Faculty of Political, Administrative and Communicational Sciences Master: Advertising and PR MASTER’S THESIS Major Advisor: Student: Lect. Univ. Dr…. [310523]

UNIVERSITATEA „BABEȘ BOLYAI”, CLUJ-[anonimizat]: Advertising and PR

MASTER’S THESIS

Major Advisor: Student: [anonimizat]. Univ. Dr. [anonimizat]

2017

UNIVERSITATEA „BABEȘ BOLYAI”, CLUJ-[anonimizat]: Advertising and PR

MASTER’S THESIS

”Cu ia la purtător”:
The ”Anuță Dragă” book release strategic campaign

Major Advisor: Student: [anonimizat]. Univ. Dr. [anonimizat]

2017

Table of content

Chapter I – THE THEORETICAL PART

Strategic Planning in Public Relations…………………………………………………1

[anonimizat]……………………………………………………………4

The Impact of social media in PR………………………………………………………..4

The use of traditional media in PR………………………………………………………6

[anonimizat]

1. [anonimizat]

1.1. [anonimizat]………………………………………….8

1.2. [anonimizat]……………………….…………….9

Step 3 – Analyzing the Publics………………………….……..…………….12

2. PHASE TWO: STRATEGY

Step 4 – Establishing Goals and Objectives……………………………………..13

Step 5 – Formulating Action and Response Strategies……………………..14

Step 6 – Using Effective Communication………………………………………..15

3. PHASE THREE: TACTICS

3.1 Step 7 – Choosing Communication Tactics………………………………………17

3.2. Step 8 – Implementing the Strategic Plan………………………………………..20

4. PHASE FOUR: EVALUATIVE RESEARCH

Step 9 – Evaluating the Strategic Plan……………………………………………….24

Conclusions………………………………………………………..…………..37

Introduction

We are living in a time that seems to be put on fast forward. [anonimizat], [anonimizat]. And in all of this rush we seem to forget our roots. [anonimizat].

We will start from the basic notions of what strategic campaign planning actually means and we will move to a case study of a PR campaign which was created for the book launch of ”Anuță Dragă”, a book about love and traditions from the Apuseni Mountains zone.

The questions that need to be answered in order to fully describe this campaign are: [anonimizat]?

This paper will be structured in two major chapters in order to answer these questions. In the first chapter the characteristic of a strategic public relations campaign and techniques of communication in social media will be defined. The second chapter contains the campaign for the book release analyzed by using the nine steps of Strategic Planning for Public Relations of Ronald D. Smith and the creative output.

Chapter I – THE THEORETICAL PART

The first chapter is about the theoretical part of a strategic campaign and the techniques of communication in social media. All this will be written in order to understand the techniques that were used in the planning of the book release campaign.

[anonimizat]ons and advertising will be defined and for each field, the most important characteristics will be reviewed so that they will be used in the practical part of the paper.

1.1. Strategic Planning in Public Relations

There are various definitions of public relations. There isn’t just one definition who can capture the essence of public relations. James E. Grunig and Todd Hunt (Grunig and Hunt, 1984) say that “Public relations is the management of communication between an organization and its publics”. Scott Cutlip and Allen Center (Cutlip and Center, 2006) say that ”Public relations is the management function that identifies, establishes, and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the various publics on whom its success or failure depends”. But Anne Gregory offers in her book “Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns” three definitions from the Institute of Public Relations of Great Britain.

“The practice in public relations is the effort planned and sustained by establishing and maintaining the benevolence and reciprocal understanding between an organization and its publics”.

“Public relations refer to reputation – the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you”.

“The practical activity in public relations is the discipline that takes care of the reputation, with the purpose of earning complete trust and support, influencing the opinion and the behavior”.

If we take in consideration these definitions, the words that need to be highlighted are: organization, public and reputation. So, in this case, a connection between the organization and the public must be made in order to form a reputation. This link is, of course, made through the messages that the public receives. To do so, communication is essential.

But why is communication so important? Firstly, it helps developing the strategically objectives of an organization because it tries to implement the support of all groups or key publics, assuring the fact that the vision and the values of the general director of the organization to be communicated clearly.

The purpose of the communication isn’t just to transmit information about the perspective but also to obtain an active reaction or at least an approval towards those objectives (it all depends on the public). Communication has the purpose to influence behavior (Gregory, 2000, p. 23-24).

But any strategic planning in public relations needs a structure. The best structure to use in this case is the one proposed by Ronald D. Smith which is divided in four phases which contain nine steps that need to be followed in any strategically plan for public relations.

Strategic Planning for Public Relations offers a model that seems a bit more logical. The steps are grouped into four phases that are both descriptive and accurate, but their names don’t lend themselves to an acronym. So without a great deal of fanfare, this model is called, simply, the Nine Steps of Strategic Public Relations (Smith, 2002, p. 9).

The first phase contains a Formative Research which consists in analyzing all the factors that are part of a campaign: the situation, the organization and the publics.

Smith says that research is the planner’s homework.

