By the end of training course participants will be able to:

• Develop a problem-solving approach to match PR strategy to business objectives.
• Critically examine the PR campaigns and the purposes that they can achieve.
• Plan PR campaigns to meet need setting clear objectives with behavioural outcomes and measurable results.
• Develop clear strategies for the use of channels and media.
• Measure risk presented during a campaign by increased public and media scrutiny and to plan to mitigate these risks.
• Learn how to evaluate PR to demonstrate success to the business and to develop PR methodology.

Course Content

Effective PR in a Media Environment

• Putting a value on reputation and the PR that builds it.
• Corporate Affairs and Public Affairs approaches
• PR campaigns – their use and their risks
• External Communication as a change agent
• Evaluation to develop programmes and match outcomes to organisational needs.

A Problem-Solving Approach

• Brand, identity and image, the basis of reputation
• Assessing your reputation and the use of ‘gap’ analysis
• Stakeholder mapping, listening constructively to your stakeholders.
• The importance of narrative and storytelling
• The Message matrix/ message houses
• Communications channels mapping and monitoring
• A crisis management toolkit

Planning and Costing Campaigns

• Creating campaigns to meet business objectives.
• A problem-solving approach
• Critical path analysis, costing the plan and preparing a budget.
• Anticipating risk and planning to meet it.
• Identifying stakeholders and their role in relation to the campaign
• Co-ordinating campaign elements across stakeholder groups

Channels, Delivery and Evaluation

• From strategy to tactics
• Environmental scanning, opportunities, and risks
• Developing a media relations plan
• Crisis media relations
• Channel effectiveness and use of media
• Using influencer strategies to multiply effectiveness.

Putting it all together – Effective Delivery in Your Organisation

• Winning support - consulting others in the organisation effectively
• Research and evaluation
• Presenting your case to senior management
• Integrating your campaigns into your own media and company reporting
• Ensuring that results are seen and credited.
• Personal action planning

For Whom:

Public Relations managers, Supervisors, Officers, and Others who perform related functions both in public and private sector.

Training Methodology

The training methodology combines lectures, discussions, group exercises and illustrations. Participants will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of the topics. The emphasis is on the practical application of the topics and as a result participant will go back to the workplace with both the ability and the confidence to apply the techniques learned to their duties.a