QUESTION
Assessment 3: Media Plan and tactics
Based on the client brief and your media relations analysis (assessment two), develop a media plan and set of tactics to resolve the client need. This assignment has two parts (Part 1 and Part 2). You must complete both Part 1 and Part 2.
Part 1 – Media Plan
The final response to the client takes the form of a media plan. It should include the following elements:
- Introduction: A very brief introduction to the document and its purpose/ structure
- Public relations problem: The public relations “problem statement” establishes the scope of your planning i.e.: what you are trying to address in your media plan.
- Target publics: Identify, describeand justify the target publics for the media relations activities.
- Goal: Write an overarching goal for the media relations plan.
- Objectives: Write objectives for the media relations plan, aligned with program goal
- Strategy: Develop a clear strategy/ies to achieve the objectives of the media relations plan. You can draw on theory to develop your own “working” strategy for the plan.
- Key messages: Develop at least five key messages that deliver on your strategy. These can be core and public specific. These will be used in your media tactics
- Media tactics and timeline: Describe tactics relevant to the strategy (and publics) established in the plan. Tactics should also be presented in a timeline. Media relations tactics should be presented with a clear identification of key messages, story angles and targeted media (link to publics).
- Evaluation: Based on the objectives, set out the evaluation process to measure each media relations objective, and prove the value of the media relations outcomes to the organisation.
Part 2 – Media tactics portfolio (compulsory)
Following on from your media strategy (Part 1 of this assignment) you must produce a suite of media tactics (six – as listed below) for your client and provide these as “distribution” ready.
You must also research and develop a media distribution list for your plan – noting the section/ journalist for your specific developed tactics in your list.
Writing the tactics provides you with the opportunity to showcase the application of consistent, appropriate messaging across different tactics, as well as your persuasive writing talents. The tactics should showcase how your media strategy and timeline will be implemented.
Remember you need to prepare the following tactics that align with your media plan. All tactics must be prepared to a “distribution ready” standard:
- Media release(two pages – formatted)
- Media pitch email (170 words) for interview or photo opportunity
- Feature article (two pages)
- Media kit fact sheet (two pages)
- Five proactive tweets from client’s corporate twitter site reflecting the media strategy
- Internal briefing note to spokesperson with pre-prepared potentialmedia questions and answers (Q&As)
AMN461 Corporate Media Strategy and Tactics Media Plan (25%) – PART 1
Name: ______________________________________________
|
Grade |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3-2-1 |
|
Mark |
16.6-14.2 |
14-12.5 |
12.3-10.8 |
10.6-8.4 |
8.1-1 |
| Knowledge and skills | |||||
| Target publics | You describe and justify relevant target publics. You clearly articulate their relationship to the organisation, the media, and the media relations problem/opportunity. You demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to target publics through contemporary media channels.
|
You describe and categorise relevant target publics. You attempt to draw links to their relationship to the organisation, the media, and the media relations problem/opportunity.You demonstrate a strong understanding of how to target publics through contemporary media channels.
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You describe a selection of relevant target publics. You describe their relationship to the organisation, and draw some links to the media and the media relations problem/opportunity You demonstrate some understanding of how to target publics through contemporary media channels.
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You describe some target publics but do not articulate their relevance.You draw some links to the organisation, and the media relations problem/opportunity. You demonstrate basic understanding of how to target publics through contemporary media channels. | You do not identify appropriate publics nor do you relate publics to the media relations problem/opportunity. You do notdemonstrate how to target publics through contemporary media channels. |
| Critical thinking and analysis | |||||
| Goal and objectives | You include a highly appropriate goal for the media relations program. Your objectives are all written to meet conventions and work as a complementary set to achieve the program goal. Your objectives strongly address the media relations problem/opportunity and focus on highly relevant outcomes and some outputs. | You include an appropriate over-arching goal for the media relations program. Your objectives are written to meet conventions and work as a complementary set to achieve the program goal. Your objectives address the media relations problem/opportunity and focus on relevant outcomes and some outputs. | You include an over-arching goal for the media relations program. Your objectives are written to meet conventions and show some alignment with the program goal. Your objectives address the media relations problem/opportunity with some focus on relevant outcomes. | You include an over-arching goal for the media relations program. Some of your objectives are written to meet conventions and show some alignment with the program goal. Your objectives attempt to address the media relations problem/opportunity and show a limited focus on relevant outcomes.
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You do not include an appropriate over-arching goal for the media relations program. Your objectives do not meet conventions nor are they aligned with achievement of the program goal or are not all relevant to media relations. Your objectives do not focus on relevant outcomes or outputs. |
| Media strategy | Your strategy is creative and highly appropriate. It strongly links and delivers onyour media relations objectives with comprehensive consideration of publics, media effects, and public opinion.