It’s the foundation of every effective campaign for public relations and marketing communication. Your communication tactics might be innovative, but they will probably be ineffective if you don’t have adequate research. Without research you will probably end up sending messages of little value to your organization and little interest to your publics (who most likely won’t be listening anyway) (Smith, 2002, p. 18).

Phase Two is based on strategy. The PR must establish goals and objectives, to formulate action and response strategies and to use Effective Communication.

The entire strategic process is interrelated and interdependent: Goals guide the development of objectives, which in turn help drive decisions about what persuasive strategies to use and which, tactics to employ to address the problem of opportunity. In their classic book Public Relations Management by Objectives, Normal Nager and T. Harrell Allen (1984) used the analogy of transportation: Goals provide the direction while objectives pinpoint the destination (Smith, 2002, p. 67).

The third phase, Tactics, is based on communication tactics and implementing the strategic plan. This phase will tap our creative side, but also the strategic ideas.

Your goal here is to boost your plan well above the level of mere laundry list of tactics. Instead, you will attempt to create a compelling and resourceful action plan that can help your client organization achieve its goals and objectives. You also will deal with the administrative details of budgeting and scheduling that are so important for the smooth implementation of your plan. The tactics phase calls for the twin skills of creativity and attention to detail. All aspects of implementation involve many components, and the person who can manage simultaneous tasks skillfully should find success in the field of strategic communication (Smith, 2002, p. 151).

The fourth and last phase is the phase of evaluative research. In this phase we need research techniques to find out how effective our tactics were, in correlation with our objectives.

Evaluation is infrequent because public relations practitioners – or their bosses or clients – simply don’t recognize its importance. But as you will discover in this section, good evaluative research does not have to be costly or time consuming, nor is it beyond the means of an adequate prepared practitioner. Properly built into the overall marketing communication, evaluative research can increase the effectiveness of public relations and marketing communication. That’s an advantage that should appeal to bosses and clients everywhere. (Smith, 2002, p.229)

1.2. Communication in mass-media

Because the event takes place in Cluj-Napoca and the people here are well connected to the internet, especially to Facebook, it is necessary to explain the role of communication in mass-media in order to use these theoretical issues in the explanation of the campaign.

Mass-media came with a boom, with a revolution, say the specialists. In a time in which the users becomes a information source and relationships between humans are made fast and easy, the impact of social media in our lives is an actual revolution.

1.3. The Impact of social media in PR

To have a better imagine on the impact of social media in society it is enough to make a comparation between the impact of traditional media at the moment of their apparition in the world. It took the radio 30 years to reach a number of 50 milion listeners.

After the apparition of television in took nearly 13 years to reach the point of 50 milion viewers. The internet reached this number in only four years.

And if we take in consideration Facebook, the most used social media platform at this hour, it reached 100 milion users in less than nine months.

Facebook is a very vast and diverse medium. With 600 milion active users, the site can become a gold mine for people who want to promote a brand or an event. A regular user spends about 55 minutes every day on Facebook and has about 130 people.

If you want to be liked, be likeable first.  A disorganized Facebook page can turn off customers instantly. When reviewing a Facebook page, quality content and active engagements are great first impressions.

Several other factors people look for before joining a page include the brand itself, consistent posting of fresh information, and active engagement from both fans and admin (Ching, Ya, http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/10-ways-to-grow-your-facebook-page-following/, accesed at 07.06.2017).

For promoting an event, creating an event on Facebook really helps. People can find out more details about it than from a simple poster which was put somewhere through the city. The people can ask you very easily questions about the event and Facebook will remind them every day about the event you created if they are interested in it. But you can invite only a limited number of Facebook friends to the event (about 500) so you must choose carefully, only the people you know are really interested in your event and can go to it. It is useless to invite a friend who lives in Amsterdam to a rather small event that takes place in Cluj-Napoca. You have to study a little the variables.

On Facebook, events can be open, closed or secret (visible only for those who are invited). The

events must be public so that anyone can have access. Fans need to have the possibility to invite other people too. The people who are invited must be encouraged to post video clips, links and photos. For that to happen, you must be the first to upload an image.

Besides that, you can add a description of the event, photos, videos and links; you also must mention if guests can bring their friends. Suggest to your friends to promote together the event. It is important to know which are the current events, to find new ones, to participate to, so that you can connect the contacts from different situations (Bădău, 2011, p. 164-165).

The revolution of the internet has had a major impact on public relations. Mitch Kapor found a social definition for the internet: „the final form of the democratic society – a really haotic univers” (http://www.pr-romania.ro/articole/pr-20/358-cum-masuram-social-media-cu-cat-lucrurile-se-schimba-mai-mult-cu-atat-ele-raman-de-fapt-la-fel-partea-i.html, accessed at 08.06.2017)

The internet gives every user a voice and every voice matters in a smaller or larges circle on the internet. Through social media, a voice can be even more powerfull and can change the perceptions and values of individual or masses. In this time in which social media is at the top of communication channels, an individual voice is more powerfull that any other voice of the public which is transmitted trough traditional media channels.

