PR 3310Principles of Public Relations

Tuesday, 6/16/09

Class Objectives

Presentations: S. Campus and K. Black Lecture

Ch. 9, Public opinion Homework assignments

Presentations tomorrow: C. Gallagher and A. Fanning

Read chapter 9 in book, not covering theories Paper 2 due on Thursday 6/18 at 12:05 pm

What’s in the news today

The Indonesian government is sponsoring a national campaign promoting honesty (country is widely known to be corrupt in many ways) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/

world/asia/16indo.html Opening up “cashier free” honesty

cashier-free “honesty cafes” (7000 so far), in schools and gov’t offices

The attorney general’s office says the honesty cafes will halt corrupt tendencies among the young and straighten out those known for indulging in corrupt practices

PR aspect: persuade from the bottom up, preventive measure rather than reactive

What’s in the news today

Twitter and Facebook get serious for the opposition group in Iran, a case of cyber activism

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/world/middleeast/16media.html?_r=1&hp

The Iranian government has blocked texting and cell transmissions, has (today) limited the news coverage, but is having a hard time blocking posts to Twitter and Facebook Too many ways to originate a post (by cell phone, web site,

or specialized applications) Too many ways to post new content (like a whack-a-mole

game) Can use a proxy/mirror site

PR aspect: a new way for an activist group to assemble protests, speaking events

Public Opinion

Opinions on controversial issues that one can express in public and not isolate themselves Unless you’re in the Borat/Bruno movie

Public opinion consists of multiple individual opinions Different groups may agree on a goal but

disagree on a method to achieve the goal Public opinion is that childhood obesity is a

problem Ban McDonald’s from selling Happy Meals Further restrict items that can be purchased with food

stamps

Assumptions with Public Opinion

1. That an audience is normally passive and tends to follow Therefore public opinion may be expressed by a small

and highly vocal group 2. That those with no interest in a topic do not

contribute to public opinion 3. That events of unusual magnitude swing public

opinion from one extreme to another Need time away from event to stabilize public opinion

Ex. from book is 9/11

Stages of Public Opinion

1. Form opinion, define it, take a side 2. Involvement of leaders (more about this

later) 3. Public awareness grows 4. Possible Government regulation (passing

of laws, re-count of votes…) 5. Resolution (actions, passage of time to

change opinion)

Public Opinion, who is your audience

Look at them in terms of demographics, but psychographics is better (with public opinion) What is their lifestyle and behaviors? Can we group them under categories?

Pew reported a groups of people who use technology Link to 14 item survey:

http://pewinternet.org/Participate/What-Kind-of-Tech-User-Are-You.aspx

Groups, http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/5-The-Mobile-Difference--Typology.aspx?r=1

PR should tailor the message for these different groups

Public Opinion

Opinion is determined by self-interest Opinion is not easily changed

Opinion is not aroused for long periods of time Again, it’s a collective opinion

Opinion is highly sensitive to events that have an impact On health of people, safety, security, etc.

Normally public opinion does not anticipate an event, it reacts to it

Opinion Leaders

Informed people that others assume are experts on the topic and can clearly articulate their views

Formal opinion leaders are voted into position or have title (e.g. President, CEO, etc.)

Informal opinion leaders have clout for some other reason May be role models (sports figures,

celebrities) May have a following and can therefore exert

peer pressure on them (Twitter’s suggested users)

Opinion Leaders

PR publicists attempt to sway opinion leaders just as they do journalists, other media gatekeepers, and the public at large

Journalists will ask opinion leaders what they think (use as a source in their story)

Many consider opinion leaders “visionaries” in their field

Opinion leaders filter information provided by mass media to their followers, who communicate it to their peers Domino effect Faberge shampoo…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgDxWNV4wWY

Mass Media

The dissemination of the opinion leaders’ views spreads fastest through mass media channels Traditional outlets are radio, tv, newspapers, magazines New outlet is the Internet

With mass media, you can rapidly communicate with millions of people Versus 1-to-1

Pr publicists are providing content to the mass media; some say up to ½ of the information carried in mass media comes from PR sources Can include background information on a person,

information on a new product, arranging an interview with a local sports hero, providing statistics and numbers about your client

Role of Mass Media

By selecting which types of messages they will report (and what stories to write), they trigger public discussion on issues

They help form an opinion for those with no background Remember, public opinion consists of those who have

opinions, not the disinterested Goal is to be non-biased in what they are reporting,

however… With tv, radio, you hear the tone and/or comments

made about a story Newspapers, Internet appear more objective because

there is no “voice” Is the source credible?

