Rmit Pr Planning Workshop Materials

Public Relations Strategic Planning Noel Turnbull, Adjunct Professor RMIT University, Director Growth Solutions Group

What it’s not! Objectives recast as strategy The tools which implement a strategy A bright idea

Why campaigns fail Unclear objectives Unclear diagnosis of the problem or opportunity Confusing objectives with strategy Focussing on tools rather than strategy. Choosing the wrong tools Ignoring sociological/demographic reality Being ill-informed, arrogant, big-headed and short- sighted

So – how do we think strategically? Some thoughts from Kenichi Ohmae: - Problem dissection - Analysis and weighting of the elements of the problem - Scenario development based on different elements, options configuration - Creative re-integration

What does this mean? In simple terms, define the real problem or opportunity and then identify the best overall approach to achieving the objective.

and the key is……… Knowledge

How do we acquire knowledge * Your experience, expertise, existing intellectual capital. * Research * Discussion

Some practical examples… Objective: Find the right partner Strategy: Define the opportunity and how to approach it Tactics: How you go about it

Some practical examples Objective: Become the biggest PR company in Australia Strategy: Add so much value to clients that we grow the business Tactics: How we go about it

New news about old products Marketing objective: Increase pet food sales Marketing strategy: Increase dog and cat ownership PR objective: Persuade people to acquire a pet PR strategy: Communicate the benefits of pet ownership PR programs: Joys: pet contests, mall exhibits, photos, spokespeople Rewards: funded research, symposia, publications Source: The Petfood Institute’s “Pets are Wonderful” program

Why planning is important ? A disciplined management tool Focuses vision and priorities Establishes common understanding and accountability measures Ensures a proactive approach Roadmap for internal and external work

Old and new approaches to strategic planning Assume sector convergence Assumes sector remains the same ‘ Way of thinking’ based Procedural and document based Done continuously – all year round Done periodically, annually Typically 10 – 15 year context or dynamic envelope of timings Typically 3 year timeframe Can be open to employees and stakeholders Done by specialist ‘ Foreseeing based’ combining analysis with insight and creativity Forecasting based and analytical Open, participative Elitist, top down Focus on intangible resources Focus on tangible resources Strategy of movement Strategy of position Looks back from the future Looks out toward the future KNOWLEDGE AGE STRATEGY INDUSTRIAL AGE STRATEGY

A quick guide to planning – the Socratic approach What do we want to achieve? What is the situation in which we want to achieve it? Who are the people we need to talk to? What should we say to them? How should we communicate with them? What tools should we use? How much can we devote to saying it? How do we know if we have been heard?

Or alternatively….. Objectives Situation analysis Target audiences Key messages Strategy Implementation Budget Evaluation

Planning and management model 1. Defining public relations problems 4. Evaluating the program 2. Planning and Programming 3. Taking action and communicating ‘ How did we do?’ Assessment ‘ What’s happening now?’ Situation Analysis ‘ How and when do we do and say it?’ Implementation ‘ What should we do and say and why?’ Strategy

Old model limitations Too focused on campaigns and programs Too focused on communications, not actions Rooted within existing stable of communication techniques Not interactive enough Too deterministic Insufficiently flexible Lacks process for organizational alignment Inhibits the reinvention of our role All the following slides are copyright Noel Turnbull and Lelde McCoy

An emerging model THE CORPORATION Business partnerships and alliances Corporate Brand Impersonal Presentation Literature Point of Sale New Media Permanent Media Direct Marketing & Correspondence Personal Presentation Corporate & Marketing PR Products/ Services Advertising Sponsorship Country of Origin The Industry Business Partners Local Prospective Employees Internal General Public Financial The Media Government(s) The Trade Influential Groups Customers

An emerging model Strategic foresight principles Issues management thinking on prioritization of stakeholders Stewardship models Fleischer’s new public affairs model

Fleisher’s emerging PA model PA managed as a year round process Cultivating and maintaining enduring stakeholder relationships Influencing stakeholders using refined information Managing the grassroots Communicating in an integrated manner Continually aligning values and strategy with the public's interests Improving external relations using the accepted facets of contemporary management practice