The internet offered the consumers the chance to evolve past their status of money givers and opinion seekers to the status of editors, critics and, why not, even media. They have the control on social media and their opinions can take to behavior changes.

The individual voice through Facebook, Twitter and blogging is more important than any other kind of public voice, regardless of how much importance it has in classical media channels. That is why, people who work in PR it is more and more important to calculate the online influence of a person, in the context in which people ask their online friends for advice regarding what they have to think, to buy and to say (Bădău, 2011, 171). Of course, there are PR specialists who think that the strenght of a voice in social media is greater if the number of messages is high. And that is a mistake. They think that the conversation in social media can’t be controled.

An important thing that must be consideret by PR specialists when it comes to advertising in social media, is that internet users don’t want to see a brand recommending itself, they want to see other people recommending that brand. So, it a company promotes itself on Facebook through a page with the name of the company, the people will have very little interest. But if you promote that company through a real person’s page, that increases the visibility.

To elaborate a PR strategy in social media you must be a user. You must understand the mechanism so that you can earn popularity and to have influence.

1.4. The use of traditional media in PR

Even though the social media is one of the most used media to promote… anything, there are campaigns which have a great impact on people through the traditional media.

If we consider to promote our brand in the written press, we have to take in consideration the variables. Newspapers have a reputation, a credibility, depending on their subjects. The public that reads newspapers is a public with medium and superior education and they are over 30 years old. To have a strong message transmitted through newspapers, the PR must get space on the second or the last page. This is called the promacy-recency effect, and it is imperious that the space is on the right side of the page so that it can have more visibility.

Even tough it can’t be compared with social media, radio still has a great impact on consumers all around the world. We listen to the radio at home, in our cars, in public transportation, in stores and we have the option to listen to radio even on our smart phones.

The advantages in using the radio for PR purposes are the low cost and the large audience. The Radio is flexible so that an ad can be modified for a small sum. The Radio is a single dimensional medium in which the creativity is reduces to the modulation of the sound (O’Guinn, Allen, Semenik, 1998, pp. 434-435). Of course, the best impact when using the radio to advertise a brand is at a local level. The disadvantages are the low attention accorded to the advertising messages.

Television has yet an important role in PR campaigns and advertising. When we think about television we must consider the high creative opportunities because in this case, the use of image and sound can be done simultaneously. By doing this, the ad can reach the public on different levels and the ad can easily be noticed.

The dynamism of the imagine highlights the idea of movement and action while the sound energies more the spot. Television advertising is kind of expensive but it compensates with the fact with a large audience. One of the biggest disadvantages of television advertising is the length of the ad. In general, a television spot doesn’t last more than 30 seconds.

CHAPTER II – THE PRACTICAL PART

The PR Campaign for promoting the book release of ”Anuță Dragă” written by Bianca Tămaș will be analyzed through the four phases and nine steps suggested by Roland D. Smith in Strategic Planning for Public Relations.

1. PHASE ONE – FORMATIVE RESEARCH

1.1. Step One – Analyzing the situation

It is well known that the secret to any strategic planning for a PR Campaign, an accurate research is needed. So, because this is not the case of an organization, but a person, we must see which is the current situation of the author and how the public will respond to this PR Campaign.

The author has two books published so far and she has accustomed the public with one style of writing. This time, the author comes with a new style, preferring to write a novel and not just short, poetic stories. The novel is about the love story of the author’s grandparents and it is written to enhance the social problems that existed in the countryside in the mid ‘60’s. The problem is that the theme and the style that it is written in, is something that people are not used to. So, the campaign must address all kinds of people in order to have public at the book release. The point of this campaign is not to sell the book, but to have a large number of people at the book launch.

The purpose is to connect with the people through their love for Romanian tradition and to create a campaign which will be an event that reveal the main subject of the book. A motto, a location, and advertising is necessary. People are used to SF books and best sellers which are not well written, but apply to the majority of people. But, the main issue is that people tend to avoid book releases because they are long and boring. Just a few people participate at book releases and they are usually relatives and close friends of the author and people who are really interested in the subject of the book.

In this case, the book release must be an attractive event, not just the classical and monotonous speeches. Because the other is already known for her previous two books and she is a journalism, we already have a head start for the promoting of the event and the number of people that will attend.

1.2. Step Two – Analyzing the organization

In this case we will not talk about an organization, but a person, the author of the novel which will be released. Bianca Tămaș was born on the 24th of November 1992 in Huedin city of Cluj county, Romania. She graduated the Theoretical High School “Octavian Goga” were she studied mathematic and informatics. After that she graduated the Journalism section of Facultatea de Științe Politice, Administrative și ale Comunicării from Babes-Bolyai University. Now she studies the masters of Advertising & PR at the same faculty. She was published for the first time in Tribuna Magazine from Cluj-Napoca with some short stories.

Her first novel was “Când cerul era pe sfârșite”. It was launched in 2011 and it was published by Limes Publishing House from Cluj-Napoca. The second novel, published three years later helped her with a launch in her writting career. She was only 22 when she published the second book, ”Bere și pantofi cu toc”, which attracted the media from Cluj-Napoca. The young age was a factor of interes for the journalist. So, she had a lot of help from the local newspapers, local sites and radio to promote herself and her books. The fact that the second book was published by Eikon Publishing House also helped her to make contact with the public from Cluj-Napoca because at that time, Eikon was the best in the field.

So, publishing the second book attracted the attention of the journalists and she started to be considered in the media as one of the young people from the city which promise to go far with their career. If we make a short review it is easy to understand what kind of image the media created for the young writter Bianca Tămaș.

Realistic but at the same time sentimental, happy and melancholic, revolutionary and dreamy, Bianca Tămaș is one of those who (still) believe in the power of the written word. And I am one of the people who believe that she can offer the readers new surprises (Țuculescu, Radu, https://tamasbianca.wordpress.com/bere-si-pantofi-cu-toc/, accesed in 10.06.2017)

Her style reminded me of Mihail Bulgakov and of The Master and Margarita, because the fantasy and the defiance of the reality are the colors which Bianca paints the so called soul. At the young age of 21, Bianca has a dream: to change the world with the help of words. (Șargu, Nelly, http://cooltrends.ro/in-romania-s-a-nascut-o-noua-scriitoare/, accesed in 10.06.2017).

When it comes to writting, herself is a magnet for stories. She inspires from the daily things: a whisper, a hand shake, a discussion heard in the bus are sometimes enough to trigger something in her soul so that the experiences can transform into written words. Bianca is an atypical writer: she is very profound, but she is well ancored in reality. She can always dress metaphors in feelings and green shoes, to make you dream but in the next minute she can transpose you in just a minute on a dirty bench in the park, the place were your first love story ended. (Man, Maria, https://transilvaniareporter.ro/cluj/tinerii-clujului-bianca-tamas-o-scriitoare-atipica-de-asta-scriu-pentru-ca-oamenii-care-citesc-sa-simta-ceva/ , accesed in 10.06.2017).

I’m tempted to say that there are few people who can call themselves writers and not just writing instruments, but I had the pleasure to know Bianca Tămaș in a time in which I needed to see that the art and the culture still have great representatives and behind them come the scholars which will take after the masters. Her incredible talent which she knew how to use, the force with which she blesses her every written word and her passion with which she talks about the field she is studying recommend her as a model of the next generation of writers. (Marc, Iulia, https://cluj.com/articole/artistul-altfel-bianca-tamas/ , accessed at 11.06.2017)

Her books attracted the attention of national journalists too and the idea of a new and different book generated a series of interviews in national papers and sites.

A known blogger from Bucharest was interested about her life and asked her a lot of questions in a very long interview which had the purpose to reveal everything about her.

Bianca Tamas: … sunt ardeleanca, din Cluj, dar vorbesc destul de repede. Sunt jurnalista de meserie si scriitoare de suflet.

A cultural online magazine also has shown interest in Bianca’s passions and the result was an interview in which Bianca announced for the first time the launch of her new novel.

Bianca Tămaș is only 23 years old and she has published already two books. She studied journalism but she thinks that she writes stories, not classical journalistic articles. Because she will launch her new book soon (the name will be a surprise), we wanted to find out some things about the person behind the writing and a sneak peek for the new novel (Antonescu, Melissa, http://www.dissolvedmagazine.com/carte/interviu-cu-bianca-tamas/, accesed at 11.06.2017).

The most important article was written in the national newspaper Adevărul, in which Bianca offered a lot of details about her new novel, to make people curious.

For Bianca Tămaș, a young woman from Cluj county, the writing mixes with her way of life and the way she sees the world. At only 24 she has written three books, she knows that in life nothing is random and she wears with love the Romanian traditional clothes (Pop, Florina, adev.ro/olrdt5, accessed in 11.06.2017)

1.2.1. SWOT Analysis

a. Strengths

1. She already has a group of fans and she is known in the cultural area of the city she lives in.

2. She has the experience of writing two books.

3. She is a constant presence in social media and she has formed a voice to which people react.

b. Weaknesses

1. The style in which the two other books were written is difficult to read and people may think the new novel will be the same way

c. Opportunities

1. Improve brand recognition and defining the syle in the eyes of the readers.

2. Gain the trust of the public.

3. Make advertising in order to be known.

d. Threats

People will not be interested in the new novel

People will not participate at the event

People will not like the event and then the sails of the novel will suffer

1.3. Step 3 – Analyzing the Publics

A public is a group of people that shares a common interest vis-à-vis an organization, recognizes its significance and sets out to do something about it. Publics are homogeneous in that they are similar in their interests and characteristics. They usually are aware of the situation and their relationship with the organization. They think the issue is relevant, and they are at least potentially organized or energized to act on the issue (Smith, Ronald D., 2002, p. 39).

If we analyze the public that reads Bianca’s books we find it a little hard to make a chart for example, because there are too many variables. But, generally speaking, the majority of people who read her books are young people, under 30, which know how to resonate with the facts and emotions that are described.

