PUTTING YOUR PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN

BACK ON TRACK

AGENDA

• Introductions

•What is Public Relations?

• The Public Relations Plan

• Case Studies

•Q & A, open dialogue

•More info...

INTRODUCTIONS

WHO AM I?

Name & Occupation: Sandra GabrielChief Relationship OfficerGabriel Press & Relationships (Gabriel PR)

Experience: Almost 7 years in PR & Communications

Education: Ryerson University - Public Relations DiplomaRoyal Roads University - Applied Communications Degree

WHO ARE YOU?Name?

Business/What do you do?

YOUR PUBLIC RELATIONS

YOUR PUBLIC MAP

PUBLIC PERSONAS

RELATIONSHIP MEASUREMENT PROCESS

WHAT IS PUBLIC RELATIONS?

PUBLIC RELATIONS THEN...

PUBLIC RELATIONS NOW...

PUBLIC RELATIONS THEN AND NOW

• Keyword: Propaganda

• Viral

•Manual

• Focus on media coverage

• Focus on sales

• Fulfilling desires

• Keyword: Relationships

• Systematic

• Automated

• Focus on reputation

• Focus on loyalty

• Fulfilling needs

PUBLIC RELATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS

• Public relations is long-term

• Public relations measures outcomes (behaviour, opinion, attitude)

• Communications is short-term

• Communications measures outputs (brochures distributed, social media metrics, web analytics)

PUBLIC RELATIONS IS...

the process of developing long-term mutually beneficial relationships with YOUR public, through ongoing measurement, management and evaluation of your communications.

PUBLIC RELATIONS IS...

• Long-term

• Relationships (mutually beneficial)

• Listening

• Two-Way communication

• Proactive

PUBLIC RELATIONS TOOLS• Media & blogger relations

• Social media relations

• Client/customer relations

• Issues & Risk management

• Internal communications

• Employee relations

• Local/community relations

• Partner/sponsor relations

• Supplier/vendor relations

• Crisis communications

• Investor relations

• Corporate Social Responsibility

• Industry relations

• Public affairs

COMMUNICATIONS IS...

Develop Message

Transmit Message

Message Received

Message Interpreted

Feedbackan ongoing process

THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN

PR PLAN OVERVIEW

• Research & Analysis

• Communication

• Evaluation

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

• Research problem

• Research design

• Research strategy

• Generate data

• Analyze data

• Produce report

RESEARCH METHODS

• Survey

• Focus groups

• Experimental

• Textual

COMMUNICATION

• S.M.A.R.T. objectives

• Key messages

• Strategy & Tactics

• Evaluation plan

COMMUNICATION TOOLS

• Policies

•News and media releases

•Newsletters

• Blogs/Vlogs

• Podcasts

EDITORIAL PLAN

Who What Where When Why How

Clients product/product features/free trial

OnlineTV May To increase sales by

10% by Dec.

VideoNews releaseAdvertising

Media product/product features/relevance Online June To improve media

relationships

EmailMedia release

blog

Employees product/product features/policy Online July

To improve employee

relationships

IntranetVideoBlog

Sponsors product/benefits to sponsor Print August To increase sponsor

support by 25%Mailed letter

Email

Social Media Groups product/free trial Online September To increase fans and followers by 50%

facebook, twitter & blog posts

Industry product/product features/relevance

PrintOnline

TVOctober To gain industry

support

blog postsdirect mailAdvertising

EVALUATION

•Must be planned and analyzed

•Web analytics

•Media monitoring report

• Social media monitoring report

CASE STUDIES

CASUAL MALE RETAIL GROUPOverview

•Casual Male Corporation facing bankruptcy in 2002•Sold most of their assets to Designs, Inc.•Designs, Inc. became Casual Male Retail Group

Objectives•To introduce the new company and build a strong brand that would position the retailer as the provider of clothing for the increasing number of big and tall men.

•To re-introduce itself to Wall Street, showcase Casual Male as a star in an otherwise dim retail sector and claim ownership of the emerging big and tall space

Tactics•Develop core messages for media interviews•Arrange a series of meetings for senior Casual Male executives with key retail industry reporters to forge relationships and lay the foundation for future coverage•Use George Foreman and his new clothing line to create feature stories for print and broadcast coverage•Actively promote significant corporate announcements to generate a steady stream of positive news•Generate regional and national media coverage

Results•Casual Male brand won recognition as the leader in its space•Stock prices soared 65% over the next four months•Same-store sales increased 7% in the first half of the fiscal year•A profile story in the Miami Herald fuelled a one-day 60% sales boost•Today, Casual Male is twenty times larger than its closest competitor

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURYOverview•The government issues 150 million paper checks to 20% of those who receive Social Security at a cost of $120 million in printing and postage•Most of those who still receive checks comprise a diverse, diffuse audience of hard-to-reach or difficult-to-persuade individuals•Campaign goal was to execute an integrated direct deposit campaign: Go Direct, to dramatically reduce the number of checks issued

Research•Major study was commissioned of check recipients’ attitudes toward direct deposit.•Study showed that awareness of direct deposit option was already high and raising awareness alone would not change behaviour•The research fed the Go Direct integrated approach to reached recipients where they live, work and socialize•Second phase of research conducted to test key messages•Research included quantitative phone surveys and qualitative focus groups in english and spanish

Tactics•Grassroots outreach•Turnkey materials•Media relations•Advertising•Toll-free numbers•Direct mail•Websites

Results•600,000 converted to direct deposit through Go Direct call center (does not include converts through financial institutions)•Print and broadcast media placements secured in high-profile media outlets to an audience of 250 million•A 450-partnership network including 30 of the largest financial institutions, hundreds of smaller banks and credit unions, national organizations for seniors and the IRS•18 million hits on the Go Direct website•1.8 million brochures distributed, 28,000 posters, 44,000 table tents and 42,000 Go Direct buttons

SUMMARY• Stop selling

• Start listening

• Start talking

• Consider all audiences

• Consider all communication tools

• Lose control

• Give the people what THEY want

QUESTIONS & ANSWERSPR experience, issues, etc.?

CONTACT ME

• Email: sandra@gabrielpr.ca

• Tel: 416-907-2560

• Twitter : @cafegabriel

THANK YOU!