Reflective Log
“Reflective practice is important to the development of all professionals because it enables us to learn from experience” (Beatty 1997-8). As a student studying Public Relations, reflection is important to me as it allows me to reflect on the good and bad times allowing me to develop my knowledge and any experiences I may come across in the future. Intro to PR Looking back at my first lecture the CIPR definition of Public relations became very clear, as I received briefly the definitions and learnt about different sectors of Public Relations all the information given gave me more of an insight of what sector I'd like to go into in the future. On reflection I now feel like I’d rather go into Two-way symmetrical rather than Press Agentry as Max Clifford (considered the highest profile and best known publicist in the UK) doesn’t even categorise himself as a PR. "Public relations is about reputation- the result of what you do what you say and what others say about you”. (CIPR 2008) Basic Communication Model, Four Models of PR On reflection I discovered about the basic communication model (Shannon & Weaver model from 1949) in which the sender has a thought it’s passed on through a channel and received by the receiver. Also what can cause complications during communication such as Noise and Filters was made clear. This allowed me to understand Grunig & Hunts four models of PR in a lot more depth as I took notes and realised that Press Agentry which at first I thought was the correct form of PR isn't, however it is one of the most popular fields. I learnt what Active vs. Passive means which in other words is Internal vs. External. Through the use of spider grams I found that companies and organisations have so many internal and external roles and without them the company wouldn't work as they're all needed. Was one of my favourite seminars as I’ve discovered in the past that I’m a visual and interactive learner and the lecture consisted of these elements.
I wanted to find out more about Guerrilla PR as I felt like it was a tactic I could use in the future if ever looking to promote or create a buzz about something so I researched using Wikipedia and found out that “Guerrilla marketing is an advertising strategy in which low-cost unconventional means (graffiti, sticker bombing, flash mobs) are utilized, often in a localized fashion or large network of individual cells, to convey or promote a product or an idea.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_marketing Corporate Social Responsibility We talked about Corporate Social Responsibility and I learnt the reason why CSR is important in a company also that it’s commonly known as "Corporate Philanthropy" but there is an apparent difference. I wanted to discover the difference between Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Philanthropy as I felt like I needed to understand it a lot more in depth to make it easier for myself to differentiate each from each other. According to Ellie Williams both CSR and CP define a company’s reputation and image but use different strategies. (http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_7756972_difference-philanthropycorporate-social-responsibility.html ) According to Tench & Yeomans (2009) CSR is “an organisations defined responsibility to its society and stakeholders" and the European Fair Trade Association describes Fair Trade as being a “trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect that seeks greater equity in international trade”. In my opinion the main difference between CSR & Fairtrade is that CSR seeks to make the trading environment harmless, without challenging the status quo whilst Fair Trade seeks for larger finance in the international trading system. http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/Resources/Traidcraft/Documents/PDF/tx/policy_models_f or_CSR.pdf This really helped on giving me more insight and understanding on the differences between CSR and Fairtrade. Events
I was interested in this particular lesson as I have partaken in organising events before, which were all minor events like a dance event in the Coronet theatre. I developed knowledge like how to plan events and the outline details organising them requires a lot of interaction when I took out Glenn Bowdin’s Events Management (2011). The knowledge I have gained, I plan to use in the future when organising upcoming events. Campaign Planning Reflecting back on my campaign planning in a lecture I learnt how to do SWOT research which I discovered the acronym stands for: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Working with my campaign group we came up with some SWOT research on Oceana as that’s the club we based our campaign on. The same research was done on a smaller nightclub’s in Bedford place like: Junk, POP and Orange to see the comparisons in the results. This helped me a lot as I learnt the strength, weaknesses etc. of each club which allowed me to understand which aspects to pinpoint when starting the campaign. When planning my campaign I realised that PESTLE was needed for my analysis, however I didn’t know what the acronym stood for so I had to do background research. I came across Anne Gregory’s book Planning and Managing a Campaign which I then found out that PESTLE stands for: Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development states that “the term PESTLE has been used regularly in the last 10 years and its true history is difficult to establish.” http://www.cipd.co.uk/hrresources/factsheets/pestle-analysis.aspx This lesson in particular helped me to construct and plan for my campaign. The 10 stages in planning in particular reassured me about what I have to do when I start my campaign. The definition on analysis also helped because I learnt that analysis entails research in order to identify the issues on what I’m planning to base my PR campaign. The definition of Media Content Analysis was made clear to me in this lesson it’s not like SWOT research as it’s orientated towards the media rather than the publics and organisations.