1.2.1. Key Publics

Of course, for an effective communication, the company must identify which are the specific publics that they want to engage communication with. These specific “targets” are called key publics. They are the most important for the activity of the public relations department.

For the new novel, the target publics are of various ages and social status because it addresses people who have grandparents. Also it is for those who still believe that love can defeat anything that comes in its path. The studies are not important because the book is written in a simple way, for everyone to understand. The difficulties are the regional words which appear in the text, but there are footnotes with explications.

2. PHASE TWO: STRATEGY

2.1. Step 4 – Establishing Goals and Objectives

Michigan (http://www.michigan.gov/documents/8-pub207_60743_7.pdf) states that goals are general guidelines that explain what you want to achieve in your community. This are usualy longterm and also represent global visions. On the other hand, objectives define strategies or implementation steps that are used to achieve specific goals. A big difference between goals and objectives is that objectives are specific, measurable in time and also have a defined completion date.

Furthermore, towards reaching this goals objectives outline the vital questions of „who, what, when, where, why and how”. For this particular organization, we will be discussing the main goals that we have identified, state the company’s position and also establish the main objectives that we will be working with in order to achieve them. Not only this, but these goals and objectives have been set based on the situation analysis done in the formative research section and will be set accordingly to the author’s main vision.

Taking into consideration the fact that Bianca is launching her first novel, extremely different from the other two books that she has written she needs to attract a large public to the book launch so that her new style can reach as many people as possible and to have the chance to explain in person the reasons behind her writing change. For this goal to be accomplished, she must take in consideration these objectives:

Make a communication tactic which will reach a lot of people so that they can find out about the book release.

Maintain a constant level of communication between the author and the people who already have shown interest in her writing

The importance of useful relationships with other people in the field

In order for the book launch to be successful, in the pursue of better public relation goals, the author should establish a task management goal. In this case, several important objectives will be provided to achieve the author’s goals. In Bianca’s case, it is imperious to inform the masses about the idea of the book and about the fact that it is well written. Also, the book release should be a special event, with interesting activities to make the public curious to attend the event.

The main objectives should be:

Approach the public with a new concept of the author and tap into the public’s feelings

Change the social perspective of the writing style of the author

Create an event that will make the public curious to participate and to read the book

Taking in consideration these three goals, it is imperative that each one of them are accomplished for the higher good of the auhor and because the goals complete each other and none of them contradict one another.

Position and Objectives

The position of the author is to keep a close relationship with all of her key publics by using an effective communication tactics.

A key public for Bianca Tămaș’s products are the readers both old and potential. An effective communication, in which the key public is informed about consecrated and new products is essential. Also, the author must maintain a friendly relationship with her old readers so that they won’t feel neglected after investing time and money in her books.

To have an effect on awareness, specifically, the readers of the books must receive information about new book releases in time.

2.2. Step 5 – Formulating Action and Response Strategies

A good PR straegy evolves around actions but also around words, that is why messages are importent, because they complement the actions. There are two types of strategies that can be used in a strategic communication plan: proactive and reactive. The author can choose to use a communication program which is based on the conditions and the timeline which are the most appropriate for the book release. Regarding the reactive measure, they take place according to the influences and the oportunities that the environment of the company offers. In this case, the place of the book release, the disponibility of the people who are invited to the book launch and their reaction to the event are essential.

There are a few steps that can be taken when choosing to use a proactive strategy. The first aproach that should be used is the Organizational Performance. Releasing a book is not a thing that happens every day to an author. In this case, the author must prove that she has evolved from the last book released. Due to the fact that authors all around the city write new books, it is in the best interest of the author to maintain a good relationship with them, especially with the consacrated ones, and with critics. In this case, the public will see that the book release is not an ordinary event and it is well seen in the cultural area of Cluj-Napoca.

Transpartent Communication, even though it is a new concept, it is important when developing a proactive strategy. The author should take her time increasing the knowledge and understanding of the public about her writing. This could be done through links to their original work, by sharing the opinion of visible people in the writing domain and through participating to events in which she can show her work. Also, a close relationship with journalists from Cluj-Napoca is a good proactive strategy.

2.3. Step 6 – Using Effective Communication

After analysing the publics and establishing the goals and objectives, the next natural step is to prepare to achieve the wanted results. To do that, an effective way of communication is needed.

i. Identifying Message Sources

In her efforts to maintain the relationship with her readers and gain new ones with the launch of the new novel, the author will use the strong voice of a few local spokespeople that revolve around the cultural domain of Cluj-Napoca and who have strong opinions that the public listens to. These people will speak at the book release. If their names are present on all advertising material, this will give more importante to the event.

Radu Țuculescu, consacrated writer

Radu Țuculescu will be perceived by the audience as a credible person because of his fame as a very good writer which has written over tewnty books, has won a large number of prises. Also, his books are translated all around Europe. He will talk about the importance of the author in the culture of Cluj-Napoca and the entire country. He will also talk about the importance of promoting young artists.

