1. Theoretical Basis in Executing
Effective PR Strategies
Bisi Olawuyi, Ph.D.
Research and Strategy Unit
The Quadrant Company, Nigeria

2. “Any practice not grounded in sound
theoretical foothold risks being referred
to as a profession” (Bisi Olawuyi)

3. The Core of our Profession
At the heart of PR functions lie the
attempt to manage people’s perception
by influencing their opinion.
Most PR programmes are designed to:
Persuade people
to change their
opinion
Crystallize
uninformed or
undeveloped
opinions
Reinforce existing
opinions

4. Theories...
Descriptive assumptions
(Baran & Davis, 2003)
Parameters for making
sense/understanding of
the social world and how
it works.
explain or predict the way
things work or happen.
They present an
understanding of the
relationship between
various activities or events

5. Public Relations and Theories
‘One can think of many theories
that apply to public relations but it
is more difficult to think of a public
relations theory (one that has not
been borrowed from another
discipline) (James Grunig).

6. Why Theories in PR?
A PR practitioner requires a
set of theories to use and
refine in the application of
professional skill to the task
of executing PR Strategies

7. Types of Theories
RELATIONSHIP
•Systems Theory
•Situational Theory
COGNITION AND BEHAVIOUR
•Action Assembly Theory
•Social Exchange Theory
•Diffusion of Innovation Theory
•Social Learning Theory
MASS COMMUNICATION
•Uses and Gratification Theory
•Agenda Setting theory
•Gatekeeping Theory
•Perception Theory

8. Relationship Theories: Systems Theory (1)
The interdependence
of organisations with
their environment.
A kind of relationship
that is based on
mutual respect,
mutual understanding,
mutually-perceived
importance and
commitment of both
parties to the
realisation of the
organisation’s goal(s)
and aspirations
without jeopardising
public interest.
PR practitioners can
achieve this through:
Boundary Spanning
and Dominant
Coalition

9. Relationship Theories: Situational Theory (2)
Explains why certain
PUBLICS are more
important than the
other on an ISSUE
that affects an
organisation.
Its major
proposition is that
publics are
situational. i.e, as
situation, problem,
opportunity, or
issue changes, the
publics also change.
This theory can be
summarised by the
Orwellian saying
that “All animals are
equal, but some are
more equal than
the others”

10. Relationship and Conflict
Conflicts are inevitable The following are important in
managing conflict:
•-Separate the people from the problem
•-Focus on interests, not positions
•-Invent options for mutual gains (Win-win)
•-Insist on objective criteria

11. THEORIES OF COGNITION AND
BEHAVIOUR
Cognition deals
with knowing
Behaviour
focuses on
doing
Typically, PR
practitioners try
to persuade
their publics to
know
something or
do something

12. Theories of Cognition and Behaviour-
Action Assembly Theory (1)
Action Assembly Theory argues that
“All behaviour is logical to the person
doing the behaviour (Lattimore, Baskin,
Heiman, Toth & Van Laiven, 2004).
Before people’s behaviour can be
understood, there is the need to first
understand how they think.

13. Theories of Cognition and Behaviour-
Social Exchange Theory (2)
Individuals & groups
choose strategies
based on perceived
REWARDS and
COSTS.
People ALWAYS
would want to keep
their cost LOW and
rewards HIGH.
The use of economic
permutation of Cost-
Benefit ratio underlie
the rationale behind
people’s behaviour

14. Theories of Cognition and Behaviour-
Diffusion of Innovation Theory (3)
Diffusion of
Innovation holds that
embracing new ideas
occurs in a process
People adopt an idea only after
going through the following
Five Stages:
• Awareness-Exposure to an idea
• Interest-Arouse the individual
• Evaluation-Potential usefulness of the
idea
• Trial-People try out the ideas on
others
• Adoption-Acceptance

15. Theories of Cognition and Behaviour-
Social Learning Theory (4)
Social Learning
Theory highlights
how individuals
process
information
People model
other people. i.e.
people learn new
behaviours by
observing others.
We vicariously try
out the behaviour

16. Theories of Cognition and Behaviour-
Elaborated Likelihood Model (5)
People are
influenced by such
things as:
•Repetition
•Highly credible
spokespersons
•Tangible records

17. Mass Communication Theories-Uses
and Gratification Theory (1)
The theory presents the use of media in terms of the
gratification of social or psychological needs of the individual
such as information, personal identity, integration and social
interaction, entertainment.
A media user seeks out a media source that best fulfills
his/her needs.

18. Mass Communication Theories-
Agenda Setting Theory (2)
The media (mainly the
news media) aren’t
always successful at
telling us what to
think, but they are
quite successful at
telling us what to think
about (Maxwell
McCombs and Donald
L. Shaw, 1972/1973)
The theory comes
from a scientific
perspective, because it
predicts that if people
are exposed to the
same media, they will
place importance on
the same issues.
It suggests that media
content that people
read, see, and listen to
set the agendas for
society’s discussion
and interaction

19. Mass Communication Theories:
Gatekeeping Theory (3)
“Who are the people responsible for making
decisions about what is news – and how do
their backgrounds, education, attitudes and
beliefs influence these decisions? How do the
individual routine, organisational, extra-media
and ideological constraints influence the daily
work of journalists?” (Hanitzsch, Loffelholz, and
Weaver, 2005 cited in Niblock and Machin
2007:187)

20. Gatekeeping Theory (Cont.)
...is about accessing
or refusing access
(Watson, 2003, pg.
123)
Gatekeepers are
empowered to
influence the
quantity and
composition of news
flow through their
decisions to “cover,
relay, or attend to
some events and to
reject others”
(Ahern, 1984:217)
Decisions are made
among other factors
based on the media
owner's ideology,
media routines, and
official sources
including
government and
corporate officials”
(Kim, 2002).

21. CONNECTING THE DOTS…
Persuasion is the ultimate
goal of all PR programmes.
In order to persuade,
evidence that coincides
with people’s own beliefs,
emotions, and expectations
should be cited.

22. Persuasive Strategies
Effective PR programmes always start
with research – the FACTS
People can think, but they also
respond to EMOTIONAL appeals
People respond to PERSONAL
EXPERIENCES and stories
People want to know, “What’s in it for
me?” - Appealing to “you”

23. Things aren’t always as they seem

24. Theory of Perception
Obtaining
information
through our
senses of
hearing, sight,
taste, smell
and touch
Interpretation
of what we
take in
through our
senses
Perception is
relative
The biases are
due to
structural,
learned, and
attentional
issues

25. The Perceptual Process
Exposure Attention Perception Interpretation Retention Recall Action

26. “People only understand things
in terms of their own
experience……If you try to get
your ideas across to others
without paying attention to what
they have to say to you, you can
forget about the whole thing.”
(Saul Alinsky)