Strategic public relations management : planning and managing effective communication programs / Erica Weintraub Austin and Bruce E. Pinkleton.

By: Austin, Erica Weintraub .

Contributor(s): Pinkleton, Bruce E .

Material type: materialTypeLabel

BookSeries: LEA'S communication seriesedited by Jennings Bryant and Dolf Zillmann.Publisher: Mahwah, N.J. ; London : Lawrence Erlbaum, 2001Description: xiv, 399 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.ISBN: 0805831592; 0805831606.Subject(s): Public relations -- Management

DDC classification: 659.2

Contents:

The need for strategic public relations management -- I. A framework for planning -- Where the strategic manager begins: Taking stock -- Elements of the campaign recipe -- Determining research needs: Developing the research plan -- II. Gathering useful data for strategic guidance -- Research decisions and data collection -- Making research decisions: Informal research methods -- Making research decisions: The focus group -- Making research decisions: Formal research methods -- Making research decisions: Survey research -- Making research decisions: Sampling -- Making research decisions: Questionnaire design -- Collecting, analyzing and reporting quantitative data -- III. Using theory for practical guidance -- What theory is and why it is useful -- Theories for creating effective message strategies -- Practical applications of theory for strategic planning -- IV. The successful pitch and follow-through -- The campaign plan.

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Call number	Copy number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
General Lending	MTU Bishopstown Library Lending	659.2 (Browse shelf(Opens below))	1	Available		00086182

Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This volume helps readers move from a tactical public relations approach to a strategic management style based on skillful use of research and planning techniques. Combining the key components of effective management and campaign design, the authors introduce students and practitioners to the tools needed for developing and presenting comprehensive, effective, and accountable plans. Employing clear, straightforward language, they cover techniques for planning and research, as well as the effective application of communication theory. Key features of the volume include the synthesis of knowledge in public relations and communication, covering the critical areas needed for a strategic approach to public relations, and ample real-world examples, providing concrete applications of principles and theories.

With its practical and accessible approach, Strategic Public Relations Management will serve well as a text for public relations management and communication campaigns courses, and is essential as a reference for professional practice.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 379-386) and indexes.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

