Fundamentals of Public Relations (PR01)

The practical 5 day Fundamentals of Public Relations Diploma course focuses on how to create communication campaigns, manage strong brands, create a cohesive corporate identity, predict and reduce risk, create a crisis plan and risk management strategy, protect and enhance reputation, implement CSR strategies, which are sustainable and create strategic media communications plans, which engage effectively with your target market and stakeholders.

Learn the essential skills of Public Relations in developing robust strategies that enhance the reputation of your brand and corporate image. We teach you the techniques of building trust within your brand, by developing your brand's reputation and image. The comprehensive Fundamentals of Public Relations course is up-to-date in content and encourages group participation and discussion. The approach to the training is inclusive and consultative. We work closely with each person, in order to help you develop your PR and communication skills. Central to this course is gaining a full understanding of how reputation is the primary strategic route to success for businesses in an age of rapid digital change.

On This Course You will learn:

• Trends and developments in communications
• Building reputation through trust and transparency into the brand
• Getting attention for your brand – from product to brand
• Risk and issue management plans for stakeholder engagement
• Defending your brand and implementing effective risk and crisis plans
• Effective stakeholder engagement
• CSR brand strategies
• Developing communications campaigns

Topics:

Day 1 - Effective Branding and Reputation Management Strategies 

• Creating effective strategies to build your product or service into a desirable brand

• The visual elements of the brand and how it shapes our perception 
• Exploring the differences between tangible (physical) and intangible (non-physical) elements of branding 
• Delving deeper into the intangibles: how they impact reputation 
• Exploring reputation management strategies
• Strategies for positioning your brand to create loyalty and trust

Day 2 - Creating Effective Public Relations Campaigns

• Determining and establishing your public relations goals
• The importance of effective internal communications for a PR campaign
• Identifying your target audiences and create personas 
• The process of creating a strategy and tactic for every objective - SMART goals 
• Reviewing strategies for your campaigns through evaluation

Day 3 - Implementing a Sustainable CSR Strategy 

• Current perspectives of CSR - setting the scene for current issues 
• How CSR strategies are changing and evolving
• Social and environmental approaches to CSR
• Terminology associated with CSR
• Trust and Reputation Management 
• Ensuring CSR helps build brand equity and enhance trust and values 
• Social and environmental approaches to CSR
• CSR as an integral part of your internal communications
• Integrating CSR as part of your HR strategy to involve employees 
• CSR as a strategic tool to enhance stakeholder engagement 
• Risk management verses social values 
• How best to communicate CSR ideas and programmes
• Current trends affecting communication around CSR - external communications strategies

Day 4 - Managing Risk and Crisis

• Understanding the different types of risk
• The process and benefits of risk management
• Exploring risk assessment techniques
• The process of issues management
• The consequences of not managing risk
• The impact of social media and exposing your brand to risk
• Planning for a crisis
• The importance of a crisis plan
• Crisis management - responding to a crisis - the steps
• Assembling your crisis team
• The importance of leadership during a crisis
• The importance of internal communications during a crisis
• Creating a crisis communications plan
• Managing the media during a crisis - Media and crisis communications during the acute phase of a crisis
• Pre-prepared holding and media communications statements
• Reputation management and social monitoring during a crisis

Day 5 - Understanding Media and Press Campaigns

• The different types of media - traditional and digital
• What makes a good story: the basics?
• How to engage the media  
• Press release writing 
• Why material gets rejected
• Make your material more attractive and grab attention
• Using social media: YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, etc
• Developing media strategies that produce results
• Stakeholder management: analysis, mapping and engagement
• Engagement strategies and techniques
• Influence and persuasion techniques
• Framing and re-framing messages
• Techniques of advocacy and brand reach using digital and social media

Recognition

The Professional Development Diploma is approved and recognised by the: Continuing Professional Development (CPD): www.cpduk.co.uk

Award

CPD-Approved LSPR Professional Development Diploma: PR & Reputation Management. The Diploma is awarded with a Pass, Merit or Distinction.

Assessment

The final Diploma award will be based on the following:

• Critical Thinking Exercises set and completed during the training - a series of practical exercises are set for each session for the delegates to work on during their training. This is an effective way to try out what you have been learning and gain insight and feedback, as you progress with each session during the course.

What you need to bring with you:

Please bring with you your laptop or tablet to the training sessions.

Bespoke Availability 

To meet your team’s specific needs, this course is also offered as a bespoke exclusive programme. It is also offered on a one-to-one tailored basis. Delivery options are either in-house, or at the LSPR premises in Kensington. Please contact LSPR for a quote.