You develop a suite of differentiated and creative key messages that are strongly linked to your media strategy(ies) |
Your strategy responds strongly to your media relations objectives with strong consideration of publics, media effects, and public opinion.
You develop at least five creative key messages and attempt to differentiate these across audiences. You show strong links to your chosen strategy(ies) |
Your strategy responds to your media relations objectives with some consideration of media effects and of public opinion.
You develop five creative key messages with a good attempt to show links to the media strategy. |
Your strategy considers your media relations objectives with some consideration of publics, media effects, or public opinion but not all three.
You identify five key messages |
You do not define a relevant media relations strategy nor does it consider publics, media effects or public opinion.
You do not provide key messages, or your key messages show no relevance or linkage to your chosen strategy or organisational goals. |
| Selection of media relations tactics and timeline | You identify and describea well-coordinated and creative range of online and offline media relations tactics which closely align with your strategy. You accurately plot these on a timeline. You are consistent in your use ofkey messages, story angle/s andtargeted media for each. | You identify and describe a well-coordinated range of online and offline media relations tactics which align with your strategy and show some elements of creativity. You plot these on a timeline with minor omissions. You are consistent in your use of key messages, story angle/s and targetedmedia for most tactics. | You identify and describe a range of coordinated online and offline media relations tactics which align with your strategy. You include a basic timeline. You identify some key messages but consistency is lacking. You use some key messages, story angle/s and targeted media for some tactics and these are generally appropriate. | You identify a small selection of online and offline media relations tactics with some alignment to your strategy. You timeline is basic and may lackdetail or is unrealistic. You use some key messages and targeted media but consistency across the tactics is lacking and not all story angle/s are appropriate.
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You identify a little or no online and offline media relations tactics that do not align with your strategy. You lack creativity in your approach or messaging. You do not include a timeline or it is included but is unrealistic and inaccurate. You do not include media targets for your tactics. Your story angle/s is not appropriate.
|
| Evaluation | Your evaluation is both formative and summative and provides a detailed overview of practical and timely ways to measureeach objective and accommodate the consequence of this in your planning. You clearly articulate the value of the media relations program to the organisation, linking the value to overall organisational objectives. | Your evaluation is formative and summative and provides an overview of practical and timely ways to measure each objective. You articulate the value of the media relations program to the organisation, giving some links to the overall organisational objectives. | Your evaluation is mainly summative with some formative evaluation provided. You providesome insight into how each objective might be measured. You articulate the value of the media relations program to the organisation. | Youevaluation provides some insight into how some of your objectives might be measured but it is not consistent. Youattempt to give some explanation of how the media relations program links to the organisation. | You do not provide adequate evaluation insights and you lack understanding of how the media relations program could add value to the organisation, or you provide inaccurate or misaligned information. |
| Professional communication: written | |||||
| Writing quality | Your response to the client reflects contemporary business report format. You have no errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and /or formatting style on any one page. You evidence media examples referred to in the report by providing them, or their URL, in an appendix. Your academic references are given accurately in APA style. | Your response to the client reflects contemporary business report format. You have no more than one error in spelling, grammar, punctuation and/or formatting style on any one page. You evidence media examples referred to in the report by providing them, or their URL, in an appendix. Your academic references are given accurately in APA style. | Your response to the client reflects contemporary business report format. You have no more than two errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and/or formatting style on any one page. You evidence media examples referred to in the report by providing them, or their URL, in an appendix. Your academic references are given accurately in APA style. | Your response to the client does not reflect contemporary business report format, and/or you have no more than three errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and/or formatting style on any one page. You do not fully evidence media examples referred to in the report. Your academic references are given accurately in APA style. | Your response to the client does not reflect contemporary business report format. You have numerous errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and/or formatting style on any one page. You do not evidence the media coverage examples you refer to in your report and/or your referencing has errors, or is lacking. |
| Not assessed, but a mandatory inclusion in assignment | |||||
| Problem statement is included in assignment. | |||||
Grade: / 100
Comments:
AMN461 Corporate Media Strategy and Tactics Tactics Portfolio(25%) – PART 2
Name: ______________________________________________
|
Grade |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3-2-1 |
|
|
Mark |
25 – 21.3 |
21 – 18.8 |
18.5 – 16.3 |
16-12.5 |
12.2 – 1 |
|
| Knowledge and skills | ||||||
| Media targeting and timeline
(Media distribution list and timeline) |
