BBA 2026, Organizational Communication 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

4. Relate effective communication techniques to public relations and marketing. 4.1. Investigate a social media public relations campaign for an organization. 4.2. Describe ways an organization can improve public relations through social media.

Reading Assignment In order to access the following resource(s), click the link(s) below: Fadaei, M. (2016). Investigating the effect of internet marketing on customers’ decision to purchase (case

study: Amico Industrial Group). International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 8(2), 134-144. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.libraryresources.c olumbiasouthern.edu/docview/1778467576?accountid=33337

Click here to view the Unit V Presentation. Click here to view the Unit V Presentation transcript.

Unit Lesson Introduction In the first half of the class, the discussion centered on communication. In this unit, the focus will be on using communication techniques to effectively establish public relations and marketing for an organization. Marketing departments are concerned with advertising and public relations (PR), and the communication channels they use have radically changed in the last few years due to new technology platforms. Both advertising campaigns and public relations are concerned with publicity—sending a message to the audience (established customers and potential customers) about a product or service that the organization offers. In Forbes, Robert Wynne (2014) explains in his article, “The Real Difference Between PR and

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

4

Unit Lesson Unit V Presentation Article: “Investigating the effect of internet marketing on customers’ decision to

purchase (case study: Amico Industrial Group)” Unit V Assignment

4.1

Unit Lesson Unit V Presentation Article: “Investigating the effect of internet marketing on customers’ decision to

purchase (case study: Amico Industrial Group)” Unit V Assignment

4.2

Unit Lesson Unit V Presentation Article: “Investigating the effect of internet marketing on customers’ decision to

purchase (case study: Amico Industrial Group)” Unit V Assignment

UNIT V STUDY GUIDE Relating Effective Communication Techniques to Public Relations and Marketing

BBA 2026, Organizational Communication 2

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Advertising,” that advertising is considered to be paid media while PR is considered to be earned media. Each type of media platform—magazines, newspapers, television stations, websites, and so forth—has specific sections where paid advertising appears. With PR, the message moves outside of these paid-for sections into a story or the editorial section, which falls under the category of promotional activities. They often are concerned with more subtle publicity, involving relationship building and forging a mutual-trust relationship with the audience. This helps develop credibility. Communication Channels Communication channels are constantly changing in modern society. Media and communication models that have been established over the years have undergone fundamental changes, primarily due to the introduction of the Internet into our lives. Effective marketing communication in both PR and advertising depends on developing a compelling message and delivering it to the right audience. Traditional media sources, such as television, radio, and print, still exist and are viable options but are limited in scope when compared to online media. The Internet offers an almost borderless way to transmit communication to the world’s population. The trusted third party discussed by Wynne (2014) may no longer be a network or newspaper reporter, but instead, it may be a person on social media with thousands of people who follow his or her channel. Case Study: KitchenAid and Twitter Social media platforms are simply websites that allow people to communicate informally with others through written messages, photographs, audio clips, or videos. Each social media platform offers unique opportunities and challenges. Twitter is just one platform in a vast world of online media and offers a business almost instant worldwide communication with customers and potential customers. This can allow for effective PR, but it can also damage a company’s reputation just as quickly. For instance, KitchenAid posted a tweet about President Obama’s grandmother during one of Obama’s debates. The tweet said that President Obama’s grandmother had known his presidency was going to be bad and chose to die three days before he became president. The tweet was quickly deleted, and KitchenAid issued an apology. Cynthia Soledad, a senior member of the company, admitted that a junior staff member had been handling the company’s social media accounts, and the sentiment was in no way representative of the values of the company.

KitchenAid tweets an apology. (Allen, 2012)

The problem with using social media is that the information remains online—even if the company wants to delete the message. Mistakes like this can very quickly circulate from person-to-person (known in popular terminology as going viral) and damage a company’s PR image. Trends in Social Media In order to take advantage of the Internet, organizations also need to be aware of new trends. Whenever companies develop new online platforms for communication and PR, marketing has to change. For example, Twitter was created in 2006. Originally developed to send messages containing 140 characters or less to registered users, the site evolved to adding promoted tweets and promoted accounts in 2010. In 2015, promoted tweets are no longer limited to 140 characters. This platform changed, and the companies who use it have to change as well. The promoted accounts and promoted tweets move the platform away from the idea of pure PR and more into the realm of advertising. This is another area that marketing departments need to consider. Advertising pushes its point of view onto the consumer, basically saying the advertised aspect of the product is what

