Chapter 7 "Strategy, Planning and Scheduling"

The Key points from chapter 7 are:

• The stages of strategic processes in public relations are:


• Creation of organisational visions and mission statements
• Creation of public relations vision and mission statements
• Establishment of performance indicators
• Budgeting
• Writing a strategic public relations plan
• Scheduling of public relations plan activities


• Organisational strategy: Strategy simply refers to a series of planned activities designed and integrated to achieve a stated organisational goal. In order to achieve public relations goals, strategies must be implemented and followed through.


• Public Relations Strategy: The first move is to become influential internally in the organisation and become part of the decision making process rather than just disseminating other people's plans. The companies strategies must be able to be understood by the public or it will not work.


• Well performing public relations offices are valued highly by companies.


• Strategically managed public relations has a significant role in developing strong corporate reputations for companies which translates into a strong presence in the marketplace.


• When planning a public relations strategy, a practitioner must take into account factors such as; what business they are in, internal and external perceptions of company, aims and values of the company among a range of others.

• A company's mission statement outlines a desirable future for the company. Once the statement has been created, practitioners should seek to follow the company's aims as much as possible. The mission statement outlines the company's intentions, function and future plan.
  

• Key performance indicators: Measures used to indicate progress towards achieving the mission. Quantitative measures, production etc, that inform CEO's and executives of the company's progression.

• Strategic Planning: The ten point communication plan:

1. Executive summary
2. The Communication process
3. Background
4. Situation Analysis
5. Main message statement
6. Stakeholders
7. Messages for key stakeholders
8. Implementation
9. Budget
10. Monitoring and Evaluation

• When considering a strategic communication plan, one must be conscious of the principles of effective communication; being open and honest; being two way and responsive; being timely; being clear and consistent and being comprehensive.

• The Zawawi-Johnston strategic public relations plan:
  

1. Executive summary
2. Vision and Mission
3. Background and situational analysis
4. Define strategy
5. Define publics
6. Define main message
7. Select tactics and communication methods
8. Implementation and scheduling
9. Monitoring and evaluation
10. Budget

• Budgeting: A plan for co-ordinating resources and expenses over a period of time by assigning costs to goals and objectives for specific activities (McElreath 1997). Companies operate under financial budgets and operating budgets - services they will use costs and quantities.
  

• Scheduling involves use of lists, flowcharts, calenders etc in order to set times to complete specific goals.