Managing Change Within the Organization

Stephen Kerr

Reasons for change

Planned change is change that is driven from the top down (Doppler and Lautterburg 35.) The change is well prepared and constructed to further the growth of the organization.
Emergent change develops from within the organization and is a result of an unexpected growth or failure (Doppler and Lautterburg 36.) Emergent change occurs when an organization is too static and not proactive in seeking out change.

Change can occur in four general areas: structural, cost-cutting, process and cultural.

1. Structural change consists of consolidations, mergers and acquisitions. Usually a direct result of financial growth (planned change.)
2. Cost-cutting change is an attempt to streamline operations through outsourcing and combining similar units. (planned or emergent change.)
3. Process change seeks to improve operations by making them easier, faster, more effective and less costly. Essential to the success and sustainability of an organization (planned change.)
4. Cultural change occurs as a result of deteriorated relationships and leadership. Tends to be in response to conflict or crisis (emergent change.)

Organizational climate and culture
Organizational climate describes the atmosphere within the organization and the extent which people work together. The organizational climate can be measured by the frequency and quality of internal communications.
Organizational culture is defined as how an organization views itself and how the employees within it feel about the organization. The organizational culture can be measured by the commitment to the organization, what the organization stands for and how the employees respond to management.

Employee Resistance

With all change comes resistance. Many employees fear change because they have become comfortable in the current system. Change can amplify deficiencies that were hidden under the old system and render employees vulnerable.

According to Gateway Information Services, a consulting firm, 70 per cent of corporate re-engineering and cultural change programs fail due to employee resistance (Reynolds.)

The four stages of change

Humans experience four distinct stages in the change process: denial, resistance, exploration and commitment (Doppler and Lauterberg 117.)

1. Denial takes form in the disbelief that changes will occur or make any difference in their day to day activities.
2. Resistance is expressed through bad mouthing management, continuing with old routines and a failure to assist change.
3. Exploration is when people need practical encouragement and support. Employees need to be involved in planning and setting goals.
4. Commitment is the time to implement an appropriate cultural change program. Recognize and reward people who respond well to change.

During the denial and resistance phases, employees dwell on the past and tend to be self-absorbed. The atmosphere of the organization suffers as tension and stress rise.

Four types of individuals involved in organizational change

1. Those individuals who thrive on change.
2. Those who are happy to provide support and willing to accept new challenges.
3. Those who perform well but are uncomfortable with change.
4. Those whose resistance to change is so strong that the company is better off without the
(Brill and Worth 77.)

Gateway Information Systems has broken down the percentage of employee responses to change within an organization. The chart indicates that 88 per cent of employees will be able to adjust under circumstances of change, while 12 per cent are unable to adjust and will be a burden to the organization (Reynolds.)

3% Innovators - Those who accept changes immediately.
9% Early adopters - Those who accept changes within the initial stages.
38% Early majority - Those who accept changes once change is underway.
38% Late majority - Those who accept changes after a lengthy adjustment period.
12% Staff that won’t get there - Those who will never be able to accept changes.

Making change possible

• Maintaining a positive organizational culture and climate is the primary responsibility of management while making change possible.
• Change requires positive leadership to keep employees focused and confident.
• Preparing the environment requires discussing the change with all employees. When people realize that the change will occur, resistance decreases.
• Show concern for both the employees and the organizational change. Managers must act as a buffer to protect their employees.
• Sharing knowledge is crucial, as information about where the organization is headed can give employees a clear idea of the organizational direction.
• Recognize the accomplishments of employees. A simple thank you can go a long way in reinforcing the belief that the organization values change.

An organization ready for change

• An organization ready for change must be agile, fluid, have great internal communications and have a plan in place for emergent change.
• Great internal communications help an organization accept and adopt change.
• Involvement of managers is imperative, as they act as role models for employees and are key players in cultural change.
• Staff must be aware of what is expected of them in regards to the change. Taking personal responsibility allows the change effort to move ahead smoothly.
• Management must strive to create a culture that accepts change and thrives on it.

Four conditions for organizational change

1. A workforce that is business literate.
2. A workforce with permission to act.
3. A workforce that will challenge the status quo.
4. Leadership that fosters a culture ready for change (Brill and Worth 134.)

• Business literate employees understand both the strategic context of business and they personal impacts they can have on critical business outcomes.
• The workforce must have permission to act with the authority and power to make day to day decisions.
• A workforce that challenges the status quo erases the typical hierarchy of ideas, where all innovative thought comes from the top down.
• Leadership that encourages a culture ready for change leads to a well prepared and confident workforce that meets change head on.

Works cited

Brill, P. and Worth, R. “The Four Levers Of Corporate Change” AMACOM
Publishing. (1997.)

Doppler, K. and Lautterburg, C. “Managing Corporate Change” Springer Publishing. (2001.)

Reynolds, L. “Understand Employees Resistance to Change” HR Focus Journal, Volume 71, Issue 6. (June 1994.)

NOTE: This is a sample letter requesting sponsorship for a fictional fundraiser. In this scenario Madison Hall is a private school for girls developing leadership skill as part its education curriculum. The school is holding a fundraiser and is requesting sponsorship from local salons in the Greater Toronto Area.

Dear:

Madison Hall in association with Hair for Kids will be holding an event for young children dealing with hair loss due to cancer. Wigs for Winners will be held on Saturday, December, 9, 2006 in the gymnasium of Madison Hall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event will provide moral support for children who are suffering from hair loss due to cancer treatments. These children are winners in the battle against cancer and we want to provide them with stylish wigs to make their situation easier to cope with.

Our organization is seeking salons in the Greater Toronto Area who are willing to volunteer their time and expertise to this cause. We need hair stylists to cut the hair of volunteers who are willing to donate their hair. Their hair will be turned into wigs that can be worn by children dealing with cancer treatments.

We are asking for your salon to provide volunteer hair stylists to cut hair that will be donated at the event. In return your salon will receive sponsorship acknowledgement on all advertising and promotional materials. Your company logo will be placed on all posters, flyers, mass e-mails, the event website and all signage at the event. In addition the Canadian Cancer Society will provide you with a gift-in-kind letter to officially acknowledge your generosity and participation.

The Hair for Kids program has been extremely successful in the past in providing wigs for children dealing with cancer. This program was created by the employees of Madison Hall and has successfully become an annual charitable event. The program welcomes your support and looks forward to working with you on this important initiative.

Your participation is most appreciated. For any additional information please visit our website at www.hairforkids.ca or contact me directly via e-mail.

Sincerely,

Lisa Ratanprasad
Sponsorship Coordinator, Madison Hall
416-920-9741
lratanprasad@madisonhall.com

Madison Hall
10 Foxx Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M5W 1L4
Canada

by Omar Ha-Redeye

A summary document, abbreviated and reformatted for the web from an original paper

Executive Summary

Communication issues in high-risk industries can be summarized as due to:

• internal resistance to safety and reputation feedback

• failing to properly participate in public debate (Roach, 2006)

The case of the 1992 Westray mines accident, one of the worst industrial disasters in Canadian history, illustrates these failures.

The result of the Westray disaster was that the company and its owners became bankrupt. Much of this can be attributed to the poor internal and external communication strategies the company employed (Richards, 1996). The framing of the incident and its predecessors was left largely to the media and the findings of judicial inquiry (O’Connell & Mills, 2003).

An approach that would have been more effective would to be forthcoming about details of the incident when they were available. Also important is to express remorse that the situation had occurred, without accepting responsibility or liability until further information is available.

This strategy could have averted the retaliatory environment created by the disaster, maintained positive relationships with the media, family members, and public, and possibly retained the economic viability of the operations.