Victor Cubleșan, literature critic

Victor Cubleșan is a well know literature critic who has helped author to launch their careers or has made them to forget about writing. Victor Cubleșan will talk about the style of the author and make a comparition between her first two books and the novel. This will conveince the audience that the author has evolved regarding her writting skills. The critic is impressed by the new novel and will gladly accept to make a speach at the book release.

Alexandru Jurcan, writer

Alexandru Jurcan is a well known writer. He published dozens of books and won a lot of prizes for his career. He is also the person who helped the author at the beginning of her writing career and he is one of the best people to talk about the evolution of the author.

George Vasile Dâncu, book editor

George Vasile Dâncu is a book editor and he is the owner of the most important publishing house in Cluj-Napoca. He will talk about the good colaboration he has had with the author in the last years. He will talk about the importance of a talented young writer in the book market

ii. Determining Message Appeals

The author will use both rational and emotional message appeals to communicate. Regarding the rational appeals, the author will explain why the book is relevant and why the event for the book release is an event which is worth attending. The author will touch the emotional side of the readers by exploiting the subject of the book, a real love, the love for grandparents and the love for tradition.

iii. Planning Verbal/Nonverbal Communication

When talking about verbal communication, the point of view presented about the book release will be the return to our roots, to our tradition, through the novel. The message will be straight, clear, concentrated on the benefit of the soul, of the readers. There will be presented facts, quotes and it will be made clear that the author is reinventing herself.

Nonverbal Communication reffers to images, to logos, posters and the images will contain traditional shapes and the cover of the book. The traditional shapes will make a statement about the theme of the novel and the event. On the other hand, the image from the cover of the book will have the purpose to make the public curious because it made by a contemporaneous artist and it doesn’t have anything traditional to it. It has a tree, which takes us to the idea of returning to our roots, our origins and it has numerous faces which make you think about the complexity of the characters from the novel. The idea was to make people curious and to make a contrast between the theme of the book and the cover.

3. PHASE THREE: TACTICS

3.1 Step 7 – Choosing Communication Tactics

Smith (2002, p.153) states that comunication tactics are the visible elements of a strategic plan. They are what people see and do—web sites and news releases, tours and billboards, and so much more. Tactics are also the elements of the plan that can carry a hefty price tag, so planning and coordination are particularly important.

Therefore when deciding upon which communication tactic should be used one has to take into consideration the conventional communication categories and the strategic communication strategies. On one hand the conventional communication categories include the following: controlled media, uncontrolled media, internal media, external media, mass media, targeted media, popular media, trade media, public media, nonpublic media, print media and electronic media. On the other hand the strategic communication categories contain: interpersonal communication, organisational media, news media and advertising and promotional media. This paper however will only emphasise on the tactics needed in our particular issue.

iv. Choosing Interpersonal Communication Tactics

Selection of Tactics

In this campaign we will use the following interpersonal tactics: personal involvement and information exchange. In the case of personal involvmen, the author will talk about her book release with every ocasion. She will meet with journalists to give interviews and she will participate at event such as literary cenacles or book convensions. The author must be very careful to hand out business card and to talk about her project in order to attract the atention of the public. A literaty cenacles the author will read passages from the book and she will answer questions about the novel. Also, the author must mentain a close relationship with the members of the publishing house to see if they also will promote the event. Speeches and social events should take place to increase public awareness of the new style that the author has adopted.

However, the most important is the book release where are the important speakers will be invited. The main speakers who support the author and her new book are: Radu Țuculescu, Victor Cubleșan, Alexandru Jurcan and George Vasile Dâncu.

b. Strategic Implications

Considering the main event that will be implemented, it is essential to inform that both of these tactics will help the organisation interact with the appropiate public since in the event our ideas will be communicated directly to the wanted public. Furthermore, the event will have a huge impact not only at the public present at these events but also on the people that will later be informed about the event. Not only this but both tactics will advance the author toward the awarness, acceptance and action of the objectives. When talking about the advantages and disatvantages in both cases, one advantage is that our message is transmitted directly and in a pleasant environment to the targeted public while a disatvantage would be the fact that such an event would cost.

c. Implementation Items

The event, trough the speakers and throw the actions that will take place will be great on the public. The costs, which will be discused at the next step will be minimal in comparisation with the effect that the event will have on the public which will participate. The event will generate discussions. The people will discuss face to face with their friends and on social media about the event and the author will become more and more known to the general public. In this case, the costs of the events can be avoided by making colaboration contracts and on the other hand, the costs will be worth it because of the impact. On the other hand, the event will need a lot of planning.

v. Choosing Organisational Media Tactics

When talking about the organisational media tactics, the main tactics chosen will be enlisted along with the main characteristics.

The first tactic would be the releasing of information about the product. In this case, about the new novel the author will release. The main characteristic of this tactic is the fact that it has a miderate cost and that it targets key publics.

Another tactic would be sending newsletters regarding the book release. This will also be low cost and it will target the local journalists which have a better reach to the public.