Your media distribution list is extensive and demonstrates a strong understanding of media targeting and newsworthiness and strongly considers organisational goals. Your tactics fit logically with your stated timeline for implementation. | Your media distribution list demonstrates a solid understanding of media targeting and newsworthiness and considers organisational goals. Your tactics fit with your stated timeline for implementation. | Your media distribution list demonstrates some understanding of media targeting and newsworthiness and show some consideration of organisational goals. Your tactics fit with your timeline for implementation with some logical errors. | Your media distribution list demonstrates a basic understanding of media targeting and newsworthiness with basic consideration of organisational goals. Your tactics fit with your timeline with a number of errors. | You do not include a media distribution list, or it does not demonstrate an understanding of media targeting. Your tactics do not align with, or are not mentioned, on your timeline. Your timeline is not appropriate for the tactics or strategy identified. | |
| Critical thinking and analysis | ||||||
| News angles and messaging | You providehighly appropriate and creative newsworthy angles for the targeted media. You convey compelling, clear and consistent persuasive messaging across each of your media tactics. Messaging closely aligns with client priorities. You evidence these messages with supporting information or relevant personal opinion in quotations. | Your tactics present newsworthy angles for the targeted media. You convey consistent persuasive messaging across each of your media tactics. Messaging aligns with client priorities. You evidence these messages with some supporting information or relevant personal opinion in quotations. | Some of your tactics present newsworthy angles for the targeted media. You attempt to convey similar persuasivemessages across each of your media tactics. Messaging shows some alignment with client priorities.You evidence these messages with somewhat relevant supporting information orquotations. | Your tactics present different newsworthy angles for the targetedmedia and there is little evidence of persuasive messaging. Messaging shows partial alignment with client priorities. You provide only basic evidence for your key messages with supporting information.
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You do not present newsworthy angles or the angles are not linked to the targeted media.
Messaging does not align with client priorities. There is little or no evidence from supporting information for your key messages.
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| Professional communication: written | ||||||
| Writing conventions | You follow all writing and style conventions for the chosen media genre. You clearly structure content in each tactic with logical progression within and between paragraphs and sections.
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You follow all writing conventions for the chosen media genre.
You clearly structure content in each tactic, but there are minor lapses in logical progression within and between paragraphs and sections. |
You follow most writing conventions for the chosen media genre. You structure content clearly with some lapses.
There are some lapses in logical progression within and between paragraphs and sections
|
You attempt to follow writing conventions for the chosen media genre, with several lapses.
The logical progression within and between paragraphs and sections is not consistent across tactics
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You do not follow or meet the writing conventions of your selected media genre. Your items are not structured well and have limited consideration of content progression.
|
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| Mechanical/ technical | You make no errors in spelling, grammar, structure or style. | You make few to noerrors in spelling, grammar, structure or style. | You make few errors in spelling, grammar, structure and/or style.
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You make three to five errors in spelling, grammar, structure and/or style. | You make numerous in spelling, grammar, structure, and/or style.
|
|
Grade: / 100 Note: Six(6) media tactics must be submitted for grading. No prorata grade will be given.
SOLUTION
1. Introduction
This document represents an outline of the media Relations Plan developed for Australian Koala Foundation (AKF). Australian Koala Foundation is a not-for-profit and non-governmental organisation which is totally dedicated to the effective management as well as conservation of the wild koala and its habitat. This politically neutral international organisation is highly credible, compassionate and dedicated towards reducing the threat towards the existence of koalas and is trying to increase consciousness amongst the global citizens about conserving world’s flora and fauna (AUSTRALIAN KOALA FOUNDATION, n.d.). It is important to have a plan to protect koala and its habitat because the long-term survival of koala is not secure in Austrlia.
In order to make the public relations problems faced by AKF clear by refining and defining them, it is important to conduct a brief situational analysis (Broom, 2009). The main problem AKF is struggling with is to establish a meaningful relationship with general public. The reason behind this problem is inconsistency in the media coverage done by AKF as required by the target public’s media consumption. Like it is not utilizing the best social media platform to the fullest to interact and engage the key public.
Another aim of AKF is to maximise the level of awareness about koala and increase the interaction of key public with the organisation and specifically with the Save the Koala Month. Although the frequency of key messages has been quite consistent for past few months related to AKF in their campaigns ,but the repetition of the same key messages every year does not captivate the media as desired and thus AKF fails in achieving the required awareness and interactions.
Another limitation being faced by AKF regarding public relations efforts is the funding which is limited because of the competition between various non-profit organisations for funding as well as the media coverage. Moreover koala being region specific animal so communicating to the public the key messages about the animal is difficult task also.
