This slideshow focuses on the preparation of a strategic plan in a public relations campaign.

1. Preparing Your
Strategic Plan
Presented by
Brett Atwood

2. Developing a Plan
 Once you’ve determined your client, you’ll
need to quickly establish a PR plan
 If you’ve chosen a “real” client, you should
attempt to get their input!
 Talk to your client to establish their needs
 “Needs assessment”

3. Needs Assessment
 Survey the organization
 Talk to members of the organization AT ALL
LEVELS
 High level executives
 “In the trenches” employees
 Tap into existing market research or background
materials
 Learn the history of PR campaigns at the
company

4. Gathering Information
 Focus groups
 A focus group can help you get feedback from the
customer base
 Part of two-way communication
 It is better to uncover potential problems BEFORE
the PR campaign begins
 Surveys
 Used to gather attitudes and perceptions of target
audiences.

5. Classic PR Blunder
 1985 - “New Coke”
 Coca-Cola’s ill-fated
response to the
growing threat by Pepsi
 Ad campaign boasted
about the “new taste”
 Research and focus
groups might have
avoided this blunder

6. Classic PR Blunder
 Netflix & Qwikster

7. Media targets
 Who will you target in the media?
 What information do you need to know about
those you target?
 Media directories can help
 Cision (formerly known as Bacon’s)
 Media Map

8. Eight Essential Plan Elements
 Situation
 Objectives/Goals
 Audience
 Strategy
 Tactics
 Calendar/Milestones
 Budget
 Evaluation

9. 1. Situation
 “Executive summary” of the
situation/challenge
 Demonstrates your research on why the PR
campaign/program is needed
 Should factor in client expectations for both
short-term and long-term goals

10. 2. Objectives/Goals
 Once you have defined the situation/problem,
it is time to create the objectives/goals
 Objectives/goals should:
 Help to solve the problem and/or address the
defined situation
 Be achievable
 Be measurable

11. 2. Objectives/Goals
 Informational Objectives
 Designed to inform and increase awareness
 Motivational Objectives
 Aims to change attitudes and modify behavior

12. 3. Audience
 Identify the group of people to whom you are
directing your communication
 There may be several groups
 Which are most important to your client?

13. 4. Strategies
 How will you achieve the objective(s)?
 This is your plan of action
 How will the audience see this in relation to
its own self interest?
 Include key copy/speaking points
 These are the central themes that should be
repeated and reinforced through all messaging

14. 5. Tactics
 The “execution” of the plan
 How will you realize and achieve your
strategy?
 Describes the specific communication
activities used to achieve the stated
objectives

15. 5. Tactics
 Can take the form of:
 Media placements (Articles, news features)
 Pamphlets/newsletters
 Endorsements by tastemakers
 Advertising campaigns
 “Viral” marketing
 You should reference your portfolio materials
here

16. 6. Calendar/Milestones
 Establish a timetable to start and complete
your project
 The calendar should have achievable
“milestones” that mark defined
accomplishments for each step of the task
 This documents actual anticipated achievements,
rather than mere discussion of them

17. 6. Calendar/Milestones
 Examine synergy opportunities for your
campaign
 Example: MySpace.com aligning a media
campaign with 4th
of July holiday to assert
“independent spirit”
 Schedule activities/actions intelligently
 Plan ahead
 Some media placements have an early deadline
months before the public will be exposed

18. 7. Budget
 How much money will your plan cost?
 How much money do you have?
 Allow 10% for unexpected contingencies

19. 8. Evaluation
 Did you achieve your objectives?
 How will you define “success”?
 Find and report tangible evidence of success
or shortcomings in the campaign
 It is common to do a pre-test/post-test
analysis of consumer awareness and/or sales
before and after the campaign

20. Review: Elements of a Plan
 Your strategic plan should have these eight
elements:
 Situation
 Objectives
 Audience
 Strategy
 Tactics
 Timing
 Budget
 Evaluation

21. Example: Coca-Cola
 In our “New Coke” example, Coca-Cola
misidentified the situation
 They erroneously assumed that their consumers
preferred the sweeter taste of Pepsi
 The new product and messaging “missed the
mark” due to bad assessment
 Thus, the first step (“situation”) is important before
you jump to conclusions about your campaign
direction

22. Example: Netflix
 What could/should have Netflix done
differently when considering the Qwikster
spin-off?

23. Example of Strategic Plan
 Let’s develop a strategic plan for troubled
social media service Myspace
 Remember them?

24. Situation: Myspace.com
 Situation:
 Myspace is perceived as a “washed up” social network –
irrelevant and overshadowed by larger (e.g. Facebook) and
newer social media networks (e.g. Snapchat, etc.)
 As a result, the financial and tech media have mostly
forgotten about this struggling social media pioneer

25. Situation: Myspace.com
 Situation:
 In 2011, musician
Justin Timberlake
purchased a large
stake in the company
 In 2013, the “new”
Myspace debuted with
a re-design and focus
toward a more music-
focused social network

26. Situation: Myspace.com
 Situation:
 However, the service has not gained much
traction as a music-focused site and the company
recently downsized to about 200 employees
(compared to 1,600 at the peak of its popularity)

27. Objectives: Myspace.com
 Objectives:
 To re-establish Myspace as a relevant social
media network and service for anyone who loves
music
 To establish “event” and music content exclusives
that will gain the attention of media and
consumers so that Myspace will re-emerge into
the mainstream

28. Audience: Myspace.com
 Audience
 Internet users
 Music lovers and musicians
 Ages 12-34
 A large amount of use is among high school students

29. Strategy: Myspace.com
 Strategy
 What strategy would you use to relaunch
Myspace?

30. Tactics: Myspace.com
 Tactics:
 What tactics would you use to achieve your goals
and objectives?

31. Calendar: Myspace.com
 How would you identify and establish a
timeline to achieving your goals and
implementing your tactics?
 Examine synergy opportunities for your campaign
 Schedule activities/actions intelligently
 Plan ahead
 Some media placements have an early deadline
months before the public will be exposed

32. Budget: Myspace.com
 How much money will it take to execute this
campaign?
 Is there a cost benefit to choosing one form
of media over another?

33. Evaluation: Myspace.com
 Was the campaign successful in changing
opinions and visitor traffic?
 How could we find that out?
 What tangible evidence do we have that the
campaign was a success?