A Manager's Guide to PR Projects: A Practical Approach

A Manager's Guide to PR Projects, Second Edition picks up where classic public relations textbooks leave off. It provides hands-on guidance in planning the preliminary research for a public relations project and creating a plan to achieve specific goals, guiding the reader through managing the project's implementation. It contains worksheets that can be used for a visual representation of the planning process for both student edification and presentation to clients. The book is designed as a user-friendly guide to take the reader through the four-step public relations planning process from a number of vantage points. Intended as a learning tool for use in both the class and beyond, this book's approaches are based on real experiences in the management of communications projects designed to meet organizational goals through achieving public relations objectives. This fully revised second edition offers PR students and practitioners new material that includes the following: The impact of social media on each phase of the planning process. Digital approaches to strategic and summative research, message dissemination and public engagement. Strategies to enhance accountability. Ethics considerations in the planning process. Updated print and web-based resources for PR managers.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures Preface to the Second Edition Chapter 1 PR Project Planning in the Twenty-first Century Defining Public Relations Defining Management Defining a "Project" Public Relations Process: A Systems Explanation Updating the PR Process for the Twenty-first Century Ethics and Integrity in PR Planning Using this Book Worksheet 1.1 Ethics Checklist Chapter 2 The Research Phase Data-gathering: An Everyday Process What Research can Accomplish Problem or Opportunity? How Research is Done Media Monitoring: Traditional and Social The Public Relations/Communication Audit Environmental Scanning Social Media Metrics Characterizing Relationships Completing the Analysis The Importance of Academic Research to Practitioners Using the Worksheets Worksheet 2.1 Data Table Worksheet 2.2 Problem/Opportunity Analysis Worksheet 2.3 Data Analysis Checklist Chapter 3: The Planning Phase The Plan Strategies versus Tactics Defining Publics Constructing Objectives Relationship Objectives Considering Processes Keying Objectives to Specific Publics Developing Messages Choosing Public Relations Tactics and Vehicles Planning the Social Media Component of PR Projects Rationales for Channels and Strategies Summarizing the Planning Stage Using the Worksheets Worksheet 3.1 Identification and Categorization of Publics Worksheet 3.2 Checklist for Outcome Objectives Worksheet 3.3 Public Relations Plan Worksheet Worksheet 3.4 Social Media Worksheet Chapter 4 Managing Implementation Revisiting Management Definitions The Historical Context Management and Leadership Budgets as Management Tools Deadlines and Time Management Maintaining Quality Control Managing People: Working With and Through Using the Worksheets Worksheet 4.1 Budget Worksheet Worksheet 4.2 Time Management Worksheet 4.3 Quality Control Checklist Chapter 5 Evaluation A Practical Definition Why Evaluate At All? The "Barcelona Principles" What we Evaluate Evaluating Relationships Measuring Social Media Outcomes The "Benchmark" Using the Worksheets Worksheet 5.1 Media Monitoring Tracking Sheet Worksheet 5.2 Checklist for On-going Social Media Tracking Chapter 6 A Resource List for PR Managers Appendix: Public Relations Plan: Sample Format

About the Author :
Patricia J. Parsons spent 26 years as a Professor of Public Relations in the Department of Communication Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada after a career in health communication and writing. She is the author of a dozen books including Ethics in Public Relations: A Guide to Best Practice and Beyond Persuasion: Communication Strategies for Healthcare Managers in the Digital Age.