Principles for a new model Must build knowledge and capability in the organization Constituency based approach A process of establishing action priorities Primarily a creative activity, not just analytical Goal is to create a responsive organization Test strategy and activity against corporate standard for values, reputation drivers and organizational ethics Imperative to include processes to make things happen Continuous monitoring and evaluation Logical linkages between planning phases

An alignment model Alignment with business and organizational strategy Alignment with organizational values, reputation drivers and positioning Alignment in setting priorities and allocating resources effectively Alignment with people and supporting systems Source: The above and following slides are the intellectual property of Noel Turnbull and Lelde McCoy

An alignment model ALIGNMENT: CONTINUITY / INTERACTIVITY / ENGAGEMENT / INTEGRATION / INBUILT EVALUATION UNDERSTAND VISION/ VALUES/ ETHICS ENGAGE WITH ORGANISATION STRUCTURES & BEHAVIOURS DEVELOP STRATEGY & IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS ANALYSE RISKS & OPPORTUNITIES RESEARCH STAKEHOLDERS/ PUBLICS SET PRIORITIES AGAINSTBUSINESS STRATEGIC PRIORITIES BUSINESS/ ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY & BENCHMARKS

The step-by-step process What’s involved ? Six stage process starting with core understanding of business strategy and priorities Underpinned by series of checkpoints for alignment and planning linkages as well as organizational engagement strategies Each stage has information outcomes for management Continuous evaluation and improvement input

Core understanding What is the business strategy ? What are the business’ benchmarks for success? What is the desired organizational positioning ? What relationships, behaviors and reputation drivers are essential to achieving success?

Stage one – understand vision, values, ethics Analyze vision, mission and values Monitor corporate commitment to vision, mission and values Analyze corporate, industry or professional ethics codes Assess corporate responsibility/governance performance against appropriate benchmarks Monitor the “grapevine” Do the vision, values and ethics reflect the reality of the organizational culture? Outcome: Cultural diagnostic/mapping report

Stage two – risk and opportunity analysis Conduct issues monitoring and environmental scans locally and globally Analyze competitive behaviors and threats Use standard analytical tools :SWOT, PEST, Porter model Undertake scenario planning :what ifs? Constantly retest internal perception against external realities Outcome : Risk and opportunity profile

Stage three – research stakeholders and publics Categorize risks, threats and opportunities according to priorities around: capacity to impact on survival/success probability capacity to influence impact on individual organizations versus group influences Use benchmark stakeholder research to identify key relationship needs

Stage three – research stakeholders and publics Prioritize stakeholder relationships by: involving and engaging those directly interested allying with those with mutual interest in problems/opportunities distancing yourself from exploiters establishing dialogue with monitors Establishing two-way comms with priority groups Identifying corporate behaviors as they impact on relationships eg.CRM, quality Outcome: Profile of priority stakeholders and publics

Stage four – set priorities with business priorities Identify key business success factors Understand implications of corporate structures for communications management delivery Analyze priorities in product, service, value delivery Understand corporate infrastructure roles and contributions Identify corporate and line management communication needs in the business strategy context Assess communications capabilities within the organization Outcome: priority chart

Stage five – strategy development Insights and imagination Policies and positions Corporate actions Corporate messages Tactics Outcome: strategy matrix

Stage five – strategy development Set objectives Set/align policies and positions Identify themes, styles, actions and messages, approaches and campaigns Integrate activities across range of corporate activities Assess resource needs Allocate resources again business priorities Assess where resources can be most appropriately applied Build in capacity for opportunity-based activities Monitor consistency between behavior and communications

Stage six – organizational integration Engagement with managers and staff Integration with systems, processes, practices and behaviors Co-ordination mechanisms Communication and information systems Ongoing reporting cycle Outcome: alignment map

Where is the evaluation stage ? EVERYWHERE - the model is based on continuous evaluation against the initial benchmarks which will change as business strategy evolves

Measurement and evaluation Use stakeholder relationship measurement system Monitor data on corporate behaviors Monitor/evaluate specific campaigns/programs Establish feedback loops Monitor issue maps and environmental scans Feedback data into planning loop

Rmit Pr Planning Workshop Materials

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Rmit Pr Planning Workshop Materials