2. Public Relations Problem Statement
The major problem which AKF faces is not engaging the target public by developing a substantial relationship by creating a common platform where public gets attracted and starts interacting with AKF.
Moreover the koala population is rapidly diminishing due to extensive development and expanding mining industry mainly in South-East Queensland area, which has resulted in shrinking habitat of koalas and make them extinct if not saved with AKF efforts.
3. Target publics
As already mentioned in the problem statement that AKF is facing a critical problem of developing fresh and new key messages which fascinate and pull the target publics towards this noble cause, so to deal with this problem AKF needs to develop a mutual understanding with their target audience or public.
The identified target public for AKF are:
- The Young and Actives,
- Environmental experts,
- Nature lovers,
- Existing donors,
- Koala interest groups,
- Education institutions,
- Green Environment Politicians
- Stay at Homes
Amongst all these identified target publics some are priority public that is they are potential public or audience which is ready to get involved with AKF.
Young and Actives
These are the direct public who are aware of existence of non-profit organisations, but not in particular about AKF. So if the youth are targeted it will convert them from unaware public to active public also. These are the public which falls in the age group between 18 and 24 and reside in both rural as well as metropolitan areas. Since they live at home or with their friends and their expenses are also very low so they have high; level of disposable income. Mostly they are students who are tech-savvy and spend a huge amount of time on online media. Thus they are heavy consumers of social media as well as news media. Their television consumption is very less and since they frequently interact with friends as wells as family so their community engagement is of higher level.
Environmental Experts & Koala Interest Groups
They also fall in the target public as they are aware of the importance of saving koala and their habitat, so just a platform to engage them with the AKF’s campaign is what media strategy requires . Due to their high level of awareness about environment and specially koala they will themselves show interest in this cause.
4. Campaign Goals and Objectives
The campaign goal of this media relations plan is to increase the awareness about conserving koala and their habitats and to enhance the engagement of general public with AKF and the upcoming Save the Koala Month.
There are many objectives which AKF wants to fulfil through this media strategic plan and some of them are listed below:
- To raise the level of awareness amongst the target public that is the young and actives and the environmental experts and Koala interest groups.
- To raise the awareness about the ‘Save the Koala Month’ and get the target public actively involved in this campaign by September 2012.
- To enhance the number of Facebook likes of AKF’s Facebook page from 22,429 to 10,000 by 31st December, 2012 and to increase the number of public taking about AKF’s Facebook page from 1035 to 3,000 by 31st December, 2012.
- To raise the number of twitter followers of AKF from 2,308 to 4,000 by 31st December, 2012 .
- To increase the public engagement in the Save the Koala month campaign from the last year that is 2011.
- Increase the involvement of education institutions because if the students are aware about this cause automatically they will involve their whole family.
5. Strategy
State the theory used for strategic planning
The main aim of AKF is to achieve cognitive benefits like creating awareness as well as recognition and at the same time it aims at creating relational effect too by developing relations with its target public. Thus a differentiated media strategy would be the best one to handle all kinds of target public and achieve desired objective for AKF. The main strategic focus of AKF is to develop the sense of “Community involvement-Living with koalas”.
The Strategic Media Plan for AKF should follow the Complexity theory where the chaos theory is also included and it suggests that predictability factor of the universe is over along with the orderliness in the universe. This theory says that the organization needs to think nature (Learning from Complexity Theory: Is Strategic Planning Obsolete?, 2002). Strategic media planning can also be done by doing planning with Massive Scenario Generation ( (Davis, Bankes and Egner, 2007).
6. Key messages
At least 5 key messages based on strategy
AKF does not want to convey that koalas are in distress or pitiful situation, rather the main message they want to convey is that:
- The campaign slogan “no tree no me” suggests that along with the koalas saving the natural habitat is also important for the survival of koalas.” Plan a tree online” tells target public to save natural vegetation and go green.
- “Save the koala Month” is all about fundraising for AKF.
- AKF wants you to adopt a koala and make them survive through “adopt a koala” media strategy and this way you will help in saving and raising a life on the planet.
- Shopping online from the gift shop which has stuffed koalas tells that if they will not be conserved all the human beings will be left with is just stuffed ones and no more living koalas to play with.
- To buy online gifts or merchandise related to koala saving campaign the target public would like to save some money and donate to the cause.
