Axiom Strategic Communications - Essay Example

 Axiom Strategic Communications Executive Summary Australian Hearing Public Relations (PR) is about enhancing an organization’s repute by addressing organizational concerns and standpoints, what others say about the organization and the organization’s products and services. This looks at the organization’s status of affairs with the objective of making an understanding, support, influencing opinion, and behavior change in the way the organization is run and services provided (Caywood, 1997, p. 52). Approximately one out of six persons in Australia has ear impairment. With the ageing population, hearing loss is anticipated to increase to one out of four persons by 2050. This strategy redefines the current situation about the hearing problem in Australia and how the Australian Hearing organization contends to deal with the ever-increasing cases in the country. The organization focus on hearing impairment for “Children and young adults under the age 21 years, Indigenous adults over 50 and aged pensioners and Veterans affected during their working experience” (Australian Hearing 2011). The majority of active clients attended to by specialists in all the years are between the ages 0-29 and 60-99, with the latter forming the highest percentage in both male and female subjects. This gives reason why the entity forms an integral component in solving hearing loss problem in Australia and, thus, the organization to place itself strategically to solve these problems. The figure below shows the population by percentage of active clients attending the Australian Hearing by age group. FIG: Age distribution of active clients of the Australian Hearing This PR strategy seeks to position the Australian Hearing in a distinguishable manner vis-a-vis competitors in the hearing products and services. Through this, the organization sets industry standards and uses the most cost-effective and best value means in accomplishing its objectives to the target publics. A number of messages will be used to communicate the intentions of the organization. These will be through communicated through interactive social media platforms, brochures and newsletters. The messages “Together we lead the world in giving our customers with the best hearing solutions” aims at putting the mission and vision of the organization a top agenda. Through this, the organization focuses on streamlining its procedures to be customer oriented to solve the specific impairments of the customer in question. The message “Setting the standards in Hearing health and auditory research” outlines to the major objective that the organization is on the threshold of achieving. This posits that the specialists and management all work towards a collective motivation (Harris & Whalen, 2006, p. 107). The individuals are expected to convert all their energies and synergies towards setting the pace in the research and hearing health services provision. The last message “More responsible, more convenience” puts a high-level confidence on donors who have invested their money in the organization and on the customers receiving services from the organization. These messages are to be presented in a frequency manner (Harris & Whalen, 2006, p. 19). The messages will be occasionally sent out to the clients and to the population at large in a frequency number not less than three times. This will require frequent advertising flights to convey the messages to the population in a way that it frequently rings in their minds at all times. The model is based on the suggestion that no single time message delivery can have an impact as a repeated message in the marketplace comprising of divergent groups of entities (Newsom, & Haynes, 2010). By percentage, there are approximately 48 percent of women who go for the products and services of the organization, while men pose an astounding 52% of the entire population as shown in the pie chart below. FIG: A pie chart showing audio logical services as offered in 2011 by the Australian Hearing This pie chart thus describes a higher population size in the number of men seeking services at the Australian Hearing as compared to women. The public relation strategy will thus prioritize towards serving target publics in Australia. A number of tactics will be used to drive the messages home to the different categories of targeted publics based on the age groups being targeted. This will be done through either through adverts or using print media to transfer the information to the individuals. CONTENTS Page Executive Summary 1 Situation Analysis 3 Strategy Goals Objectives Target Publics Messages Message Strategies Tactics Implementation Budget Timeline Evaluation Situation Analysis In Australia, hearing loss is more prevalent to the extent of affecting one in every six people of the population. Slightly over half of the “population aged between 60 and 70” has a hearing loss problem (Australian Hearing Annual Report, 2011). This rises to more than 70 per cent of those 70 years and older and 80 percent of those over the age of 80 (Australian Hearing Annual Report, 2011). With the ageing Australian population, hearing loss is predicted to upsurge to one in each four Australians by the year 2050 (Australian Hearing Annual Report, 2011). The majority of active clients’ attended to by specialists’ in all the years are between the ages 0-29 and 60-99, with the latter forming the highest percentage in both male and female subjects. As such, the organization forms an integral component in solving hearing loss problem in Australia and thus requires the organization to place itself strategically to solve hearing loss in Australia. The Public Strategies primarily aims at improving the services being offered by the “Australian Hearing organization”. The delivery of these services are compared on a base scale so that the personnel is in a position to evaluate whether they are making progress, static or making a negative progress. Opportunities and obstacles are compared in a bid to give a