APA SAMPLE Public Relations Management

Running head: PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 1

Public Relations Management

Student’s Name

Institution

Running head: PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 2

Executive Summary

Although public relation campaigns are geared towards improving the image and

performance of commercial organizations, it can sometimes harm their reputation. From Wicked

Camper's perspective, the offensive slogans generated negative publicity, which interfered with

the operational activities of the entity. This report begins with a detailed explanation of

stakeholders and their importance to entities. It asserts that Stakeholders play crucial roles in

financing, decision-making, and branding. Moreover, this report documents the importance of

effective stakeholder and public management, which was not the case at Wicked Campers.

Ideally, an effective order of priority for publics is a core competency in developing strategic PR

policies. It allows an organization to determine which of its public requires more attention to

increase the quality of its PR policies.

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 3

Table of Contents

Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………..2

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..5

Evaluation of Stakeholders……………………………………………………………………...5

Definition………………………………………………………………………………..5

Importance of Stakeholders……………………………………………………………..6

Financing………………………………………………………………………..6

Operations……………………………………………………………………….6

Control…………………………………………………………………………..7

Governance………………………………………………………………………7

Decision Making…………………………………………………………………7

Wicked Camper’s Stakeholders………………………………………………………....7

Importance of the Stakeholders at Wicked Campers…………………………………….8

Public Relation Issues……………………………………………………………………………8

Definition………………………………………………………………………………...8

Credibility………………………………………………………………………..8

Multiple Channels………………………………………………………………..9

Competition………………………………………………………………………9

Wicked Camper’s Issue From a PR Perspective…………………………………………9

Significance of the Company to the Issues………………………………………………10

Knowledge of Public…………………………………………………………………………….10

Definition………………………………………………………………………………...10

Order of Priority of Wicked Camper’s Publics………………………………………….11

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 4

The Connection Between the Publics and the Wicked Slogans……………………….11

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………..12

References……………………………………………………………………………………...13

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 5

Public Relations Management

1.0.Introduction

Wicked Campers is an Australian camper van rental firm located in Brisbane,

Queensland. Besides, the company has branches in other regions of the universe such as New

Zealand, United Kingdom, Africa, and America. Essentially, the firm markets its products and

services to its consumers, which includes young drivers and backpackers. Public relation is an

essential construct in the strategic advancement of this organization since it enables it to bolster

its market scope and strengthen its brand name. Moreover, PR enables the entity to foster their

relationship with its public such as employees, customers, and stakeholders to enhance its

operational efficacy. However, the offensive slogans printed on the camper vans are major issues

that hinder the effectiveness of Wicked Campers’ PR campaigns. In this regard, this report

elucidates on how the slogans impair the reputation of the firm and leads to negative perception

from the family and friends of the consumers, its major publics.

2.0.Evaluation of Stakeholders

2.1. Definition

Stakeholders embody individuals, groups, or organizations that have interests in the

operational activities of a particular entity (Sharma & Starik, 2004). In most cases, activities,

policies, and goals of an organization affect the stakeholders. Hence, this interaction depicts the

mutual relationship between shareholders and commercial entities. The core purpose of an

organization involves maximizing their interests, which culminates in sustainability and value

creation. From a public relations perspective, the stakeholders encompass the group of

individuals that require some degree of treatment to ensure their satisfaction (Freeman, 2010).

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 6

Entities find the best methods of relating to such individuals to bolster their market base and

influence the perception of the consumers.

2.2. Importance of Stakeholders

In any organization, the stakeholders act as crucial investors whose actions affect the

outcome of business decisions. For instance, they could include the workers that have shares in

an entity and whose input affects the operational efficacy of the organization. As well, it could

include business partners that depend on organizational prosperity to keep the supply chain

sustainable (Harrison, Bosse, & Phillips, 2010). Some of the benefits of stakeholders in ensuring

the success of an entity's activities includes:

2.2.1. Financing. Some companies prefer to go public to raise funds for further

developments. In other cases, the founders of a firm might surrender their ownership to the

stakeholders, which acts as a credible investment. Private placements and the issue of shares are

major techniques used to raise additional funds to foster expansion ambitions (Costa &

Menichini, 2013). Unlike bond investors, stakeholders do not claim interest on their investments.

