Massification and Communication - Case Study Example

The massification of the media, in particular e-based communication channels, presents a range of opportunities for PR planners. Critically assess how a range of channels can be used as part of an integrated PR campaign Contents Contents 2 What is Massification? 3 Massification and Communication 3 Selecting a Channel of Communication for PR Campaigning 4 E-campaigning 5 Challenges when Working with Digital Means of Communication 6 Other Channels of Communication 7 Other Channels of Communication: Televisions and Radios 7 Factors Affecting Choice of Communication Channels 8 Pros and Cons of Different Channels 9 Press Releases 9 Reference List 11 What is Massification? Massification refers to the act of considering all people in a group together rather than their individual characteristics (Massification 2010). Massification of the media refers to integration of all the classes in the community. Mass here does not particularly refer to size but is suggestive of an instant inclusive embrace. The nature of mass media is that it does not inculcate the size of the audience; it involves everybody at the same time. Lewis Lapham, in the introduction of McLuhan’s Understanding Media, is of the point of view that mass results from the absence on individual voice into a corporate and collective consciousness (Fitzpatrick 2006). The importance of massification of media in marketing can be assimilated from the fact that it is marked by a unilateral channel of communication. This helps is not meant to modify the receiver into a “for-the-other or alienating him from his world” (Dagron & Tufte 2006). Conversely, the massification of media tends to silence the possibility of dialogue. By providing equal treatment to everyone in the society, since it is representative of being one-for-all, it happens to create uniformity in a temporal dimension, to alienate and to massify. The massification of media is the opposite of communicating and dialoguing relationships (Dagron & Tufte 2006). It is characteristic of an informational relationship, which hinders the development of personal diversity amongst the society. It is only where sources of information are used and channels of communication that encourage unilateral flow of information does massification happens. Information and mass media are functionally interrelated (Dagron & Tufte 2006). Massification and Communication There is a diverse range of communication channels that can be used to relay information from the sender to the recipient. Mass information media refers to the artificial channels of communication, characteristic of conducting omnibus information, allocutions and messages in a unilateral fashion (Dagron & Tufte 2006). The information is considered as part of massification if it stabilizes at the level of one-for-all. Such information tends to become impersonal to the individual needs of the recipients (Dagron & Tufte 2006). Massification of media can be used to promote and market a PR campaign. For this purpose, a number of communication channels can be employed. These include televisions, SMS, emails, newspapers, magazines etc. However, the integration of digital marketing into the business approaches is not an easy feat to accomplish. It can be argued that the concept is relatively newer than marketing through conventional channels of communication such as a newspaper. Until recently, organizations did not regard digital means of communication with much importance. However with the rapid pace of advancement in technology, digital means infiltrated the society. Now almost every organization has access to digital means such as the Internet. In the past, Internet was considered in isolation and was given little significance because of the profound implications its usage had on the operation of the industry (Chaffey et al. 2009). Selecting a Channel of Communication for PR Campaigning Devising and putting a PR campaign into action follows that suitable communication channels are employed. The choice of communication channels from the assortment of communication channels and methods available are going to decide the success of the PR campaign; in fact, Harrison (2010) contends that the usage of communication channels is the key to the stakeholders. Before planning a PR campaign, it is necessary to be able to recognize and to take into account the steps that stake holder groups take to achieve the aims. Moreover it is also necessary for campaign planners to attach an objective to each communication strategy. This can either be an objective relating to the process of communication of information to the stakeholders or an objective associated with the outcomes of the communication strategy. This is important for the successful completion of the plan since the completion of the planned activities means that the objectives have also been met, signifying that the plan has been implemented successfully. Communication channels for the planning a PR campaign need to deal with issues such as change communication, stakeholder communication, community relations, event management, marketing communication and sponsorship endeavors (Harrison 2010). Crisis management also falls under the domain of public relations (Coombs 2007). The channels used for communication can be very varied. With the current digital age, there are an increasingly greater number of channels available for campaign planners (Smith 2005). However, research on successful PR campaigns has shown that the ideal combination of channels is the usage of different channels for communication. The campaign planners often select channels for their ease of implementation rather than the effect that they have on the targeted parties. However, the usage of different channels for communication results in better outcomes that influence the attitudes of the consumers. E-campaigning To devise a consistent plan for PR, the campaign planners have to take into account the e-campaign components. The components of the e-campaign include online communication tools such as email advertisement or online advertising on websites. It may also include e-marketing activities like engine marketing, affiliate marketing or online sponsorship (Chaffey et al. 2009). The purpose of the usage of e-based communication channels is to integrate activities occurring via the conventional communication channels into the development of campaigns for PR. Conventional channels of communication have been experimented with profoundly over the past few years. However, online-based communication channels are relatively new to the business arena, and in order to use these channels for the promotion of PR activities, it is incumbent to have clarity within the firm (Chaffey et al. 2009). Specialists that are well-versed in e-marketing can develop plans that can be used not only to influence the senior authorities but also to get buy-in from competitors. Despite the fact that online channels have only recently started to be part of the marketing strategies of organizations, they have immense effects on the behavior of the consumers. Internet has been considered as just another medium for marketing of information for PR planners; nevertheless, its importance cannot be underestimated in increasing the sales of the organization (Chaffey et al. 2009). Challenges when Working with Digital Means of Communication There are a number of challenges when marketing online. In order to develop an effective PR