PR Planning

Contrary to common belief, Public Relations (PR) is more than just press releases, media relations and free publicity. Rather, the aim of PR is to identify and establish mutually beneficial relationships with key stakeholders – both internal and external – who can and do influence an organization's success. In creating a public relations program, we ask the following questions.

The current situation.
What opportunities or challenges is your organization facing right now? What positive and negative forces are in place? (Internal and external.) Who is involved and how are they affected?

The desired result.
What is the desired result? Who must the PR program reach, respond to or influence? (Internal and external.) What does each audience need to do in order to achieve the desired result?

Taking action and communicating.
Does the organization need to change in order to achieve the desired result? What are the key messages? What is the best way to communicate them? What are the roles of the PR company and the client’s organization? How would you like to work together? What is the timeline for achieving the desired result? What is the budget for the program?

Results and evaluation.
By knowing what you wish to accomplish, we can monitor and adjust the program accordingly. To that end, we must ask how will we determine and measure success.

Please note:
Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither are PR successes. Effective public relations is an ongoing process of reach and frequency. In general, we recommend a six- to 12-month program to allow for progress and results.