The third tactis is making posters about the book release which will be put in places which are frequented by the key publics. In this case we talk about libraries and pubs were the culturat elite of Cluj-Napoca gathers. Some examples are: Insomnia Cafe, Shadow Bar, Espace Wild Awake. Because the publishing house has a partnership with Librarium and Librăria Universității, some posters will be put there also.

For all these tactics the implementation cost will not be big.

vi. Choosing News Media Tactics

The author will develop the following news media tactics in order to make public her event,

the book release.

The first tactic would be news releases in which they would inform the public about the new book and the book release. The main characteristic of the tactic is that is going to be low cost, highly accessible and it will target key publics.

The second one, much similar to the first tactic would be the video news release which will have similar objectives.

In the third tactic, the author will participate to TV shows and will offer interviews for the press.

3.2. Step 8 – Implementing the Strategic Plan

The main strategic plan of this campaign reffers to promoting the event of the book release and the new novel that will pe launched.

The campaign will begin a few months before the event when the author will give interviews to some online publication in order to make people curious about the new novel and the soon to be announced book release.

Short-term objectives include:

To inform the citizens of Cluj-Napoca about the book release

To attract people to the book release, especially young people

To offer a new and memorable experience of an original book release

To create visibility for the author and her new novel

Long-term objectives include:

To increase the number of readers

To create interest in the local public towards the author so that the people will follow her activity

Tot have a large and defined public for the next books

The strategy is built in such way that the short-term objectives will be reached and, slowly, the preparation for the long-term objectives will be reached.

The strategies include:

Creating a Facebook event which will be promoted on social media to the people from Cluj-Napoca

Convincing people to share the event and to invite their friends

Releasing communication strategies to the media which will explain the importance and the originality of this event

Building an interesting image for the event and for the author

Creating a connection with the public

Applied strategy:

Creating messages that will promote the value of the event and the novel

Creating an image for the event

Creating a new image for the author

Key message: ”Cu ia la purtător”

The message refers to the event, in which people are invited to a book release that wants to make a connection between people and their roots. The event wants to help people to connect with their traditional identity, to the rural zones and to the lives that our grandparents lead.

Motto for the book release:

”Cum e ia, nouă, veche

Nici una n-are pereche

Hai cu ele la purtator

Ca să ne fălim cu spor

S-arătam la lumea-întreagă

Că ia ni-i tare dragă

Și ca semn de mulțumire,

Ai o carte de la mine!”

The motto will be used in order to invite people to the event dressed in traditional romanian clothes. To make things a little more interesting and to convince people to dress in their traditional clothes, a contest will be launched. People who will wear the traditional clothes can participate to the contest and can win a book.

The event will take place at the Etnographical Museum of Cluj-Napoca, in ”Reduta” room which is filled with traditional objects. The location is not random, but it wants to create the atmosphere of the country-side, to help people get in touch with their traditions.

The author will be dressed in traditional romanian clothes and the other people which will participate at the book release will dress in traditional clothes. To create a better traditional atmosphere, Sebastian Paic from the traditional group ”Zestrea” from Cluj-Napoca will sing a traditional song with the help of a whistle.

At the end of the event, the folclorique dancers from ”Românașul” will put on scene a traditional dance from the Apuseni region.

Also, at the event will be served traditional cake named ”cozonac” and a good wine made from the author’s vineyard.

Posters will be distributed throughout the city in specific locations.

A Facebook event will be created and it will be updated constantly with information about the book release, with press articles and with images that contain quotes from the book in order to maintain the curiosity of the public.

For more visibility, an online contest will be created in order to promote the event and so that the event will reach more people.

A photograph will make artistic photos of the book that will be shared on social media to increase the curiosity some more.

“Contest memories with the grandparents

We all have fond memories about or grandparents. Even if they are from when we were little or recent, our memories of our grandparents are always special. I remember how, every summer evening, my grandma made cake and I would share it with the kids from my street. Our grandparents would look at us how we are playing. Because I know that I made you think about your dear old grandparents, share the event and leave a comment with one of your memories with your grandparents. The most beautiful memory will receive as a prize a book signed by the author”.

The author will participate before the event to the TV show “Buna dimineața, Transilvania” from the local post TVR1 Cluj and will talk about the event and about her novel.

After that she will offer an interview to the local post NCN and after that an announced will be made at the TV channel.

3.2.1. Campaign timeline

August 2016: Interview for the online magazine Dissolved Magazine from București

November 2016: Interview for the well known blogger Emil Calinescu from emilcalinescu.eu

1st – 16th February

Poster emplacement

Facebook event

TV Show ”Bună dimineața, Transilvania”

Online Contest

Interviews for the local media

3.2.2. Pricing structure

The Ethnographic Museum offers the space for free, because of the theme of the event. That is why, only the Posters and the food and drinks will need money.

Posters

10 pieces – 30 lei

Food

30 cakes – 150 lei

Drinks

Soda, water – 200 lei

Total: 380 lei

4. PHASE FOUR: EVALUATIVE RESEARCH

4.1. Step 9 – Evaluating the Strategic Plan

4.1.1. Methodology

In order to evaluate the effect the campaign had, the PR team will conduct a formative research bu using survey to find out the opinion of the people who participated at the event about the PR campaign. We want to learn the feedback that the audience has to offer.