Persuasion

An activity or process where the communicator tries to change a behavior, belief, or attitude in another person We assume the receiver has the freedom to

choose to not be persuaded Can be overt or subtle Verbal or non-verbal Can come from friends/family, close contact,

or distant (opinion leaders)

Persuasion

Hardest to try to change a negative opinion into a positive one Peer pressure contributes to the challenges of

changing the image Easiest to persuade people who already have

some type of self-interest going, and to reinforce a favorable message Is this beneficial to me in some way? Do I already agree with the message?

Factors in effective persuasion

Audience analysis Source credibility Appeal to self-interest Clarity of message Timing and context Audience participation Suggestion for action Content and structure Persuasive speaking

Source Credibility

Expertise, sincerity, charisma Depending upon who the source is, the ranking and

amount of these factors will change Doctor’s = expertise first Celebrities = charisma first

Using celebrities to endorse Positive is high-level exposure, reputation (hopefully

good) rubs off onto message Negatives: hard to manage celebrities actions, is very

expensive, if celeb has too many endorsements, yours is less effective

Appeal to self-interest

Again, this is why a psychographic breakdown of your target audience is beneficial I have heard the message and am going to do an

action (e.g. donate to a charity), this is because I feel that doing this action will

Improve my self-esteem Increase the respect (I have for myself or from others) Increase my wealth Increase my skill set Increase my well being (physical and mental)

Ways to persuade with your message

Make sure the message is clear and simple Helpful to tell the audience exactly what to do

Volunteer at a Boys and Girls Club today

Try to have it received during an appropriate time and within an appropriate context Tide truck going to Louisiana after Katrina

Create a message that uses statistics, drama/emotional appeals, personal examples

Ways to persuade with your message

Have speakers delivering your message use various tactics (propaganda pg. 238 in book) Humble beginnings (politicians use a lot) Jump on board (join us in supporting…., every mom

wants to know more about…) Testimonials (I’ve tried it and it works!)

Package the message various ways Transfer/ associate the message with something of

high status (a corporation pays to become a sponsor of the Olympics)

Glitter generalities/ associate the message with a favorable abstract idea (freedom, democracy)

Use of rhetoric (words) on the name or what to call the message

Drilling for independence by the Oil industry

Some Technology Terminology

Flash mobs: a large group of people who quickly gather in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief time, then quickly disperse. Actions include pillow fighting, silent disco

dancing, blowing bubbles Events are organized by social media

(Facebook, twitter, myspace) or viral e-mails Most have been benign in reasons, some

political protests

Viral Videos Videos that have gained quick popularity through Internet

sharing/linking of file (through e-mails, IMming, blogs, other social websites)

Often are political, humorous Can be PR campaigns…

A PR campaign for a new TV show consisting of a flash mob in a LA store; video on YouTube is now viral

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfxCnZ4Dp3c&NR=1

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=106129&videoChannel=6

…Or promote/launch a product Free Hugs campaign video launched the band “Sick

Puppies” into stardom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

How do you monitor public opinion?

As with research and getting feedback, you can Make personal visits Look at what the media is reporting

Helpful to also look at comments to articles on-line

Pay for a poll, make telephone calls, survey a certain psychographic segment

Hire an advisory committee (of opinion leaders or people who’ve been through unique experiences)

Video: Coke’s Water Bomb

Video on Coca-cola’s PR “disaster” with Dasani drinking water in Britain In 2004, a story broke that revealed that the

source of the Dasani water was treated tap water, not a natural spring water source

In fact, there was a carcinogenic (a promoter of cancer) in the water after they treated it!