Thus, it provides ample financial resources to ensure operational efficacy.

2.2.2. Operations. Shareholders influence various processes within an organization. For

example, they elect directors who oversee the activities of senior officials such as the chief

executive officers (CEO) and departmental managers. Moreover, the stakeholders in an entity

improve the management pressure to deliver quality. Ideally, these individuals invest in

companies that perform great. As a result, the desire to maximize the return on investments

motivates the management to work hard (Bhattacharya, Korschun, & Sen, 2009).

2.2.3. Control. Furthermore, the stakeholders ascertain who controls an organization.

Most public entities that lack majority stakeholders are susceptible to hostile takeovers. For this

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 7

reason, they may prevent the possibility of such scenarios if they are dissatisfied with the current

leadership. In other cases, stakeholders might advise the company management to consider

options such as mergers to ensure effective implementation of strategic goals (Davis, 2007).

2.2.4. Governance. Stakeholders also contribute to the efficient governance of an

organization. They have governance policies, ethical codes, and responsibility schedules to

ensure effective execution of tasks (Darnall, Seol, & Sarkis, 2009). Primarily, the board of

directors of an organization is not answerable to the management but the stakeholders.

2.2.5. Decision Making. Stakeholders have the responsibility of making effective choices

that steer the company to prosperity. In most organizations, high-ranking officials and other

outsiders with significant equity hold forums to discuss the strategic performance of the firm

(Watson & Noble, 2007). As a result, they vote on important resolutions that ensure the effective

implementation of strategic objectives.

2.3. Wicked Camper’s Stakeholders

Customers including young drivers and backpackers are important stakeholders of

Wicked Campers. Such individuals contribute to the operational activities of this firm since they

hire customized vehicles at a fee. Initially, the company began with a limited market scope. Over

the years, the customer base widened. Currently, the firm is now considered an international

campervan due to a massive client base from various geographical locations in the universe such

as Asia, Europe, Australia, America, and Africa (Sharma & Starik, 2004). John Webb, the owner

of Wicked Campers, is also a crucial stakeholder. His ideas and determination have contributed

to the rapid growth of the campervan company since its inception in 2000 (Motion, Heath, &

Leitch, 2016). Moreover, the company has a variety of employees including drivers, vehicle

cleaners, graffiti experts, salespersons, accountants, and managers. The governments in which

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 8

the company operates are other vital stakeholders since they influence the activities of the

enterprise. In Australia and New Zealand, the entity receives massive criticism for its offensive

slogan imprinted on its vehicles (Pride, 2011). As a result, a series of such accusations have

plunged the company into disrepute.

2.4. Importance of the Stakeholders at Wicked Campers

The customers, employees, shareholders, directors, and the owner of the company ensure

the firm realizes sustainability and value creation. Mainly, the employees execute routine

activities that define the brand of the business. Customers offer the market for the camping

services provided by the organization. The shareholders provide the required funds to ensure the

company expands its sphere of operation and reap more benefits (Costa & Menichini, 2013).

Finally, the directors and managers of the company offer leadership. They oversee effective

decision-making procedures that shield the company from various uncertainties in the market. In

essence, the stakeholders of Wicked Campers are essential constructs to its strategic

advancement.

3.0. Public Relation Issues

3.1. Definition

According to Parsons (2008), Public relation issues embody the challenges that an entity

faces when strengthening its relationship with the stakeholders. In some cases, the publicity

stunts employed by an organization might culminate into invaluable success. Contrarily, some

initiative might undermine the credibility and self-image of an entity, which is detrimental to its

overall growth.

