The Meaning and Development of Public Relations
Introduction to Public Relations; Definitions of Public Relations; History and development of Public Relations; Professional bodies;
Public Relations Sectors and Specialisations
Consumer PR, Events, Sponsorship, Online, Integrated Marketing
The Professional Environment
Consultancy structures; Client relationships; Pitching for business; Managing client accounts; In-house departments; Relationships within the organization; Preparing an in-house strategy; Relationship PR consultants; Managing staff; Entrepreneurship - Identifying gaps in the market and developing services to fill those gaps; launching a new product/service;
Communications Theory, Purposeful & Mass Communications
Insights into the area; Theories of communications: influences, origins and elements; The purposeful use of new and old media, their application and advantages;
Public Relations as a Management Function
Public Relations' role in the organisation: Internal communication; Communicating performance; Counselling the organisation; Strategy; The role of the Public Relations practitioner, both in-house and in consultancies; Business strategy and operation;
PR Strategic Process
Situation Analysis; Research; Objectives; Publics; Implementation; Budgets; Timetables; Evaluation; Planning and managing a PR campaign;
Tools and Techniques
Tools and techniques available to PR professionals; Event management: exhibitions, conferences, product launches, etc.; Controlled media: newsletters, social media, brochures, video, websites, etc.; Uncontrolled media: Publicity in terms of print, photography, broadcast and internet; Traditional vs. Online PR, Media Relations; Themes and Key Messaging;
Ethics and legal issues
Benefits and approaches to Ethics and Social Responsibility in Public Relations; Code of Ethics, regulation of the Lobbying Act; The role of the NUJ and Press Council; Legal System in Ireland; Contract Law; Intellectual Property; Reputation Management; Data Protection; The Regulation of the Lobbying Act;
Crisis Management
Definitions and typologies of crises; Stages of managing a crisis: Pre – Crisis; Crisis response; Post crisis; Stakeholder Management, Roles & Responsibilities during a crisis; Damage limitation: Protecting the brand, Tools & Processes to use; Developing a Crisis Management Plan/Matrix: Allocating roles & responsibilities and timelines; Calendar and Evaluation/measurement; Reputation management.
CSR, Sponsorship and Non-Profit PR
The role of PR in the Not for Profit sector; How this challenging sector relies on high visibility, creativity and community engagement; Mechanics of effective strategizing with stakeholders; Sponsor/Donor programmes;
Internal Communications
Stakeholder Analysis; Issues Management; Internal PR;
External Communications
Community Relations – building relationships with key publics; Political Environment, Lobbying and Regulation, Irish & EU political structures explained;
Media Relations
Introduction to the media in Ireland; Global Media Landscape; What Traditional and Online Media want? Developing relationships with Editors, Producers and Bloggers; Tracking and Evaluating Media Coverage and Online Presence;
Stakeholder Management / Interpersonal Communications
Building trust motivation and confidence amongst your organization’s stakeholders; Communications skills;
PR Writing
Press Release Writing: Date; Headline; Structure; Wording; Contact Details; Note to Editor; Structuring a press; The appropriate use of language for press releases; Reasoning for the press release content, distribution lists, additional information to be added for a press pack; description of a photographic idea and caption. Writing styles for different media and publics;
Writing Interview Briefs: Preparing clients for interviews; Interviewing styles and techniques; Audiences; Preparing questions and answers; Use of newsworthy quotes;
Writing for Statements and Speeches: Statements – tone; wording; structure; clarifications; Speeches – preparation; audience; speech notes; structuring of speech; use of language.
Writing reports, emails, letters and proposals;
Grammar: The Basic rules of grammar;
Developing writing skills and communications strategy; Pitching Story Ideas to the Media;
Online PR & Writing for the Web
Developing Online PR Strategy & Producing Online Content; Social Media and PR strategy; Writing for the Web; The Social Media Landscape; The Internet as a Media; Online Influences on present PR practices;
Marketing
How promotions fit into the marketing mix; Marketing as a process; Identifying target market groups and segmenting those groups into manageable sizes in the context of B2C Irish and UK brands;
Promotions mix
Strengths and weaknesses of various promotion options such as PR, advertising and direct marketing and their value to brands and customer loyalty;
Strategy
Process of creating a marketing communications strategy; Integrating digital communications into Strategies;
Briefings
Creative process: how is it managed within agencies? Roles and responsibilities within agencies; Briefing 3rd parties including digital, photographic, research and print.
