Writing Winning Proposals: PR CasesSecond EditionBy Tom Hagley

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Praise for Writing Winning Proposals: PR Cases

“Th anks to his book, Tom Hagley is helping to raise the bar in the public relations pro-

fession. When I started to review the fi rst edition of this book, I couldn’t put it down.

Writing Winning Proposals addresses one of the greatest weaknesses in public relations.

I was so pleased to see someone take a bold step not only to defi ne the components of

a PR plan, but to establish rules for writing them. Tom’s clear delineation of how to

put a plan together is engaging and the best blueprint I’ve seen. Students who master

the principles in Tom’s text will certainly have taken a big step toward being ready to

enter the profession.”

Christopher K. Veronda, APR

Manager, Corporate Communications, Eastman Kodak Company

Former Chairman, Honors & Awards Committee and National Board Member

Public Relations Society of America

“Tom Hagley provides a tremendous foundation for future public relations practitio-

ners by focusing campaign planning on the goals of the client organization. He does

a superb job of linking public relations practice to the interests of CEOs and others

trained in management and marketing.”

Jim Van Leuven, Ph.D., APR

Professor Emeritus Colorado State University

“Th anks to this book, Tom Hagley has become a permanent part of my classroom

and contributor to PR instruction on many other campuses. His book is a great piece

of work. I say that with respect to its contents, but even more so with respect to the

author. Writing Winning Proposals comes from a person I always believed was destined

to take the “real world” to the classroom. It is no surprise that in this book he insists

on writing by the rules to develop winning proposals. He comes to academe knowing

precisely what executive managers want from public relations practitioners.”

Glen T. Cameron, Ph.D.,

Maxine Wilson Gregory Chair in Journalism Research

University of Missouri School of Journalism

“Th rough his masterful teaching, Tom Hagley has been bringing his years of ‘real

world’ public relations experience into the classroom for students fortunate to have

him as their professor. With the publication of his Writing Winning Proposals, Hagley’s

expertise will benefi t thousands of students beyond his classrooms as well as profession-

als wanting to sharpen their skills.”

Lynne M. Sallot, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA

Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor

Advertising and Public Relations Department

Th e Grady College, University of Georgia

WRITING WINNING PROPOSALSPR CASES

Second Edition

BY TOM HAGLEY

Forewords by

Glen T. Cameron, Ph.D. and Christopher K. Veronda, APR

Contents

Foreword 1 By Glen T. Cameron, Ph.D.

Foreword 3 By Christopher K. Veronda, APR

About the Author 5

Introduction 7

CHAPTER ONE: UNDERSTANDING WHY PLANNING

IS IMPORTANT, AND HOW IT RELATES TO PUBLIC RELATIONS 9

Case One: Mysterious Sound in Deschambault 13 Community Relations

CHAPTER TWO: MEETING THE CHALLENGES

OF THE PLANNING ENVIRONMENT 17

Case Two: Black Crater Wildfi re 25 Public Information

Role Play and Discussion Questions 26

Points of Importance 36

CHAPTER THREE: WRITING AND LEADING WITH INTEGRITY 41

Case Th ree: What Could Go Wrong? 43 Risk Communication

Role Play 45

CHAPTER FOUR: BEGINNING THE PLANNING

PROCESS WITH ACCOUNTABILITY 55

Case Four: Getting Nothing for Something 57 Event Planning

Role Play 58

Internship Program 61

CHAPTER FIVE: MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS

OF PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES 63

Case Five: Quality Out Of Control 65 Employee Communication

Article: Does Your Company Have the ‘Write’ Stuff ? 74

Guidelines For Measuring Th e Eff ectiveness of PR Programs and Activities 76

CHAPTER SIX: DEFINING COMPONENTS OF

A PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN AND RULES FOR WRITING THEM 103

Case Six: A Whimsical Public Relations Plan to Infl uence the Behavior of a Frog 105

Planning Process Overview 109

Article: You Can Learn to Be the Idea Person 111 By Deborah Morrison, Ph.D.

Creativity in Public Relations Planning 116

A Student Initiated Public Relations Plan Proposed to the Center on Diversity and Community at the University of Oregon 120

Silver Anvil Award Campaign Profi les 134

Rules for Writing Components of a Public Relations Plan 157

Worksheets for Drafting Plans for Cases 199

CHAPTER SEVEN: MORE PUBLIC RELATIONS CASES:

PROBLEMS, OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES 203

Case Seven: Uncharitable Bloggers? 205 Social Media

Article: Charitable Decision-Making Made Easier and Mutually Benefi cial 210

Case Eight: Contaminated Lagoon 213 Community Relations

Role Play 214

Article: Community Relations Can Facilitate Corporate Growth 225

Case Nine: International Art Exhibit Promotion 227 International Art Exhibit Promotion and Volunteer Recruitment

