Time goes by so fast. We are already at the end of the semester. I feel like I've learned so much but I still have room left to grow. I enjoyed this module and am greatful that I had two tutors to help me grasp concepts of the issues in Public Relations and Public Communications. Although this module did not require us to work in groups as much as it did last semester, I feel that through working with classmates during class exercises helped to me to gain insight into how public relations is practiced in other countries. I learned so many lessons personally and professionally through interacting with my classmates, so thank you all.
Hope you all enjoy my reflective learning log!
Monday, 7 April 2008
Back in Time: Crisis Management (for Jan 23)
I missed this class. However, I have read a few books and articles on Crisis Management. I remember some situations that happened in America which were the center of controversy. Since I love hamburgers, one crisis that stuck out in my mind in America was with the National Cattleman's Beef Association Crisis in 2003.
The Situation
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that a cow tested positive for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Washington State on December 23, 2003. Cows infected by BSE are too sick to walk and falling down is a key symptom of mad cow disease. Although "many cows were experiencing these symptoms, meat from hundreds of thousands of lame cows were being packed up and sent to supermarkets every year.”[1]
The Response
On Tuesday, December 2003, when the crisis broke, the NCBA Chief Executive Officer Terry Stokes immediately called emergency meeting of staff in the Denver and Washington, D.C., offices and with NCBA officers to activate the industry’s BSE response plan. According to plan, Washington, D.C., staff immediately contacted officials in the USDA secretary’s office, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Food and Drug Administration. NCBA staff updated pre-prepared talking points, advisories and activated a special Web site located at www.bseinfo.org that contains volumes of credible scientific information on BSE.[2] NCBA also followed up with other communications techniques such as a press conference and a follow-up to all key affliates in the Beef industry.
Theories
In the NCBA crisis, there were two theories at work. The first of which is the Image Repair Theory. The theory states that the organization must first determine what is posing a threat to their image and then decide how and which publics need to be addressed in order to gain or maintain a positive light. [3] The beef industry had the unfortunate task of recovering themselves from what could have been the demise of an industry. Whenever there is some sort of outbreak of disease, people begin to question practices and safety of a company and whether they are doing or have been doing everything in their power to keep the consumer safe. With this crisis, the NCBA took the chance to reassure people that their meat was in fact safe and that the industry could adapt and change to make sure that the meat supply remained reliable.
The Situation
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that a cow tested positive for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Washington State on December 23, 2003. Cows infected by BSE are too sick to walk and falling down is a key symptom of mad cow disease. Although "many cows were experiencing these symptoms, meat from hundreds of thousands of lame cows were being packed up and sent to supermarkets every year.”[1]
The Response
On Tuesday, December 2003, when the crisis broke, the NCBA Chief Executive Officer Terry Stokes immediately called emergency meeting of staff in the Denver and Washington, D.C., offices and with NCBA officers to activate the industry’s BSE response plan. According to plan, Washington, D.C., staff immediately contacted officials in the USDA secretary’s office, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the Food and Drug Administration. NCBA staff updated pre-prepared talking points, advisories and activated a special Web site located at www.bseinfo.org that contains volumes of credible scientific information on BSE.[2] NCBA also followed up with other communications techniques such as a press conference and a follow-up to all key affliates in the Beef industry.
Theories
In the NCBA crisis, there were two theories at work. The first of which is the Image Repair Theory. The theory states that the organization must first determine what is posing a threat to their image and then decide how and which publics need to be addressed in order to gain or maintain a positive light. [3] The beef industry had the unfortunate task of recovering themselves from what could have been the demise of an industry. Whenever there is some sort of outbreak of disease, people begin to question practices and safety of a company and whether they are doing or have been doing everything in their power to keep the consumer safe. With this crisis, the NCBA took the chance to reassure people that their meat was in fact safe and that the industry could adapt and change to make sure that the meat supply remained reliable.
The second theory was the situational crisis communication theory. The theory proposes two steps for evaluating crises and making the adequate response. First the crisis type must be identified, and then the performance history and crisis severity needs to be determined. In this case, we see that the crisis type could be easily identified as a public health concern. This matter could not be over looked because it had such potentially wide-spreading impact. Once the organization identified the issue, they were able to determine that it is a serious crisis and that it must be addressed with reassuring scientific data and messages. This theory also identifies the performance history of the organization. The NCBA had a history of preparation because of previous outbreaks of disease in beef industries around the world. This theory if utilized properly can show an organization just how to respond to various levels of crises based on where they have been and how they have dealt with and planned for them before.
Sources:
1. Arlene Weintraub and Janet Ginsburg. “A Bum Steer on Mad Cow Disease.” Academic Search Premier Issue 3865 (January 2004)
2. National Cattlemen's Beef Association (2004) Business Bulleting Archive: NCBA and its State Partners Respond to Crisis. Web Address: www.beefusa.org/NEWSNCBAandisstatepartnersrespondtocrisis3314.aspx. Date Visited: March 26,2008.