picture of the forces beyond managerial strengths and weaknesses that act on the entity’s activities (Caywood, 1997, p. 52). The internal strengths are checked against the weaknesses of the organization, thus, providing a clear working platform upon which the organization carries out its targets. The organization has various opportunities including Strategic Alliances, Innovation, Strategic intent and Planning that it may embrace to achieve its objectives. Similarly, it has varied threats that need to be worked upon and may include political unpredictability and turmoil, economic depressions and inflation, social orientation of the population and Technological forces. The Strengths include Versatility, Continued Positive Growth, Big Market Share, and Cooperation. The weaknesses include slowness in novel technological adoption, inadequate systems, slow deliveries and shortage of financial resources. These are assessed in an example of table as shown below: External/From Around Opportunities Obstacles Strategic Alliances Political unpredictability and turmoil Innovation Economic depressions and inflation Strategic intent Social orientation of the population Planning Technological forces Internal/From Within Strengths Weaknesses Versatile Slowness in Novel Technological adoption Continued Positive Growth Inadequate systems Big Market Share Slow deliveries Cooperation Shortage of financial resources This Australian Public Relations has two key goals of improving the customer experience and providing customers with the finest hearing solutions. These goals will be tenable through the standardization of practices, provision of training and streamlining of client services. To further set pace in providing the best hearing services and products, the organization engages in assessing hearing and fitting hearing devices that that are given to the clients, provides counseling and provides rehabilitative packages that enable eligible clients to manage their hearing impairment. The strategy thus provides mechanisms by which the Australian Hearing can effectively use to realize these objectives and provides feedback mechanisms for analyzing the accomplishments. Strategy This analysis provides communicative ways by which the Australian Hearing can carry out its activities in a manner that aids in achieving its mission and vision in a more definable way. The previous years have seen a tremendous upsurge in the cases of hearing aids being fitted on new individuals with hearing impairments or loss in Australia. Through appreciating this fact, the organization embarks on programs that deal with these cases while taking into account the organizational quality measure (Smith, 2004, p. 67). The figure below outlines the number of children fitted with hearing aids in 2010 calendar year by age group, through this summary the strategic plan will seek to give customized advertisement as per the special needs of the age groups. Controlled approaches will apply in the creation of adverts designed for the specific target groups shown in the figure below. FIG: Number of children fitted with hearing aids in 2010 calendar year by age group These Public Relations objectives of the Australian Hearing are about manipulating people to choose between taking actions and not taking any action in choosing products and services of the Australian Hearing. These options exude particular outcomes on the organizational wellbeing. The target audience forms a vital part of this strategy as it ensures the right messages are conveyed to the right populaces. In addition, it insures that they are not forgotten with ease. This ensures priority is available to the primary target group ensuring effective communication of the Public Relation strategy (Gregory, 2000, p.1256). Online communication approaches will be used in reaching target publics through blogging and social sites messaging. 1. Goals Goal 1: To have an effect on the awareness of improved customer experience in Australian Hearing, especially to upturn the understanding of the advantages of suggestions (50% within one year). Objective 1: To standardize practices Objective 2: To provide training Objective 3: To streamline client services. Goals 2: To have an effect on the acceptance of hearing solutions in Australian and the world at large, especially to create positive attitudes towards the servicers of the Australian Hearing (40% within six months). Objective 1: Assessing hearing and fitting hearing devices Objective 2: Providing counseling Objective 3: Rehabilitative packages that enable eligible clients to manage their hearing impairments Goal 3: To have an effect on the action of citizens with hearing impairment to seek the products and services of the Australian Hearing, explicitly to escalate their patronage at Australian Hearing (10% within six months). 2. Target publics Primary Children and young adults under the age 21 years, Indigenous adults over 50 and aged pensioners and Veterans. Such are audiences that the organization specifically influences through its objectives and, thus, the people that the entity tries to totally change their lives. Secondary Australian Hearing workforce The people intervene on behalf of the organization and influence the primary publics Tertiary Other Supportive Organizations, e.g. Organizations’ for the Deaf These are “special” publics comprising of organized groups that can are mobilized quickly and endorses the cause of the Australian Hearing organization. 