week 10th PR blogging =)

Chapter 13-Focus on Asian Public Relations Management

This chapter aims to identify the different cutural issues that apply to the practice of public relation in Asia, to discuss various aspects of public relations as they apply to different locations, and to understand the importance of identifying variables in public relations.

What makes public relations important? I think there are a number of important factors at work in Asia that make the job of public reltions more complex than it may be in individual Western countries. In this, Trade, languages, government intent, stakeholders, and personal interaction is very important for public relations.

Public relations is fundamentally the art and science of establishing relationships between an organization and its key audience. It plays a key role in helping business industries create strong relationships with customers, also it involves supervising and assessing public attitudes, and maintaining mutual relations and understanding between an oganisation and its public. The function of public relations is to improve channels of communication and to institute new way of setting up a two-way flow of information and understanding.

At present public relations as a career option exists in private companies or government institutions that actively market their product, service and facilities. Public relations training courses are widespread in educational institutions.

Most public relations practitoners are recruited from the ranks of journalism. Public relations officers are highly trained professionals with expertise an knowledge in many areas, for example shareholder management during a crisis, the evolving role of the in-house public relations professional, account management skills for public relations, an introduction to financial public relations, an introduction to consumer public relations, an introduction to public relations software etc.

The Public sphere is an area in social life where people can get together and freely discuss and identify societal problems, and throught that discussion influence political actions. It can be seen as "a theater in modern societies in which political participation is enacted through the medium of talk" and "a realm of social life in which public opinion can be formed."

And, on page 369 to 378, they showed example of countries by country practice which are China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Thailand. You can see the contextual influences of government and culture are instrumental in defining how public relations operates in the countrieds studied in this chapter. :)

It was the last posting blog, I hope you guys can enjoy my pity Blog:)

Thank you so much <3

9th of PR blogging :)~~~

Chapter 12- New Media and Public Relations

This chapter aims to understand emerging a media concepts and theories, appreciate the impact of technologyon public elations practices, and after you read this chapter you are able to identify te challenges new media pose for the public relations professions, and consider the use of social media to develop opportunities for dialogue and two-way and multiway communication.

What is New Media? it is term meant to encompass the emergence of digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies in the later part of the 20th century. Most technologies described as "new media" are digital, often having characterisitc of being manipulated, newtworkable, dense, compressible, interactive, and impartial. Some examples may be the internet, websites, computer multimedia, computer games and DVDs. It is not television programs, feature films, magazines, books, or paper-based publications.

The exponential rate of technological change that has transformed media and communication structures globally is reflected in the degree of attention paid to the convergent media nexus by the international community. With the rapid growth of new media technology including the Internet, interactive television networks, and multimedia information services, many proponents emphasize their potential to increase interactive mass media, entertainment and education.

In the past decade, search engines have turned the Web into an enormous user-driven and non linear repository of information. Instead of the information source dictating how information is presented and consumed, the user is in charge. Unfortunately, public relations practitioners have generally failed to grasp how this revolutionary change can be leveraged. Instead, most organization Web sites continue to mimic corporate brochures and still take a sequential approach to presenting their information.

I think, a great example of how everyone can have a voice and everyone can be part of the conversation is Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia completely generated, edited and updated by Web users. Not only is Wikipedia a great channel for getting your organizations' message out, the technology that makes it work is available to incorporate into your organization's Web site. Public relations counselors can make delicious us a stand part of their PR program by establishing a list of favorites with their organization's Web site and adding each news release, article or white paper as they are posted online. It is hard to predict what might capture the attention of the user community.

And, for the new media applications, they have blogs, podcasting, second life, social networking, and Twitter. What is implication of public relations and blogs? Given that blogs are a relatively recent phenomenont an something public relations professionals are only beginning to grapple with, Yet blogs can be very useful research tools, particularly in monitoring and environmental scanning in that they provide direct access to public attitudes. and this suggests that blogs have value as research tool in pulbic relations in that thy offer an insight into the compliexity, subtlety, diversity, and the contradictions and lack of cohesion in public opinion. what do you think of it?

To be continued.....=)

8th of PR blogging :)

Chapter 8&10-Reputation Management: A driving force for action/ An issues-Crisis perspective

- After you read these chapters, you should be able to discuss the relevance of reputation management for organisations, understand the role of corporate public relations in contemporary organisations, explain the importance of stakeholders to the formation of corporate reputation, learn how public relations practitioners respond to and manage issues, understand the difference between a crisis and an issue, develop an understanding of the impact of new media on issues management and crisis public relations activities.

'Reputation' is defined in the Australian Concse Oxford Dictionary as, 'what is generally said about a person's or a thing's character...state of being well reported of, credit, distinction, respectability, good report.' I think, societal expectations of big business are greater than those of smaller organisations. Depending on the organisation, corporate public relations may primarily be the responsibility of inhouse mangers of external consultants or a combination of both.