Accidents are costly

Accidents are operational emergencies that can place a business or organization under considerable scrutiny and review. Some industries, such as mining, can be considered as high risk and should therefore anticipate that accidents are predictable and inevitable (Richcards, 1996)

Proper corporate communications can help anticipate scenarios and mitigate the permanent risk of a crisis (Ogrizek & Guillery, 1997, p. 29). The existence of technological accidents within a context of telecommunications complicates the relationships between organizations and the media, who convey and relay information to the general public, thereby necessitating adequate public relations.

The financial implications of poor crisis communication can easily result in insolvency, and as such, companies should invest resources in crisis communication plans to help create a plausible media narrative when needed.

Communication challenges

Industrial disasters are classified as tightly or loosely coupled, with linear or complex interactions. Coupling refers to the slack built into the system to respond to mistakes or changes, whereas complexity is the predictability of interconnections within the process.

(Left): The bonus system at Westray promoted overtime work, which increased risk to workers (courtesy of CBC, Dr. Gerald J.S. Wilde, and CAW)

Mining industrial crises such as Westray tend to be more linear and loosely coupled. Disasters are typically caused by straightforward operator errors and ignoring safety rules (Hynes & Prasad, 1997). Potential mitigation of an industrial disaster necessitates proper issues management through internal communications.

The role of internal communications is to provide feedback. Organizational performance is unwittingly impeded when feedback is withheld from employees (Goleman, 1998, p. 149).

Feedback provides to employees what the consequences of behaviours or actions are. An analysis of feedback is important at Westray, because it looks at the complex interactions between safety variables and various behaviours, rather than a simple cause and effect relationship (Cooke, 2003).

These internal communication failures are one of the major reasons why accidents in high-risk industries occur, and why explanations provided to the public that omit these factors are resisted.

Characterizing internal communication failures

Numerous opportunities for issues management were afforded to Westray administrators. Previous inspections had flagged crucial areas of concern in operations, and safety complaints had been filed by workers. Methanometers used to monitor levels of dangerous gas in the mines were even tampered with to avoid equipment automatically being shut down (Jobb, 1998).

These scenarios demonstrate ample opportunities for proper intervention. But rather than taking a causal relationship effect, industrial accidents of this sort should be viewed in light of the complex interactions between safety variables and various behaviours (Cooke, 2003).

Although oversight of managerial controls over safety issues should be justly criticized, the complicity of workers in circumventing protocols to facilitate an easier work shift can also be reproached, as can the inspectors who were incredibly lax in their enforcement of regulations (O’Connell & Mills, 2003 ).

Pointing fingers doesn’t work

Explaining an accident in all of its intricacies is a highly effective and more socially responsible approach to retroactive analysis.

More importantly, it avoids blaming incidents on human error due to specific individuals or groups. Scapegoating is usually not accepted by the public as a valid explanation for disasters as it appears to displace responsibility (Ogrizek & Guillery, 1997, pp. 31-32) .

The financial viability of a company after the fallout is often determined by this relationship with the public. The importance of appropriate media communications plans should therefore be clear for helping to properly inform perceptions of a disaster.

The perception of a disaster

Three specific factors determine whether an accident will eventually be perceived as a disaster by the public: the revelation of similar incidents in the field or in the same company; a provision of aid, or compensation for victims; and if events are globalized by the media, with a public interest focusing on regulation (Ogrizek & Guillery, 1997, pp. 32-33).

While the latter may be the most obvious component with a media relations theme, the other two play important roles in the sense-making process.

The public attempts to retroactively understand the incident through information provided by the media (O’Connell & Mills, 2003). The source that the media should ideally obtain this information is the company itself to be proactive instead of reactive.

The response should come quickly, because any void in information will be filled by other sources (Coombs, 1999, pp. 114-5).

(Left) Failing to provide an account immediately after the disaster largely shaped public perception of the disaster, including this reenactment. (Courtesy of “Westray: the Long Way Home,” Chris O’Neill and Ken Schwarz, 2004, Vancouver: Talon Books Ltd.)

“No comment” is a no-no

Westray completely forbade the media from asking questions relating to safety, and instead the media obtained information from other sources, including disgruntled former employees (Richards, 1996).

Lack of commentary on a central issue is perceived by the media as an admission of guilt, damages relationships and erodes trust, and invariably results in blaming mismanagement when no other explanation is offered (Coombs, 1999, pp. 115-6).

Most often this approach is employed out of fear of litigation. A more appropriate approach is to provide a rapid factual response, with a promise to provide further details as they become available (Ogrizek & Guillery, 1997, pp. 29-30). Information should be conveyed by a spokesperson to provide consistency in the message conveyed (Coombs, 1999, p. 117).

An example of the situations created when a consistent message is not provided is the Sago mine disaster in West Virginia in January, 2006. Reports were mistakenly conveyed to the surface that a dozen miners had survived an accidental cave-in.

The message was then conveyed through cellular phones to the media, the public and survivors. A self-proclaimed “nurse” even told the media she was caring for the survivors at the surface (Langfitt, 2006).

The company then had the arduous task of breaking the news to family members that only a sole survivor remained. They had failed to intervene when the rumour spread, and therefore had a much more challenging public relations scenario (Roach, 2006).

Family members of Sago miners speak out.

Why you should hire a PR agency

High-risk industries should always have pre-designated spokespersons. The purpose of a spokesperson is to provide to the media an individual who understands their needs. Advice can be sought be by a public relations firm specializing in public relations, or they can provide training for knowledgeable persons on staff.

Westray management actually went against the advice provided by Reid Management Limited, the professional public relations specialists they hired. The public relations advice they received was to properly engage the media, rather than shy away from it as legal counsel suggested.

Westray scheduled news conferences at inconvenience times that did not take publishing and broadcast schedules into consideration. They even deliberately used technical jargon that was confusing to the media and the public (Richards, 1996).

And when the media attempted to contact family members for interviews Westray officials forbade all contact. As a result, they ended up alienating both parties.

The result was a public relations disaster, which followed an industrial disaster that was tragic enough without the mismanagement of communications.

Resources

Cooke, D. L. (2003). A systems dynamics of the Westray mine disaster. System Dynamics Review 19(2):139-166.

Coombs, T W. (1999). Ongoing crisis communication. Planning, managing, responding. London: Sage Publications, Ltd.

Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. NewYork: Bantam books

Hynes, T & Prasad, P. (1997). Patterns of ‘mock bureaucracy’ in mining disasters: An analysis of the Westray coal mine explosion. Journal of Management Studies, 34 (4), 601-623.

Jobb, D. (1998). The Westray conundrum. We still don’t know why the disaster happened. Occupational Health & Safety Canada, 14(3), 24-31.

O’Connell, C J. & Mills, A. J. (2003) Making sense of bad news: The media, sensemaking, and organizational crisis. Canadian Journal of Communication 28(3):323-339.

Ogrizek, M. & Guillery, J. M. (1997). Communicating in a crisis. A theoretical and practical guide to crisis management. New York: Walter de Gruyter, Inc.

Richards, T. (1996). The Westray mine explosion: An examination of the interaction between the mine owner and the media. Canadian Journal of Communication 21(3):323-339.

By Sarah Anderson

Examples of the knowledge that may be required in the professional practice of public relations include communication arts, psychology, social psychology, sociology, political science, economics, and the principles of management and ethics.

How do we communicate? What is the best way to communicate to increase understanding? Public relations requires developing a cohesive communication strategy that is not only reactive, but proactive. So how do public relations practitioners figure out how people will react to situations, and how do they decide what is the best way to deal with situations?

