Planning is such an important part of public relations, it is useful to understand the different requirements of an event, a campaign, and a programme. An event is a one-shot occurrence. It happens in one time frame-an hour, a day, or perhaps as long as a week-and it serves one prime purpose with one or more selected publics. The deciding factor may be the types of objectives desired by the client: - Communication, - accuracy, - understanding, - agreement, and - complementary objectives. Stages of effective campaigns On pages 201 - 202 of your prescribed text book the following is listed, you are required to familiarise yourself with each of them. Identification Legitimacy Participation Penetration Distribution Sample objectives for campaigns and strategies: Make your objectives: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant and Timely (S.M.A.R.T) where possible. For instance, your objectives may be related to: Increasing stakeholder awareness Improving team efficiency and productivity Gaining management sponsorship and buy-in Changing the perception of your team Improving team culture and behaviour. SELECTING CHANNELS AND MEDIA During the planning of a campaign or a program, part of the analysis of each key public should include such questions as: Where do members of our key publics get their information? Which media do they rely upon to make decisions about what is important and how to behave? Which channels provide the two-way communication that enables key publics to provide information to our organisation about their needs and concerns? Another level of analysis focuses on the characteristics of each medium and their relationship to the campaign or programme: Which media allows us to get our point of view across most effectively? Which media are best suited to the information requirements of our campaign, such as the presenting of visual images, the need for two-way communication, or the ability to tell a story in depth? Which media are most cost-effective for this type of information? Nothing goes for free, so also effective PR does not come cheaply. Certainty of programmes and sellable ideas invariably ease the task of costing campaigns. The major areas of costing in PR include: Prints and production, Exhibition, Workshops and seminars, Media briefings Conferences, Advertising, Transportation, Sponsorship, Supplements and media coverage