Survey

Answers

Conclusion

The event was a success. Over 150 people participated. The PR Campaign attracted the attention of the local media and it was very fell promoted by journalists. The event attracted also a large number of readers and a large numbers of interviews. Also, the author was invited to talk about her novel and about traditions at the local post NCN.

Of course, the PR Campaign could be improved, and for future book releases, the author will see were the PR campaign went wrong and she will talk with the PR team in order to have better advertising in the future.

In general, the people who participated to the book release were very enthusiastic about the originality of the event.

Appendix

Press articles before the book release:

Lansare de carte – Anuță dragă – Bianca Tămaș

http://www.caietesilvane.ro/articole/3219/Anuta-draga.html

http://www.ziardecluj.ro/bianca-tamas-lanseaza-astazi-anuta-draga-romanul-despre-simpla-complexitate-oamenilor-de-la-tara

http://www.cluj-am.ro/index.php/cultura/17659-anuta-draga-de-bianca-tamas-lansare-de-carte-la-muzeul-etnografic-al-transilvaniei

https://cluj.com/evenimente/lansare-de-carte-anuta-draga-de-bianca-tamas/

http://www.clujlife.com/2017/02/05/lansare-de-carte-anuta-draga-bianca-tamas-muzeul-etnografic-al-transilvaniei/

/2017/02/13/lansare-de-carte-anuta-draga-bianca-tamas-muzeul-etnografic-al-transilvaniei/

http://www.zilesinopti.ro/evenimente/19491/lansare-de-carte-anuta-draga-bianca-tamas

http://www.muzeul-etnografic.ro/ro/articole/evenimente/anuta-draga-bianca-tamas-isi-lanseaza-romanul-la-muzeul-etnografic-prezenta

http://www.ilikecluj.ro/16-februarie-anuta-draga/

https://ch.eventbu.com/cluj-napoca/lansare-de-carte-anu-a-draga-bianca-tama/983180

Tânăra scriitoare Bianca Tămaș lansează un nou roman, „Anuță dragă”

https://www.umblat.ro/evenimente-in/cluj/lansare-carte/lansare-de-carte-anuta-draga-bianca-tamas-117963#/

http://sanuuitam.blogspot.ro/2017/02/anuta-draga.html

http://cluj.transilvania-tv.ro/cluj-napoca-lansarea-romanului-anuta-draga-la-muzeul-etnografic-al-transilvaniei/

Bianca Tămaş şi zestrea literară a amintirilor din lumea satului

http://adevarul.ro/locale/cluj-napoca/poveste-dedragoste-lumea-satului-mai-pret-cadou-nepoatepentru-bunicii-ei-daca-nu-i-iubire-atunci-nu-stiu-ce-i-1_58abf12f5ab6550cb8ac383e/index.html

Press reactions after the book release

https://inimadecarte.ro/anuta-draga-bianca-tamas/

http://transilvaniareporter.ro/actualitate/bianca-tamas-si-a-lansat-al-treilea-volum-anuta-draga-am-fost-eu-pentru-mihaiul-meu-toata-viata/

http://www.monitorulcj.ro/actualitate/56707-fosta-jurnalista-monitorul-de-cluj-bianca-tamas-a-lansat-romanul-%E2%80%9Canuta-draga%E2%80%9D-povestea-de-dragoste-a-bunicilor-ei#sthash.o4q0A8PA.dpbs

http://news.ubbcluj.ro/category/oameni/studenti/

The Facebook Event

Poster

Images with quotes

Bibliography

Books

Balaban, Delia Cristina (2009), Publicitatea – de la planificarea strategică la implementarea media, Polirom, București.

Bădău, Horea Mihai (2011), Tehnici de comunicare în social media, Polirom, București

Brierley, Sean (1995), The Advertising Handbook, Routledge, London and New York

Evans, R.B. (1988) Production and Creativity in Advertising, Pitman, London

Gaerig, Anrew M. (2010), The new ecoonomics of advertising: The principle of relative constancy reconsidered, New York

O’Guinn, Thomas C.; Allen, Chris T.; Semenik, Richard J. (1998), Advertising, South Western College Publishing, Cincinnati.

Rus, Flaviu Călin (2004), Relații publice și publicitate : metode și instrumente, Iași, Institutul European

Smith, Ronald D. (2002), Strategic planning for Public Relations –, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, New Jersey, London

Van den Putte, Bas (2009) What matters most in advertising campaigns? The relative effect of media expenditure and message content strategy, University of Amsterdam, International Journal of Advertising, 28(4), Amsterdam

Scientific articles:

Bălăban, Delia Cristina, Hosu, Ioan, Mucundorfeanu, Meda (2015): PR Trend. Developments and Trends in Communication, art. Anamaria Tomiuc, Mediatization of Culture.

Audience, Branding, and the Contemporary Museum in Romania, Cluj-Napoca

Websites:

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http://transilvaniareporter.ro

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