win the support of top management.
With proper planning, public relations professionals can indeed defend and account for their actions.
Setting objectives, formulating strategies, and planning are essential if the public relations function is to be considered equal in stature to other management processes.
Public Relations management process are:
1. Defining the problem or opportunity
2. Programming
3. Action
4. Evaluation

IV. Creating the Public Relations Plan:
Executive summary
Background
Situation analysis
Message statement
Audiences
Key audience messages
Implementation
Budget
Monitoring and evaluation.

V. Activation the Public Relations Campaign:
Typical public relations campaign plan:
Backgrounding the problem
Preparing the proposal
Implementing the plan
Evaluation the campaign.

VI. Setting Public Relations Objectives:
Do they clearly
Describe the end result expected?
Are they understandable to everyone in the organization?
Do they list a firm completion date?
Are they realistic, attainable, and measurable?
Are they consistent with management’s objectives?

VII. Budgeting for Public Relations:
The key to budgeting may lie in performing two steps:
Estimating the extent of the resources
Estimating the cost and availability of those resources.

VIII. Implementing Public Relations Programs:
Media relations
Internal communications
Government relations and public affairs
Community relations
Investor relations
Consumer relations
Public relations research
Public relations writing
Special public relations
Institutional advertising
Graphics
Web site management
Philanthropy
Special events
Management counselling;

IX. The Public Relations Department:
Department range from one-person operations to far-flung networks of hundreds of people.

The Public Relations Agency:
An agency has the added advantage of not being taken for granted by a firm’s management.

X. Reputation Management:
Helping to manage an organization’s reputation, that is, its brand, position, goodwill or image.
An organizatin reputation is composed of two elements:
1. The more “rational” products and performance
2. The more emotional “behavioral” factors.

XI. Where are the Jobs?
The future of the practice of public relations promises to be steady and strong.

XII. What does it pay?

XIII. Women and Minorities:
Today women who predominate the public relations work

Outline: Public Opinion

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter4: Public Opinion

I. What is Public Opinion?
“It is the aggregate of many individual opinions on a particular issue that affects a group of people”

II. What are Attitudes?
Attitudes are based on a number of characteristics:
Personal
Cultural
Educational
Familial
Religious
Social class
Race

III. How are Attitudes Influenced?
-Strictly speaking, attitudes are positive, negative, or nonexistent.
-A person is for something, against it, or neutral.

IV. Motivating Attitude Change:
-Maslow postulated a five-level hierarchy that helps define the origins of motivation:
The lowest order is physiological needs
The second level is safety needs
The third level is love needs
The fourth level is esteem
The highest order is self-actualization

V. Power of Persuasion
“According to classic persuasion theory, people may be f two minds in order to be persuaded to believe in a particular position”:
- “Systemeyic” mode
- “Heuristic” mode.

What kinds of “evidence” will persuade?
Facts
Emotions
Personalizing
Appealing to “you”

VI. Influencing Public Opinion:
- Opinion is highly sensitive to important events
-Opinion is generally determined more by events that by words, unless those words are themselves interpreted as an event
-Ay critical times, people become more sensitive to the adequacy of their leadership.
-Once self-interest is involved, opinions are slow t change
-People have more opinions and are able to form opinions more easily on goals than on methods to reach those goals
-By and large, if people in a democracy are provided with educational opportunities and ready access to information, public opinion reveals a hard headed common sense.

VII. Polishing the Corporate Image:
Most organizations today understand:
- Corporate image is a fragil commodity
-To improve the image they must operate with the “implicit trust”

VIII. Managing Reputation:
Its value to an organization is indisputable.

Detailed Outline: What is Public Relations, Anyway?

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter1: What is Public Relations, Anyway?


I. Prominence of Public Relations:
Five Trends are related to the evolution of Public Relation:
1. Growth of the big institutions
2. Increasing incidence of change, conflict and confrontation in Society
3. Sophistication of people worldwide as a result of technological innovation in communication
4. Growing power of public opinion in this new century
5. Expontial growth of internet based communication

What is Public Relations?
“It is a planed process to influence public opinion, through sound character and proper performance, based on mutually satisfactory two-way communication.”

II. Planned Process to Influence Public Opinion:
1) Research
2) Action
3) Communication
4) Evaluation

Professor Sharpe applies five principles to the public Relations process:
1. Honest communication for credibility
2. Openness and consistency of actions for confidence
3. Fairness of actions for reciprocity and goodwill
4. Continuous two-way communication to prevent alienation and to build relationships
5. Environmental research and evaluation to determine the actions or adjustments needed for social harmony.

III. Public Relations as Management Interpreter
Good public relations can’t be practiced in a vacuum. No matter what the size of the organization, a public relations department in only as good as its access to management.

IV. Public Relations as Public Interpreter
Interpreting the public to management means finding out what the public really thinks about the firm and letting management know.

Publics can be classified into several overlapping categories:
Internal and external
Primary, secondary, and marginal
Traditional and future
Proponents, opponents, and the uncommitted

V. The Functions of Public Relations:
Writing
Media Relations
Planning
Counselling
Publicity
Marketing Communication
Community Relations
Consumer Relations
Employee Relations
Government Affaires
Investor Relations
Special Public Relations
Public affairs and issues management
Web site development and web interface

VI. The Curse of “Spin”
Definition of Spin:
“The distinctive interpretation of an issue or action to sway public opinion, as in putting a positive slant on a negative story”

VII. What Manner of Man or Woman?
Characteristics for a successful public relations career:
Diversity
Performance
Communication Skills
Relationship building
Proactively and passion
Timeliness
Intangibles, such as personality, likeability, and chemistry.

Six Important technical skills :
Knowledge of the field
Communications knowledge
Technological knowledge
Current events knowledge
Business Knowledge
Management Knowledge.

Effective public relations practitioners must process, the following six requisites are imperative:
Pro communications
Advocacy
Counselling orientation
Ethics
Willingness to take risks
Positive outlook

Outline:What is Public Relations, Anyway?

Amal El Yahcoubi
Com 4310 Public Relations
Dr. Ibahrine

Chapter1: What is Public Relations, Anyway?


I. Prominence of Public Relations
What is Public Relations?
“It is a planed process to influence public opinion, through sound character and proper performance, based on mutually satisfactory two-way communication.”

II. Planned Process to Influence Public Opinion
1) Research
2) Action
3) Communication
4) Evaluation

III. Public Relations as Management Interpreter

IV. Public Relations as Public Interpreter
Publics can be classified into several overlapping categories:
Internal and external
Primary, secondary, and marginal
Traditional and future
Proponents, opponents, and the uncommitted

V. The Functions of Public Relations
Writing
Media Relations
Planning
Counselling
Publicity
Marketing Communication
Community Relations
Consumer Relations
Employee Relations
Government Affaires
Investor Relations
Special Public Relations
Public affairs and issues management
Web site development and web interface

VI. The Curse of “Spin”

VII. What Manner of Man or Woman?
Characteristics for a successful public relations career:
1) Diversity
2) Performance
3) Communication Skills
4) Relationship building
5) Proactively and passion
6) Timeliness
7) Intangibles, such as personality, likeability, and chemistry