THE NEW AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND PUBLIC RELATIONS MANUAL
TYMSON & LAZAR
ENDORSED BY THE PUBLIC RELATIONS INSTITUTES OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

SECTION 1 – COMMUNICATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS THEORY 1

1. Communication Theory and Public Relations Practice
   What is communication anyway? The basic communication process. Principles of communication. What makes communication more persuasive. How different theories help to create an understanding of the process. Barriers to communication. Ten laws to human communication. How to apply this theory to public relations practice.
   
   
2. What is Public Relations?
   Theory of public relations. Some definitions. Clarifying other terms. A summary of the public relations function. The history of public relations in Australia. Where public relations is going in the 21st century.
   
   
3. What Do Public Relations Practitioners Do?
   How public relations fits in the hierarchy of organisations. The functions of public relations practitioners. Developing a career in public relations. Structures and roles within public relations consultancies. Some examples of public relations specialties.
   
   
4. A Typical Public Relations Program
   Models of public relations programs. Why management invests in public relations. Setting objectives. Defining target audiences. Establishing current opinions. Methods of research. Types of campaigns within a public relations program. Selection of media. Preparing budgets. Implementation – in-house vs. using a consultancy. Review of plan and budget. Implementation. Results evaluated.
   Case study: 4.1 – AMP Sponsorship of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch Relay.
   
   
5. Research for Planning and Evaluation
   Why objective rigorous methods are required. Public relations research: an historical perspective. Communication as a two-way process. Objectives. Understanding research. Sub-disciplines of public relations. When to measure and evaluate. Cost. Setting general objectives. Models of evaluation. Methods for public relations research and evaluation. Case studies.
   
   
6. Laws That Affect Public Relations Practice
   Contracts. Electronic transactions and E-biz. Ownership and protection of ideas. Copyright. Trademarks. Designs. Unregistered ideas. Confidential information. Misrepresentations. Trade Practices Act. Defamation. Lotteries and competitions. Professional liability.
   
   Laws That Affect Public Relations Practice in NZ
   Advertising and broadcasting standards. Competition and Law. Copyright. Defamation. Employment relations. Environment protection. Ethics. Fair Trading. Film and literature. Games of Chance and Lotteries. Human rights. Journalism standards and Press Council. Occupational safety and health. Ombudsman. Privacy. Product Safety. Race Relations. Treaty of Waitangi.
   
   
7. Looking Ahead: Public Relations in the Future
   The areas of growth for public relations. Where do we go from here? Education. Accreditation. Changing emphasis – the profession in the future. Futures studies. What we’ll be called and how we’ll operate.

SECTION 2 – PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICE

8. Government Relations
   Why we need government relations. The various forms of government. Finding the correct government contact. Briefing the government. Specialist communicators. What a lobbyist does. Dealing direct with the government. Preparing a submission.
   Case Studies:
   8.1 – Lobbying against new legislation – Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists (Tasmanian Branch)
   8.2 – The AWB Single Desk Summit
   Government Relations in NZ
   Forms of government in New Zealand. Government contacts. Official Information Act. Briefing the government. Format of a Select Committee submission. Citizens initiated referendums. MMP electoral system. Consensus politics.
   
   
9. Financial and Investor Relations
   Activities involved in financial public relations. Getting technical knowledge. Investor relations. Shareholder communications. Profit announcements. Annual reports. Annual general meetings. Investor briefings. Mergers and acquisitions. Going public. Privatisation. Demutualisation. Corporate governance. Ethical investment. Unit trusts. Communication programs. Intermediaries. Discretion and trust. Financial media.
   Case Studies:
   9.1 – Gaining member and shareholder support for the merger of two Banks
   9.2 – Launch of ASIC website as a consumer watchdog
   Financial and Investor Relations in New Zealand
   Company legislation. NZ Stock Exchange. Major sources of financial news. Stockbrokers and Investment Advisers. Stock Exchange listing rules. Media release policy. Global needs.
   
   
10. Media Relations and Publicity
    Functions of the media. Working with the media. Influencing public opinion. Hosting media functions. Keeping in touch. Providing company background material. Generating publicity. Understanding the media. Where to place your story. Communicating with the media. Creating a video news release. How to distribute material to the media. Media directories. When to contact the media. Timing your story. Monitoring your campaign. Do’s and don’ts of working with the media.
    Case Study:
    10.1 - Australia Day: Celebrate What's Great
    Media Relations in New Zealand
    Contacting the media. Key NZ media. Monitoring your campaign. Role of NZ Press Council.
    Case Study:
    10.2 – Eukanuba ‘Size Does Matter’ competition.
    
    
11. Internal Communication
    What the organisation expects of internal communication: a strategic approach. Focus on total communication process. The role of the internal communications function. What employees expect of communication in their organisation. How to manage. Key drivers of employee satisfaction with communication. Use of media and channels. Priorities for communicators internally.
    Case studies:
    11.1 – How Standard Chartered Bank used research to improve morale
    and engagement.
    11.2 – The Water Corporation’s ‘CompanyOne’ Values program.
    
