PR Cases Homepage / Fisher House Online / Contact John Fisher
Unit 1: The need for planning
Objectives
1. Review principles of developing a PR campaign.
2. Develop a web page that includes a biography and links to information about a celebrity.
3. Prepare objectives, strategies and tactics for a PR campaign.

Topics

Reading

Find 10 websites on the Internet that provide information about the following topics:
  • celebrity public relations
  • public relations for sports and entertainment
  • role of press agents
  • public relations planning
  • strategic planning
  • objectives, strategies and tactics

For each web site provide the following information:

  • Title
  • Web address (URL)
  • 50 word summary
  • Author or organization (if indicated)
  • Date of publication (if indicated)

Return to Topics

Exercise: Develop a website for a celebrity

  1. Examine press coverage of either a sports or entertainment celebrity.
  2. Develop a web page that includes a brief biography that you have written about the celebrity and includes a minimum of 10 links to websites and news stories about the celebrity. (News stories are preferred over websites, because they are a primary source of information.) You should use the websites for the information you write in the biography.Remember to cite the sources information for your biography.
  3. Include photos and other graphic elements. Also, include contact information.
  4. List your web page on Google. http://www.google.com/addurl.html 

Using Microsoft Word to create a webpage

You may use Microsoft Word to develop your webpage and publish it on the University website using your S-number.  Here is a website that gives instructions for using Word to create webpages. http://www.er.uqam.ca/merlin/xw999998/eng/econceptw.htm

If you have not already established a web presence on the university site, you may have to do that.  Open Kermit-95 on a university computer.  Enter your s-number and Webstar password.  Follow instructions until you get a $ prompt sign.  Enter the letters "hmpg" and hit return.  This will put a WWW folder into your online university account.  You will then be able to upload your webpage using WS_FTP.  Your web address will be something like  http://info.nwmissouri.edu/~snumber/webpage.htm. 

Click here for instructions about how to publish your webpage onto the university website using WS_FTP. 

You also may call the Computer Services help desk at (660) 562-1634 for assistance in publishing your webpage.

Using a free website to develop your webpage

Alternatively you may use a website like geocities.com that will give you free space to publish your webpage.  The free websites usually also have a template you can follow in developing your webpage. 

Here is an example of a webpage I developed using MS Word.  http://info.nwmissouri.edu/~jfisher/maren_ord.htm

Return to Topics

Web Page Evaluation Criteria

Ideas and Content

  • Information is accurate, current and timely (Shows lastdate when updated)
  • Original content, authentic and unique
  • Ideas come mainly from primary sources, cites sources
  • Authors show knowledge and insight
  • All information relates to the overall purpose
  • Organizational structure of writing is clear and coherent
  • Information is easy to read
  • Keeps audience (users) first
  • Answers user problems and questions
  • The layout is clear and easy to follow (easy to navigate)
  • Puts navigational aids at the top of the page
Presentation
  • Web site is clearly identified; easy to find
  • Includes organization’s identity on all pages
  • Includes contact information
  • Invites feedback
  • Text is easy to read against the background
  • Uses graphical elements to create a consistent layout
  • Quality photos and artwork
  • Special effects and multimedia add to main purpose
Technical
  • Links are appropriate and work properly
  • Works in all browsers
  • Works in text only mode
  • Multimedia resources work properly
Examples

Kristen Finke http://www.geocities.com/kristen_finke/thelowlife.html
Jennifer McNair http://www.angelfire.com/mo3/nwmsu
Erin Schaper http://www.geocities.com/e_schaper/DakotaFanning.html
Stephanie Suckow http://www.kellyclarkson.20fr.com
Erin Sweatman http://info.nwmissouri.edu/~s245523/jennifer.html

Return to Topics
Assignment
  1. Prepare objectives, strategies and tactics for a PR campaign promoting the celebrity you chose in the Unit 1 exercise.
  2. Use the example below or a model like the PR Campaign for America West Arena beginning on page 123 of the Matera and Artigue (2000) textbook.
  3. As a minimum include two objectives, three strategies for each objective, and two tactics for each strategy.