3. Messages “Together we lead the world in giving our customers with the best hearing solutions.” This message brings a sense of togetherness within the organization, encouraging all the stakeholders to work with unity towards the collective cause of providing hearing health and auditory research. “Setting the standards in Hearing health and auditory research.” This message gives the clients of the Australian Hearing organization a sense of fulfillment that they are getting the best of the expertise services. It also creates confidence to the management and workforce on that they are working towards being a winning team. “More responsible, more convenience.” This message creates a sense of responsibility especially relating to linkages with other organizations. The message, thus, encourages other donors wanting to be allied with the organization that they will receive value for their investment and engagement. Message strategies and tactics Goal 1, Objective 1: To streamline client services. Target publics: Children and young adults under the age 21 years, Indigenous adults over 50 and aged pensioners and Veterans. Message delivery strategies Tactics 1: Inoculate Advertising - Structuring Resilient Attitudes This branding technique gives reason to the clients to stay fixated on the products or services of the organization. This technique offers a belief that the organization in question is offers the best services enhancing one’s contentment pertaining to that organization (Austin & Pinkleton, 2006, p.126). 2: Emotional Creativity- Building Brand Loyalty The rationale here is to translate advertising into feelings that offer warmth and affection mixed with humor. This makes the consumers of the products to have a feeling of wanting to be associated with the organization and be part of the success story (Zappala, & Carden, 2009, p.34). 3: Provision of services with non-compromised quality – Creating Brand Attributes This gives the customers a clear picture of the dealings of the organization. With full satisfaction, the customers will spread the information to other probable clients to visit the organization. Explanation: A creation of a sense of brand devotion is an essential ingredient in the provision of services of the organization. The customers are convinced by reasoning why they should stay loyal to the current organization’s activities. Through this, the customer base in significantly increased maintaining the market shares of the products (Caywood, 1997, p. 78). Goal 1, Objective 2: To provide personnel training Target publics: The workforce, donors and other supportive organizations Message delivery strategies Tactics 1: Reputational advertising - increasing trustworthiness of the products and services being offered These approaches create self-reliance in the personnel and currently update the specialists of the information that of importance that have changed over time and practice in their work. 2: Demonstrative Ingenuity- improving recognition of the public relation messages The rationale here is to translate advertising into feelings that offer warmth and affection. This makes the consumers of the products to have a feeling of wanting to be associated with the organization and be part of the success story (Austin & Pinkleton, 2006, p.137). 3: Financial Transparency - building security for the organization This gives the donors a clear mental imagery of the dealings of the organization. With full satisfaction, the donors are able to track on how their money is spent providing incentives to assist the organization meet its financial obligation (Weingand, 1999, p. 65). Explanation: Effective personnel training increases the eminence of services being offered by the organization. The specialists and management are frequently updated on the public relation messages so that the information sticks in the minds of the workforce who in turn are the implementers. Goal 1, Objective 3: To standardize practices of the organization Target publics: Indigenous adults over 50 and aged pensioners and Veterans and Other support agencies Message delivery strategies Tactics 1: Frequent messaging - improving recall of the Public Relation messages This can be through instant e-mailing of the messages of the Public Relation messages to third parties interested in the products and services of the organization. 2: Transparency and efficacy of services - increasing the believability in the products and services This creates a sense that the services being offered are of high standards to the consumers. 3: Demonstrative Ingenuity -enhancing attitudes and feeling The rationale here is to effectively translate advertising into feelings that offer warmth and affection. This makes the consumers of the products to have a feeling of wanting to be associated with the organization and be part of the success story (Austin & Pinkleton, 2006, p.137). Explanation: Effective communication is effected through close contact with the involved parties. This will provide a feedback mechanism upon which the strategies will be assessed in the future. Goal 2, Objective 1: To assess hearing and fitting hearing devices Target publics: Children and young adults under the age 21 years, Indigenous adults over 50 and aged pensioners and Veterans. Message delivery strategies Tactics 1: Inoculate Advertising - enhancing attitudes and feeling This branding technique gives reason to the clients to stay fixated on the products or services of the organization. This technique offers a belief that the organization in question is the only one offering the best services enhancing one’s ego pertaining to that organization. Explanation:  Advertising plays a vital role in enhancing usage of merchandise and services by the population. A good advert will make an individual want to try using a given product or not even try to use it since the individual is not persuaded to do so. Different adverts are suitable for given groups of people and, thus, the persons preparing them should be user sensitive. Children will tend to be persuaded by the use of cartoons, while older persons are more persuaded by a more creative and original work of art (Gregory, 2000, p.206). Goal 2, Objective 2: To provide counseling services Target publics: • Australian Hearing workforce Message delivery strategies Tactics 1: Inoculate Advertising - improving recall of the Public Relation messages This branding technique gives reason to the clients to stay fixated on the products or services of the organization. This technique offers a belief that the organization in question is the only one offering the best services enhancing one’s ego pertaining to that organization. 