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Task
You submit 1,000 word (-/+ 10%) analysis on media relations of a real world organisation relating to a
specific Public Relations situation in its operation.
Specifications
Your analysis should include the following contents:
1. An introduction of the selected organisation and scenario that involved media relations.
2. A detailed description of media tools used in the scenario, the news values and news style.
3. A critical analysis on the effect of the media relations effort in the examined scenario to demonstrate
your understanding of PR definition, PR models, Communication theories and Media Relations.
4. Conclusion on lessons learnt from the scenario 5. List of references
You should use images and citations from the media tools used in the scenario to illustrate your analysis.
● Your understanding of the effect of media relations in a PR effort.
● Your critical analysis of the media tools used in one PR scenario.
● Clear presentation of your ideas in terms of effective writing and English grammar.
1. Identify and discuss key aspects of the development, and principles and practices, of modern PR.
2. Examine links between PR, communication theory and applied communication practice.
A. Introduction 1
B. The Strategies Behind Success 1
1. The situation and the Challenge’s creators 1
2. Goal & Objectives 2
3. Target Public 2
4. Key Message 3
5. Tactics 3
6. Evaluation of the Campaign 4
C. Literature 6
1. Theory of Relationship 6
2. Theory of Persuasion 7
D. Media Relations 7
1. Media Channels 7
a. Social Media 8
b. Website: petefrates.com & alsa.org 9
2. Evaluation of a News Story 10
E. Conclusion 10
References 11

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A. Introduction
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, started by two US men - Pat Quinn and Pete Frates in 2014,
was a PR campaign that has brought awareness and supports for research into ALS or
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise called Lou Gehrig's disease. The Challenge was to
dare anybody pour a bucket of ice water over their heads inside 24 hours or else give some
cash to the ALS Trust Fund. When they finish the Challenge, they can post the video on the
web and assign three other individuals who will continue the Challenge or give donations as
cash. (Klahre 2014; Ogunshote 2014).
B. The Strategies Behind Success
1. The situation and the Challenge’s creators
ALS, a neurodegenerative disease, makes patients suffer from paralysis of their whole body,
meaning they cannot speak, eat, and breath. The life expectancy for victims of the disease is
currently between two and five years. The solely certified medication available, riluzole, is
only able to slow the disease’s progress, as no cure has been found yet (ALSA n.d).
Pat Quinn, in New York, was determined to have ALS in March 2013. He then associated
with Pete Frates in Boston, who was diagnosed a year before Quinn. Since they had a ton in
common, Frates has turned into a companion and mentor to Quinn. Frates has prolonged
friendships with individuals he met for the duration of his life, and they have all progressed
toward becoming some portion of his support network (Seymour 2015; Pollard 2016).

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Figure 1. Pete Frates’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video.
Frates then uploaded his own video of the Challenge on Facebook, employing both the
hashtags #StrikeOutALS and #Quinnforthewin, and that marked the beginning of an online
phenomenon in 2014. The ALS Association (ALSA) subsequently joined to help spread the
campaign wider (Sifferlin 2014).
2. Goal & Objectives
Raising awareness and increasing funds for ALS research were the goals of the Ice Bucket
Challenge.
The objective was clear, and participants of the Challenge were not required to do any
difficult things, except going on the web to donate or pouring a container of ice water over
the head, or both. This was to increase as much support as possible to produce financing for
research and help existing ALS patients (Boko 2014; Marrero 2014).
3. Target Public
An intended interest group could be anybody with a smartphone and a social network
account. Indeed, even children who do not own online network accounts can partake, which
is colossal on the grounds that an expansive bit of the Facebook client statistic is usual to
sharing pictures and recordings of everything their children ever do. Besides, the free entry
and minimal embarrassment element also contribute to an easy decision for the vast
majority (Frankel 2014; Brown 2014).

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4. Key Message
The key message of the Challenge is to allow people to experience the feeling of paralysis,
similar to what ALS patients have to endure. It also focuses on the fact that funding for R&D
to find cure is urgently needed, together with patient, community services, as well as
professionals (Johnson 2017).
5. Tactics
Advertising and promotion media:
● Direct connection between the Challenge and the disease, and encouragement of
donations.
● Incorporation of the wide use of online and social media channels: YouTube,
Facebook, Twitter, ALSA website.
● Creation of big influence by inviting celebrities to take the Challenge.
● Encouraging the message to be spread across social networks and by word-of-
mouth.