3. Kathleen Fearn-Banks, Crisis Communication (Mahwah, NJ: 2007), pg. 52.
Wednesday March 26th: New Media
Today's class focused on how New Media has changed the scope of the PR world. In traditional media, PR practitioners relied heavily on journalists to place news stories. The newspaper was one of the most important and effective ways to get messages across to the public. However, since the internet has become such an important facets in the people's everyday lives, New Media has challenged how messages are communicated to the public.
In class we learned that New Media has challenge the way PR places stories and created a more dynamic relationship with audiences. Because new media is fast, feeback from the public is quicker, stories can be quickly communicated to the public, and individuals such as bloggers are becoming third party endorsements.
Some of our classmates who are taking the New Media module did a presentation on current topic in New Media, which included Second Life, Viral Marketing, and Search Engine Optimized. I am still unsure as to how Second Life is relevant in public relations. The way it has been presented it seems that it is purely for entertainment purposes, but I'm sure it serves some kind of purpose; I just don't know what purpose. Viral Marketing on the other hand, is extremely important in today's consumer culture. Viral Marketing is network-enhanced word of mouth. Millions of people, especially the younger generation, use viral marketing. We use viral marketing when sending text messages, reading e-books, posting you-tube videos on facebook, or sending video clips through e-mail. The great thing about viral marketing is that messages can be sent to millions of people worldwide. However, a disadvantage is that i can hardly be controlled. The messenger cannot control how many people will view the message or the length of the time period in which it will be viewed. Search Engine Optimized helps companies PR practitioners reach their target audience over as many channels as possible. PR practitioners can program a search engine to make their clients product/message/company/press releases on the top of the list through programming key words into the engine.
This class has motivated me to read more books about New Media because the topic is very important in todays PR industry.
In class we learned that New Media has challenge the way PR places stories and created a more dynamic relationship with audiences. Because new media is fast, feeback from the public is quicker, stories can be quickly communicated to the public, and individuals such as bloggers are becoming third party endorsements.
Some of our classmates who are taking the New Media module did a presentation on current topic in New Media, which included Second Life, Viral Marketing, and Search Engine Optimized. I am still unsure as to how Second Life is relevant in public relations. The way it has been presented it seems that it is purely for entertainment purposes, but I'm sure it serves some kind of purpose; I just don't know what purpose. Viral Marketing on the other hand, is extremely important in today's consumer culture. Viral Marketing is network-enhanced word of mouth. Millions of people, especially the younger generation, use viral marketing. We use viral marketing when sending text messages, reading e-books, posting you-tube videos on facebook, or sending video clips through e-mail. The great thing about viral marketing is that messages can be sent to millions of people worldwide. However, a disadvantage is that i can hardly be controlled. The messenger cannot control how many people will view the message or the length of the time period in which it will be viewed. Search Engine Optimized helps companies PR practitioners reach their target audience over as many channels as possible. PR practitioners can program a search engine to make their clients product/message/company/press releases on the top of the list through programming key words into the engine.
This class has motivated me to read more books about New Media because the topic is very important in todays PR industry.
Wednesday March 19th: Dissertation Groups
In class we had dissertation discussion groups, which was really helpful in understanding the types of topics that interest students in the public relations field. However, while we have had numerous dissertation group discussions, I still feel like I am learning about everyone else's dissertation topic instead of understanding my own question. Fact of the matter is, although Ihave had time to think about my dissertation topic, I am having trouble narrowing down my question.
I would like to research public communications and public relations techniques used by the American Cancer Society to reach out to either Black or Hispanic populations in the United States. In the U.S., black and hispanic populations are dying of cancer due to the of lack of awareness and opportunity for cancer treatment. I know that both groups can be difficult to reach. Therefore, I would like to get a better understanding of how the American Cancer Society is using public relations to tackle this issue.
I would like to research public communications and public relations techniques used by the American Cancer Society to reach out to either Black or Hispanic populations in the United States. In the U.S., black and hispanic populations are dying of cancer due to the of lack of awareness and opportunity for cancer treatment. I know that both groups can be difficult to reach. Therefore, I would like to get a better understanding of how the American Cancer Society is using public relations to tackle this issue.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
Wednesday, March 12th: Good Business-The Rise of CSR
Corporate Social Responsibility seems to be the key word for this semester. It seems as though all we talk about is Corporate Social Responsbility to the point where I do not want to hear the word again. But for the purposes of this blog, I must talk about it...AGAIN!
Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee, authors of Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause, define Corporate Social Responsibility as “a commitment to improve community well-being through discretionary business practices and contributions of corporate resources.”[1] This definition implies that companies will make a continuous effort to improve community conditions and make socially responsible activities one of their priorities by contributing to society in whatever capacity it seems fit. In both our PR issues class and Corporate Communications class, we have learned that there is a triple bottom line in Corporate Social Responsibility: the intiatives set forth by CSR will most likely include social, environmental, and economic impacts. However, various companies have created their own definitions and practices of CSR, which coincides with their business objectives.
Mr. Adam Garfunkel, a representative from Adiddas, spoke to our class today about the importance and functions of CSR. He highlighted the fact that CSR should be a continued commitment to creating wealth and improving the quality of life for the community in which the company operates; this community includes employees, shareholders, the local community, and possibly even the international community.
One of the most popular facets of CSR currently is the environental intiatives. Globalization and the state of the planet has caused many corporations to start initiatives which they believe will help save the planet. One example is the case of Marks & Spencers. The company has launched its "Plan A" intiative, which they believe is a way for them to behave responsible. The plan involves promoting health, recycling, and ethical and fair trade. Mr. Garfunkel explained to the class that M&S has been effective in getting their message across to the public because its advertising incorporates its ideals of ethics and responsibility. Their advertising for fair trade cottong shirts uses the same models and scenerios and the rest of their other ads. This shows the public that being responsible is not and "off-shoot" from their company objectives; it's one of their core values.
[1] Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee. Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause. (John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Canada: 2005) p. 3.
Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee, authors of Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause, define Corporate Social Responsibility as “a commitment to improve community well-being through discretionary business practices and contributions of corporate resources.”[1] This definition implies that companies will make a continuous effort to improve community conditions and make socially responsible activities one of their priorities by contributing to society in whatever capacity it seems fit. In both our PR issues class and Corporate Communications class, we have learned that there is a triple bottom line in Corporate Social Responsibility: the intiatives set forth by CSR will most likely include social, environmental, and economic impacts. However, various companies have created their own definitions and practices of CSR, which coincides with their business objectives.
Mr. Adam Garfunkel, a representative from Adiddas, spoke to our class today about the importance and functions of CSR. He highlighted the fact that CSR should be a continued commitment to creating wealth and improving the quality of life for the community in which the company operates; this community includes employees, shareholders, the local community, and possibly even the international community.
One of the most popular facets of CSR currently is the environental intiatives. Globalization and the state of the planet has caused many corporations to start initiatives which they believe will help save the planet. One example is the case of Marks & Spencers. The company has launched its "Plan A" intiative, which they believe is a way for them to behave responsible. The plan involves promoting health, recycling, and ethical and fair trade. Mr. Garfunkel explained to the class that M&S has been effective in getting their message across to the public because its advertising incorporates its ideals of ethics and responsibility. Their advertising for fair trade cottong shirts uses the same models and scenerios and the rest of their other ads. This shows the public that being responsible is not and "off-shoot" from their company objectives; it's one of their core values.
[1] Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee. Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause. (John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Canada: 2005) p. 3.
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
March 5th Diversity in Public Relations
Ms. Zena Martin, founder of Acknowledge Communications, presented to the class on Diversity communications. Her consultancy business specializes in advising commercial, government, and non-governmental organisations on how to respectfully reach diverse audiences. Diversity communications is about creating external and internal communications that target specialist groups such as ethnic minorities, senior citizens, and gays and lesbians.
I enjoyed Ms. Martin's presentation, mainly because many of the campaign advertisements brought back memories of home in the United States. Ms. Martin explained that Diversity Communications has existed in the United States for atleast 30 years. There is a lot of diversity in the United States, especially in large cities. Black and Hispanic populations are the largest ethnic minorities in the United States and both are large consumers. Therefore, many of consumer campaigns will also include these minorities in advertising and promotional materials.
Most of the presentation was a contrast between diveristy communications in United States and the United Kingdom. I was highly disappointed in the lack of diversity communications in London. The sad thing about it is that it does not surprise me. I am not fully aware of the racial demographic throughout the U.K. but I do know that London is a diverse city. Many people from various racial groups have complained about the lack of resources and representation in television and print media. There are stereotypes which persists in society about ethnic minorities, older people, and homosexual people, which prevents the media from representing these individuals in campaigns, advertising, or televesion; and if they are represented, most of the time it is in a stereotypical manner.
One of the arguments in the lack of diversity in public relations is the fact that ethnic recruits are hard to find. From one perspective I can believe it because many immigrants have certain expectation of their children to get "real jobs" such as doctor, lawyer, economist, etc. Public Relations is not a real job to many people so there is pressure on students to study other occupations. However, that does not discount the fact that there are people of color who currently work in the public relations field who could be recruited to help strenghten the numbers of graduates who could possibly consider public relations. You do not need a public relations degree to work in public relations, which we explored during the class exercise.