2: Demonstrative Ingenuity- Building Brand Loyalty The rationale here is to effectively translate advertising into feelings that offer warmth and affection mixed with humor. This makes the consumers of the products to have a feeling of wanting to be associated with the organization and be part of the success story (Austin & Pinkleton, 2006, p.137). 3: Creating value for money – Creating Brand Attributes This gives the workforce a mental image of the transactions of the organization. With full satisfaction the workforce will be much more than willing to spend their energy on the organization and, thus, source for more financial aid to the organization (Grunig & Grunig, 1990, p.95). Explanation: The workforce of the organization expect are transparent view in the utilization of their efforts in attaining satisfaction and encouragement and be in a position to input extra amounts in the future. Goal 2, Objective 3: To offer Rehabilitative Packages that enable eligible clients to manage their hearing impairment Target publics: Children and young adults under the age 21 years, Indigenous adults over 50 and aged pensioners and Veterans and Other Supportive Agencies Message delivery strategies Tactics 1: Comparative Advertising - improving recall and recognition of the Public Relation messages This branding technique gives reason to the clients to stay fixated on the products or services of the organization. One or more brands are compared at the same time wholly or explicitly. This technique offers a belief that the organization in question is the only one offering the best services enhancing one’s ego pertaining to that organization (Gregory, 2000, p.196). 2: Affectionate Originality- Building Brand Allegiance The rationale here is to effectively translate advertising into feelings that offer warmth and affection mixed with humorous feelings. This makes the consumers of the products to have a feeling of wanting to be associated with the organization and be part of the success story (Austin & Pinkleton, 2006, p.156). 3: Reputational advertising - increasing trustworthiness of the products and services These approaches create self-reliance in the personnel and currently update the specialists of the information that of importance that have changed over time and practice in their work (Gregory, 2000, p.234) . Explanation:  These approaches are aimed at making the target publics own the initiative themselves and thus perform their roles in the bargain in a bid to realizing the common vision. Implementation The strategy will be implemented within a time-line of one to two years of operation. Specific duties will be assigned to respective managerial staff and specialist to ease the process of implementing the approaches (Harris, 1998, p. 179) of the PR strategy. Timeline Budget PROJECTED AUSTRALIAN HEARING BUDGET REVENUES AMOUNT(units) EXPENDITURE AMOUNT(units) Indirect Government Funding Donor Aids Grants Sale of products Sale of services Royalties Nonpayment Advertising Employees’ incremental salaries and wages Supply contracts as result of novel undertakings Leave premiums and other emoluments for the workforce Lease rentals from the strategy Workers compensating premiums Retirement benefits for the old workforce Acoustic research expenses Item Employees’ incremental salaries and wages Supply contracts as result of novel undertakings Leave premiums and other emoluments for the workforce Lease rentals from the strategy Workers compensating premiums Retirement benefits for the old workforce Acoustic research expenses Evaluation The efficacy of the Australian Hearing Public Relations plan is provided by its system for computing and documenting the plan’s achievements. The Public Relation plan is geared towards refining the organization’s distinctiveness, endorsing products and services, and repositioning the products or services within the Australian market. This allows management to know the organizational limitations, set precedence and plan in advance for the strategies. The current rating values of the organization are considered to be the base value upon which increments or improvements are to be assessed (Grunig & Grunig, 1990, p.167). Both positive and negative increments are recorded to help is assessing the overall position of the organization’s strategy. This evaluation process is based on Utility, Feasibility, Propriety and Accuracy of the information given. The process will be done through issuance of a questionnaire to the target public randomly and the data amassed analyzed in an ethical manner without disclosing the names of the respondents to any party (Harris, 1998, p. 89). List of References Austin, E, & Pinkleton, B. (2006). Strategic public relations management: Planning and managing effective communication programs. New Jersey, NJ: Routledge. Caywood, C. (1997). The handbook of strategic public relations & integrated communications. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional. Gregory, A. (2000). Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Grunig, J., & Grunig, L. (1990). Public Relations Research Annual, Volume 2. New Jersey, NJ: Routledge. Harris, T., & Whalen, P. (2006). The Marketer's Guide to Public Relations in the 21st century. New York, NY: Texere Publishers. Harris, T. (1998). Value-Added Public Relations: the secret weapon of integrated marketing. Chicago, CH: McGraw-Hill Professional. Newsom, D., & Haynes, J. (2010). Public Relations Writing: Form & Style. Canada: Cengage Learning. Smith, R. (2004). Strategic Planning for Public Relations. New Jersey, NJ: Routledge. Weingand, D. (1999). Marketing/Planning library and information services. Colorado, CO: Libraries Unlimited. Zappala, J., & Carden, A. (2009). Public Relations Writing Worktext: A Practical Guide for the Profession. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis. Australian Hearing. (2011). Australian Hearing Annual Report, [Online]. Available from http//www.hearing.com.au/annual-reports Read More