Role Play 229

Article: Start a Recruitment Epidemic 239

Case Ten: Charlie Zurlock 243 Media Relations

Role Play 246

Background: Custom Parts Company 250

Article: What Is a Media Strategist? 256

Case Eleven: IndyCar Racing 257 Hospitality Event Planning

Role Play 259

Article: Stefan Johansson Motorsports Profi le 265

Case Twelve: Violence At South County High 275 Public School Emergency Response

Role Play 277

Discussion Points 285

Case Th irteen: Are You Prepared? 287 Crisis Preparedness

Role Play 289

CRISIS: By the Rule of Advanced Engagement 293

Barriers to Crisis Planning 300

Create A Crisis Code Of Conduct 301

Crisis Principles 307

Case Fourteen: Give and Take Away 315 Government Relations

Article: Does Every Chief Executive Offi cer Have a Ghostwriter? 318

Case Fifteen: Metha-DON’T 321 Crisis Recovery

Role Play 327

Case Sixteen: Community Alarmed 333 Crisis Communication

Article: CEOs Must be Visible Leaders 339

Case Seventeen: What in the World Would You Like to Share? 341 Fundraising

Case Eighteen: Downsize 345 Corporate Communication

Role Play #1 347

Role Play #2 347

Article: Downsizing: Focus on People 364

Case Nineteen: Superstar Entrepreneur 367 Celebrity Image Building

Article: Work With Journalists and Make CEO Profi les Soar 372

Case Twenty: Campus Cafés 375 Marketing Communication

Article: Keep It Simple 378

INDEX 381

Understanding Why Planning Is Important … | 9

W hy is planning important and how does it relate to public relations?One reason planning is important is that a plan is the instrument used to propose and obtain approval for executing public relations activities.

Executive managers who have responsibility for allocating an organization’s resources require various methods, such as a traditional request for authorization, that provide a basis for evaluating expenditures. A public relations plan serves as a proposal to spend a certain amount of an organization’s time and money on public relations activities. Th e 10 components of a plan provide the information necessary for managers to evaluate proposed public relations activities and approve their execution.

Another reason planning is important is that a plan provides a mechanism for measuring results of public relations activities. A good plan provides objectives with measurable outcomes. Th is provides plan reviewers with evidence that a plan is making progress toward achieving the plan’s goal. It also provides a sound basis for evaluating results.

Another reason planning is important is that a plan is a product, the quality of which can distinguish its developer as a star among practitioners of all levels of experience. Th is is because the quality of public relations plans throughout the industry leaves so much room for improvement that well conceived plans easily take on a brilliance that wins approvals and adds credibility to the profession.

Communication professionals who serve as judges for the industry’s most presti-gious Silver Anvil award competition sponsored each year by Public Relations Society of America review hundreds of public relations plan entries. Judges are outspoken in saying that many industry professionals need to go back and learn the basics of developing successful public relations plans. Th e criticism is leveled at all but the few plans selected for recognition.

So planning is important because a plan is the instrument used to propose and obtain approvals, a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating and a product that distinguishes true public relations professionals.

To fully appreciate how planning relates to public relations, it is necessary to know precisely what public relations is and what can be expected of its practice.

What exactly is public relations?I like to challenge people to defi ne public relations in two words. Other professions

defi ne themselves in two words—doctors practice med i cine, lawyers practice law, ac-

Understanding Why Planning

Is Important, and How It

Relates to Public Relations1

10 | Writing Winning Proposals

countants keep records. People in these dis ci plines defi ne their work in two words, issue invoices and get paid ac cord ing ly for their expertise.

Not everyone in public relations can receive com pen sa tion so readi ly for their work because many people—yes, many people—in public re la tions cannot defi ne what they do.

And if you can’t defi ne what you do, you can’t measure what you do. If you can’t measure what you do, you can’t evaluate what you do. If you can’t evaluate what you do, you can’t very well expect to be paid for what you do.

To arrive at a two-word defi nition of public relations, I looked back over the years, made a list of untold numbers of projects and programs I had completed and sum-marized them.

I convinced people to support, to vote, to consider, to learn, to cham pi on, to follow, to testify, to read, to buy, to trust, to invest, to listen, to become informed, to join, to leave alone, to contribute, to believe, to participate, to think, to work, to authorize, to accept, to welcome, to compromise, to ac com mo date, to cooperate, to wait, to attend, to decide and the list went on and on and on.

Th e common denominator, the two-word defi nition, became per fect ly clear. Th at is, in public relations, we infl uence behavior.

Whose behavior do we infl uence?Th e answer for a public corporation, private company and for a not-for-profi t or-

ganization is the same. We infl uence the behavior of anyone who has or could have an eff ect—positive or negative—on the or ga ni za tion’s ultimate performance.

Th at would include, as examples, employees, suppliers, customers, shareholders, industry and fi nancial analysts, labor unions, voters, gov ern ment regulators, special interest groups and many more.

Is that ethical?Of course it’s ethical. Th e ethical principles applied to public re la tions are no dif-

ferent than those applied to any other profession. Is it ethical to convince someone to replace a heart, a tooth, a roof or a brake cylinder? Certainly it’s ethical if there are valid reasons to replace one.