Preface (p. xiii)
1 The Need for Strategic Public Relations Management (p. 1)
Surviving Amid Fierce Competition (p. 1)
Strategic Versus Tactical Decision Making (p. 3)
The Often Misunderstood Role of Public Relations (p. 4)
Using Research to Enhance the Credibility of Public Relations (p. 6)
Organization of the Book (p. 7)
I. A Framework for Planning
2 Where the Strategic Manager Begins: Taking Stock (p. 11)
Management by Objectives (p. 12)
The Accountable Manager (p. 13)
The Mission Statement (p. 15)
The Problem Statement (p. 17)
The Situation Analysis (p. 22)
Sources of Information (p. 23)
Final Thoughts (p. 26)
3 Elements of the Campaign Recipe (p. 27)
Goals (p. 27)
Objectives (p. 30)
Strategies (p. 36)
Tactics (p. 38)
The Strategic Planning Ladder (p. 38)
Initiating the Planning Process (p. 40)
Final Thoughts (p. 43)
4 Determining Research Needs: Developing the Research Plan (p. 45)
The Role of Research (p. 45)
The Benefits of Research (p. 46)
Specific Research Functions (p. 49)
Elements of a Research Plan (p. 49)
Determining Research Needs (p. 51)
Determining and Understanding Target Publics (p. 52)
Determining Program Outcomes (p. 54)
Testing Communication Channels (p. 54)
Testing Messages (p. 58)
Testing Information Sources (p. 59)
Developing Research Strategies (p. 59)
Developing Realistic Research Proposals (p. 63)
Final Thoughts (p. 64)
II. Gathering Useful Data For Strategic Guidance
5 Research Decisions and Data Collection (p. 71)
Applications of Research (p. 73)
Before Starting the Research Process (p. 75)
Approaches to Public Relations Research (p. 78)
Informal Research Concerns (p. 81)
Research Issues to Consider (p. 84)
Steps to Research Project Design (p. 87)
Final Thoughts (p. 90)
6 Making Research Decisions: Informal Research Methods (p. 91)
Personal Contacts (p. 93)
Professional Contacts, Experts, and Opinion Leaders (p. 93)
Advisory Committees or Boards (p. 94)
Field Reports (p. 95)
Community Forums/Group Meetings (p. 96)
Telephone Calls, Mail, and Electronic Mail (p. 96)
Library and Internet Research (p. 98)
Clip Files and Media Tracking (p. 102)
In-Depth Interviews (p. 107)
Q Methodology (p. 110)
Final Thoughts (p. 112)
7 Making Research Decisions: The Focus Group (p. 113)
Characteristics of Focus Groups (p. 114)
Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups (p. 115)
Selecting and Recruiting Participants (p. 117)
Focus Group Settings (p. 119)
Staffing (p. 120)
Characteristics of the Moderator (p. 120)
Dealing With Difficult Group Members (p. 121)
Protocol Design (p. 122)
Message and Idea Testing (p. 124)
Running the Group (p. 127)
Analyzing Results (p. 128)
Final Thoughts (p. 129)
8 Making Research Decisions: Formal Research Methods (p. 130)
Characteristics of Formal, Scientific Research Methods (p. 131)
Survey Research Overview (p. 135)
Experiments (p. 143)
Content Analysis (p. 153)
Final Thoughts (p. 159)
9 Making Research Decisions: Survey Research (p. 160)
Mail Surveys (p. 163)
Telephone Surveys (p. 169)
Personal Interviews (p. 176)
Final Thoughts (p. 183)
10 Making Research Decisions: Sampling (p. 184)
Sampling Basics (p. 185)
Generalizing From a Sample to a Population (p. 186)
Sampling Methods (p. 188)
Nonprobability Sampling Methods (p. 189)
Probability Sampling Methods (p. 192)
How Big Should a Sample Be? (p. 198)
Calculating the Appropriate Sample Size (p. 200)
Sample Size Calculations (p. 206)
Error Calculations (p. 208)
Issues and Assumptions (p. 210)
Final Thoughts (p. 212)
11 Making Research Decisions: Questionnaire Design (p. 213)
Understanding Reliability and Validity (p. 214)
Levels of Measurement and Why They Matter (p. 219)
Types of Questions and the Information Each Provides (p. 222)
Ensuring Clarity and Avoiding Bias (p. 228)
Questionnaire Layout and Design (p. 231)
Handling "Don't Know" Responses (p. 235)
Design Features That Affect Response Rate (p. 237)
Final Thoughts (p. 243)
12 Collecting, Analyzing, and Reporting Quantitative Data (p. 246)
Designing Surveys for Easy Data Entry (p. 246)
Training Interviewers (p. 253)
Call Sheets (p. 254)
Timing of Telephone Surveys (p. 256)
Reporting Response Rates (p. 256)
Reporting Univariate Relationships (p. 259)
Reporting Relationships Among Variables (p. 260)
Final Thoughts (p. 262)
III. Using Theory for Practical Guidance
13 What Theory Is and Why It is Useful (p. 267)
What Is a Theory? (p. 268)
Finding a Good Theory (p. 268)
A Theoretical Framework for "Symmetrical" Public Relations (p. 270)
A Theoretical Framework for "Asymmetrical" Campaigns (p. 280)
Final Thoughts (p. 289)
14 Theories for Creating Effective Message Strategies (p. 290)
Mendelsohn's Three Assumptions for Success (p. 290)
How People Respond to Messages (McGuire's Hierarchy of Effects or "Domino" Model) (p. 292)
Why People Respond To Messages--Finding the Right Motivating Strategy (p. 303)
Other Theories That Explain Special Situations (p. 316)
Final Thoughts (p. 317)
15 Practical Applications of Theory for Strategic Planning (p. 318)
About Sources (p. 318)
About Messages (p. 320)
About Channels (p. 322)
Which Channels Are Best (p. 325)
Media Advocacy (Guerilla Media) (p. 327)
Making Media Advocacy Work (p. 329)
Final Thoughts (p. 334)
IV. The Successful Pitch and Follow-Through
16 The Campaign Plan (p. 339)
Introductory Material (p. 342)
Executive Summary (p. 343)
Situation Analysis and Research Needs (p. 344)
Research Goals (p. 344)
Research Objectives (p. 345)
Research Hypotheses (p. 345)
Research Strategies (p. 345)
Results (With Minimal Interpretation) (p. 346)
Revised Situation Analysis (p. 347)
Proposed Public Relations Plan (p. 347)
Conclusion (p. 347)
References and Appendixes (p. 348)
The Successful Writer's Mind Set (p. 348)
Oral Presentations (p. 350)
Final Thoughts (p. 352)
Appendixes
Code of Professional Standards for the Practice of Public Relations (p. 354)
AAPOR Code of Professional Ethics and Practices (p. 363)
Guidelines and Standards for Measuring and Evaluating PR Effectiveness (p. 366)
References (p. 379)
Author Index (p. 387)
Subject Index (p. 391)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

The authors' premise is that public relations professionals often lack organizational credibility because they cannot demonstrate measurable results of their work. In response, this book is intended to be a tool kit for communication managers in just about any type of organization: large or small, business, nonprofit, educational, political, or arts. It is heavily weighted toward "research-based planning" that enables practitioners to "provide evidence supporting the need for communication programs, reasons why proposed strategies will work, and evidence ... that the program has indeed worked." The goal is admirable, but the result will be overwhelming for many practitioners, particularly in small organizations. Current examples and an appendix titled "Guidelines and Standards for Measuring and Evaluating PR Effectiveness" testify to the authors' intent to make the book relevant to practitioners, but more than 200 pages are devoted to research methodology and theoretical models. This material is useful primarily to public relations scholars who may well serve as consultants to practitioners trying to develop effectiveness measures for their efforts. This volume is an ambitious but not entirely successful attempt to legitimize a discipline and also offer practical working tools. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections only. M. S. Myers Carnegie-Mellon University