Edward Bernays, PR and Psychology

Edward Bernays, a pioneer in public relations, was also the nephew of Sigmund Freud. His relationship with his uncle had a great effect on how Bernays felt public relations should operate. Bernays believed that in order to be successful, the “PR man not only needs to be smart and intuitive, he needs to understand psychology, sociology.” Bernays felt that if you understood how and why people did things, you could then change their behaviour. Integral to this philosophy was the idea that the problem be approached in a scientific manner, a scientific approach being
‘basic to any understanding of a world as complex as the one we live in.
‘ One of the most famous examples of his use of a scientific approach with psychology was also one of his most notorious.

Bernays, Lucky Strike Cigarettes and Smoking Women

In the early 1900s it was socially unacceptable for women to smoke in public. Sam Hill, owner of American Tobacco Corporation and Lucky Strike Cigarettes saw half his potential market (and profits) slipping away. The question was, how do you get women to smoke? But the question that first needed to be answered was, why don’t women smoke now? To answer that question, Bernays convinced Hill to pay for a prominent psychoanalyst to be consulted. The answer they received was that women saw cigarettes as phallic — a symbol of male oppression. Armed with this knowledge, Bernays arranged for debutantes at the Easter Parade in New York City, at a given signal, to light up their ‘torches of freedom’ in defiance of the social taboo. Bernays didn’t change the product; he changed the behaviour - based on the science of psychology. Bernays used psychology to answer the question of why, before using public relations tactics to change attitudes and, therefore, behaviour.

Hear about Bernay’s cigarette campaign in the documentary, “The Century of Self.”

John Beardsley and the Psychology of Human Preferences

John Beardsley, in an excellent article for Public Relations Strategist, discusses the psychology of human preferences based on the research of two psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky:
“There has been an outbreak of a rare disease, and 600 people are expected to die if nothing is done. You have to choose between two public-health programs to combat the disease. If you choose Program A, there is a 100 percent chance of saving 200 lives. The alternative, Program B, has a one-third chance of saving 600 lives and a two-thirds chance of saving no one. If Program C is adopted, 400 people will die. But with Program D, there is a one-third probability that no one will die and a two-thirds probability that 600 people will die.”
Most people asked to choose between A and B will choose A. In the cases of C and D, most people will pick D. Why? All four choices are mathematically equivalent, which is important to remember. A is no different from D; it presents the same chance of loss or gain. In answering the question why, the psychologists discovered that the reason people are often willing to gamble if it is to prevent a loss (A) but not when it means a gain (D), lies in how the question has been framed. If public relations practitioners has to present this program to the public, they need to first understand how the public will react to it. Since both programs are essentially the same, how do you develop a successful communications strategy? How do you know which option will be received most favourably? Framing the program for the public in such a way as to win public support for it means knowing why people would pick A over B. An understanding of psychology is basic to helping provide those kinds of answers.

To become an effective communicator, it is important to understand how people behave, react and communicate. That does not mean public relations practitioners require degrees in psychology in order to create clear and effective communication. Incorporating psychology into practice at its core means being able to understand the science and apply it to the art.

Works Cited
Anonymous. Public Relations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Relations
John Beardsley. Public Relations Strategist. Spring 2003. Vol. 9 Issue 2, p. 42
Edward Bernays. The Later Years: Public Relations Insights, 1956-86, (H&M Publishers, 1986)
Adam Curtis. The Century of the Self. http://www.infectiousvideos.com/index.php?p=showvid&sid=1117&fil=0000000056&o=0&idx=6&sb=daily&a=playvid&r=Torches_of_Freedom

by Marcella Young

The practice of public relations receives a lot of scrutiny from the public and the media. As a practice which seeks to build relationships with the public, transgressions of individuals claiming to be in the practice are also public, easily marring its reputation.

In the midst of scrutiny and in a time where the practice of public relations is seeking to re-brand itself as an honest and important component within the media, how are practitioners treating the legacy of Edward Bernays? Is Bernays recognized by current public relations writers as representing what is noble about public relations, or are his practices viewed with disapproval?

The self-proclaimed ‘Father of Public Relations’

(Left) Bernay’s book, “Propaganda,” argues that the public must be manipulated in order to overcome chaos and conflict

Edward L. Bernays believed himself to be the father of public relations. As the nephew of Sigmund Freud, he used his uncle’s theories to develop his own theories for the practice and gain some credibility within the field. His books, including Crystallizing Public Opinion, Propaganda and The Engineering of Consent, approach public relations as an applied social science, using psychology, sociology, among other disciplines to manipulate the masses.

Bernays was successful in carrying out his theories. In 1929, he worked for the tobacco industry, creating a massive and successful publicity stunt by convincing women to take up smoking as an equal rights demonstration.

What about his children?

In researching prominent and successful voices in the field of Public Relations today, it becomes evident that those who speak positively of Edward Bernays appreciate his expectations of the public relations practitioner, especially in regards to understanding the public.

Harold Burson is the founder of Burson-Marsteller, a major international public relations and public affairs firm. He was also the winner of “the most influential PR person of the 20 th century” (Seitel, 36). In his blog, he makes reference to Bernays’s expectations.

The public relations counselor described by Edward L. Bernays in his monumental Crystallizing Public Opinion, published in 1923, was a person of intellect well-versed in worldly matters and possessed of broad experience, including a sensitivity to public opinion and public attitudes (Burson).

Not only is Bernays respected for understanding trends in the public’s mind, but also in predicting such trends. Historian, Eric Goldman, wrote that Bernays had the ability to move “along with the most advanced trends in the public relations field, thinking with, around, and ahead of them.” (Seitel, 35). In the Public Relations textbook, The Practice of Public Relations, Bernays and his wife are described as “perhaps history’s greatest public relations tandem” (Seitel, 36).

Prominent current voices in Public Relations do not appear to overtly challenge Bernays as an influential and important practitioner. Indirectly, they move away from Bernays’s practices as they make statements regarding ethical standards in the field.

See commentary on Bernays from the documentary, “The Century of Self.”

Astro-turfing

Bernays, who has been referred to as the “Father of Spin”, used publicity stunts, such as the one he developed for the tobacco industry. He created what on the surface appeared to be a grassroots effort. Current public relations practitioners understand the danger and eventual ineffectiveness of such plans, and are seeking to disassociate themselves from anything resembling what is newly termed ‘astro-turfing’.

Astro-turfing “techniques usually consist of a few people discreetly posing as mass numbers of activists advocating a specific cause. Supporters or employees will manipulate the degree of interest through letters to the editor, e-mails, blog posts, crossposts, trackbacks, etc.” (The New PR).

According to prominent PR blogger, Paull Young, “astroturfing is a deceptive and deceitful practice - and while it is often blamed on Public Relations, it is really only carried out by unethical individuals who lack savvy and intelligence to persuade people with an honest argument.”

The campaign

Included in a new Anti-Astroturfing campaign website is a proposed new code of ethics for Public Relations practitioners.

• I will not fabricate a public concern by paying or coercing individuals to falsely act as concerned citizens. I will only seek to help give voice to those who already hold an existing concern and/or provide education to stakeholders that might be affected by a particular issue.
• When supporting grassroots efforts, I will ensure that I am transparent in all my actions and clearly and publicly state what actions I am taking and which organization or client I represent.
• I will never knowingly distort of falsify information to help my client/interest achieve a strategic/emotional advantage in a public debate.
• I will encourage all grassroots supporters to be open and honest in all of their communications, just as I will be open and honest in mine (Kami Huyse).