3.1.1. Credibility. Certainly, credibility is one of the PR issues that impair the

relationship between a firm and its stakeholders. Rapid technological advancements have made

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 9

it easy for organizations to disseminate information to a broad consumer base, which was not the

norm during the 20

century. Evidently, this move has allowed entities to publish false

information concerning the products and services they offer, which jeopardizes the credibility of

public relations campaign (Galloway & Kwanash-Aidoo, 2005).

3.1.2. Multiple Channels. The existence of different propagation techniques such as

radio, television, internet, and newspapers has made it difficult for firms to select the best

alternative (Regester & Larkin, 2008). Apparently, the inability to make an active selection

hinders the success of most PR campaigns.

3.1.3. Competition. The modern day market is highly competitive, which requires a firm

to reevaluate their business strategies to ensure sustainability. In a way, most companies in an

industry utilize PR campaigns as a perfect platform to attain a competitive advantage. However,

some embittered rivals might opt to engage in negative publicity stunts that hurt the credibility of

another firm.

3.2. Wicked Camper’s Issue From a PR Perspective

Indeed, this company has captured the attention of the media in Australia and New

Zealand due to the offensive slogans on their vans. Between the years 2008 and 2012, the

advertising regulatory board in Australia received numerous complaints concerning the slogans

and other forms of advertising. Some people might defend the actions of this company stating

that it is a form of personal branding (Oliver & Chartered Institute, 2010). From a PR

perspective, an entity should engage in unique campaigns and advertising methods to withstand

the competitive pressure in the market. However, the public campaigns should not deliver

harmful messages that can harm the psychological and emotional orientation of the consumers or

the environment. For instance, the sexist and misogynist advertisements might foster immorality,

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 10

discrimination, and other antisocial behaviors that threaten social order. A successful PR

initiative should improve not only the operational efficacy of an organization, but also the social

welfare of the entire community (Bowen, Rawlins, & Martin, 2010). For this case, Wicked

Campers experiences the problem of multiple advertising channels and competition. As a result,

it is forced to embrace the graffiti slogans to differentiate its products and services.

3.3. Significance of the Company to the Issues

Wicked Campers has a grown into a multinational organization that serves diverse

territorial markets. Over the years, its brand image has grown to immeasurable heights due to the

increased quality of service delivery. Besides the graffiti slogans, the company employs other

public relation techniques that bolster its self-image. For instance, the company advertises its

products using social media to ensure a wide coverage. As well, it engages in corporate social

responsibilities to influence the perception and loyalty of the consumers. For example, the

campervan firm collaborated with Mates Race and Book Aid International to generate funds for

charity (Pearce & Pabel, 2015). Despite the strong brand name, the wicked slogans can destroy

the reputation of the company. It can make the consumer to embrace substitute products and

services, which can hinder its operations. Thus, it is vital for Wicked Campers to reevaluate its

PR policies to realize continued growth and withstand market pressure.

4.0. Knowledge of Public

4.1. Definition

Publics represent a group of people that encounter a similar problem, recognize the issue,

and mobilize themselves to generate a solution. Most organizations target stakeholders through

their marketing strategies, recruitment policies, and investment options. However, publics occur

independently and select a particular entity for attention. According to Haywood (2002), a core

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 11

competency in developing an active PR policy entails the accurate identification of publics with

which an organization seeks to develop beneficial relationships. Some of Wicked Camper’s

publics may include Board of Directors, investors, media, campers, family and friends of

campers, workers, and the government.

4.2. Order of Priority of Wicked Camper’s Publics

Primarily, it is impossible for all the publics to have identical interests and demands of an

organization. For this purpose, Duh (2007) emphasized that stakeholder management should be

built around the ability to manage the conflicting benefit of the stakeholders. Immediately an

entity selects its public, a scramble for attention occurs. An entity experiences a dilemma

concerning who to listen to and who to ignore. The occurrence of such a situation prompts a

company to prioritize each public based on the situational circumstances (Du, 2000). In essence,

the situational theory of publics categorizes publics as either active or latent. Active publics

recognize a problem and do something concerning the issue. However, latent publics refer to a

group of stakeholders that face a particular problem but do not realize its implications (Lunblad,

2005). As a result, the active publics deserve more priority since they have an enhanced capacity

to interfere with an organization's image. Contrarily, latent publics deserve little attention since

they cause an indirect interference with the public image of an entity. Therefore, the order of

priority for Wicked Camper's publics will be government, media, Board of Directors, family, and

friends of campers, workers, and then the consumers.