Guidelines for writing objectives, strategies and tactics

An objective provides a desired outcome. An objective must contain:       
  • The word “to”       
  • An active verb       
  • A criterion outcome or measurable destination       
  • The relevant target public       
  • The amount of change expected       
  • A target date or deadline       
       
Strategies describe how to reach objectives. Strategies are based on:        
  • Available data from research       
  • Communication and public relations principles       
  • Communication and persuasion theories       
       
Tactics are job assignments. Tactics describe how to achieve strategies.  Tactics include:       
  • The task       
  • The responsible parties for completing the task       
  • Deadline for completion of the task
Return to Topics


Example Public Relations Campaign for Britney Spears created by Katie Hansen ( 17 Sept 2004)

Problem Statement: During recent years, Britney Spears has been slowly developing a bad reputation and losing tickets sales from certain markets because of it. Our goal at Hansen Communications is to continue promoting our client and her work, but in a more positive light and with a more mature and appropriate audience for certain subject matter.

Objective 1: To increase awareness and sales of Britney’s next album and 2005 tour amongst her fans and the general public by 50%.

Strategy 1 – Increase awareness of Britney’s new album/tour.
Tactic A – For June 2005 create an MTV mini-series or special of the creation of her new album, making of her first single/video, production of her concert and sneak-preview of choreography.
Tactic B – Form a partnership with major cell phone companies, Sprint and T-Mobile, to allow free downloading of her first single as a ring-tone.
Strategy 2 – Promote concert ticket sales in tour cities.
Tactic A – Create and air a radio commercial (personalized for each individual city) featuring Britney talking about her tour coming to that city.
Tactic B – Place a large billboard in high-traffic areas featuring her new album, concert dates and ticket information.
Strategy 3 – Promote album sales both nationally and internationally.
Tactic A – Offer a DVD with music CDs featuring behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Britney (with various language options).
Tactic B – Plan a contest in which the winners win a lunch date in December 2005 with Britney and place the entry forms solely inside her CDs.
Tactic C – Take various steps to discourage internet downloading of the new album. For example, allow 30 second clips of songs on the most popular file sharing sites to entice fans to buy the whole album.

Objective 2: To promote Britney’s image as a role model and philanthropist and decrease negative media attention about her during 2005.

Strategy 1 – Promote Britney as a role model and someone to be looked up to by her fans.
Tactic A – Send images and stories to major entertainment magazines that portray the importance of family values in Britney’s life (such as her spending time with her mother/father or step-children).
Tactic B – Promote the importance of religion/spirituality in Britney’s life by adding information about her feelings towards this subject to her official website.
Strategy 2 – Promote Britney’s image as a philanthropist and someone who gives back to her community.
Tactic A – Form an organization called the ‘Britney Spears Foundation’ that raises money for Britney’s favorite charitable organization.
Tactic B – Add this information to her official website and/or create a website devoted fully to this Foundation.
Tactic C - Plan a press conference/event to coincide with the official start of this organization and its first fundraiser in October 2005.
Strategy 3 – Decrease instances of negative media about Britney.
Tactic A – Monthly send out press releases which cover the positive activities in which Britney participates.
Tactic B – Join with MTV to allow  exclusive media rights to certain events. This will then provide them with good and meaningful coverage of whatever project Britney is working on or interviews with Britney herself, and they will be more likely to present her in a positive light to the public instead of creating a (negative) story just to gain viewers’ attention.

Objective 3: To begin changing Britney’s target audience from teenagers to a more mature audience. 50% of fans will be over 18 by the end of 2005.

Strategy 1 – Increase marketing efforts to an older/more mature fan base.
Tactic A – Place an Advertisement in Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Allure spring and fall editions.
Tactic B – Promote Britney’s albums and tours on college campuses around the nation by sending reviews, news releases and freebies to college newspapers and radio stations.
Strategy 2 – Decrease marketing efforts to adolescents and teenagers.
Tactic A – Put warning labels on albums that may contain questionable content for children.
Tactic B – End all partnerships which may link Britney to children, such as Britney dolls, lunchboxes, school supplies or make-up.
Tactic C – Decrease instances of Britney’s image and stories about her life in teen magazines such as Sixteen, Teen Beat or Bop.
Strategy 3 – Form partnerships with other companies marketing to the same type of target audience.
Tactic A – Conduct research on which types of products/companies work best when trying to market a musician/entertainment (for example, an automobile company may work better than an alcoholic beverage).
Tactic B – Conduct research on which of these companies would reach the specific target audience sought after and which has the highest sales/success rate and form a partnership with that company.
Tactic C – Develop a public relations campaign that involves these partnerships in 2006.

For more info, see my Britney Spears website at: http://info.nwmissouri.edu/~s215110/Britney.html 

Return to Topics

Created: February 5, 2005 by John Fisher