Towards greater integration in media planning: Decision-making insights from public relations practitioners

ABSTRACT

Existing research has explored media planning from the perspective of integrated marketing communication (IMC) as a continuously improving strategic process used to plan and coordinate the use of paid, earned, shared, and owned (PESO) media. However, to date, the practice of integration in media planning has mostly been explored from advertising and marketing perspectives. The consideration of public relations practitioner perspectives has been limited to preferencing earned media and the pairing of complementary media types. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 25 public relations practitioners in Australia, nuanced perspectives on contemporary integrated practice were found. Of note, public relations practitioners’ media planning choices were influenced by considerations of and consequences for stakeholders beyond consumers, which led to a risk-based mindset for some practitioners. In addition, the strength or lack of media angles and changing earned media landscape determined planning choices. Although evaluation occurred, there is room for improvement based on existing models. This study offers a public relations lens to media planning in support of ongoing, interdisciplinary integration and likewise opportunities for public relations to enhance its practice. (178 words)

KEYWORDS:

• Campaign planning
• decision making
• integrated marketing communication
• media planning
• public relations

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lisa Tam

Lisa Tam (Ph.D. Purdue University) is a Lecturer in Advertising and Public Relations at the Queensland University of Technology. Her research examines the dynamics of power and influence between organizations and publics as well as the roles of public relations practitioners in facilitating such dynamics.

Amisha Mehta

Professor Amisha Mehta specializes in risk and crisis communication and trust at the QUT Business School. She applies this expertise in emerging industries like hydrogen energy and commercial drones and in the context of corporate, health, and natural hazard emergencies. Amisha’s research has been translated into new national policy via the Australian Warnings System. Amisha’s research and teaching, also in marketing communication, has been recognized by national and industry associations.

Hayley Goodlich

Hayley Goodlich has a Bachelor of Business (Public Relations) from QUT and has years of PR and communications experience across various industries. She has promoted large Australian brands in agency and in-house for telco, finance, entertainment and food & beverage. Her work has been awarded for Best Digital PR campaign and she has been shortlisted for the Mumbrella CommsCon Best New PR Talent.