PR strategy and tactics

Ethics is about standards of behavior, which involves morals and values (Tilley, 2008). Each individual holds different morals and values and would hence have different viewpoints and mindsets about ethics. For me, I feel that it is part human nature and part morality, where our values are inculcated from young, to lead us to behave in a certain manner. Based on our individual perceived rights and wrongs, our morals and values will lead us to perceive and deal with situations ethically. However, as our actions are subjected to scrutiny by others, we can be blinded by the truth and choose one course of action that is acceptable by the mass and yet is not one that is aligned to our faiths and beliefs.

Gudykunst (2005) illustrates in three parts, willingness, knowledge and skill, to hone effective communication capabilities. The person has to be willing to see that ethics are important, acknowledge that coping with ethics is challenging and constantly assess and improve one's own ethicality. This seems to indicate that an unethical person can become ethical so long as he is aware and wiling to accept understanding ethics as a challenge and to constantly review his behavior in an ethical sense.

There are various ethics schools of thought, but there are three significant schools of the ethics theory, namely virtue, deontology and consequentialism. Virtue ethics question the kind of person one ought to be. As illustrated by Tilley (2008), virtue ethics is about the importance of developing a strong sense of personal values, or good character, to guide ethical behavior. As each individual holds different viewpoints and mindsets towards ethical behavior, the supposed 'right' moral of one cannot be simply imposed onto someone else. With this being the case, how can one tell which course of action or viewpoint is truly moral? Perhaps, it is important to also consider the role of communication, where there is chance for people with differentiated viewpoints to come to general consensus. Next, deontology questions the duties of an individual. This theory indicates that people will act morally if their actions were based on laws, codes of conduct or ethics or agreed principles and regulations for activities, as stipulated by the authorities. These rules and regulations serve as benchmark for people to abide by. However, people can still choose to go against the law despite knowing the consequences. The last ethical theory to be mentioned is consequentialism. Consequentialism questions how the world should be. For this theory, it indicates that being ethical would be the course of action that derives the maximum amount of benefit for the most number of people. However, this poses the question of why should the minority be marginalised? Maybe, a better way to analyse this theory would be to weigh the consequences of one's actions instead of basing it on the utilitarian approach.


The heirarchy of effects model, also known as a learning hierarchy illustrates the steos that can be taken by PR practitioners to lead people to knowing and buying a product. Steps taken include formulating the message and disseminating it by the PR practitioner (McElreath, 1993). Next, the audience receives and comprehends the message in their various forms of interpretations, leading to changing and reinforcing their attitudes and behaviors (McElreath, 1993). For example, when Apple products first started, it was simply a company that few knew of. Yet, Apple products, Iphones and Itouchs in particular, are being carried by many today. Apple advertisments can hence be viewed as effective in sending their message across to consumers and are able to persuade them to purchase Apple products. Initially, people were skeptical of Apple products, however many rave about its numerous applications in the Iphone and Itouch, which makes it very convenient for users to do whatever they please with the touch of a finger. It is also generally agreed by the mass that Apple is reliable and credible, and could be part of the driving force in promoting the sales of Apple products.

Quantitative and Qualitative research are the two types of research methods commonly used by PR practitioners in data gathering. Quantitative research methods include phone, email and face-to-face close-ended surveys. This method serves to show the proportion of people who think in a certain way about the question, where their attitudes may be either positive, negative or neutral. Qualitative research methods include interviews, focus groups and open-ended surveys. This method serves to identify specific opinions from the targeted groups of people better. Both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. Based on the situation, PR practitioners will use either one or both methods to derive their findings.

Initial research on the topic in question, before taking on any research methods, is important. This first stage ensures that the project is planned out towards the aim and reduces any wastage that can be avoided. To ensure that the plan is going according to what was initially designed, there is need to execute research to monitor the progress of the action plans. There is also need to continually reflect and adjust the plan to ensure that the action plan is going smoothly. Lastly, to evaluate whether the research has been a success, the outcome is assessed. Evaluating the outcome enables PR practitioners to reflect and learn from what has gone wrong in the planning and implementation stages, to ensure better success for future researches. These three steps are not a must to be followed, but they serve as a guide towards success in research.

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