How to plan a public relations event?

How do PR activities affect brands?

Organizing a public relations event is very time-consuming, labor-intensive, and resource-intensive. Public relations activities actually integrate resources from multiple parties to create scenarios that allow close contact, thereby releasing the charm of the brand and spreading the brand on multiple levels.

In the process of resource integration, the materials adopted and formed can become the carrier of brand communication. Through these materials, the brand has more connotation and exposure, thus achieving the effect of in-depth communication and conversion. In this process, the core value of the brand will create an impression on people's cognitive level, thus achieving the purpose of brand communication and expanding awareness and influence.

How does a company plan a good public relations event?

To carry out public relations activities well, companies must conduct specific analysis and comprehensive and effective integration of the purpose of the public relations activities, the content and theme to be conveyed, the specific activity form and process, and existing resources.

1. Purpose of the activity

To carry out public relations activities, we must first clarify the purpose of the activity, and through the setting of overall goals, such as the expected effects of the activity, we can develop various activities around it. In addition, we also need to clarify some specific goals and conduct targeted investigations and understanding, including which circles or groups the activity is aimed at, what are the needs and pain points of the target audience, and how to convey the brand's advantages and core values ​​to them, etc.

1. Activity Objectives

The purpose of a brand's event needs to be very clear and preferably quantified. What are the specific goals for the target group and what effects are expected to be achieved for the brand, such as attracting new customers and retaining old customers, creating momentum for new product launches, phased product marketing, and further expanding market share. Focusing on this goal to investigate and understand the target group and spread the brand concept will be more logical and organized, reducing unnecessary procedures and losses.

2. Target Group

The purpose of the event also includes which groups of people the company wants to target for the event. That is to say, when planning, the target of the event must be clearly defined, the characteristics and needs of the target group must be deeply understood, and these groups must be divided and analyzed in detail, such as the age and gender distribution of the target group, major needs and consumption pain points, new and old customers, etc., to confirm whether the values ​​of these groups are consistent with or overlap with those conveyed by the brand. Understanding the audience of the event based on these surveys will be more conducive to catering to their needs and gaining more attention.

3. Express your needs

Planning a public relations event requires knowing both yourself and your target audience. You need to understand the characteristics and needs of the group the event is targeting, and based on this, figure out what the brand wants to convey through the event. Based on the understanding of the target group, the brand needs to determine what the core brand message is to be conveyed in the event, and consider whether this core message can effectively penetrate the minds of the target group and meet their needs and pain points.

2. Means of carrying out activities

After determining the purpose of the event and carrying out a series of preparatory work around it, the brand needs to formulate an overall event planning plan and design the event form, content and specific processes based on the event goals, target audiences and brand communication concepts. In the entire public relations activity, the content of the activity is of paramount importance.

1. Activity content

As the core and main body of the event, the content of the event should be formulated according to the nature of the brand itself, the purpose of the event and the needs of the target audience. On the one hand, the expectations of the brand and customers are often consistent. On this basis, determining the theme and core content of the event is often very accurate. For example, a brand's public relations activities usually include new product launches, media Q&A sessions, circle exchanges, industry forums and summits. Through these contents, the brand can show users a more comprehensive and profound brand value and advantages, and meet users' expectations for public reputation, product innovation and quality, and development prospects.

After determining the content of the event, you also need a concise and powerful theme to let the public know the purpose and content of the event at a glance.

2. Activity form

After clarifying the content and theme of the event, it is also very important to make the event more interesting and attractive. There are many forms of public relations activities. In this regard, the planning team needs to use its own experience and creativity to make the form of the activity novel and eye-catching in order to attract the public's attention and generate interest in and desire to participate in the content of the activity.

There are many forms of public relations activities, but they also need to be selected based on the nature of the brand and the content of the activity. For example, based on the characteristics of the brand, is it more convenient and efficient to choose online activities, or are offline activities more context-oriented? In order to promote and generate momentum for the event itself, how can we generate heat? Is it to create a hot topic or to leverage the momentum for promotion? How to create topic momentum, and how to establish connections, grasp the degree and direction for promotion through leveraging momentum? These need to be consistent with the brand’s personality and characteristics, while being closely integrated with the content of the event.