BBA 2026, Organizational Communication 3

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everyone should find important. PR takes the opposite point of view and focuses on the people who are actually engaged in the discussion. PR does not fall under the same category as advertising, and when companies pay to have their tweets promoted, it can seem disingenuous to the consumer. Case Study: The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and the Dove Self-Esteem Project One way that companies manage to promote their product through social media channels, including paid placement in those channels, is to focus on outside social issues. The Dove beauty brand is a good example of an organization that used a PR campaign on social media to advertise beauty products. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty started a global conversation through social media about creating a wider definition of beauty after a major study, The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report, proved that the current definition of beauty for women was limiting and unattainable (as cited in Dove, 2016). Beginning in 2004, Dove used various social media platforms to raise awareness of this issue (Dove, 2016). First, Dove created an advertising campaign featuring real women whose appearances are outside the stereotypical norms of beauty (Dove, 2016). The advertisements invited people to “vote” on the women’s level of beauty at campaignforrealbeauty.com. This blended approach featured a paid advertisement with PR at the website. When the customers (and potential customers) visited the website to vote, Dove was not directly selling its product. Instead, Dove was focused on boosting women’s self-confidence. Each following year, Dove launched a new part to the campaign. One of the biggest successes occurred in 2006, when Spain banned overly thin models from its fashion runways. Dove produced Evolution—a short film on the social media site, YouTube—that depicts the transformation of a woman into a model, complete with makeup and Photoshop effects. Please see the Suggested Reading section if you are interested in viewing the short film. Those engaged in social media did not see the company as trying to promote itself, but rather, the company was viewed as trying to promote women and a healthy beauty image. The message had more impact with the receivers because it is presented as promotional material rather than advertising. Research has demonstrated that editorial commentary (supplied by a PR promotion) is valued almost as much as word-of- mouth advice from family and friends. This carries far more leverage with the consumer than advertising (Wynne, 2014). The Dove campaign had the best of both worlds: friends and family chiming in and the full weight of the organization’s PR department behind it.

References Allen, F. (2012). KitchenAid attacks Obama’s grandmother, then apologizes. Forbes. Retrieved from

http://www.forbes.com/sites/frederickallen/2012/10/04/kitchenaid-attacks-obamas-grandmother-then- apologizes/#5588b71a7073

Dove. (2016). The Dove campaign for real beauty. Retrieved from http://www.dove.us/Social-

Mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx Wynne, R. (2014). The real difference between PR and advertising. Forbes. Retrieved from

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwynne/2014/07/08/the-real-difference-between-pr-and-advertising- credibility/#5bbe0cb22700

Suggested Reading In order to access the following resource(s), click the link(s) below: Dove. (2016). The Dove campaign for real beauty. Retrieved from http://www.dove.us/Social-

Mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx Piper, T. (2006, October 6). Dove evolution [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U&feature=youtu.be

BBA 2026, Organizational Communication 4

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Ramsey, M. (2014, September). Why thinking you’re ugly is bad for you. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/meaghan_ramsey_why_thinking_you_re_ugly_is_bad_for_you/transcript?l anguage=en

The resource below points out some of the key differences between public relations and advertising. Copy and paste the link into your browser to view the article. Wynne, R. (2014). The real difference between PR and advertising. Forbes. Retrieved from

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwynne/2014/07/08/the-real-difference-between-pr-and-advertising- credibility/#5bbe0cb22700

Learning Activities (Nongraded) Apply What You Have Learned Consider organizations where you have worked in the past or where you are currently employed. How does the organization use social media? Do you believe it is effective? Why, or why not? Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

Neighborhood Watch Proposal 1

Unit 8 draft proposal: Neighborhood Watch Programs

Student Name

University

CJ 490 Research Methods in Criminal Justice

Professor

Date

Neighborhood Watch Proposal 2

Neighborhood Watch Programs

The term “home,” can have several meanings to many different people. But most

people associate this word with their place of residence or where they seek refuge. Of all places,

a person’s home should not be a place they fear falling victim to crime, but instead, as a place

where they feel safe and secure. When a person comes home after a long day of work to discover

their home has been broken into and all of their prized possessions have been stolen, it is normal

to feel angry, and violated because that’s what it is, a violation. For the most part, burglaries are

a crime of opportunity. A burglar can sit and watch someone’s house all day and know exactly

what time they go to work and return home. According to the Texas Crime Statistics and Rates

Report, in 2009 there were 240,233 burglary incidents and a total of 995,145 property crime

incidents in Texas (“Texas Crime Statistics,” n.d.). Reports from 2012 are already showing an

increase in these numbers compared to 2009 (“Texas crime statistics,” n.d.). This is alarming and

neighborhood watch could be the solution. In 1972, the National Sheriffs’ Association founded

the Neighborhood Watch Program with the intentions of helping police reduce crimes in

neighborhoods (Campbell, n.d.). While the main focuses of Neighborhood Watch programs are

to prevent crime, they may also educate and strengthen the community.