4.3. The Connection Between the Publics and the Wicked Slogans

Primarily, an effective public relations initiative should ensure the prevalence of a

beneficial relationship between an organization and its stakeholders. As a result, the publics

above act as regulators to the activities of an entity that might harm its public image. For

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 12

example, the media publishes the negative perceptions by various individuals and activists

concerning the offensive slogans (Pride, 2011). Analyzing the feedback of the publics allows the

firm to incorporate effective PR policies to bolster its reputation. Ideally, increased negative

perceptions and dissatisfaction among the public hurts the self-image of an organization, which

limits its strategic growth.

5.0. Conclusion

From the report above, it is clear that stakeholders are relevant to the operational efficacy

of an organization. They provide funds, make decisions, and participate in governance.

Therefore, it is important for an entity to establish a productive relationship with its stakeholders

to realize growth. As well, the existence of multiple channels and massive competition, and

credibility are the core issues that affect Public relations. For wicked Camper’s case, competition

and the desire to differentiate its brands are the main reasons behind its offensive slogans. In

conclusion, the firm should reevaluate its PR policies to ensure the prevalence of a campaign that

improves its reputation and the welfare of its stakeholders.

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 13

References

Bhattacharya, C. B., Korschun, D., & Sen, S. (2009). Strengthening stakeholder–company

relationships through mutually beneficial corporate social responsibility

initiatives. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(2), 257-272.

Bowen, S. A., Rawlins, B., & Martin, T. R. (2010). An overview of the public relations function.

New York: Business Expert Press.

Costa, R., & Menichini, T. (2013). A multidimensional approach for CSR assessment: the

importance of the stakeholder perception. Expert Systems with Applications, 40(1), 150-

161.

Darnall, N., Seol, I., & Sarkis, J. (2009). Perceived stakeholder influences and organizations’ use

of environmental audits. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 34(2), 170-187.

Davis, A. (2007). Mastering public relations. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Du, P. D. F. (2000). Introduction to public relations and advertising. Lansdowne: Juta.

Duh, S. C. (2007). New media and public relations. New York [u.a].: Lang.

Freeman, R. E. (2010). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Cambridge University

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Southbank, Vic: Thompson / Scoial Science Press.

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74.

Haywood, R. (2002). Manage your reputation: How to plan public relations to build and protect

the organization's most powerful asset. London: Kogan Page.

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT 14

Lunblad, S. S. (2005). Public relations for schools: A resource guide for principals. Greenwich,

Conn: Information Age Pub.

Motion, J., Heath, R. L., & Leitch, S. (2016). Social media and public relations: Fake friends

and powerful publics. Abingdon, Oxon : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Oliver, S., & Chartered Institute of Public Relations. (2010). Public relations strategy. London:

Kogan Page/CIPR.

Parsons, P. (2008). Ethics in public relations: A guide to best practice. London: Kogan Page.

Pearce, P. L., & Pabel, A. (2015). Tourism and humour. Bristol ; Buffalo : Channel View

Publications.

Pride, W. M. (2011). Marketing principles. South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning.

Regester, M., & Larkin, J. (2008). Risk issues and crisis management in public relations: A

casebook of best practice. London: Kogan Page.

Sharma, S., & Starik, M. (2004). Stakeholders, the environment, and society. Cheltenham, UK:

Edward Elgar.

Watson, T., & Noble, P. (2007). Evaluating public relations: A best practice guide to public

relations planning, research & evaluation. London: Kogan Page.

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