There are many components that go into planning and implementing a successful public relations campaign from incorporating creativity and targeted messaging to choosing the best audience and distribution means. And while PR has changed over the decades as new tools have been introduced and patterns of day-to-day communication have shifted, the fundamentals still remain.
At ALRC, our team believes in the importance of the tried-and-true, four-step RPIE process of Research, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation. Starting with RPIE can provide a strong foundation for a solid and successful public relations campaign.
RPIE mixed in with the various factors a PR agency partner provides, including creativity, ingenuity and expertise, provide a winning combination.
Research
This preliminary step seeks to assess the standing situation through investigative questions and evaluation. Some questions that may be posed to the PR client during this process can include, “What do you want to improve?” “What kind of current reputation do you have with the public?” “What kind of social media presence, if any, do you have?”
The goal of this essential research step is to identify what problems the client needs solving. Once this has been discovered, step two can commence.
Planning
During this step, a strategic campaign, using information organized during the research step, is developed to guide the client’s goals, measurable objectives and tactics to reach their target audiences through their preferred media/s. This step begins to conceptualize what will happen during phase three.
Implementation
Implementation should only begin when the research and planning phases have been completed. Now, the preliminary plan created based on research of the client with the goal of meeting the measurable objectives described in the plan can be put in motion. Generally operating within a set timeframe, the implementation step is where much heavy lifting occurs as the PR professional or team works to meet and exceed all campaign goals. But, while this is when a client often sees the “results” of a campaign, it must be preceded by both a thorough research and planning phase.
Evaluation
This final step assesses the effectiveness of the overall campaign to determine if the instated goals were adequately achieved. Throughout the evaluation phase, reports will likely be issued to the client, which show efforts made versus goals achieved to demonstrate how well each objective was met. During this process, the PR practitioner may suggest tactical changes for future campaigns and identify areas for improvement as well as any external factors that may have helped or inhibited campaign execution.
The RPIE PR process is straightforward yet effective. It is the foundation to determine what's working, what's not and the gap between the two.
Each of the four RPIE steps can serve a purpose for any PR campaign, no matter its size, budget or goals. And a thorough PR team will utilize the elements of RPIE to assess your needs strategically, plan comprehensively, implement rigorously and measure results tactically to help you advance in ways that would not have otherwise been possible.