The new code of ethics does not leave room for astro-turfing. New services are also in place so that unethical behaviour is more easily detected. Google News, PR Watch and Sourcewatch are examples of services which seek out campaigns and expose them to the public.

A commitment to ethical communication

Public Relations practitioners realize that, unlike Bernays, there needs to be substance behind the appearance of ethical behaviour for an organization to be successful in the long-term. Today, “the stakes are even higher. A commitment to ethical communication isn’t just a nice idea or moral imperative. It has become a requirement” (Dilenschneider, 32). Instead of having a smokescreen in place, there needs to be substance behind the message (34).

Highly successful, Bernays’s practice of Public Relations relied heavily on selling an idea to the masses. The current message being communicated by respected and prominent public relations writers is that the PR practitioner should be seeking a long term relationship with the public, which requires honesty and substance, not sensationalism.

For a company to behave ethically, it must live and breathe its code of conduct, train its personnel and communicate its code of code “It’s our obligation to argue against short-term PR victories that go against the public interest. After all, your employer/client isn’t in it for the short term” and neither are you (Williams, 48).

A long term relationship with the public, according to current PR practitioners is, cannot be sustained through the selling of an idea or by manipulation. The public is aware of such strategies and will not forgive an organization caught in a lie.

There appears to be general consensus amongst current Public Relations writers that Edward Bernays is important to the origins of the practice of Public Relations. His writings are respected in the field and his ability to understand trends in the public and the media are important to being a successful communicator.

However, there also appears to be a genuine effort to move away from Bernays’s ethics in regards to manipulating or misleading the public. Prominent PR practitioners, such as Paull Young, understand the public’s desire for honesty in communications and their skepticism of sensationalism.

The future of PR, according to current successful PR practitioners, is in honesty and integrity. If he were still alive and practicing, perhaps Bernays, with his talent for understanding the public trends, would have to agree.

Works Cited

Bernays, Edward L. Public Relations. Norman: Oklahoma Press, 1952.

Burson, Harold. “Role of PR Counselor”. March 2006. <http://blog.e-fluentials.com/index.php?blog>

Dilenschneider, Robert L. “Do Ethical Communicators Finish First: Walking the Straight and Narrow Information Path.” Communication World. June-July. 2003: 32-36.

New PR Wiki . “Anti-Astroturfing.” 2006.<http://www.thenewpr.com/wiki/>

Seitel, Fraser. The Practice of Public Relations. 9 th ed. New Jersey: Pearson, 2004.

Williams, Dean. “Weaving Ethics into Corporate Culture: Ethics Keep Companies and Their Employees Connected and Productive.” Communication World. June-July. 2002: 38-48.

Young, Paull. “Astroturfing: Dark Art of Politics Turned Scourge of the Blogosphere.” Blog Campaigning. Oct. 2006. <http://blogcampaigning.wordpress.com/2006/10/31>

By Catherine Torres

I would love to hear your comments and feedback. Thanks.

PREMISE:

You are the assistant director of public relations for a small but profitable international manufacturing firm based in California. Your company is publicly held; that is, it sells shares of ownership to stockholders throughout the world. Today you helped other members of the management team make a decision that’s good news for some of your audiences and bad news for others: To save money, your company is going to move a factory from Toronto, Canada to San Jose, Costa Rica.

During the decision-making process, you advised the company’s leaders about the move’s impact on different audiences. You suggested specific public relations tactics to be deployed if the company did vote to move the factory to Costa Rica. You even pointed out that some of the audiences would be bitterly disappointed no matter what kinds of relationship-building tactics your company undertook. The best your company could do in those situations, you said, would be to minimize the unavoidable damage to these relationships.

After voting to move the facility, the leaders praised your assistance in helping them understand the wide-ranging impacts of such a decision. Now they’ve asked you to prepare a media relations plan that announces the decision, while trying to preserve your relationships with the various stakeholders.

And they’ve asked you to hurry. The move is scheduled to be announced next week.

Your task is to develop the media relations plan following the format distributed in class and posted on BlackBoard under ‘Course Documents’.

Your media plan should be clear and concise. Proofread carefully for errors in spelling, punctuation, CP Style, word misuse, etc.

This was an assignment I did in my Media Relations class in the Corporate Communcations and Public Relations Certificate program at Centennial College.

Issue statement:
To inform the public of the factory move from Toronto to San Jose, Costa Rica and the company’s efforts in continuing its relationships with its stakeholders

Objectives:
To communicate to the public that the move from Toronto to San Jose, Costa Rica will be done in a year without any disruptions to business.

Research:
To investigate how to make the factory move from Toronto to San Jose, Costa Rica within a 1 year timeframe. How will we be able to conduct business without any disruptions due to the move? How will the move affect our stakeholders and our relationships with them?

Target audience:
Stakeholders which include: regulators, shareholders, customers, suppliers, special interest groups, residents, investors, media, trade groups and unions. National and International media attention will be an important target audience, as well as the local media in the areas of Toronto and Costa Rica. Employees of the factory and their families will be a huge target audience, they will be wondering how the move will affect them. Also, residents of San Jose are an important audience when referring to possible employment and economic growth in the city.

Target media:
Local, national and international media in all forms. This should be done using television such as CNN, City TV, BBC and CBC, newspapers such as the Toronto Star and the manufacturing firm’s website to inform the public and stakeholders of the factory move. Also, communicate that we have been working to make the transition fast and to avoid any disruptions in business.

Key spokespeople:
Having the CEO of the company made available. A PR professional to inform the public on what the move will entail and the main focus is to continue positive relationships with its stakeholders. Have a representative of San Jose, Costa Rica, such as a Mayor or President, to welcome the manufacturing firm into the country and what opportunities the factory will bring to the city of San Jose.

Key messages:
That the factory is moving from Toronto to San Jose, Costa Rica and that the main focus is to maintain the relationships with the target audiences, especially the stakeholders. The move will provide various opportunities for the manufacturing firm and San Jose.

Media options / Option analysis:
A news release for all media: Local, national, international and the manufacturer’s website to let the stakeholders and public know of the factory move to San Jose. To hold a press conference with the CEO and a PR representative to speak on behalf of the firm and state the importance of continuing positive relationships with its shareholders and public during the move.

Recommended action:
1) Inform the media of the factory move
2) Reinforce the firm’s commitment to securing and maintaining its relationships with its stakeholders and public
3) Communicate the positive opportunities that the move will provide for the firm and San Jose.

Background:

Strengths:

1)Although the firm is small; it is very profitable
2)It is internationally known
3)Sells shares of ownership to stockholders around the world
4)Possible opportunities in moving factory to San Jose
5)Firm will save money moving factory from Toronto to San Jose
6)Provide employment opportunities in San Jose which is beneficial to its residents

Weaknesses:
1)Factory move will affect relationships with shareholders and public
2)Factory employees may lose jobs due to move or may have to be forced to relocate to San Jose
3)Firm my lose faith from its public in decision to move as the rate of unemployment will rise
4)Move may slow down productivity and cause disruption in business

Opportunities:
1)Increase in employment for residents in San Jose
2)Company is able to expand its manufacturing factory internationally, the opportunity to open more factories globally is a possibility

Threats:
1)Shares in the manufacturing firm may drop during move
2)Move may cause disruptions in business and factory operations
3)Decreased faith in company from employees
4)The move make cause rise in competition

Evaluation:
The success of this initiative will be based on how quick the move from Toronto to San Jose will be. The public and stakeholder acceptance to this move must be positive in order to achieve and maintain good relationships. Any disruption in business may alter future success of this initiative and the firm’s relationships.