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6. Evaluation of the Campaign
Figure 2. Adapted from Petersen 2014, Townsend 2014, Perez 2014, Smith 2016 & Johnson 2017.
Last but not least, the involvement of several celebrities was also considered among the key
influencers of this phenomenon.

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Figure 3. Bill Gates’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Figure 4. Donatella Versace’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

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Figure 5. Benedict Cumberbatch’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
C. Literature
1. Theory of Relationship
The final goals of the utilization of the two-way asymmetrical model of Public relations are
alterations in knowledge and behaviours of the objective public (Ledingham 2003;
EthicsinPR n.d). In this case, the Challenge’s creators adopted it to spread the message of
fighting ALS towards the public, along with using the hashtag #ALSIceBucketChallenge or
#StrikeOutALS. People, in the name of doing good, had more excuses to post videos of
themselves. As the competitive spirit was high, they tended to make their videos more
amusing and outrageous.

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2. Theory of Persuasion
Figure 6. Theory of social exchange in the Ice Bucket Challenge.
D. Media Relations
1. Media Channels
This case reflects a typical situation when innovation beats budget. Without spending any
cash on conventional channels, the creators, together with the ALSA, utilized the
development of technology to build an innovative campaign that reached millions of people
as well as their responses.

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a. Social Media
Figure 7. Percentage of US population who currently use social media, 2008-2017. Reproduced from
Statista n.d (1).
Figure 8 illustrates the fast increasing percentage of people in the US who use social media,
with the 2014 number was 67%. This substantially benefits the Challenge’s creators in terms
of promoting their campaign with very low cost yet maintaining the effectiveness. Twitter,
Facebook, and YouTube are the three social networks that were used the most during the
campaign’s duration.
Figure 8. Penetration of social network in the US in 2016. Reproduced from Statista n.d (2).

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b. Website:petefrates.com& alsa.org
Figure 9. Website: petefrates.com
Figure 10. Website: alsa.org
Both Pete Frates’s and the ALSA’s website serve as the communication hub and the donate
portal for the campaign. Concerning differences, Frates’s site includes the information on the
Boston Marathon, which was annually held on the Patriot’s Day, other events related to the
fight against ALS, and a portal leading to the charity shop selling clothes with the slogan

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“StrikeOutALS”. On ALSA’s site, it presents the research progress of ALS treatments and
information on the local ALS subsidiary where the site visitor resides.
2. Evaluation of a News Story
https://qz.com/743231/the-ice-bucket-challenge-worked-theres-been-a-breakthrough-in-als-
research/
This is a news article addressing one among several achievements resulting from the Ice
Bucket Challenge. The title of it directly states the breakthrough in ALS research due to the
funds it received from the Challenge. It firstly recalled the origin of the online phenomenon in
2014, and then indicates the causes of ALS being unknown, yet relating to genes. NEK1 is
subsequently revealed as the culprit, since it maintains the neuron structure and energy flow;
and it also functions in DNA repair. Scientists claimed that the study on NEK1 mutations that
prevented the operation of the gene had been completed, making NEK1 one among
common factors causing the disease, and fixing it can be critical for possible treatment. It
lastly addresses the importance of funds for the understanding of serious diseases.
E. Conclusion
From the case study on the Ice Bucket Challenge and its success, lessons to be learned
include:
● Social personalities: people, in the name of charity, are encouraged to make
donations and accept the Challenge. It incorporates good causes into their actions,
and thus generates positive reaction towards the campaign.
● Education: people are educated about ALS. It is vital to include these information in
the promotion campaign.

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References
1. ALS Association (ALSA) n.d, ‘About ALS’, viewed 26 April 2017,
<http://www.alsa.org/about-als/>.
2. Boko, G 2014, ‘6 Viral-Marketing Lessons to Learn From the Ice Bucket Challenge’,
27 August, Entrepreneur, viewed 26 April 2017,
<https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/236843>.
3. Brown, N 2014, ‘8 Game-Changing Marketing Lessons From The ALS ‘Ice Bucket
Challenge’, 21 August, SocialMediaWeek, viewed 26 April 2017,
<https://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2014/08/8-game-changing-marketing-lessons-als-
ice-bucket-challenge/>.
4. Ethics in Public Relations n.d, ‘The Two-Way Symmetrical Model of Public Relations’,
viewed 27 April 2017, <https://ethicsinpr.wikispaces.com/Two-
way+symmetrical+communication>.
5. Frankel, D.A 2014, ‘8 Game-Changing Marketing Lessons From the ALS Ice Bucket
Challenge', 13 August, Inc, viewed 26 April 2017, <https://www.inc.com/david-a-
frankel/8-game-changing-marketing-lessons-from-the-als-ice-bucket-challenge-
.html>.
6. Johnson, V.G 2017, ‘ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (Campaign Deconstruction)’, 16
March, Slideshare, viewed 26 April 2017,
<https://www.slideshare.net/VictoriaGabrielleJoh/als-ice-bucket-challenge-campaign-
deconstruction-73221112>.
7. Klahre, J 2014, ‘The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: A PR Success Story for Nonprofits’,
9 September, RLF Communications, viewed 26 April 2017,
<http://rlfcommunications.com/2014/09/09/the-als-ice-bucket-challenge-a-pr-success-
story-for-nonprofits/>.
8. Ledingham, J.A 2003, Explicating Relationship Management as a General Theory of
Public Relations, Journal of Public Relations Research, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 181-198.
9. Marrero, M 2014, ‘ALS – The Principal Objective of the Ice Bucket Challenge’, 29
August, AskDrMarisela.com, viewed 26 April 2017,
<http://www.askdrmarisela.com/als-the-principal-objective-of-the-ice-bucket-
challenge/>.

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10. Ogunshote, K 2014, ‘PR, Social Media and the Ice Bucket Challenge’,18 August,
Linkedin, viewed 27 April 2017, <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140818180123-
17592989-pr-social-media-and-the-ice-bucket-challenge>.
11. Perez, S 2014, ‘The Ice Bucket Challenge, By The Numbers’, 3 September,
TechCrunch, viewed 27 April 2017, <https://techcrunch.com/2014/09/03/the-ice-
bucket-challenge-by-the-numbers/>.
12. Petersen, R 2014, ‘16 social media metrics for ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to watch’,
31 August, Barn Raisers, viewed 27 April 2017,
<http://barnraisersllc.com/2014/08/social-media-metrics-als-ice-bucket-challenge-
watch/>.
13. Pollard, C 2016, ‘How to Develop a Successful PR Strategy’, 30 November,
Huffington Post, viewed 26 April 2017, <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/catriona-
pollard/how-to-develop-a-successf_b_13035024.html>.
14. Seymour, L 2015, ‘PR Strategy: 7 Steps to a Successful PR Campaign’, 24 August,
Bulldog Reporter, viewed 26 April 2017, <https://www.bulldogreporter.com/pr-
strategy-7-steps-to-a-successful-pr-campaign/>.
15. Sifferlin, A 2014, ‘Here's How the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Actually Started’, 18
August, Time, viewed 26 April 2017, <http://time.com/3136507/als-ice-bucket-
challenge-started/>.
16. Smith, C 2016, ‘By The Numbers: Amazing ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Statistics’, 27
July, DMR, viewed 27 April 2017, <http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/als-ice-
bucket-challenge-statistics/>.
17. Statista n.d (1), Percentage of U.S. population who currently use any social media
from 2008 to 2017, The Statistics Portal, viewed 27 April 2017,
<https://www.statista.com/statistics/273476/percentage-of-us-population-with-a-
social-network-profile/>.
18. Statista n.d (2), Penetration of leading social networks in the United States as of 4th
quarter 2016, The Statistics Portal, viewed 27 April 2017,
<https://www.statista.com/statistics/284508/united-states-social-network-
penetration/>.
19. Townsend, L 2014, ‘How much has the ice bucket challenge achieved?’, 2
September, BBC News, viewed 27 April 2017, <http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-
29013707>.