In the US, Micho Spring, chairperson of Weber Shandwick's corporate practice, confirms that increased regulation has significantly changed the way comapnies communicate. "There are a lot more procedures to follownow," she says. " Information must be equally accessible to various stakeholders and media, and operations much be as transparent as possible. Communicationslogistics are under increasing scrutiny and this has altered the way companies deal with the media." According to her speech, the impat is also being felt in Europe.

In the traditional view of the firm, the stakeholder view, and the firm has a binding fiduciary duty to put teir needs first, to increase value for them. In older input-output models of the corporationism the firm converts the inputs of investors, employees, ad suppliers. The stakeholder view of strategy is an instrumental theory of the corporationm integrating both the resource-based view as well as the market-based view, and adding a socio-political level.

A company's reputation, or the essence of how it is viewed by all of its publics, is the leading factor in its ability success. with this in mind, the battered image of the corporate world is no small matter. Restoring trust and helping companies to earn a reputation for credibility will require sound public relations leadership. Indeed, with corporate integrity central on the minds of average Americans, the role of public reltions today is more critical than ever before.

What is issues management? I think it refers to the discipline and process of managing business issues and usually implies using technoogy to electronically automate the process. Indeed, on page 277 there is an example for difference between an issue and a crisis, pretty good to understand when you read it. Moreover, i think, the process of attuning to audience and stakeholder issues and concerns, and being sensitive to the growth of public opinion on an issue of relevance to the organisations, are key functions of the public relations practitioner. :)

Seventh lesson of PR:)

Chapter 7- Public Relations Management in Organisations

- This chapter aims to see public relations as a link between organisations and their environments, use systems theory to guide your understanding and practical application of public relations, define the roles and key areas of focus for the public relations team within an organisations, and identify and understand how a range of external forces, including conflict, activism and corporate social responsibility, affect the practice of public relations.

In these days, while you have some luxury to reflect on your personal choices, experts argue that time is up for business. Investors, customers, and employees expect it. And, public relations is practised in many different organisational contexts, from inhouse government of public affairs roles to corporate communications role in small, medium, large, listed, and not-for-profit organisations. Thought their communication planning and management, public relations practitioners build and enhance organisational reputation and build and maintain relationships that are important to the organisation and its goals. Furthermore, you need to understand systems theory, this theory provides a framework through which to view organisations and their relationships with the environment. It is firmly established as one of the guiding theories for public relations theory and practice. Also, it is used to explain how public relations helps us to understand and manage the relationships an organisation has with its stakeholders and public who make up its environment. Althought each part is very important, but the basic premise behind this whole view is that a change to one part affects the whole systems. It have 5 types of systems that are in the transformation process: production or technical, supportive substsrems, subsystems. I think by understanding what is happening within the environment and how environmental changes might affect organisational goals, public relations can drive adaptation to better suit srakeholder needs. It says, in open systems, PR takes on functional approach that is concerned with two-way communication between the organisation and the environment. I do not really understand of difference between these two..... :(

Now that the theory that informs the public relations management role in organisations has beenset out, I can start to explore what it looks like and who is involved. If you take a look in page 202, in Table 7.1, describes about organisation, department and program levels as well. So it would be useful to understand of it. :)

After all, i think as operating environments change and new issues emerge, the pulbic relations role will continue to change and to focus more on active involvement in organisational decision making and relational development at all levels. There is a need to build and maintain relationships with external publics, who have the potential to affect organisations during times of stability and change.

Sixth lesson of PR:)

Welcome back to Yale's blog =) I had a Debate 2 during the tutorial and topic was it was obvious that media relations should be the focus of the PR campaign.

What are Media relations? public relations campaign focus less on advertising and more on giving valuable information to the public usually without including a sales pitch. it is often much easier to educate an individual so that they recognize their own want or needs rather than attempting to directly sell a product.

Moreover, it involves working with variou media for the purpose of informing the public of an organization's mission, policies and practices in a positive, consistent and credible manner. Typically, this means coordinating directly with the people responsible for producing the news and features in the mass media. Moreover, the goal of media relations is to maximize positive coverage in the mass media without paying for it directly throught advertising. Traditionally, the media was thought of as being people in charge of content at television stationsm radio stations, newspaper, popular magazines and trade magazines.

Today, depending who you talk to, bloggers, online TV stations, online radio stations, online magazines, and podcasters are now considered part of the media as well. A media relations is very important to people, because it has obviou reason which is media placements extend marketing budgets, increase credibility and allow a message to spread much faster than advertising alone. In additin, establishing relationships with the media can ensure fair coverage should controversy arise involving your organisation. Through the debate, i also able to know media relations is important thing to know for PR campaign. In addition, people available to find Media relations online, the internet has democratized the media and the way media relations is practiced.


*6.Public relations practice & 9. Strategies to Proactively Manage activity*

These 2 chapters able to descrie how strategy is an integral part of public relations practice, helpful to understand the key concepts of how meaning is constructed in a contested space, intentional representation, and intended meaning. Moreover, able to describe the major tactics used within public relations and in what settings they might be useful.

What is strategy? it is central to the role and function of public relations. The strategic contribution of public relations practitioners develops 'problem- solving strategies for the entire organization' by working with other departmets and coordnating problems-solving activities. If you are promoting a cinema complex, your competitor might seem to be another cinema complex.

