Transcript
PBRL1010 Foundations of Public RelationsMessaging and Public Opinion
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
Communication is a reciprocal process of exchanging signals to inform, persuade, or instruct, based on shared meanings and conditioned by the communicators’ relationship and the social context. ◦P. 197 of text
Communicationinvolves;
senderreceivermedium
Sender receiver
Why Then…. Does Communication Fail?
Lack of Shared Meaning and Context between the sender and the receiver?
What do you see?
The Battle for Attention in a crowded message environment!
What is he listening to?
STEPS IN PROCESS OF TRULY COMMUNICATING …or informing versus simply sending a message
1. Attract Attention to the communication
2. Achieve acceptance of the message3. Have it interpreted as intended4. Get the message stored for later
use
PUBLIC OPINION
is…an expression of social energy that
integrates individual actors into social groupings in ways that affect politico.
the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs held by the adult population.
the complex collection of opinions of many different people and the sum of all their views.
WHY IS PUBLIC OPINION IMPORTANT TO US?
Organizations must deal with public opinion as they establish RELATIONSHIPS with their many internal and external publics.
Public opinion is an “energizer” to action
MASS COMMUNICATIONIn public opinion formation
Perceptions of the Action
Response based on the perceptions
Scene of the action
Publics PR professionals can only achieve
effective Mass Media if they understand and build relationships with specifically defined “target publics”
“the general public” is of little value when thinking about successful communication
What is a “defined” Public
An Active social unit consisting of all those affected who recognize a common problem for which they can seek common solutions.
John Dewey, philosopher
Types of Active PublicsAll issue publics Apathetic publicsSingle-issue publics
◦Ex. Animal rights groupsHot- issue publics
◦BP oil spill
What constitutes a “public”Characteristics of ACTIVE publics
Publics result form a share issue or situation, not shared cross-situational traits.
Ex. Chebucto Road expansion
Two types of publics◦ Latent (inactive)
◦ Active
1. Problem recognition (are people aware?)
2. Constraint recognition (can I do something about it?)
3. Level of involvement (Am I connected to this situation?)
Exercise
What different publics would result after the Earthquake in 2010?
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Jan. 19, 2010) Army
Pfc. Jonathan Pflueger, assigned to the 1st
Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 82nd
Airborne Division, holds his hands above a
crowd of women to try to get them to sit down
at a humanitarian aid distribution point in Port-
au-Prince, Haiti. Units from all branches of the
U.S. military are conducting humanitarian and
disaster relief operations as part of Operation
Unified Response after a 7.0 magnitude
earthquake caused severe damage in Haiti Jan.
12. (Department of Defense photo by Fred W.
Baker III)
What about the Olympics?
When it was being hosted in Vancouver what were the different publics who needed to be communicated with by the Olympic Organizers?
The Olympic Caldron burns at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada on February 20, 2010. UPI/Brian Kersey
When designing messages
A strong message shows that you Know your audienceUnderstand their values
◦keep in mind Shared Meaning and Context between sender and receiver
◦Never assume the audience thinks the way you do!
What is a message?Short (no more than one to two
lines)Sums up what you want a
specific audience to remember about you
Think..elevator door or campaign button
Clear and focused signature line not a motherhood statement.
Emodi (2009)
MESSAGES ARE ONLY EFFECTIVE IF…
They speak directly to the target audience in a meaningful way
Focus on the relationship and not the product
GOOD MESSAGES
Are Relationship focused
Obama - Yes we can!West Jet – because owners care.
MAPLE LEAF
EXERCISESmall groups
Develop a message statement for one of the publics you identified for the Olympics in Vancouver.
EXERCISE
Going back to H1N1 crisis, when NS started giving the vaccine to priority patients (pregnant women, children under 6, at risk adults).
Draft a message that is intended for the “public” who wanted to get a vaccine immediately and were concerned for their families health.
In groups
Wrap upCommunication
is reciprocalMass
communication focuses on relationship not product or service
Communication is achieved with “strong” messages
A “public” in terms of communication is not general public
Publics have a shared issue
Publics can be Active or Latent
Reminder
Journal
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