Campaigns
An Analysis by:
Charles Lamson
Setting Goals, Timetables and Budgets
Results can be identified on several levels. For example, suppose that you are in charge of public relations for the local public library system. Your first goal may be to get a bond issue passed for a new library. You also want to increase awareness of specific areas of library service and perhaps to stimulate demand for more bookmobiles to serve more distant locations of the library's service area. You may lose the bond issue but if results are positive with the other two objectives, you will have accumulated goodwill that can help at future budget hearings to increase services and to provide more bookmobiles.
Estimates or timetables for achieving results need be no more elaborate than a marked calendar. However, the deadlines must be realistic, given the objectives involved. Allow for foul-up time, and try to finish work ahead of schedule. Avoid the need to explain continually why you are behind. Contingency planning means deciding in advance who will pick up the ball if someone drops it and what effect the substitution will have. Downtime from mistakes can be reduced considerably if you have a realistic timetable. Do not crowd yourself or your staff. Consider how to integrate the project into the overall schedule of PR activities so it will not conflict with regular duties such as writing the annual report or preparing for a stockholders' meeting. If necessary, allow for calling in extra clerical help when there is an overload ("This is PR: The Realities of Public Relations 9th ed.;" by Doug Newsom, Judy VanSlyke Turk and Dean Kruckeberg; pg. 304).
You have to know at this point whether you are working from your department's regular allocated budget or from a special project budget. If it is a special project , you must know its size and be aware of conditions or restrictions that are being placed on it. Alternatively, the budget may be a mixture of your regular budget plus specific additional amounts for specific purposes. It might also be that additional money must be allocated before your budget is complete. Accurate knowledge of your budget will allow you to see what extra help you can contract for, how often you can use these media.
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