campaign, it is incumbent to eliminate these challenges and gather adequate resources for Internet marketing. One of the main challenges that usage of digital communication channels encompasses is the collection of information about the characteristics and attitudes of the consumers. Working through digital resources also means that the organization has to consistently review the digital market in order to devise effective PR marketing strategies. Putting together a specialist digital team is also necessary for integrating the various parts of the firm and bringing a coherency in the work of the employees and the PR campaign. There are also increased chances of conflicts between the digital specialists’ team put together and other traditional teams working in the organization (Chaffey et al. 2009). The PR campaign planners should also take into account the current consumer trends and to coordinate with various channels dealing with the marketing of other aspects of the firm. There are also challenges inherent in insourcing vs outsourcing online marketing tactics, which include search, affiliate and PR (Chaffey et al. 2009). Other Channels of Communication Besides using digital means for communication, PR campaigners can also use face-to-face interaction for the purpose of communication (Aronson, Spetner & Ames 2007). This can involve a number of channels. For example in the case of lobbying, the campaign planners can make use of briefings, workshops and working groups with government officials from the Parliament or the Congress. The campaign planners can also hold meetings with political leaders for communicating information. The target audience can also be approached through conventional means of communication. These include television, radio, telephone contact, face-to-face interactions, letters, faxes, brochures, public spaces and media releases (Harrison 2010). When using channels that require written expressions, the PR practitioners need to take into account cultural sensitivity and to not write information that may not be appropriate for the target population, while it is appropriate in other cultures. Therefore PR practitioners need to style their language accordingly (Wilcox & Cameron 2009). Other Channels of Communication: Televisions and Radios The options that are available for the communication of information are undergoing rapid changes with advances in technology (Fertman & Allensworth 2010). The strength of the information delivered to the public depends mainly on the mode of communication. Television can present information with conviction and can be an influential medium for PR campaigning. Television also provides dial-in polling and purchasing (Austin & Pinkleton 2006). Whereas television can be effective communication in one area, it might not be very successful in delivering information in another area. It should also be considered that not everyone has access to television and the radio; the issue is important when the PR campaigners have to relay information to the public. This means that the channel to be chosen depends on which method of communication is the most accessible and understandable to the inhabitants of a particular area. As different modes of communication have gradually developed over the years, information and messages have been incorporated as an integral part of PR campaigning through electronic media, mainly television and radio, and through print media, essentially newspapers, pamphlets and flyers. Another practice is the usage of social-marketing techniques to reach out to the people of the community. Other campaigns have incorporated mass media alongside community-based programs to relay the message. Factors Affecting Choice of Communication Channels Different communities have diverse issues. Communication programs should be devised according to the needs and requirements of the campaigning objectives (Society for Human Resource Management (U.S.) 2006). When working in social setups to improve the image of the organization, public service messages need to be less explicit and more modest, while in other societies candidness might not be an issue. In some countries, guerrilla marketing may not be considered acceptable and can have result in a negative impression of the organization. This can be exemplified by the fact that interrupting live TV may be a matter of laughter in the UK but may be regarded as outrageous in other countries (Payne 2010). In many parts of the county, access to electronic media can be a scarce commodity. Such areas can include lands far from the main cities, mainly farmland and countryside. For this reason, in such areas the most effective method of communication is print media and community-based program involving trained employees to deliver information. On the other hand, in these areas literacy rate is also a grave setback which makes print media not as efficient as it is thought to be. In Africa only 1.4% of the population has access to the Internet (Payne 2010). For this reason qualified workers can play a beneficial role. Public demonstrations in which charts and pictures are shown can be helpful in presenting a clear picture of the message being delivered. Pros and Cons of Different Channels When selecting a channel for communication, it is of immense importance that most appropriate channel is chosen according to the nature of the information to be disseminated. People are not likely to trust emails completely due to fact that unofficial source use it for disseminating information and the reliability of many of such emails is questionable (Berry 2007). Source credibility is critical to the success of the campaign (Dahlén, Lange & Smith 2009). Radio and televisions can broadcast information with flair of drama, but they cannot guarantee that the entire target group has received the message or not (Johnson, Ledlow & Cwiek 2005). Flyers or pamphlets are one of the methods used in print media to impart information. In some countries, the media may not be able to have the desired impact. In that case, the role of local political figures, tribal chiefs, school teachers or NGOs comes into limelight (Payne 2010). The information disseminated through such figures can be considered as more authentic by the audience than the information relayed through the media. Therefore it is necessary to ensure that the information and the publications should be aligned to the channel of communication that suits the community (Leinemann & Baikaltseva 2004). Press Releases Press release or news release is an important aspect of publicity. Good publicity is the key to buiding a positive image of the client and to create an interest in the porduct, idea, organization etc. This can also be done by publishing positive stories in the print media. The difference between advertising and PR publicity is that where advertising relies greatly on the money making aspect of the business, publicity is needed for the delivery of quality information to promote the image of the customer (Talloo 2007). Any organization can buy advertising space, but only an effective PR campaign would be able to promote a constructive and positive image of the organization. Thus since PR transfer information from one party to the other, it is important to select an appropriate medium for delivery of information according to the cultural norms of the target group and the objective of the PR campaign (Botan & Hazzleton 2006). 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