During a discussion with my group, we came to a conclusion that our issue was going to be Anti-social behaviour and the club we were going to focus on was Oceana which is one of the biggest nightclubs in the UK. I feel a lot clearer about what role I’m playing in my group and I’ll be starting my media content analysis on anti-social behaviour in relation to Oceana (Web Based). One of the members in my group that was allocated media content analysis for social media and newspapers came across the same content as me. It was easy to find negatives comments on the nightclub (Oceana) as alcohol abuse and anti-social behaviour are common among teenagers. My group encountered an issue when one of the members didn’t quite understand the task that was given. She was supposed to analyse the television side of media content analysis, instead she researched the history of television which was not relevant to what was needed to be done. The issue was not resolved as it was not that much of a concern as our campaign was already going over the word count and stuff had to be taken out anyway. Using Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle I was able to reflect on my learning experience by describing what happened and my feelings, evaluating what I enjoyed and didn’t quite enjoy during my learning experience, I then analysed and made sense of the situation.
Bibliography BOOKS BOWDIN, G.A.J, 2011, Events Management 3rd ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann TENCH, R and YEOMANS, L, 2009, Exploring Public Relations 2 nd ed. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall WEB PAGES CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT, 2010. Pestle Analysis (Online) (viewed 16 November 2012). Available from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/hrresources/factsheets/pestle-analysis.aspx
ELLIE WILLIAMS, 2010. The Difference Between Corporate Philanthropy & Corporate Social Responsibility (Online) (viewed 15 November 2012). Available from: http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_7756972_difference-philanthropy-corporate-socialresponsibility.html TRAIDCRAFT, 2010. (Online) (Viewed 15 November 2012) Available from: http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/Resources/Traidcraft/Documents/PDF/tx/policy_models_f or_CSR.pdf WIKIPEDIA, 2011. Guerrilla Marketing (Online) (Viewed 9 November 2012) Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_marketing
Appendix DIARY NOTES Intro To PR What I Learnt: Today I pretty much learnt the CIPR definition of Public relations, also received briefly the definitions and learnt about different sectors of PR this gave me more of an insight of what sector I'd like to go into. What I'd Like To Know: I'd definitely like to know in depth more about all four sectors of PR just to make sure that I'm certain about which field I'd like to go into for reassurance. What I Liked About Todays Lesson: Well it was an Intro To PR lesson so I like the fact that I got introduced my course briefly and know a few things about this particular career path. What I Disliked About Todays Lesson: I felt like Sandra went through the slides too quick as I'm one of those learners that learn from writing and I didn't get to write all my notes down however, I recollected the notes from my course at a later date. Extra Notes: Not really used to just sitting down, taking notes and expecting to understand everything that was said as at college I feel like we had more support from teachers but I guess I'll get used to overtime as this is just the beginning. Hoping the next lecture goes a bit more in depth about the different sectors of PR.
Useful Quote: "Public relations is about reputation- the result of what you do what you say and what others say about you" (CIPR 2008) (8/10/12) Basic Com Model, Four Models Of PR What I Learnt: I feel like I learnt about the basic communication model (Shannon & Weaver model from 1949) in which the sender has a thought its passed on through a channel and received by the receiver. Also what can cause complications during communication such as Noise and Filters. I felt like I understood Grunig & Hunts four models of PR much more in this lesson as I took notes and realised that Press Agentry which at first I thought was the correct form of PR isn't, however its the most popular field. What I'd Like To Know: This would probably require my own research but I'd like to know what fashion and media PR companies use what type of PR I may ask Sandra in my next lecture if I remember. What I Liked About Todays Lesson: I liked the fact that I understand in depth the four models of PR as Sandra explained each sector one by one in depth. What I Disliked About Todays Lesson: I had no problems in this particular lesson so there isn't really anything that I disliked about it. Extra Notes: Can't keep up with all the books i'm being asked to read i've taken out like ten books from the library already. That's the most i've taken out in a while. (9/10/12) What I Learnt: In todays lesson I'm actually not entirely sure what model we were looking at but I remember looking at Active Vs Passive which in other words is Internal Vs External. We drew spidergrams which I enjoyed thoroughly as I like to doodle. I learnt that companies and organisations have so many internal and external roles and without them the company wouldn't work as they're all needed. Also that there are thousands of techniques and tactics to promote an event, company etc. What I'd Like To Know:
I'd like to know more about Gherilla PR as I'm not sure if I can explain it correctly I want to make sure I understand it clearly and if anyone happens to ask I'd be able to give the correct definition. What I Liked About Todays Lesson: You mean what did I love about this lesson as I mentioned I liked drawing the spidergrams as I'm 100% more focused when a lesson is interactive. What I Disliked About Todays Lesson: I disliked being forced to go up and come up with 5 ways to promo I hate being put on the spot but it was alright because lots of things came to mind whilst I was up there. Extra Notes: One of my favourite seminars so far, I enjoy drawing diagrams and spidergrams I feel like it helps me remember a bit more maybe because I enjoy being creative and I love interactive lessons. There should be more of those. (15/10/12) What I Learnt: In todays lesson we talked about Corporate Social Responsibility I learnt why it's important in a company also that its known as "Corporate Philanthropy" but apparently there is a difference. According to Tench, R And Yeoman's, L (2009,Pg 99) "Community members and groups are important stakeholders". What I'd Like To Know: I'm going to research this as I'd like to know what the difference between Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Philanthropy, I feel like I need to take some notes about it so I can differentiate each from each other. What I Liked About Todays Lesson: I particularly liked learning about Events, how to plan events and the outline details, because as I may have mentioned about my previous seminar I love being interactive and attending events even organising them requires a lot of interaction. What I Disliked About Todays Lesson: I felt like we didn't discuss planning events and events in general as much as I would have liked to but I guess I can read through the notes on my course in my own time. Extra Notes:
A few differences between CSR & Fairtrade that I selected from: http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/Resources/Traidcraft/Documents/PDF/tx/policy_models_f or_CSR.pdf CSR * Seek to make the trading environment harmless, without challenging the status quo. * Been developed with minimum local consultation. Fair Trade * Seeks for larger finance in the international trading system. * Fair Trade develops standards through partnership with suppliers and involves them in monitoring impact. This really helped on giving me more insight and understanding on the differences between CSR and Fairtrade. Useful Quote: "Community numbers and groups are important stakeholders" "An organisations defined responsibility to its society and stakeholders" (Tench, R and Yeomans, L 2009) (16/10/12) What I Learnt: In todays lesson I learnt how to SWOT research I also got reminded what the acronym stands for which is Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats as it had slipped my mind. Moving on in lesson I worked with my campaign group and came up with some SWOT research on Oceana as thats the club we're planning to base our campaign on. We did the same research on a smaller nightclub Junk to see the comparisons in the results. This helped me a lot as I learnt the strength, weaknesses etc of each club so I'd know where to pinpoint when starting a campaign. What I'd Like To Know: I need to look into PESTLE as I'd like to understand it a bit more in depth, hoping it'll come up in future lectures. What I Liked About Todays Lesson:
To be completely honest I enjoyed drawing the grid the most. I feel like I enjoy seminars much more when they involve stimuli, drawing anything interactive so grids, spidergrams are a good way for grabbing my intention. But that's just a personal issue. What I Disliked About Todays Lesson: I had no problems or issues with this lesson. Extra Notes: I need to read a few books and research on how to plan a campaign, also take a look at the back of PR Week. (29/10/12) What I Learnt: This lesson in particular helped me to construct and plan for my campaign. I felt like everything was laid out on the table so clearly that I couldn't leave the lesson not understanding anything. The 10 stages in planning in particular reassured me about what I have to do when I start my campaign. The definition on analysis also helped because I learnt that analysis entails research in order to identify the issues on what i'm planning to base my PR campaign. The definition of Media Content Analysis was made clear to me in this lesson its not like SWOT research as its orientated towards the media rather than the publics and organisations. What I'd Like To Know: Nothing for the meantime. What I Liked About Todays Lesson: I liked the fact that Sandra gave us examples on how to formulate a research question as not only myself but others were stuck beforehand. What I Disliked About Todays Lesson: Didn't manage to capture everything that was up on the slides, something I can catch up on using my course. Extra Notes: I need to get together with the group and start putting things together but Sandra said by the end of tomorrows seminar we'll understand very clear what we'll have to do so we'll wait until then. (30/10/12) What I Learnt:
I felt like I learnt a lot in todays lesson as my group got together and discussed in depth what exactly we were going to do as Sandra explained in depth what it was each group had to do. As a group we came to a conclusion that our issue was going to be Anti-social behaviour and the club we were going to focus on was Oceana as we had already started doing research on the club. I feel a lot clearer about what role i'm playing in my group and i'll be starting my media content analysis on anti-social behaviour in relation to Oceana (Web Based). What I'd Like To Know: I have nothing that I'd like to know or find out I feel like this lesson covered everything and answered any questions that I may have asked. What I Liked About Todays Lesson: I liked the fact that Sandra spoke to each group individually to see where everyone was at. It was a lot clearer on what we had to do as a group once Sandra explained everything and came to our group and gave her input. What I Disliked About Todays Lesson: I have no complaints at all with todays lesson it was very helpful. Extra Notes: Started my media content analysis in class but it's actually a lot harder than I thought as The web basically covers everything I'm worried the person in my group that is doing MCA for social media and even newspapers may have the same issues that I've come across.