7. Media Tactics and Tools
| TACTICS | TOOLS | |
| Print and Online News Media | The Weekend Australian Magazine
QWeekend The Courier mail The Australian News.com.au Couriermail.com.au |
Media Pitch |
| Email pitch or phone call | ||
| Media Fact Sheet | ||
| Photo and Interview Opportunity | ||
| Radio | 97.3 FM | Media Release/ Email pitch or/ Phone call |
| Social Media | Online opinion polls, Status updates, links to events , links to media, links to news events, links to videos | |
| Links to videos and news and status updates | ||
| Blogs/Forums | Participation in general discussion forums, From AKF media team, From CEO or spokesperson Deborah Tabart | |
| Video-sharing/ YouTube | Email pitch or phone call | |
7.1 Media Timeline
| Time (2011) | |||||||||||||||||
| June | W/B 27 June | W/B 4 July | W/B 11 July | W/B 18 July | W/B 25 July | W/B 1 August | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||||||
| Dates of Importance | |||||||||||||||||
| Save the Koala Month | |||||||||||||||||
| Print and Online News Media | Q Weekend (weekly) | Media Pitch | Media Pitch | In print | In print | ||||||||||||
| The Weekend Australian Magazine (fortnightly) | Media Pitch | Media Pitch | In print | In print | |||||||||||||
| The Couriermail | Media Pitch | In print | |||||||||||||||
| The Australian | Media Pitch | In print | |||||||||||||||
| Radio | 97.3FM | Media Alert | Media Alert | Media Alert | |||||||||||||
| Social Media | Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Forums | Alert | Media Alert | ||||||||||||||
| Stay At Homes | |||||||||||||||||
| Print News Media | Media
Alert |
||||||||||||||||
| Radio | ABC Radio | Radio Pitch | Media Alert | ||||||||||||||
8. Evaluation
For all the outcomes and return on investment of the public media campaigns the public relation practitioners are being held responsible (Broom, 2008). Therefore measuring the outcomes or results of the media campaign is the best way to demonstrate the value of the planned media strategies to the organisation like AKF.
Some practical methods of evaluation are to measurement of awareness before starting the campaign should be done which can be done by conducting an awareness survey amongst the target public. The measurement can also be done by keeping track of the number of Facebook friends or likes and Twitter followers. Based on the attendance of the Save the koala month last year the comparison can be done whether the awareness regarding AKF is increasing and the Media strategic plan is successful or not.
9. Conclusion
The media relation strategic plan developed in this report has been a creative combination of both offline as well online media channels and messages which will definitely be successful in solving the public relations problem encountered by AKF. The integration of both mass media and social media to increase the cognitive awareness, this media plan will be successful in achieving the objectives of AKF that is to create awareness as well as engagement of the target public in AKF.
Bibliography
AUSTRALIAN KOALA FOUNDATION, [Online], Available: https://www.savethekoala.com/about-us/objectives [6 June 2012].
Broom, G.M. (2008) Cutlip and Center’s Effective Public Relations , 10th edition, Prentice Hall.
Cartwright, D. (2009) Strategy to save koalas ‘laughable’ , 1 November, [Online], Available: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/strategy-to-save-koalas-laughable-20091031-hqri.html [6 June 2012].
Davis, P., Bankes, S.C. and Egner, M. (2007) Enhancing STrategic Planning with Massive Scenario Generation, RAND Corporation.
Gooch, P. (2011) The Senate Inquiry into the future of the Australian Koala, 3 May, [Online], Available: http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2011/05/the-senate-inquiry-into-the-future-of-the-australian-koala.html?site=farnorth&program=612_evenings [6 June 2012].
Grim future for Aussie icon (2011), 3 May, [Online], Available: http://www.qutnews.com/2011/05/03/grim-future-for-aussie-icon/#.T894elL2NBY [6 June 2012].
Koalas ‘facing extinction’ (2011), 3 May, [Online], Available: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/koalas-facing-extinction/story-e6frf7jx-1226049217131 [6 June 2012].
‘Learning from Complexity Theory: Is Strategic Planning Obsolete?’, The Family Firm Institute, Inc.
‘Living With Koalas’, Australin Wildlife Secrets https://www.savethekoala.com/oldsite/pdfworddocs/media/2011AWS_vol1.pdf, pp. 5-11.
Living with Koalas, [Online], Available: https://www.savethekoala.com/oldsite/pdfworddocs/media/2011AWS_vol1.pdf [6 June 2012].
Mattern, J. (2007) Big List of Free Press Release Distribution SItes, 29 July, [Online], Available: http://socialrealist.com/digital-pr/big-list-of-free-press-release-distribution-sites/ [6 June 2012].
‘Team-Building Project helps Sanctuary Grow’, NOOSA JOURNAL, October 2011, p. 48.
Williams, B. (2011) Kola Virus Could Result in Extinction, 4 May, [Online], Available: https://www.savethekoala.com/oldsite/pdfworddocs/media/20110504CM.pdf [6 June 2012].
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