How the web works
How the internet works; The terminology; The jargon of IT; Why digital is so popular; MS PowerPoint; Tricks and tips to designing a good presentation.
SEO & SEA
The value and process of Search Engine Optimisation; Search Engine Advertising: Google AdWords and AdSense;
Content Marketing
Rise of content marketing, use of video and infographics; MS Excel: tricks and tips to simple spreadsheets, critical paths, timetables and graphs;
UX and Website creation
Importance of user experience; Process of web design and development including content, timings and
Budgets;
Blog creation and WordPress
How to write for the web; Blog creation and content;
Social Media Strategy
Basic steps for building an effective digital marketing strategy: monitoring, social network choice, building your brand voice, creating content plans based on the content marketing cycle and measurement;
LinkedIn
How to build a strong personal and business presence on LinkedIn; How to build a strong network of connections, customers, influencers, partners and advocates; How to nurture these relationships with content and engagement;
Twitter
How to use Twitter for business marketing; How to use advanced Twitter features to seek out opportunities, build relationships and sell; Best practice examples from business Twitter accounts;
Email marketing
How to build an email marketing list of prospects and how to nurture them with an email marketing plan;
Facebook
Facebook algorithm; How to maximise your reach, engagement and lead generation using Facebook organically; Best practice examples from business Facebook accounts;
Facebook advertising: how to create cold, warm and hot audiences to advertise to and how to create ads to target them using Facebook ads manager tool; How to customise ad reports;
YouTube & Video
How to create an effective YouTube channel; What videos you need to produce to attract viewers and the tools you can use to shoot better video; How to use LiveStreaming on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube;
Instagram & Snapchat
How to use Stories for business marketing; How to plan and create stories that people will keep watching; How to use the Instagram fed to post evergreen content; It includes hands on practical exercises.
PR for Events
PR for Events; Dealing with Photographers and Media at Events; Making the Most of Photography; Effective Press Release and Press Statement Writing;
Event Management
Event management planning; Coordinating events; Marketing events; Event risk management; Event Budget Planning; Corporate event management; Organising conferences, etc;
Event Production
Practical and creative ways to design and deliver an event; Stages of planning and executing an event;
Case Studies
Analysis of a range of Public Relations case studies and campaigns;
Presentation Skills
Preparation; Content; Structure; Delivery; Visual Aids; Management of location and audiences;
Course Project
Each student must submit a substantial project based on a real life PR Brief on a subject allocated to them by the institute.
Personal Development
A special feature throughout the programme is the time devoted to the personal development of each individual. This includes an initial personal consultation to assess each individual, and to discuss and establish future goals and aspirations. This is followed by careful preparation of Curriculum Vitae so that each participant has a clear and well-presented CV to submit to potential employers. Other key areas in the personal development programme include communication skills, assertiveness training and the importance of attitude and motivation. Personal counselling is provided as required throughout the course.
Practical Work Experience
During the second part of the course, placements are arranged with companies and organisations that can give course participants practical experience in the work areas in which they want to develop their careers. This phase of the course is closely monitored with regular assessment visits being made to each student and host company supervisor. Past experience has shown that a significant percentage of these placements lead to employment.
next start date: 9th September 2024 (Monday)
Duration: 6 months (3 months in class & 3 months arranged work experience)
Venue: Dublin City Centre
Course Fees: €4,040
To secure your place on the course a deposit of 20% (€800) is required. The remainder of the course fee (€3,240) is due 30 days prior to the commencement of the course. All fees must be paid in full before the course begins. Please note, the full course fees are inclusive of all course materials and certification costs.
Enrolment intake is strictly limited on this course. Early application is advised. Places are allocated on a first come first served basis.
We want to make education easy and enjoyable for you. At Fitzwilliam Institute, we offer a range of finance options to suit your needs.
You can buy now and pay later with humm - humm provides a simple application process, simple terms and conditions, up to 36 monthly payments. With low-interest rates.
Fitzwilliam Institute closes on Bank Holidays and for a number of days at Christmas and New Year. Fitzwilliam Institute reserves the right to postpone, cancel or alter courses without notice or to change any of the details in this brochure. Fees are not refundable unless the course is cancelled by the Fitzwilliam Institute. Distance Learning courses are provided by Fitzwilliam Institute - BGLS Ltd.