For more information and tips on developing a media plan check out these links:

Television Week: A Guide to Developing a Media Plan

Six Steps to Developing Your Public Relations and Media Plan

Articleclick: How To Develop A Quality Media Plan

Roger Knowledge Base: Developing and effective media plan

By Gillian Lavery

In the world of public relations, communicators and ’spin doctors’ are often seen as synonymous. The connotation that communicators use deceptive tactics to stand by their company has led to the question: as an advocate of a company, can a communicator act with true candor?

Eric Yaverbaum, author of Public Relations for Dummies, uses an interesting metaphor to describe how the field of public relations is seen by the public. He describes public relations as being seen as ‘in bed’ with the media, meaning that the two have a codependent relationship and the media, therefore, pander to the requests of a company.

Representations in popular culture have also depicted the field of public relations in a mixed light, with the television show Sex and the City portraying PR agency owner Samantha Jones as someone who does little work and a lot of schmoozing (Wilcox & Cameron).

Unflattering views of the field and the notion of ’spin’ should not prevent PR professionals from doing their job. According to Michael Barrier in Don’t Let Worry Over Spin Stop You From Telling Your Story, “The truth is always necessary but your truth is in competition with the other truths in the media and what will set one apart is the effectiveness of the communication, not the truth itself.” Hence, public relations efforts should always be truthful; the choice will always come down to how effectively the message is conveyed.

Truly effective and ethical public relations will employ the two main pillars of good communications: honesty and trustworthiness (Barry). It is inevitable that negative situations will happen, but it is important to strive for a balance of openness while still maintaining the overall interests of your company. Research shows, according to John Deveney, that people are more accepting of failures or faults when an organization uses an honest approach, and the resulting negative effects will be shorter if candid leadership and open communication is employed.

A crisis situation can particularly challenge a communicator’s ability to show candor and frankness. In the article When You’re Forced to Say “No Comment”, Marc Jampole discusses what a communicator can do when faced with a challenging “no comment” type of situation. Short-term tactics can include sharing permitted information, selecting a friendly spokesperson and explaining why a comment cannot be provided.

These demonstrate that the company is not deceiving the public but is maintaining a level of privacy until matters can be sorted out. In the long run, Jampole advises highlighting a company’s accomplishments on a regular basis and to have clear, consistent communication whenever possible.

The Canadian Public Relations Society’s code of professional standards also reflects the importance of honesty in the field. The main tenets of the code state that “members shall deal fairly and honestly with the communications media and the public” as well as “practice the highest standards of honesty, accuracy, integrity and truth, and shall not knowingly disseminate false or misleading information.” These standards show the basic principles that all credible communicators should abide by and leave no room for falsified information.

Although these standards are clearly defined, there is a grey area between being open and providing enough information, and still promoting the positive aspects of one’s company. A high standard of honesty and candor were maintained during the Tylenol scandal of 1982 in which seven people died from poisoned Tylenol pills.

Johnson & Johnson quickly took action by taking $100 million worth of bottles off the shelf in one day, giving the message that they were taking the situation seriously. When the product was ready to be re-released, the company held a 30-city media teleconference and had regained 70 per cent of their market within one year (Yaverbaum). Because Tylenol assumed responsibility and took an honest approach, it maintained its reputation and promoted the brand as even safer than ever.

Challenging situations can leave many companies feeling the temptation to bend the truth or omit ‘ugly’ facts, but they will be seen in a more positive light if their communicator can exercise candor and honesty.

Maintaining loyalty to one’s company is not wrong, and as Art Stevens, CEO of Lobsenz-Stevens maintains, “Lying is bad, but to be passionate about your version of the truth is considered noble” (Barrier). Keeping a balance between objectivity and loyalty will ensure success with the public, and as Jampole advises, establishing an honest rapport with the public creates goodwill, enhances employee satisfaction and will be helpful in a challenging situation.

For more information on CPRS visit:
CPRS Code of Professional Standards

References
Barrier, Michael. “Don’t Let Worry Over ‘Spin’ Stop You From Telling Your Story.” (Nation’s Business, 87:10, 1999).
Barry, Amanda. PR Power: Inside Secrets from the World of Spin. (Virgin Books Ltd., 2002).
Deveney, John. “Candor Speaks Volumes.” (Communication World, 22 s4-s4, 2005).
Harrison, Shirley. Public Relations: an Introduction. 2nd ed. (Thomas Learning, 2000).
Jampole, Marc. “When You’re Forced to Say ‘No Comment” (Nonprofit World 22:22, 2004)
Wilcox, Dennis L., and Glen T. Cameron. Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics. 8th ed. (Pearson Education Inc., 2006).
Yaverbaum, Eric. Public Relations Kit for Dummies. (IDG Books Worldwide Inc., 2001).

CAN PUBLIC RELATIONS BE CONSIDERED A PROFESSION?

Different viewpoints exist about whether public relations is a profession. Some believe that public relations is not a profession while others believe that public relations is a recognized profession.

Definition:
The Paperback Oxford Canadian Dictionary defines profession as “a vocation or calling that involves some branch of advanced learning or science.”

THEORY 1:

The process by which public relations attains its professional status is important to many. Lecturers at the University of Stirling, Magda Pieczka and Jacquie L’Etang, refer to theorists Theodore Caplow’s and Harold Wilensky’s professionalization process. They believe that public relations must go through these five stages to be considered a profession (Caplow and Wilensky).

o The emergence of the full-time occupation
o The establishment of a training school
o The founding of a professional association
o Political agitation directed towards the protection of the association by law
o The adoption of a formal code

Pieczka and L’Etang also refer to theorist Everett C. Hughes. According to Hughes, public relations cannot be considered a profession until a mandate is created and every public relations practitioner possesses a licence (Hughes).

Public relations fits some of the descriptions mentioned above. In many corporations, public relations is a full-time position where the practitioner is a member of Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) or the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

A problem arises when relating and analyzing Caplow’s, Wilensky’s and Hughes’s theories about public relations. Currently, no training school for public relations practitioners exists nor do practitioners have to own a licence to practice public relations. With these faults it’s easy to state that public relations is not a profession.

In the end, Pieczka and L’Etang believe that a reflection of public relations is needed and is valuable in establishing it as a profession.
________________________________________________________________________
THEORY 2:

Associate professor Peter Johansen from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario believes public relations is an important part of today’s communications environment and that practitioners contribute to the social construction of reality (Johansen).

Johansen refers to John Pavlik’s theory. Pavlik believes public relations is a vague and unclear term. The word public relations doesn’t give anyone a clear understanding or definition as to what a practitioner does on a daily basis. Public relations practitioners perform many tasks and are known by at least 130 different titles (Pavlik).

Therefore, without a proper definition in place, deciding whether public relations is considered a profession can be very difficult.
________________________________________________________________________

Want to know more? Check these books out:

Johansen, Peter “Professionalism, Building Respectability, and the Birth of the Canadian Public Relations Society.” Journalism Studies (2001).

L’Etang, Jacquie and Magda Pieczka. Public Relations: Critical Debates and Contemporary Practice. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Publishers, 2006, 266.

Paperback Oxford Canadian Dictionary Second Edition, Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2006.

By: Riddhi Gandhi

Product recalls are a reality that companies should be prepared to handle. From a communications perspective, negative publicity surrounding a recall is inevitable, especially safety issues are involved. A communicator’s goal should be to minimize the negative publicity.

Public opinion about a company can be influenced positively or negatively depending on how information is released. It’s important to understand the dynamics of product recalls and what the best ways to handle them are.

