Week 9 - Strategy, Planning & Scheduling/ Tactics

This week's readings discuss the four main weapons in a public relations practitioner's arsenal of munitions in communicating effectively with his or her organisation's publics: strategy, planning, scheduling and tactics. The military associations with these terms reflect the care and precision with which one must go about this. I think the key points to remember from this week's readings are that a sound strategy, coupled with the selection of the correct tactics to be used, is essential for any successful public relations campaign.

The mainstay of a good public relations campaign is a good strategic plan, exemplified by the ten points outlined in Zawawi and Johnston's strategic communication plan. The 1) executive summary is a concise abstract of the goals and objectives of the plan, as well as a brief outline of the tactics employed and time frame. The 2) vision and mission is the next important step, and enables the organisation to communicate to its publics the company's aspirations and values. A 3) background and situation analysis, on the other hand, enables the organisation to pinpoint particular strengths and weaknesses. Following that, we should also 4) define in detail the tactics needed to achieve our stated goals, 5) define our publics so as to tailor an effective message for each of them, and 6) define the overarching theme of our plan. In addition, a 7) careful selection of tactics and communication methods must be carried out, together with an illustration of how these particular strategies will be of use to the plan. We must also 8) give a breakdown of the time frame and schedule of the plan. There should be 9) careful monitoring and evaluating of these tactics, too, so that an exigency plan can be formulated, should these tactics prove untenable. Lastly, a (10) prudent budget must be given, with an estimation of the costs of the various activities pertaining to the plan.

Having gone on at some length about the specifics of a strategic plan, it would be important at this juncture to note the difference between a strategy and a tactic. While they might appear to be synonyms for each other, in the public relations world a strategy is a macro vision of sorts, a blueprint for success in achieving stated goals and objectives. On the other hand, a tactic is the choice of tool used to implement the aforementioned strategy. As such, another key point to note from this week's readings is that care must be taken to continually assess the tactics chosen, to ensure that we are not going off on a tangent. In other words, the tactics must relate back to achieving the desired strategic outcome. There are many tactics one can use in achieving our strategic aims. Controlled tactics, in which the practitioner oversees the entire process, include stuff like brochures and advertising. Uncontrolled tactics involve messages mediated by the media that may be diluted or blocked entirely, and therefore carry a higher degree of risk.

The readings have made me think more about public relations theory and practice, in that one must have the dexterity and flexibility to employ both controlled and uncontrolled tactics in implementing a strategic plan. A practitioner must also have a creative and visual eye for detail when selecting tactics to grab a public's attention. For example, seemingly trivial things, like the choice of photographs and the colour of typography used, can have a big visual impact on our audience. At the same time, one must also be analytical and precise, always taking a step back to see whether a chosen tactic is in line with the stated objectives of a strategic plan. A combination of creative flair and analytical skill is what is needed to clinch an effective public relations campaign.