Discussion Questions from Reading Assignments 4/19/2000

Hendrix, Chapter 6, Public Affairs and Government Relations

1/ Who are the target publics in public affairs and government relations?

2/ What kind of client/organization research should take place in public affairs and government relations?

3/ What kind of audience research is needed in public affairs and government relations?

4/ What kinds of impact objectives are usually included in public affairs and government relations?

5/ What kind of output objectives are usually included in public affairs and government relations?

6/ Discuss programming in public affairs and government relations  Describe aspects of themes and messages, actions or special events, uncontrolled media, controlled media and effective communication as they relate to public affairs and government relations.

7/ How are impact objectives and output objectives evaluated in public affairs and government relations?

8/ Apply case 6-2, Space Station: It's About Life on Earth 1994 National Campaign to the PR Program Plan Model as outlined by Hendrix. In other words, explain in some detail  the Research, Objectives, Programming and Evaluation used in this case.

9/ What do you see as the strength and weaknesses of the Space Station: It's About Life on Earth 1994 National Campaign?

10/ What else could have been done to improve public affairs and government relations in the Space Station: It's About Life on Earth 1994 National Campaign?

11/ Read the exhibits on this case and be ready to discuss.

12/ Apply case 6-3, Balancing School Meals with Grains to the PR Program Plan Model as outlined by Hendrix. In other words, explain in some detail  the Research, Objectives, Programming and Evaluation used in this case.

13/ What do you see as the strength and weaknesses of the Balancing School Meals with Grains campaign?

14/ What else could have been done to improve public affairs and government relations in the Balancing School Meals with Grains campaign?

15/ Read the exhibits on this case and be ready to discuss.
 

Hendrix, Chapter 7, Investor and Financial Relations

1/ What are investor and financial relations?

2/ Who are the target publics in investor and financial relations?

3/ What kind of client/organization research should take place for investor and financial relations?

4/ What kind of audience research is needed in investor and financial relations?

5/ What kinds of impact objectives are usually included in investor and financial relations?

6/ What kind of output objectives are usually included in investor and financial relations?

7/ Discuss programming in investor and financial relations:  Describe aspects of themes and messages, actions or special events, uncontrolled media, controlled media and effective communication as they relate to investor and financial relations.

8/ How are impact objectives and output objectives evaluated in investor and financial relations?

9/ Apply case 7-1, Eastman Kodak's Project Wings-Imaging Back in Focus campaign, to the PR Program Plan Model as outlined by Hendrix. In other words, explain in some detail  the Research, Objectives, Programming and Evaluation used in this case.

10/ What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of Eastman Kodak's Project Wings-Imaging Back in Focus campaign?

11/ What else could have been done to improve investor and financial relations in Eastman Kodak's Project Wings-Imaging Back in Focus campaign?

12/ Read the exhibits on this case and be ready to discuss.
 

Hendrix, Chapter 8, Consumer Relations

1/ What is consumer relations?

2/ Who is the ultimate target public in consumer relations?

3/ What kind of client/organization research should take place in consumer relations?

4/ What kind of audience research is needed in consumer relations?

5/ What kinds of impact objectives are usually included in consumer relations?

6/ What kind of output objectives are usually included in consumer relations?

7/ Discuss programming in consumer relations:  Describe aspects of themes and messages, actions or special events, uncontrolled media, controlled media and effective communication as they relate to community relations.

8/ How are impact objectives and output objectives evaluated in consumer relations?
 

This comprehensive question concerns chapters 6, 7 and 8 in Hendrix.  It also is designed to get us thinking about crisis communication, which we will cover next week.

1/ Suppose you are in charge of public relations for the United States Peanut Growers Association.  News reports have been circulating in the national media about a dozen children in the past year who have died because of peanut allergies.  Two have died in the past week.  Headlines have screamed, "Parents Say, 'Peanuts are Killing our Children'."

Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O'Donnell have both made appeals to their viewers to stop feeding their children peanut butter.  David Letterman has done a "Top 10 Ways to Know You are Allergic to Peanuts" list.  Jay Leno has gone out in the streets of Los Angeles and has shown people pictures of a peanut, a raisin and a glass of milk and has asked: Which one of these foods is most likely to kill you?  Jerry Springer, in a surprise twist, has done a serious show in which parents of children who are allergic to peanut butter have appealed to the government to "stop the madness."

All of the major airlines are seriously considering pulling peanuts off of all domestic and international flights as a result of the negative publicity.  Consumer groups are seriously considering a nationwide boycott against peanuts, peanut butter and other peanut-derived products.  Sales of peanut-based products have dropped 10 percent in the past month already and projections show a steep decline in sales in the months ahead.

Members of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives along with the Surgeon General of the United States are busy writing legislation that would officially take peanut butter off of school lunch menus and off of government recommended lists of healthy foods.

To top it all off, the annual stockholders meetings for the 10 largest producers of peanut products will take place in a month.  Stock prices have dropped as a result of all the negative publicity and efforts against the peanut industry that are underway.  Major investments into peanut-based products have withdrawn their financial offers.

Using the PR Program Plan Model as outlined by Hendrix, explain in some detail  the Research, Objectives, Programming and Evaluation you would use to support the United States Peanut Growers Association.  Consider public affairs and government relations, investor and financial relations and consumer relations in your discussion.

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