Case studies

Firestone Corporation, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation and Saturn Corporation both illustrate what to do when one finds themselves in the midst of a public relations disaster.

Both companies had a massive product recall that had the potential to damage their credibility. While the 1993 recall of Saturn vehicles has been relatively forgotten by the public, the inconveinance caused by the 2000 recall on Firestone tires remains fresh in public memory (Smith, Thomas, & Quelch).

The difference is the way the two companies handled the crisis. Saturn’s efforts to handle the situation were direct and proactive, whereas Firestone’s efforts were uncoordinated and insensitive to consumer needs.

Three key messages When I researched the two companies and other literature on recalls, I found three points that kept appearing:

1.The need to respond to crisis quickly.

2.The need to stop acting like a company - money means nothing when it comes to customer satisfaction.

3.The need to ensure key spokespeople and senior management has up-to-date media training.

1. Respond to crisis quickly

If your boyfriend/girlfriend was about to break up with you, you would want to hear it directly from them first - not on your answering machine, not in a note and not from their friends.

When you have to release bad news about a product, the same rules apply. It’s important for the public to hear the news from you first and not from the media.

As early as 1997, over 1,500 legal complaints were made against Firestone tires. It took legislation and public pressure to force Firestone to ‘voluntarily’ recall the tires three years later. As a result, Firestone received negative attention for its slow response.

On the other hand, Saturn voluntarily recalled 350,000 vehicles in 1993. The company took control of the situation by acknowledging the situation and taking steps to reduce customer inconvenience.

To ensure every consumer knew of the recall, Saturn dealers contacted customers personally and arranged for speedy repairs on their cars. Two weeks after issuing the recall, almost 50 per cent of the cars had been repaired (Aaker).

2. Stop acting like a company According to a study by John C. Mowen and Scott B. Pollman, public opinion of companies who initially overstated product defects, and whose subsequent releases showed the defects were not as harmful as initially believed, were viewed more favourably than companies who understated product defects.

Why? When companies overstate the severity of a situation at first, they are seen to be acting against their own interests. Instead of trying to downplay the situation, the public sees them as being genuinely concerned with consumer well being. This in turn increases perceived company credibility.

Overestimating the potential danger of a product is seen as acting outside of a profit making model, whereas understating the dangers posed by a product is seen as acting in line with a corporate agenda.

In 1998, Ford questioned Firestone about the number of complaints made against their tires. Firestone denied any fault with their product and said consumer abuse was the cause of defective tires (Newman).

Conversely, Saturn acknowledged the potential consequences that could arise as a result of faulty wiring and implemented its recall management strategy. They co-ordinated efforts between service departments and dealers and had car-owners enjoy a barbecue, go to a baseball game or enjoy a movie while their cars were repaired. By incurring costs for repairs in addition to ‘customer appreciation’ costs, Saturn was seen to be acting socially responsible in contrast with Firestone.

3. Keep media training current

No matter how well thought out your communication strategies are, it just takes one comment to ruin it.

Firestone executives made careless remarks in the 1978 and the 2000 recall. In 1978, the Chairman at the time, made comments that said the recall was issued in order to decrease negative publicity and to convince customers that Firestone is interested in consumer welfare (Nicolazzo).

In the 2000 recall, comments made by Bob Wynant, Vice President of Quality Assurance, suggested that because Firestone made so many tires, finding the root cause of a defect would be like looking for a needle in a haystack (Nicolazzo).

In both cases, the comments came off as insensitive. Instead of expressing concern for consumer safety or discussing the measure Firestone was taking to fix the problem, key management came across sounding like the recalls were preventing them from getting on with their day.

Skewed messages in addition to a history of problems with the tires led to a general failure in communication and public relation efforts during both recalls.

Why bother?

The importance of maintaining good public relations is illustrated by the dip in share value Firestone had following the 2000 recall. Market value of the company decreased, while the portfolios of competitors increased.

On the other hand, Saturn was able to turn their recall crisis into a positive experience and continued developing the brand name.

The consequences of a poorly handled recall can be disastrous to a company’s growth. Product sales and a company’s reputation can be compromised if the recall is not handled strategically.

As corporate communicators, it is crucial to learn from the mistakes of the other corporations to ensure that, like Saturn, our own company can turn a negative situation into a positive one.

References

Aaker, DavidA. Building Strong Brands, (The Free Press, 1996)Delaney, Brian. When the Crisis Strikes, (Corporate Board Volume 12, Issue 66. Jan 1991)

Govindaraj, Suresh & Jaggi, Bikki. Market Overreaction to Product Recall Revisited-The Case of Firestone Tires and the Ford Explorer, (Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Volume 23, 2004)

Mowen, John C. & Pollman, Scott B. An Exploratory Study Investigating Order Effects in Reporting Negative Corporate Communications, (Advances in Consumer Research, Volume 9, Issue 1, 1982)

Newman, Lloyd N. Lessons from Bridgestone/Firestone, (Business & Economic Review, January-March, 2001)

Nicolazzo, Richard E. The Power of Public Opinion, (Risk Management, May 2001)

Pines, Wayne L. How to Handle a PR Crisis, (Public Relations Quarterly, Summer 1985)

Smith, Craig N., Thomas, Robert J., & Quelch, John A. A Strategic Approach to Managing Product Recalls, (Harvard Business Review, September-October 1996)

By Alexandra Korinowsky

Contrary to popular opinion, ethical public relations is not an oxymoron. However, it cannot be denied that public relations is a profession that has historically been placed in an ethically questionable light by the general public and specifically by the media. One need only recall the CBC production titled PR that aired in the fall of 2000 with the tagline: “When their lips move you know they’re lying.” (Parsons) to illustrate this perspective. In reality, the large majority of public relations practitioners follow careful ethical guidelines in their practice. In fact, professional organizations, such as the Canadian Public Relations Society and the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, have codes of ethics that all members must adhere to. It seems then, that poor ethics in public relations is often a case of a few individuals and organizations destroying the reputation for all. This is certainly the case with the current hot topic of astroturfing.

Astroturfing is a troublesome practice that threatens to tarnish the role of advocacy in public relations. However, by implementing specific ethical guidelines, and making transparency the basis for all advocacy work, PR professionals can overcome astroturfing’s threat to reputation and in fact, can use this topic as a means of reinforcing the legitimacy of ethical practice in the field of public relations.

The term ‘astroturfing’ may be new, but the concept is not. According to The New PR/Wiki, astroturfing is the creation of formal public relations projects which deliberately seek to engineer the impression of spontaneous grassroots behaviour. The goal is to create the appearance of independent public reaction to a politician, political group, product, service, event, or similar entities by centrally orchestrating the behaviour of many diverse and geographically distributed individuals.

The term astroturfing is a take-off on the concept of AstroTurfartifical grass, i.e. artificial grassroots lobbying. Again, while this terminology may be new, the practice of creating front groups dates back to the early 20th century. In the 1930s, public relations pioneer Carl Byoir already had a deplorable reputation for working as a front man for both the Cuban dictatorship and the German Tourist Information Office, when he took on the grocery giant A & P as a client. When proposed taxation on chain stores threatened to close A & P’s business operations, Byoir came up with a strategy to set up dummy organizations such as the National Consumers’ Tax Commission and the Business Property Owners Inc. to lobby against the tax initiative. Byoir was successful in creating what appeared to be grassroots organizations representing the opinions of an often silent majority in a democratic society, although in reality these organizations were a manipulative ploy used to represent his client’s interests (Parsons).

