Developing a Public Relations Plan

Media mix to be used in the public relations campaign

A media mix can be said to be a combination of different forms of media that can be used to good effect in a campaign (Ledingham, & Bruning, 2000). In this public relations campaign that aims at reaching different audiences who are the key stakeholders in the Komen non-profit organization, a combination of different forms of media can be used in order to make the campaign effective and ensure that it has reached a wide number of the targeted audience. The target audiences of the public relations’ campaign include the affiliates, breast cancer patients, donors, sponsors and the media itself (Smith, 2013). The right messages must be created depending on the form of media used and the target audience. The objective of the specific media forms must be established. The media forms to be used in this campaign include television, radio, magazines, newspapers, the internet, and direct mails. This media mix is aimed at ensuring that the campaign reaches as many people as possible and the message is also portrayed in the right way (Smith, 2013).

Television: the objective of using this media form is reaching a large number of audiences through use of elaborate advertisements. This form of media ensures that one can specify the ads to specific groups of people or create a general advert that covers different groups of people. This media also allows the use of picture, print, sound, and motion for effect in the ads (Smith, 2013). This makes it possible to pass the information in a clear manner and reach a large number of audiences. Radio: the objective of using this media is targeting mostly the local audiences at a low cost. Through the use of media advertisements, it is possible to reach quite a big number of local audiences who in this case are the cancer patients (Ledingham, & Bruning, 2000). The radio is effective in conveying message to this audience because it can involve the use of sound and humor which can attract a large audience (Smith, 2013). Magazines: magazines are used to target specific audiences that in this case would include sponsors and donors. This is because the kinds of ads placed in magazines are high quality in terms of color and even the paper of magazines (Ledingham, & Bruning, 2000). The information to be placed in the magazines is complex and they cannot be targeted to the local people or simply cancer patients. Therefore, they are suitable for sponsors and donors because they can understand the complex functioning of the organization that the local audiences may not be possible (Smith, 2013).

Newspapers: the objective of using the newspapers in the media mix for this public relations campaign is to ensure excellent coverage of the local markets (Smith, 2013). Considering that the local people had been affected largely by the negative publicity of the organization, newspapers could do a perfect job in changing the negative publicity and also changing the negative perception that the local people had developed about the organization. The adverts can be placed at a low cost and it is also easy to change them. It is also easy to get the response of the locals and therefore the organization is able to determine the effectiveness of the campaign (Ledingham, & Bruning, 2000).

The internet: the objective of using this media form is conveying the message in both video and audio forms and enabling interaction between the audience and the advertiser (Smith, 2013). This targets the young generation because they spend more time on the internet and they can also give their responses to the advertiser easily. Direct mail: this media form is targeted to the affiliates, donors, and sponsors. The objective of including direct mail in the media mix is to ensure that complex and highly personalized information is passed to specific audiences (Smith, 2013). This makes it possible to communicate information that must not be released to the public. This information if therefore conveniently passed to the target audiences selectively (Ledingham, & Bruning, 2000).

Taking advantage of community relations to generate positive publicity for the organization

Community relations can play a very big role in changing the negative publicity of the organization. How an organization relates with the community in which it exists is very important and it can pay big dividends. An organization always exists in a community in which there is interaction and the relationship that exists can be of great advantage to the organization (Ledingham, & Bruning, 2000). The Komen foundation has worked hand in hand with the community by for example, carrying out breast cancer campaigns in primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, women organizations, and the public health sector. Through public relations, the organization can use these institutions in changing the negative publicity that is facing it. In community relations, programs can be created that help the organization to improve its services and public relations in order to change the negative publicity and restore positive publicity (Ledingham, & Bruning, 2000).

The best way in which the organization can make use of community relations is asking for the opinions or advice from the community in order to know what the community wants (Ledingham, & Bruning, 2000). The organization can also welcome the neighboring community its facilities and conduct an all-day activity of interaction that enables the community to present their views on the organization. The organization can also intensify its campaign activities that include free breast cancer screening as a way of restoring its good image to the society. The organization can also create a program that would include local charities. These programs should also be designed in a way that they are newsworthy so that they can get a chance of being features in the local news. This would play a very good role in creating positive publicity for the organization (Ledingham, & Bruning, 2000).

Government relations tactics would be used as part of the public relations campaign

Government relations tactics can be used as part of the public relations campaign to create positive publicity. The use of government relations tactics involves engaging the government departments to influence public policy (Van Leuven, 2012). This influence makes it possible to perform the campaign easily and also makes the process easier. Some effective means of using government relations include oral or written efforts of persuasion, campaign contributions, and research submitted to legislative committees, and giving formal testimonies before government committees. These tactics influence public policy giving the organization the advantage of creating positive publicity (Van Leuven, 2012). Through the use of these tactics, the organization could get funds and support from the government making the campaign easier and effective. By submitting report contributions and expenditures to government committees, the organization stands a chance of being funded by the government in both its activities and the campaign. This support by the government restores the publicity of the organization because it ensures that the public sees the support of the government to the organization and this changes the public perception of the organization (Van Leuven, 2012).

A news release to be used in the public relations campaign

KOMEN foundation is intensifying its fight against breast cancer-serving breast cancer patients in a better and efficient way.

The Komen foundation which is a non-profit organization aimed at eradicating breast cancer is intending to increase its campaigns on breast cancer and also increase the availability of breast cancer treatment to breast cancer treatment. After a few report that have been going round about the fall of the organization, the organization wants to assure all the patients, stakeholders and every person who benefits from our services that their interests are our first priority. The leadership of the foundation also apologizes for the inconveniences caused and we promise that everything is in place and better. The decision that brought the negative changes has also been dropped. Changes have been done by the management in ensuring that services to the community are made better in all the branches of the foundation worldwide. The leadership of the organization is also assuring all Komen foundation’s cancer patients to feel free to continue being served at the organization because the necessary changes have been to meet their needs. Everyone should also feel free to share and interact with our staff so that we can be able to serve you better by hearing your opinion. Try our services today, because they are better than yesterday. Public relations manager, The Komen foundation.

The content of the news release targets a general audience and it is aimed at convincing people that the organization has changed for the better (Van Leuven, 2012). It also contains an apology for the negative publicity that has affected the people who were being served by the organization. It also persuades the public to continue seeking the services of the organization because everything has been improved to serve the people in a better way and the opinion of the public has also been considered (Van Leuven, 2012).

References

Ledingham, J. A., & Bruning, S. D. (Eds.). (2000). Public relations as relationship management: A relational approach to the study and practice of public relations. Routledge.

Smith, R. D. (2013). Strategic planning for public relations. Routledge.

Van Leuven, J. K. (2012). Public relations: The profession and the practice. McGraw-Hill.