At the key level of form, planners need to rely on past experience and knowledge, as well as the inspiration and creativity of the team, to create something out of nothing and construct fantastic ideas. This is the most difficult part of planning.

3.Activity Process

After determining the content and specific form of the event, a series of processes are needed to combine various aspects and links together. When designing the activity process, special attention should be paid to the hierarchy between each link.

Generally speaking, the process of a public relations event needs to be gradual and appropriate in detail, with strict control over time and atmosphere. In some common event scenarios, the theme of the event is always quickly and briefly drawn to the public's attention through some specific forms at the beginning; then the content of the event is unfolded, and the atmosphere and rhythm of the event are controlled during the event; when presenting the theme content, special attention needs to be paid to highlighting the key points and highlights; at the end of the event, there is often a finale (usually a lottery) to wrap it up. In general, the process of the event is set up to achieve better communication and reception effects.

III. Resource Arrangement and Utilization

In order to make a practical public relations event plan , in addition to the purpose of the event and specific means, it is also necessary to consider the actual available resources. Time, manpower, materials, costs and other aspects will have limitations and impacts on the specific event planning. Planners must make reasonable considerations based on event ideas and resources.

1. Available resources

It is best to sort out all resources before planning, such as restrictive factors such as preparation time limit and budget, as well as materials that can be used online and offline, such as venues, supporting equipment, and assisting personnel, etc.

In addition, if you want to invite guests and media, you also need to determine which guests can be invited, which media will cooperate with the company, and what arrangements should be made for them.

2. Logistics and supporting services

In addition to having a detailed understanding and grasp of resources, the logistics and services supporting the event also need to be in place and planned in the public relations event planning, such as venue rental, necessary and missing materials, recruitment of volunteers or staff, and transportation and accommodation for guests and media personnel. Regarding these arrangements, the planning also needs to be specific and detailed.

4. Implementation of Public Relations Activities

After the planning is completed, the public relations activities ultimately have to rely on execution to achieve their goals. When executing, you must first strictly follow the process in the planning scheme to arrange and carry out. If conditions permit, it is best to conduct advance rehearsals. On the day of the event, the actual execution must be meticulous, with good control and coordination, and contingency plans must be prepared to deal with unexpected events.

1. Control the situation

Field control must be implemented throughout the entire event. At an offline event, the flow of personnel at the venue needs to be designed in advance with entry and exit routes, and personnel must be arranged to provide thoughtful guidance to participants and maintain order. At a site with multiple booths, the number of visitors to each booth needs to be controlled, and a relatively even distribution of personnel must be maintained to create a better visual effect. After the event begins, the atmosphere on site must be controlled at all times, which requires the host and relevant spokespersons to be able to adapt to changing circumstances. Being orderly and focused can make the event go smoothly and achieve better communication effects. Controlling the situation is very important.

2. Cooperation

The preparations before the event and the implementation of each link during the event require tacit and close cooperation between the staff in front of and behind the scenes. Generally speaking, in order to achieve flexible personnel deployment, communication and coordination, the work can be divided into small groups, with the person in charge to direct each part of the work. Similarly, when it comes to mutual cooperation among staff members, the person in charge of overall coordinating must make detailed simulations in his mind, taking every aspect into consideration and being meticulous.

3. Alternative plan

Accidents and certain risk prevention measures need to be taken into consideration during both the planning and execution stages of an event. Companies can keep several alternative plans when planning, and staff at all parts and links also need to understand and be prepared for this during execution.

Because in actual activities, many situations often occur, such as weather changes, personnel accidents, on-site chaos, equipment failures, etc. These accidents can be big or small, but if they are not handled in time, they are likely to mess up the event and even have a negative impact on the company's image. In order to better defend against crises, risk accident control plans are very necessary.

Public relations activities can be large or small, but no matter what kind of activity it is, companies need to take it seriously and can refer to the above content to plan and implement it. If planning is insufficient, it will be difficult to implement or succeed, and if execution is insufficient, the plan will become a castle in the air. To truly hold a good event and achieve the goal of bringing more benefits to the brand, you need to do your best in planning and execution.

author: Li Shan

Source: PR Home