How do we infl uence behavior?We infl uence behavior through strategic planning and com mu ni ca tion. And therein

lies the “magic of the profession” that few public re la tions practitioners possess and for which fewer still get proper rec og ni tion.

True expertise in strategic planning and communication is the work of masters. Th at’s why I call it the “magic of the profession.” Strategic com mu ni ca tion requires knowledge, skills and problem-solving ex pe ri ence in the dy nam ics of persuasion, hu-man in ter ac tion and com mu ni ca tion design.

In public relations, we infl uence behavior through strategic planning and com mu ni ca tion.

I defi ne strategic com mu ni ca tion as having fi ve char ac ter is tics:

Understanding Why Planning Is Important … | 11

skillfully planned and managed;1. authoritative;2. transmission and receipt of information;3. targeted at individuals or groups;4. specifi cally designed to 5. infl uence behavior.

How do we evaluate the eff ectiveness of our strategic planning and communication?Th e answer, simply: Did we infl uence behavior or not?Public relations, then, is the practice of infl uencing behavior through strategic plan-

ning and communication. Planning is the central function in this process.Before we move on, I would like to emphasize, and illustrate with a case, that the art

of infl uencing behavior, ethically, centers on a deep, respectful and sensitive apprecia-tion and understanding of human nature and not what I have witnessed too often as a random application of communication tools by others to address a situation, for example, “We can fi x this with a news release and a fact sheet.”

Case One: Mysterious Sound in Deschambault | 13

MYSTERIOUS SOUND IN DESCHAMBAULT

I would like to take you with me to revisit what was the destination of many memorable business trips. Th ey were made memorable by relationships developed with a welcom-ing community of residents of the French-Canadian village of Deschambault in the province of Quebec. I’m going to describe a particular experience, then ask you to think about it, not in any structured, strategic way, but rather in ways that you feel about it, intuitively. Your intuitive judgment as an individual, as a human being, is an important factor in determining your success as a professional public relations practitioner. So go with your intuition on this case and recommend what you think is the right thing to do.

As you study this case, think about why it would be impor-tant to have a planned approach . What would you propose and why? What research would you initiate? How would the actions you propose be implemented and, most importantly, evaluated?

Case One

Community

Relations

Th e St. Lawrence River below Th e Plains of Abraham in Quebec City looking upstream toward the village of Deschambault and Montreal

14 | Writing Winning Proposals

This is a case of responding to the concern of an elderly woman who says, now that a major production

plant nearby has been completed and is in full operation, she hears a continuous low-level sound inside her house. She sent a letter to the plant manager stating that the sound is audible enough to be annoying and asking if he “would be so kind as to investigate and do something to eliminate it.”

Th e woman, 82 years of age, is a highly respected elder of the community. She has written books about the region, has kept local traditions alive, and has supported eff orts to improve the local economy.

She lives in one of the historic cottages made of local limestone in the village of Deschambault situated on the north bank of the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec City. It is on Chemin du Roy, built in 1734, the fi rst road to link the two cities.

Th e nearby production plant is a billion-dollar operation built as a global model in the use of best technology available for the handling and processing of mate-

rial resources exceeding all standards of environmental control.

Noise, however, is of concern to some residents. For many years, villagers have enjoyed the country charm and serenity of the lower Saint Lawrence. People who regard the peacefulness of the area as a special value would consider any new noise a disturbing intrusion. But the region is in a state of transition. Th e Societe d’expansion de Portneuf provided a full range of services inviting projects ranging from cottage industries to mega plants. No matter how hard businesses and industries try to integrate their operations with the environment, things will never be the way they were in this agrarian region.

Historic limestone cottage

Village of Deschambault.

A world class aluminum production plant, now owned by ALCOA with the St. Lawrence River in the background.

Case One: Mysterious Sound in Deschambault | 15

So, these were the circumstances under which the plant manager received a letter from the woman asking for relief from the low-level sound that fi lls her home.

What do you think the plant man-1. ager should do?

Write a letter defending the plant • Deny the problem • Argue the cost/benefi ts of • industrial development Minimize responsibility with • excuses Blame the community for • inviting industry Pay a personal visit and • apologize Do something to accommodate • the resident’s request.

What should the company do if 2. the plant manager investigates

the sound and cannot detect with scientifi c equipment any low-level sound inside the house? Should the company retrofi t the 3. house with insulation and storm windows, whether or not a sound is detected? How would you counsel the plant 4. manager in discussing this problem with the elderly woman?

Deschambault is located between Montreal and Quebec City.

A bed and breakfast inn

16 | Writing Winning Proposals

Is it best to separate facts from • emotions?If so, what should be discussed • fi rst, facts or emotions?What is your reasoning?•

What about the factor of control? 5. What type of control does the • resident have? Th e plant manager? • Why is it important to think • about that? Should control be shared? • How could control be shared? •

How does accommodation relate to 6. public relations in this case?

Does accommodation have • a useful purpose in this case? Explain.What are the upsides and • downsides of using accom-modation in this case?

Village of Deschambault on the north bank of the St. Lawrence River.