I think the two key points to remember from this week's readings were the shift from communicating with the publics to building relationships with them and that strategy is designed to gain competitive advantage.
Chapter 13 aimed to define the meaning of community and distinguish it from society and publics. This distinction made is actually essential as a community would imply a specific group of people with their own culture and characteristics which may not be shared by other groups. Therefore, it would be easier for a PR practitioner to recognise instantly what is and what is not accepted by their target audience within that given habitus.
"Strategy and Tactics" by Melanie James zoomed into the process of optimising the effectiveness of strategy and tactics in the contest for space. The problem with space is that it limits the amount of information that PR practitioners can provide thus, becoming a potential hindrance to a campaign's success.
The readings made me think more about public relations theory/practice in that there has to be a clear goal before embarking on a campaign. Without having a clear idea of what the client wants to achieve ultimately, the campaign would be a flop because the target audience will not gain anything out of it. A lot of messages are being thrown at the publics so it is very hard for a particular brand to stand out unless it is able to relate to the consumer, which is why PR practitioners must recognise the norms and values of the community before strategising. If the community is cynical, taglines such as the infamous "NSWow!" can be misinterpreted as "NSW-Ow!". It is evident that a meaning can be deconstructed so easily and then reconstructed into something that represents an entirely different meaning.
2 comments:
I thought your point about PR practitioners having to recognise the norms and values of the community before strategising higly essential to understand how people work and play in a community.
I just got reminded of the video clip that Tanya showed us, the one where it showed shampoo Lifebuoy targetting women in Vietnam. The campaign was very cost effective because they did not need to use expensive props since the people in Vietnam live a very simple life. Like Tanya mentioned, bigger and more sophisticated props would only scare these women away.
This is where I realise that I've not been paying attention in class and that I've missed out a few lessons because I overslept.
The example that Tanya gave is really interesting. However, I would like to point out that despite trying to cater to the target audience, there is a need to maintain the company's corporate image. There is a tendency for the company to lose focus on its brand as well.
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