Review of Literature:

Almost 2 years ago, residents of Salisbury, New Hampshire lost their police department

when their 2-man force suddenly resigned. Since then, they have been unable to fill the empty

positions, so the state police have been providing coverage for the community. Members of the

Salisbury community are now looking to create a neighborhood watch program, not to replace

law enforcement, but to enhance the coverage already being supplied by the state (McCrystal,

Neighborhood Watch Proposal 3

2012). The idea of a neighborhood watch program in this community already exists, it’s just not

formalized. Many residents already watch for suspicious people or behavior so formalizing the

program will simply give them someone to call when suspicious behavior or activity does take

place. Members of the Salisbury community have great reason to push for the implementation of

Neighborhood Watch programs. Not only is it believed to reduce crime, but it is also thought to

bring the community together as well.

According to the St. Petersburg, FL police department, Neighborhood Crime Watch is

one of the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime and reduce fear (Uniform

Services Bureau, n.d.). They strongly feel that their neighborhood watch program reduces crime

and brings the department and the members of the community together. They accomplish this by

holding meetings, assigning members to monitor the neighborhood (citizens’ patrol), having

Regular discussions between the neighbors, Crime Prevention Officers and Community Police

Officers, and by holding special events to inform the public about the program and its purpose.

Burglary and vandalism are two of the main crimes that haunt all members of every

community and neighborhood watch programs help deter this type of behavior. While these

programs have many names, Crime Watch, Block Watch, or Community Watch, its success

comes from the commitment of the police department and the members of the community to

come together and fight crime. Thousands of neighborhood watch programs exist across the U.S.

because it is thought to be one of the most effective ways members of communities can reduce

crime in their neighborhoods. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community

Policing Services led a meta-analysis of studies on neighborhood watch programs and

Neighborhood Watch Proposal 4

determined that neighborhoods with watch programs had 16 percent less crime in comparison to

neighborhoods without watch programs (Holloway, Bennett, & Farrington, 2008). Burglary is

one of the most widespread crimes committed and it makes up more than one third of the index

crimes in the United States (Uniform Crime Reports, 2013). Not only are people’s residences

threatened when this crime is committed, but some even lose their life by inadvertently walking

in on an unsuspecting burglar. Neighborhood watch programs are designed to spot suspicious

behavior; thus it is successful in preventing this type of crime. In addition, Neighborhood Watch

signs and decals provided to the program from law enforcement allows them to display their

existence which deters criminals from their neighborhood.

Problem statement and theoretical assumption:

Problem Statement: Neighborhoods without watch groups may have high crime rates.

Theory: Neighborhood watch groups should decrease crime in general and burglary specifically.

Variables and Hypothesis:

The independent variable is watch program.

The dependent variable is average burglary rate.

The hypothesis is “Neighborhoods with watch programs are less likely to have burglaries than

neighborhoods without watch programs.”

Neighborhood Watch Proposal 5

References

Campbell, M. (n.d.). Purpose of neighborhood watch. Retrieved on 3/15/2012 from eHow.com:

http://www.ehow.com/about_6636238_purpose-neighborhood-watch.html

Holloway, K., Bennett, T., & Farrington, D. P. (2008). Crime prevention review no. 3: Does

neighborhood watch reduce crime? Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice Office

of Community Oriented Policing Services.

McCrystal, L. (2012, June 25). Neighborhood watch proposed. Retrieved on 4/16/2012 from

Concord Monitor: http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/337992/neighborhood-watch-

proposed?page=full&CSAuthResp=1341018374%3Acd4c4cn9fmroicvcin9hq3ojh7%3A

CSUserId%7CCSGroupId%3Aapproved%3A9282640E70C8319E9482AD65A56C2542

&CSUserId=94&CSGroupId=1

Uniform Services Bureau. (n.d.). Neighborhood crime watch. Retrieved on 3/15/2013 from St.

Petersburg Police Department: http://www.stpete.org/police/crime-prev/crime-watch.html

---------. (n.d.). Neighborhood watch program. Retrieved on 4/16/2012 from Directory M

Articles: http://articles.directorym.com/Neighborhood_Watch_Program-a571.html

---------- . (n.d.). Texas crime statistics and rates report (TX). Retrieved on 3/15/2012 from

CityRating.com: http://www.cityrating.com/crime-statistics/texas/

Topic List for Unit 8 Research Proposal

Border Protection

Bullying in Schools

Crime Displacement

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)

Contraband in Prison

Community Policing

Date Rape

Domestic Violence

Drug Courts

Drug Use

Drunk Driving

Education programs in correctional institutions

Electronic Monitoring

Failure to Appear (FTA)

Family Court

Gangs

Gun Control

House Arrest

Juvenile Delinquency

Mediation Courts

Mentally Ill Offenders

Officer Safety

Police – Citizen Relations

Police Officer Training

Police Patrols

Prison Crowding

Prison Escapes

Sex Offenders

Shop Lifting

Speeding

Stolen Cars

Surveillance Cameras (CCTV)

Texting while Driving

Use of Force

Use of Tasers