Fifth lesson of PR

YAY ! I am back now :) During today's tutorial Ms.Joleen (sorry about the name) came to our class and introduced of her company. The company name was OCD which published since February 2009 and showed us about Disorganization Woes pictures; messy room, designer room, and kitchens. Moreover, compared with before and after picture so that it was pretty clear to understand about what is her job.

OCD Company is the Singapore's first and only professional organizing service and provides individualized organizing solutions to daily living. I think this idea is really good because we always think to clean up the messy stuff but never started it... The cost is 80 dollars per hours so it would be ok for clients also. They are not doing advertise on TV or Radio, most of their advertising in online, Postcard Flyers, Media-Magazine, especially word of mouth (introduce to friends).

During her speech, I loved her one quote which is when you start to look at the messy room first, it is really stressful but when the progressing of cleaning is going well, she says she is really satisfied to do her job. There is not much chance to people do what they want to do. I think she is very lucky and pretty enjoying her life as well :) and hope to do well in my Assignment 3!!!!!

*Engaging with the media*

- I think this chapter is going to understand the importance of news values and news framing and could consider the theories and ethical practices of media relations. The public relations role involves looking for opportunities to publish newsworthy stories about your organisation that wll support yout objectives-to increase awareness, improve community relations, attract people to an event, even to minimise concern about something that is not woking well. Because they can anticipate the contested space, an can advise on the most effective strategy to achieve the desired media response.

Moreover, it is important to explore theories that can be applied to your work with the media: agenda-setting theorists, uses, and gratifications theorists, spiral of silence theory, two-step flow teory, framing theory, socilogial theory and social reality.

The question, Is bad news more newsworthy than good? what do you think about it? I think i tend to think that the media are only interested in bad news and on actual survey, the average percentage of negative stories was much higher: 56 percent. The figures from the sample in book go a little way towards substantiating political media advisers' claims that journalists tended o seek out negative news.

To be continued.......=)

Fourth lesson of PR

Welcome back to week 5 lesson :) this week also have so much things to catch up.

This week's lecture is about 'Experiential Marketing; What is it all about, how does it relate to PR and why do it? Teacher Tanya Wilson says, It ALL starts with the Internet.

These days, Internet represents the quickest opened up the brand to people, i mean anyone can be.

According to Rupert Murdoch, "Technology is shifting power away from the editors, the publishers, the establishment .......(I couldn't copy all the sentences, sorry :( )" I totally agree with this phrase because it's all related into our life, society and moreover, media has power to change online too.

Can you imagine some brand without LOGOs? Maybe, when you think about Nike, Adidas, or Puma you might able to think logo first. In addition, Naomi Kieln said, Logos have become the closet thing we have to an international language.

Teacher Tanya Wilson tried to show us some interesting website about bunch of brand advertising but we had no time to see it in the lecture so i just put the address here so you can take a look for a while. http://www.coloribus.com

Tivo= Television+Advertising (Isn't it very interesting haha...)

There was one very interesting phrase by Confucius, Chinese Philosopher,

"Tell me and I will forget,

Show me and I may remember,

Involve me and I will understand."

I think it shows people will only give up their time for meaning .....

p.s. I noticed that CIGARETTE company cannot advertise by law.... perhaps, it is for children and don't make people to desire to smoke :)

*Chapter5&6- Theory & practice on the Job*

- In this chapter, aims examine research at different stages in the public relations process and the contributions it can make at eah stages, moreover, help to understand the role of research in effecive public relations practice and able to discuss of the realities and chanllenges of public relations research.

I think research is an important tool for public relations practitioners. Almost every day, we got communication problem of reject calls for varying degrees of research: fact finding, opinion assessment, message testing, planning, execution, and evaluation. If you done at th star of a program, it enables us to create programs based on a better understanding of issus and with a better appreciation of context. In addition, we should remember tha the reason for public relations activity is to contrubute to organsational reputation and relationship management: ultimately, all public relations programs should be linked to their impact on reputation an relationships.

In the research, it divided into 8 parts before research which are 1)identifying the problems issues or opportunity, 2) identifying the audience or public, 3)understanding the audienc or public, 4) establishing the ethical considerations, 5) understanding and measuring public opinion, 6)settin objectives and establishing targets for what the program will achieve, 7)establishing benchmarks, 8)determining strateg, tactics, messages, and communication channels (if you want more details, could look at chapter 4, page 133-134).

When do we need professional assistance? maybe we have three options for that, the first of which is to conduct the research yourself, the second option is to use professional assistant for part of the research project including: indentification of target audience and sample etc, the last option is to turn or whole project ovr to the professionals like interviewer training and monitoring or large capacity computer processing.

I think, one of the main things you need to develop early on is a good relationship with the peple you are working with in the organisation, and between yourself an th person you are working for. These relationships rely on effective verbal and written interpersonal communication, and on a positive attitude.

This is the end of my blog for this week ~ please enjoy with it

TO BE CONTINUED........