The practice of creating front groups - now widely referred to as astroturfing - is currently receiving a great amount of attention among the international public relations community. An anti-astroturfing movement has been started by Paull Young and Trevor Cook and is gaining momentum via blog and wiki internet communities. However, while the valiant call to stop to astroturfing is an important one, it does pose concern for many PR practitioners in terms of their advocacy work. When exactly does advocacy become astroturfing, and what is the difference between astroturfing and mobilization?

The difficulty with the topic of astroturfing - as is the difficulty with many ethical dilemmas - is the fact that while on the surface it may appear to be a black and white, good versus bad issue, it is very much a gray area. As discussed by Terry Fallis and David Jones in the August 22, 2006 edition of the Inside PR podcast, the difficulty with the definition of astroturfing put forth by Paull Young and Trevor Cook (The New PR/Wiki) is that it is arbitrary and open to interpretation. Fallis and Jones pose the question of when is advocacy work manipulation and when is it mobilization? They point out that in accordance with the definition offered on The New PR/Wiki, some may claim that any movement with corporate momentum behind it could be labeled as astroturfing, which they argue is simply not true.

Fallis and Jones give the example of a public relations practitioner working on behalf of a pharmaceutical company. Is it astroturfing when a PR practitioner helps to mobilize a group of citizens waiting for a drug to be approved by Health Canada when the drug has proven to increase the citizen’s quality of life during the time they took part in drug trials? Some may argue that it is astroturfing because the drug’s approval will generate huge profits for the manufacturing pharmaceutical company. However, does mobilizing citizens to petition Health Canada to approve the drug pose an ethical problem if the approval will drastically improve their lives? Clearly, the issue of astroturfing is not always black and white.

When considering the ethical dilemma of astroturfing - manipulation versus mobilization - one can turn to traditional studies in ethics to help determine if their advocacy work falls into an ethical arena, or not. For example, is it ethical do something immoral if the end result serves the greater good? Edward Bernays, one of the founders of public relations, is reported to have said in response to the mid-20th-century post-war slump, “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in a democratic society.” (Parsons). Essentially, Bernays’ statement raises the question as to whether or not the principle of utilitarianism should be a deciding factor in making ethical decisions in public relations. “Utilitarianism takes the position that the rightness or wrongness of any action is dependent entirely on the outcomes that derive from it. In other words, neither the intent behind the action nor the fundamental rightness or wrongness of the action is at issue, only the consequences.” (Parsons). The glaring problem with taking a utilitarian approach to ethics in public relations lies in the arbitrary concept of the greater good. In addition, who has the right to decide what the public’s best interest is? This decision should clearly not be in the hands of corporations or public relations agencies. As a result, there is one deciding factor that one can look to when deciding whether or not advocacy work falls into the realm of astroturfing, and that is the issue of transparency.

At the core of the definition of astroturfing is the idea that an initiative is developed to create a “spontaneous impression of grassroots behaviour.” (The New PR/Wiki, Homepage). The true ethical problem lies in the act of deception, rather than in the act of mobilization. It is the lack of transparency - which gives the impression that something is being hidden for a reason - that makes astroturfing so deplorable. Essentially, a public company has every right to generate a lobbyist movement provided they are transparent in who is behind it, what their agenda is and who the associated citizens are.

Presumably, if an advocacy group is developed ethically, they should have nothing to hide from the public. It is along these lines that the anti-astroturfing movement has come up with a suggested code of ethics in regards to advocacy work:

• I will not fabricate a public concern by paying or coercing individuals to falsely act as concerned citizens. I will only seek to help give voice to those who already hold an existing concern and/or provide education to stakeholders that might be affected by a particular issue.

• When supporting grassroots efforts, I will ensure that I am transparent in all my actions and clearly and publicly state what actions I am taking and which organization or client I represent.

• I will never knowingly distort of falsify information to help my client/interest achieve a strategic/emotional advantage in a public debate.

• I will encourage all grassroots supporters to be open and honest in all of their communications, just as I will be open and honest in mine. (Communication Overtones, Grassroots Mobilization vs. Astroturfing)

Essentially, if as a public relations practitioner working on a grassroots campaign you feel that you cannot be transparent because it may damage your reputation, the odds are that you are most likely involved in astroturfing and therefore unethical PR. Transparency then, is the key to ethical public relations practice, in great contrast to the beliefs of early practitioners such as Byoir and Bernays.

It is clear that the practice of astroturfing is one that poses threat to the already shaky ethical reputation of the public relations field. However, the vehement anti-astroturfing response by the international communications community points to the fact that by and large, modern PR practitioners are overwhelmingly concerned with practising ethical public relations. The call for action against astroturfing, and the subsequent development of ethical guidelines with regards to advocacy work, demonstrates that public relations is an industry guided by a desire to serve the public’s interests through ethical behaviour.

If anything, the public relations industry can use the recent focus on astroturfing as a means to reinforce the legitimacy of ethics in public relations practice. In other words, if the PR community were to ignore the problem of astroturfing then the public would unquestionably have something to worry about. Perhaps the topic of astroturfing is a public relations opportunity to promote good public relations.

Works Cited

AntiAstroturfing. November 12, 2006. The New PR/Wiki. November 12, 2006. <http://www.thenewpr.com/wiki/pmwiki.php?pagename=AntiAstroturfing.HomePage>

Grassroots Mobilization vs. Astroturfing. August 24, 2006. Communication Overtones. November 12, 2006. <http://overtonecomm.blogspot.com/2006/08/grassroots-mobilization-vs.html>

Inside PR # 21. Inside PR. August 22, 2006. <http://www.insidepr.ca/index.php/2006/08/22/inside-pr-21-tuesday-august-22-2006/>

Parsons, Patricia J. Ethics In Public Relations: A Guide To Best Practice. London: Korgan Page, 2004.

What is strategic public relations?

by Meg Sweeney

Within public relations, the planning process that drives the tactical decisions made by professionals is known to be a strategic function. Therefore strategic public relations aids in formulating an organization’s approach to accomplishing overall goals and supports that effort in a coordinated and consistent manner, working in concert with all other organizational entities (Wilson).

What is social media?

New channels of on-line communication produce audience-generated content that takes advantage of peer-to-peer technologies such as blogs, message boards and podcasting. These processes are known within the field of public relations as social media, as they allow audiences to play an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating information (Bowman). My research examines the methods of social media for ways in which impact strategic public relations within the two sectors of communication, internal and external.

Social media and internal communications

The use of social media can be understood as a valuable and strategic tool within internal communications. Offering an alternative means of information sharing for employees holds the benefits such as increased trust and efficiency, and creating a community like network.

Canadian blogger Ron Shewchuk commented on the future of internal corporate communications, as he agrees that social media can be used strategically to nurture dialogue and build trust. Shewchuk describes podcasting as an effective social media tool, a new paradigm in which everyone is interconnected and communication is all about dialogue. With the implantation of social media techniques within internal communications, Shewchuck sees an area of inspiration for true conversation and real human communication. Furthermore replacing one-way Intranet postings and soulless e-mail news summaries.

Tom Braithwaite, author of ‘Companies learn value of blogging used to improve internal communications’, shares a similar viewpoint on the advantages of social media. Braithwatie finds that introduction of blogs and wikis within internal communications have the power to replace the corporate intranet and increase efficiency. He furthermore discusses an example where social media was introduced as a strategic internal communications plan to strengthen teams at an investment bank. An internal blog and wiki was made available to employees which allowed for investment teams and members to share information, ideas and progress (Braithwaite).