In the class exercise, my group was assigned the task of getting more men into the PR industry. We targeted graduate males who were not studying public relatons. We wanted to recruit them into the financial, business to business, and corporate sectors. If PR directors recruited from other sectors the minority and gender gaps could possibly be filled.
Food for thought: "Minorities" have been in the United States since before the 17th Century and they are only within the last 30 years starting to be recognized in advertising, what does that say about how far the U.K. will have to go?
I enjoyed Ms. Martin's presentation, mainly because many of the campaign advertisements brought back memories of home in the United States. Ms. Martin explained that Diversity Communications has existed in the United States for atleast 30 years. There is a lot of diversity in the United States, especially in large cities. Black and Hispanic populations are the largest ethnic minorities in the United States and both are large consumers. Therefore, many of consumer campaigns will also include these minorities in advertising and promotional materials.
Most of the presentation was a contrast between diveristy communications in United States and the United Kingdom. I was highly disappointed in the lack of diversity communications in London. The sad thing about it is that it does not surprise me. I am not fully aware of the racial demographic throughout the U.K. but I do know that London is a diverse city. Many people from various racial groups have complained about the lack of resources and representation in television and print media. There are stereotypes which persists in society about ethnic minorities, older people, and homosexual people, which prevents the media from representing these individuals in campaigns, advertising, or televesion; and if they are represented, most of the time it is in a stereotypical manner.
One of the arguments in the lack of diversity in public relations is the fact that ethnic recruits are hard to find. From one perspective I can believe it because many immigrants have certain expectation of their children to get "real jobs" such as doctor, lawyer, economist, etc. Public Relations is not a real job to many people so there is pressure on students to study other occupations. However, that does not discount the fact that there are people of color who currently work in the public relations field who could be recruited to help strenghten the numbers of graduates who could possibly consider public relations. You do not need a public relations degree to work in public relations, which we explored during the class exercise.
In the class exercise, my group was assigned the task of getting more men into the PR industry. We targeted graduate males who were not studying public relatons. We wanted to recruit them into the financial, business to business, and corporate sectors. If PR directors recruited from other sectors the minority and gender gaps could possibly be filled.
Food for thought: "Minorities" have been in the United States since before the 17th Century and they are only within the last 30 years starting to be recognized in advertising, what does that say about how far the U.K. will have to go?
Check out this Video of Queen Latifah's "Queen Collection" by CoverGirl Cosmetics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTSrxa7niJM
Feb. 27th Feminisation of PR
"Women will ALWAYS work in Public Relations, but they will NEVER run it"
In class we were assigned debate teams which argued the topic above. My group presented for the motion. These are a few points we debated.
In class we were assigned debate teams which argued the topic above. My group presented for the motion. These are a few points we debated.
1. Women do not get equal play in decision-making roles which is a key attribute of higher ranking Public Relations Practitioners. Thus proving that it is less likely for women to run the PR field.
~ According to Larissa Grunig, author and Professor at the University of Maryland, women are highly skilled. However, they are hired for work in PR for such roles as writing, media relations, and special events. These are the technical roles. Women are over-represented in technicians' ranks and under-represented in management. 1
2. There are a lack of role-models in which younger female PR professionals can seek advice.
~According to the Journal of Business Communications, a primary issue in the lack of female advancement in PR is the need for female role models and mentors, networking, and educational issues in PR.2 If they are no women willing to help the future generation of female practitioners, the cycle will continue and women will NEVER run PR.
3. The Business Journal of Communication: 2/3rds of women surveyed said that stereotypes and preconceptions of women's roles and abilities were the leading barrier to advancement.
~ Although women have advanced, the progression has been slow and the glass ceiling still exists. Stereotypes of women contribute to discrimination from companies. According to a study from the Business Journal of Communications, the salary gap between genders prevent women from truly being considered equal. Also, according to Grunig, "Companies consider PR as marginal to organization function, not central like finance or marketing. They're not afraid to give women a shot at PR because the risk factor is low," says Grunig. "3 Many of these companies also have not proven that they trust women to be as effective in management. You can have a good job title such as director or manager, but the trust level is low and tasks are not as rigorous a a man's.
Sources:
1. Salon 21st: The culture of technology/The technology of culture. Article: Spin Sisters. Web Address: http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/12/cov_03feature2.html. Date Visited: 27/02/08.
2. (The Business Journal of Communications. By Peter G. Ross. The experiences of women in a public relations firm: a phenomenological explication. Web Address: www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/public -relations/644398-1.html Date Visited: 27/02/08)
3. Salon 21st: The culture of technology/The technology of culture. Article: Spin Sisters. Web Address: http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/12/cov_03feature2.html Date Visited: 27/02/08.
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