Week 8 readings

I think the two key points to remember from this week's readings are the importance of research in PR and the events management role a PR practitioner plays. In terms of PR, one good way to look at the research process is through inputs, outputs and outcomes. Input research provides a good basis when planning a PR campaign, output research allows them to gauge the public reaction during a campaign and outcome research gives a good measure of a campaign's achievements. Doing research at these three stages allows PR practitioners to be able to more effectively plan their PR campaign and also provides a good way to analyse its effectiveness and gauge the effect it has on the public.

A PR practitioner also plays a major role during events. Planning and managing events is an important job that a PR practitioner does and if not well planned, it can lead to negative publicity for the organisation. The four steps to create a successful event, proposed by Tonge, gives a good insight into what it takes to plan an effective event. Feasibility, planning, execution and evaluation all play a major role in a successful event and should each be given equal importance.

The readings made me think more about Public Relations practice in that research and events management play a major role in PR campaigns. While both these jobs can be outsourced to third-parties, it is essential that PR practitioners play a major role, lest these third parties are unable to fulfill their obligations in some way or another. It is also interesting that research can start anywhere, albeit in a more informal setting. Things like speaking to other people in an informal setting like lunch at a cafeteria can be used as a starting point in the research process.