Social media and external communications

In terms of external communications, the Internet has become the new dynamic that combines traditional public relations with online one-to-one marketing. Discussed in a podcast hosted by Inside PR’s David Jones and Terry Fallis, is the role of social media as a public relations marketing tool. Jones agrees that social media trends are slowly spreading their roots in the external world of public relations. Furthermore, the process of viral marketing is evidence that social media methods are effective.Don Middleberg, author of “Winning PR in the wired world” explains that when social media methods are used in marketing, companies have the opportunity to understand their target audience. More so, by implementing social media technologies, companies can match their messages with those of their audiences.

This creates an open exchange of ideas between the company and the customers as it becomes a two-way model of communication. For example, a company may open a blog up to discussions concerning their press releases, where the audience is invited to post comments. As a possible strategy for any company, immediate responses can elicit a wave of eighter negative or positive feedback. This one-to-many relationship allows more customized communication and the potential to develop a long-lasting exchange (Middleberg).

Another term Middleberg uses is “online intelligence”, meaning that strategic techniques can be used to evaluate already existing communication media such as websites, blogs and podcasts. He stresses that to successfully communicate to external audiences, companies must evaluate their social media methods as though the media were their customers. Being aware that not every individual who responds is a customer, is important as companies rely on the media to increase brand awareness (Middleberg).

The Apple Computer crisis

Further research indicated that social media does not come without negative potentials as the distance between businesses and consumers is rapidly closing.

Apple Computer Inc, was forced to take an employee to court over blogged content. In December of 2006 company trade secrets were illicitly disclosed by a online publisher, who pleaded for free speech rights. The judge ruled that information was disclosed without the company’s permission, and issued a court order which forced the blogger to reveal the anonymous source.

In the Apple Computer Inc. case, the use of social media by way of offering employees external blogging space caused a massive crisis. This is a risk many companies face when they have blogs that are run by their own employees (Koprowski).

Conclusion

Within internal communications it has been seen that there are benefits for such an open exchange of information, as employees can heighten efficiency and connect with other co-workers via blogs and podcasts. Communicating externally through methods of social media can help companies target consumer audiences, and build customer trust.

References

Braithwaite , Tom. Companies learn value of blogging used to improve internal communications. 2006, pg 21

Bowman , Shayne We Media: How audiences are shaping the future news and information, <http://www.hypergene.net/wemedia/weblog.php>

Jones, David. Fallis, Terry (podcast) Inside PR#16-Tuesday July 18, 2006 <http://www.prworks.ca>

Koprowski, Gene. Bloggers Bit by Apple 2006, pg 7

Middleberg, Don. Winning PR in the wired world. 2001, pg 184

Shewchuk, Ron (blog) The future of employee communications. Feburary 27, 2007 http://ronshewchuk.blogs.com/for_your_approval/social_media/index.html

Wilson, Laurie. Strategic program planning for effective public relations campaigns. 2000, pg 3

by Angela Hood

Podcasting is becoming an important communication medium in the corporate world. It’s a technology that distributes personalized audio or video clips over the Internet to computers or digital audio players, and it’s replacing internal memos and in some cases, blogs, e-mails and trade shows. To fully benefit from this technology, corporate communicators launching a podcast should keep five points in mind, according to John Guiniven, APR:

1. clearly identify and target your audience
2. keep in mind the relationship(s) you’re trying to build
3. set measurable goals and objectives
4. be creative to attract attention and build interest
5. remember that strategy, not technology, drives communications programs

Now you’re ready to think about using podcasts to deliver communications strategies.

Internal communications

Internal podcasts are “one of the most significant trends in internal communications since the introduction of the corporate intranet,” says the iStudio team of website designers based in Toronto. The portability of podcasts can help management meet its internal communications goals like team motivation and executive visibility, while overcoming challenges such as flex time or a dispersed base of employees.

Ron Clark, vice-president of sales at Oakville, Ont.-based Altana Pharma Inc., uses podcasts to addresses his Canada-wide team of sales representatives. Kicking off the show with pre-recorded music, Clark talks to guests about the company financials and new sales programs. Then he posts the MP3 file on the company’s intranet site, where his staff can download and listen to it during their commute to work or at home on their computers.

Investor Relations Delivering key messages to an organization’s stakeholders is achieved efficiently by delivering them in a podcast. Stakeholders can inform themselves about the company at their leisure, and companies can save money normally spent on mailings.

IBM introduced a series of podcasts as part of a broader effort to communicate with its investors and the wider public about relevant business and technology topics.

Employee Training

Podcasting is “an inexpensive way to broadcast information to train employees” who are on the go, says Jenna Sweeney, president of CramerSweeney Instructional Design, a firm in Moorestown, N. J., that creates corporate training materials.

While training via podcast may not completely replace traditional learning, it can be added to existing methods, and it addresses learners who may not be visually-oriented.

As an added bonus, training via podcast is relatively inexpensive and low-tech. In some cases, it requires little more than a microphone and a computer.

Trade Shows

Podcasts can even replace costly events like trade shows. Compare the C$15,000 cost of staffing a trade show booth with the $2,000 price of a virtual conference and podcast. In February 2006, three Canadian mining companies found out just how inexpensive a virtual podcast is. The return on investment? More than 1,000 investors, industry analysts and web surfers tuned in to the show, hosted by Peter Spina, owner of the Web-based newsletter SilverSeek.com.

Four benefits of podcasting

1. Time well spent

At some firms, employees spend much of their time on the road, leaving limited time to access e-mail and keep abreast of company news. Podcasts can help improve productivity by taking advantage of something many people do anyway: multi-tasking.

Shel Holtz, VP of New Marketing for crayon says “the amount of time [people] have to read is limited. Reading requires dedicated time; you really can’t be doing anything else when you’re reading. You can listen, though, while doing something else.”

2. Connection with key audiences

Holtz expects to see communicators use the new technology to better communicate with targeted audiences. “Consider a weekly investor relations podcast featuring interviews with key executives,” he suggests. Or, “how about a weekly news update for employees?” The goal is simple: provide audiences with targeted information that reinforces communications goals.

3. Convenience Communicators can post MP3 files on a website, ensuring a broad reach.

Employees can listen to podcasts at their convenience on a portable MP3 player, and then take advantage of time they spend driving or waiting in line. Altana Pharma Inc. distributes podcasts to its employees with the goal of reaching staff members who work in their own geographical regions and interact infrequently with head office.

4. Savings

Podcasting is cost-effective because it has a low overhead, and podcasts are relatively easy to make and distribute. “With the ridiculously low barrier to entry of podcasting, communicators can produce radio-like content for distribution to audiences on very specific topics,” says Holtz.

Caveats

Podcasts must be succinct yet meaningful. “While there are some great podcasts online, many are irrelevant or too long for business,” says former iStudio senior vice president David Bradfield. Lack of timeliness is another major issue. There is sometimes a big delay between the date of an event and the time at which the MP3 file is added to an RSS feed. Long delays lessen the value of podcasts of such events.

Communicators should pay close attention to the quality and execution of their podcasting efforts to avoid compromising their departments’ credibility.

Finally, boring hosts, excess advertising and long episodes may turn people off podcasts. The greatest weakness of podcasts in communications is the difficulty in measuring its effectiveness. How many hits constitute a success has to be determined. What is the appropriate length and frequency? It has been suggested that podcasts last an average of 15 minutes, but some corporate podcasts go on for an hour.

Measurement is available for a price through Nooked, a provider of web-based RSS marketing solutions for businesses and organizations. Nooked measures the following:

• Who clicked through?
• On what piece of the campaign did they click?
• What’s your daily circulation?
• Is your audience growing?
• Full measurement on ROI
• Departments have to properly manage the podcasts to ensure that the organization’s credibility is maintained.