Part I: MPR professionals need to persuade connectors to use their message. It must be positioned as newsworthy. Common themes defining newsworthiness often include the following:
Firsts
Trends
Local, quirky personalities
The underdog
Impact on the audience
Something of an unusual nature
Part 1: Pre-Pitch: Using one of the companies that you began developing in the Unit 2 Individual Project, create a story that you wish to shop to a media outlet. Use the following guidelines:
Provide a brief overview of the company.
Describe the media outlet being pitched. Include information on its target audience (the media outlet must be real).
Part 2: Writing an Effective Pitch Letter
Write the pitch letter, which should include the following:
An attention-grabbing opening
The "hook"
Background information supporting the pitch
Support materials
The action step
Part 3: Follow-up and Other Considerations
Describe your follow-up plan.
Discuss the special considerations for pitching a blogger.
Part II: Event Planning
MPR events are all around us. They can be large, small, formal, or informal and can often include more than one organization. Using the company that you further developed in the Unit 3 Individual Project, plan an event that will be a good fit for it.
Part 1: Creating an Event
Develop the event. Explain how it aligns with the firm's mission with a definable target audience.
Describe how you will link the image of the firm and the event. Keep in mind that people attend events mainly because of a connection with the theme or topic, not because of the sponsoring organization.
Create a presence so that the firm's message and sponsorship will be remembered.
Provide a souvenir so that people will remember your event and company.
Part 2: Notifying Connectors
Notify connectors before the event. Create a 1-page pitch to the media.
Write a 1-page recap of the event with quotes of attendees.
Part III: Managing a Crisis
Crisis management and crisis communications are specialized business disciplines. In times of crisis, companies can act in a number of ways, from ignoring the situation and hoping it passes in the next news cycle to aggressively defending itself after the fact. Smart companies have plans that can be used in any crisis situation.
Using the company developed in the Unit 4 Individual Project, select a crisis that negatively affects the business from a legal or image standpoint. Develop a series of scenario statements that you write ahead of time that you will present to the management and legal departments so that they may be used swiftly in a time of crisis.
Presentation Script
Create a script to accompany the presentation. It should include background on the crisis, how the situation will be handled, and the rationale for the scenario statements.
PowerPoint Presentation
Create a professional PowerPoint presentation. You will be assessed on the design of the presentation, including colors, backgrounds, professionalism, font, and graphics. Optional content includes sound, videos, and animation.