PR basics

PR & Media
Communication Basics

PhD. Oana BARBU
Communication Strategist
Part-time Lecturer at West Univrsity of Timisoara
Communication Director – Rugby Club Timisoara
Social Media Specialist at SymplySocial Inc.
Owner of www.oanabarbu.com

Basic Review

 Four elements of communication
 1. Sender
 2. Message
 3. Medium
 4. Receiver
 Who is your message aimed at?
 There may be one or multiple publics
 Who is affected by the actions?
 Stakeholders

There is a reason why we have two ears
and one mouth – we must listen twice as
much as we speak.

What are Public Relations?
 Public needs
 Organization  image (a projected identity)

 PR = manage image and reputation by
fulfilling a public’s needs!

HOW?

 “Thisis who we are;
 What we think about ourselves;

 What we want to do; and

 Why we deserve your support.”

PR’s role?
 Management and counseling function
 Enables organizations to build and maintain
relationships
 Through an understanding of audience attitudes,
opinions and values
 Planned, deliberate and two-way
 Conscience of organization
 Overseer of reputation
 Relationship management

 Determine what people need (and want)
and give it to them.

Persuasion vs. Manipulation
 Whatdo you think is the difference between
persuasion vs. manipulation?

Persuasion
 Persuasion is an attempt to influence a
person’s actions through an appeal to his/her
self-interest
 A PR person must be aware of what the
audience wants to know
 Gained knowledge is “mutually beneficial”

Manipulation
 The audience might not need to know the
message, but they are coerced or tricked into
that knowledge when there is little of no
benefit to them
 Can result in loss of credibility or negative
feelings

Media Theory
 Does the media have an effect on viewers
and listeners?
 There are several theories that support the
extremes and the middle on this
 Yes, it impacts us
 No, it does not
 Yes and No... somewhere in between

A. Hypodermic Needle Theory
 One of the earliest theories held that mass
media was highly influential
 The media could “shoot” beliefs into people’s
minds as a doctor shoots a hypodermic
needle into a patient
 Examples: WWI propaganda, “War of the
Worlds” radio broadcast
 This theory is no longer widely held

2. Two-Step Flow Theory
 Media messages observed, analyzed,
interpreted and passed on by opinion
leaders
 The mass public gets information via these
tastemakers
1. Opinions are formed
2. Perceptions are created
3. Knowledge is gained (or repressed)

Opinion Leaders?
 serve as a powerful conduit in the flow of information
 have more direct access to the media and/or a better media
literacy than the masses
 have credibility with individuals that the mass media may lack:
 Political candidates
 Celebrities
 Community or religious leaders
 Teachers
 “Media analysts”
 Journalists
 Your very best…FRIENDS

Example Scenario

 Paris Hilton has a T-
Mobile Sidekick
 She is shown in public
using it
 To some of the public,
this communicates that
the item is “hip”

 Other brands?

The friendly-PR
 Many of us know an “early adopter” who is
always the first on the block to own the
coolest technology gadget
 This person serves as an “expert” that we may
directly or indirectly learn from

Limited-Effects Theory
 Media often does not have a direct effect on
subjects and decision making
 However, it is just one of many influences,
including:
 Opinion leaders
 One’s prior held beliefs
 Influence of family, friends, peers

Decision-making Process
 Exists
on a continuum
 Depends on:
 The information itself
 Personal psyche or disposition
 Socio-cultural context

Decision-making Process
 Some key factors:
 Socio-economic status (class)
 Religion
 Gender
 Intra-familial status

Moderate-Effects Theory
A “middle ground”
 Recognizes that media is not all-powerful in
its influence
 However, under certain circumstances it can
have a very strong effect

Powerful-Effects Theory
 Media has the potential for a huge influence
on the audience
 Influence increases if:
 Audience has little or no opinion on a subject
 Subject is non-ego threatening
 Audience has no direct experience with the
subject

Framing
 “Framing” is the shaping of views and
discussions through selective choice of facts,
themes and words
 Sender makes the selection
 PR has a huge influence in “framing” how the
media will discuss a product, person,
development or ideology
 “Framing” creates the context in which the
discussion occurs

Examples of framing
 Apple Computer makes a “comeback” with
the introduction of iPad

 The war on Iraq is a “war on terrorism”

A movie’s success is discussed in terms of
opening weekend box-office numbers

SO, what are PR?
The practice of managing the flow of information between
an individual or an organization and the public.
 provides an organization or individual exposure to their
audiences
 using topics of public interest and news items
The aim of public relations
 to persuade the public, investors, partners, employees, and
other stakeholders to maintain a certain point of view about
it, its leadership, products, or of political decisions.
Common activities
 Events and campaigns, conferences, CSR, winning
industry awards, working with the press, and employee
communication.

Perceptions of Reality – how
does PR WORK?
 Does what we see on TV impact our view of
reality?

 For
many people, the TV serves as a key
way we learn about the world

 Particularly, when it exposes us to things or
places that we might not normally encounter in
“real life”

Uses and Gratification Theory
 Communication process is interactive
 It is a selective process
 People consume the media (and absorb
messages embedded within it) for a reason
 It meets their needs
 Entertainment
 Information

Racial, Ethnic, and Sex-Role
Stereotypes
 Are we really seeing accurate portrayals of
race, ethnicity, and sex roles in the media?
 Example:
 Women in Media
 Men outnumber women 2 to 1 in starring roles, yet
women make up 51% of the population
 When women are featured, they are usually in
subservient or younger roles

Diffusion and Adoption
 Five steps to acquiring new ideas
 1. Awareness
 2. Interest
 3. Trial
 4. Evaluation
 5. Adoption

Diffusion and Adoption
 In PR, the first two stages (awareness and
interest) are most relevant

What causes change?
 Adoption may be due to several factors:
 Is the idea better?
 Does it fit into my existing paradigm?
 Do I understand it?
 Can I safely try it out?
 How observable is it?

Application of Theory
 Asa PR professional, your goal is to
persuade and communicate an
organizational image
 Persuasion is easier if the audience has an interest
in the topic and is predisposed to accept it
 Active audiences are already aware of the product
and have an interest in it
 Passive audiences must be lured into accepting
your message
 An inactive public has less interest in the topic
and, thus, will be even more difficult to persuade

Strategy for an inactive public?

M-A-O Model
 Usethe M-A-O model to lure a passive
audience into action
 Motivation
 Ability
 Opportunity

Motivation
 You must motivate the audience to become
aware that your message even exists
 Can be done with various tactics:
 Design and style of message
 Unique form of delivery
 Reliance of credible tastemakers
 Bribe the audience

Ability
 Enable easier understanding of the message
(once the public is aware of it)
 Can be achieved various ways:
 Simplify the message
 Relate the message to what they already know
 Talk their… slang!

Opportunity
 Structure the message for optimal processing
 Repetition
 Create an environment where message is most
likely to be heard
 Keep it interesting
 Don’t stop the message. Don’t stop texting. Don’t
stop giving information.

Example: M-A-O Model
 Progressive Direct car insurance campaign
 Many consumers do not “shop around” for car
insurance
 They stick with their existing insurance…even if
there is a price advantage to shopping around

EXAMPLE
 Motivate: make would-be consumers to think about
their rates so that they may build awareness of their
service
 They “bribe” people with free airline miles to request
a quote
 Then, the consumer is exposed to the information
and interest is generated due to the anticipated
reward
 Once the consumer gets the quote, it is hoped that
they will take action on their knowledge of the
competitive rate

PR basics

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