    
12. Community Relations and Social Responsibility
    Who are an organisation’s communities? Changing community attitudes. The local community. Building good community relations. Problems and concerns. Community interests. Political and opinion leaders. Special emotional attitudes. A typical community relations program. Social accountability. Examples of community relations programs by major organisations. Community relations and issue management.
    Case Studies:
    12.1 – The writing's on the wall - Casey stamps out graffiti
    12.2 – Electricity Safety Week
    Community relations in NZ – some special considerations
    
    
13. Public Relations and Marketing
    Public relations as part of the marketing process. Brand loyalty. Company image. Product publicity. Customer needs. Using the public relations process in marketing campaigns. Media exposure. Gimmicks and stunts. Multimedia, video and audiovisual presentations. Presentation kits. Speaker’s platforms. Competitions. Personality and celebrity endorsement. Exhibitions and displays. Sponsorship. Extending advertising campaigns. Network marketing. Guerrilla or street marketing. E-marketing. Viral marketing. Affiliate marketing. Competitive intelligence reports.
    Case Study:
    13.1 – Heineken's sponsorship of Rugby World Cup
    Public Relations and Marketing in NZ
    Case Study:
    13.2 – Whakapapa Season Pass
    
    
14. Healthcare Public Relations
    Major healthcare programs. Hospital marketing. Prescription pharmaceutical marketing. Over-the-counter product marketing. E-health communication. The push-pull dilemma. Understanding the healthcare players. Health insurance companies. Medical reporters. Communicating with medical professionals. Media relations. Medical education. Opinion leader development. Consumer pull-through. Government negotiation.
    
    
15. Issue Management and Crisis Public Relations
    Understanding issues management. Evaluation of issues. Setting priorities. Corporate response. Implementation. Establishing a ‘Trust Bank’. Six key lessons. Crisis public relations. Examples. Developing a crisis communication plan. Designating a crisis team. Training company spokesperson. Media relations. Handling hostile media. How to implement a crisis plan.
    Case Studies:
    15.1 – Crisis: Sydney Harbour Oil Spill
    15.2 – The Tampa Crisis
    
    
16. Fundraising Programs
    Main sources for raising funds. The corporate sector. How to approach a company for sponsorship. Different types of sponsorship. Government grants. Trusts and foundations. How to apply for funding. Annual door knock appeals. Direct mail and letterbox drops. Planning your first campaign. Tips for running successful fundraising events. Designing mail drop material. Telethons. Bequests. Annual days. Special events.
    Case Studies:1
    16.1 – An annual fundraising day – Red Nose Day
    16.2 – Sands of Gallipoli Collection
    16.3 – An annual fundraising event - Australian Red Cross D+D Ball
    
    
17. Using New Media
    Technology opportunities and risks in public relations. What new technology is relevant. New media, new expectations. E-tiquette. Viral marketing. Your organisation’s internet site. Media relations online. Anticipating and managing technology issues. Measuring success of new technologies in PR. Technology work practices. Resources for keeping up-to-date.
    Case Studies:
    17.1 – The ‘Big Brother’ phenomenon
    17.2 – Caught on Broadband
    

SECTION 3 - HOW TO DO IT

18. Introducing a New Corporate Identity
    What creates a corporate identity. Company name and logo. Applying corporate logo. Application of the corporate identity. Selling the name and logo. The value of the brand. Creating a new corporate identity.
    
    
19. Writing a Media Release
    The advantages of using a media release. Studying the media. Creating news. Sources of news. Writing a media release. Presentation. Checklist. Use of embargoes. Attachments and enclosures. Style tips.
    
    
20. Getting Photographs Used
    Do’s and don’ts. Finding a good photographer. Briefing a photographer. Costs. Different image and format types. Film formats. Selecting photographs. Captions. Keeping up-do-date photo file. Using photo libraries. Copyright issues.
    
    
21. Organising a News Conference
    The timing. Location. Conference format. Room layout. Notifying the media. Selecting a spokesperson. Preparing a conference notice. A news conference checklist.
    
22. Producing a Newsletter
    Why produce a newsletter? Where to start. Selecting a name. Using headlines. Content and layout. Production and timing. Regular items. Getting feedback. The design. Electronic newsletters.
    
    
23. Preparing an Annual Report
    Legislative and regulatory requirements. Preparing an annual report. How to structure the report. What to include. Reporting hints for special industry/sector groups. A checklist when compiling an annual report. Benchmarking your report.
    
    
24. Arranging a Video or Audiovisual Presentation
    Range of alternatives available. Putting together a corporate video. Budgets. Schedules. Video news release. Video conferencing. Slide Presentations. Multimedia. CD-Rom. DVD.
    
    
25. Organising an Exhibition or Display
    Participation in a public exhibition. Basic rules for exhibitors. Designing a display. What to show and say. What not to do. Staffing. Portable displays. Exhibition planner’s checklist. Sixty-seven points for a successful exhibition/display.
    
    
26. Organising Conferences and Special Events
    The size of the conference industry. The time and place. Designing the program. Ten steps to finding the right speaker. Budgeting and sample budget. Accommodation. Checklist of general arrangements. Special events. Action plan checklist for staging an open day.

REFERENCES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX