This is pdf version of presentation made to New York School Public Relations Association. It is based on "The Public Relations Practitioner's Playbook" and "The ABCs of Strategic Communication" published by AuthorHouse.

1. Public Communication
Strategies for
School Election Success
from
The Public Relations
Practitioner’s Playbook
[for the New York School PR Association]
M. Larry Litwin, APR, Fellow PRSA
© 2012
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Or…
Why We Do What We Do
And
How To Do It Better!
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2. Taken from…
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PR Is...
• “This is who we are;
• What we think about ourselves;
• What we want to do; and
• Why we deserve your support.”
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3. 5
You Talk – We Listen
Hearing vs. Listening
There is a reason why we have two ears and
one mouth – we must listen twice as
much as we speak.
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4. Public Communication
• Public communication is at the heart of our economy,
society and politics. Studios use it to promote their
films. Politicians use it to get elected. Businesses use
it to burnish their image. Advocates use it to promote
social causes.
• It is a field built on ideas and images, persuasion and
information, strategy and tactics. No policy or product
can succeed without a smart (strategic) message
targeted to the right audience in creative and
innovative ways at the ideal time using the proper
channel. The ability to communicate this way – to
communicate strategically – is what Public
Communication is all about.
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Strategic Message
Commercial Persuasion
Or
Public Relations
“The establishing of reciprocal
understanding between an individual
and a group.”
Edward Bernays
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5. Ivy Ledbetter Lee’s
Public Relations Principles
1. Tell the truth
2. Provide accurate facts
3. Give the public relations director
access to top management so that
he/she can influence decisions
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In the beginning…
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6. PR’s calling…
Campaign
A premeditated act
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7. PR Plan/Roadmap
• Goal
• Objectives
• Strategies
• Tactics
• Tools
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Superior tactics cannot
overcome a bad
(business) strategy.
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8. No Planning = No Plan =
No Hope
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Questions to answer…
…enroute to a successful campaign:
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9. Carville and Matalin
• Simple
• Relevance
• Repetition
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Phase One
• Plan the campaign
– Learn the laws
– Research
– Target audience
– Voter registration
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10. Phase Two
• Information campaign
– Community education
– Face-to-face
– Speakers bureau
– Key communicators
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Phase Three
• Endorsements
• Sophisticated publications
• Buttons
• Bumper stickers
• Canvassing
• Phone calls
• Emails
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11. Why campaigns fail
• Voters generally uninformed
• Two types of audiences –
passive/active
• Lack of optimism
• Poor GOTV effort
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Fraser Seitel says…
• “Our fundamental role in PR is to defend and
promote and enhance and sustain the
reputation of our organizations.”
• “Our job in PR is to help ensure that that
objective is achieved…through proper
performance – effectively communicated.”
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12. Managing Public Opinion
Public relations practitioners…
– Assess public opinion
– Influence public opinion
It is our responsibility to MANAGE
public opinion!
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How are Bottom Lines Achieved?
???
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13. Media Life Changer No. 1…
A powerful example of
algorithms and pixels
thanks to CBS News.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57376133/how-the-revolution-became-
digitized/?tag=contentBody;cbsCarousel
Reaching the Desired Outcome
• Attitude
• Opinion
Education > Knowledge >
Attitude > Behavioral Change >
Output = Desired Outcome
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14. PR Practitioners are…
Strategic Advisors
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ABCs of Strategic Communication
• Anticipate
• Be Prepared
• Communicate Clearly, Concisely,
Consistently, Calculatingly,
Completely (Specifically and Simply)
Open, Honest, Thorough, Valid
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15. 29
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16. 31
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17. 33
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18. 35
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19. Inline (1-2-1) Attachment
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20. 1-2-1 campaigns DO work
http://www.businessinsider.com/check-
out-this-60-million-high-school-football-
stadium-in-allen-texas-2010-4
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Public Relations is Synergy
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21. Two-Way Communication Model
Sender>>>Message>>>Receiver
^ V
^ Noise V
^ Noise V
^ Noise V
^ V
^ <<<<<<<<Feedback<<<<<<< V
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MAC Triad
M
+P+T
A C
M=Message A=Audience C=Channel
P=Purpose T=Timing
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22. MAC Triad Plus
M
+P+T
A C
M=Message A=Audience C=Channel
P=Purpose T=Timing
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MAC Triad Plus cont.
• Informization
– Disseminating information (message) to
target audience through the proper channel
at the best possible time.
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23. Cracked Egg Model
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Synergy
The whole is greater than
the sum of its parts
or
The whole works better than
any one of its parts.
[To achieve our goal, we should
achieve synergy.]
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24. Public Relations is Synergy
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Persuasion Pointers
• Know your audience
• Know what you can accomplish
• Anticipate objections/dispel them
• Establish mutual goals/a common ground
• Give options/choices
• Be clear
• Be familiar
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25. Persuasion cont.
• Use problem/solution format
• Stress rewards/benefits
• Control the tone
• Clinch your argument
• Ask for what you want
• Leave (impression) something to
remember
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Three-Step vs. Two-Step Flow
Three-Step Flow Two-Step Flow
1. Credible endorser* 1. Mass-media
2. Key communicator message carrier
3. (Targeted) publics 2. (Targeted) publics
*Source credibility
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26. Three-Step vs. Two-Step vs.
One-Step Flow
One-Step Flow – One-to-One
1. From organization directly to
(Targeted) publics
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Third Party Endorser
• Endorsement = Someone who says it.
• Testimonial = Someone who lives it.
[Know the difference]
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27. 7 C’s of Communication
• Credibility
• Context
• Content
• Clarity
• Continuity and Consistency
• Channels
• Capability
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Persuade vs. Convince
• Persuade
– Change of mind or attitude (for a short time)
– When you persuade someone, you get them to act
without convincing them
• Convince
– Change of heart and mind (long term)
– When you convince someone, you actually get
them to believe something else
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28. Questions ???
M. Larry Litwin, APR, Fellow PRSA
larry@larrylitwin.com
www.larrylitwin.com
© 2012
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