PUBLIC RELATIONS
STRATEGIES
LEVEL 4 PROJECT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
2Introduction
3Your Assignment
4Assess Your Skills
5Competencies
5Defining Public Relations
6Branding
6Creating a Public Relations Strategy
8Determining Newsworthiness
9Providing the Right Information
10Public Relations Tactics
11Evaluating Public Relations
12Exercises
12Review and Apply
13Complete Your Assignment
14Resources
TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL
www.toastmasters.org
© 2016 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved.
Toastmasters International, the Toastmasters International logo, and all other
Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property
of Toastmasters International and may be used only with permission.
Rev. 11/2016 Item 8412

The main purpose of public relations is forming positive relationships with the
media and public. The purpose of public relations is to create and maintain a
positive reputation for a person or organization. It’s also used to increase public
awareness, generate goodwill, and build credibility.
In this project, you will learn to promote awareness of an organization, formulate a
public relations strategy, and use various public relations tactics. You will also learn
to identify which media channels are available to reach your intended audience.
Keep in mind that if you want to initiate a public relations campaign on behalf of
your club, you must work with the vice president public relations.
INTRODUCTION
Page 2 PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice the skills needed to
effectively use public relations strategies for any group or situation.
Overview: Create a public relations plan for a real or hypothetical group
or situation. If it involves your club, it must be hypothetical unless you
communicate with the vice president public relations and club president.
Share your plan in a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting. This speech is
not a report on the content of this project, but an example of how you will or
might apply what you learned.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT
For all
assignment
details and
requirements,
review the
Project Checklist
on page 14.
Throughout this project you will see icons in the margins next to the text.
These icons indicate additional resources available online.
Interactive Activity: Sign in to Base Camp to complete an
interactive activity.
Resource: Sign in to Base Camp to view this resource
online.
Video: Sign in to Base Camp to watch a video that supports
this project.
PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES Page 3

ASSESS YOUR SKILLS
Pre-Project Statement Post-Project
54321
I am confident in my ability to formulate a public
relations strategy. 54321
54321
I can use various public relations tactics to
communicate my message. 54321
54321
I can identify which media channels are available to
reach my intended audience. 54321
54321
I know how to promote awareness of an organization,
cause, or event. 54321
54321
I recognize how this project applies to my life outside of
Toastmasters. 54321
5
EXEMPLARY
3
ACCOMPLISHED
4
EXCEL
2
EMERGING
1
DEVELOPING
Evaluate your current skill level by rating each statement.
Select the appropriate number based on your skills today:
Page 4 PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES

The following is a list of competencies that
you will learn and practice in this project.
■■Formulate a public relations strategy.
■■Display an understanding of how to use various public relations tactics to
communicate your message.
■■Demonstrate knowledge of how to promote awareness of an organization or event.
■■Identify various media channels that can be used to disseminate your message.
COMPETENCIES
Public relations is the practice of creating, promoting, and maintaining a favorable
image of an individual, organization, or cause. The audience may be internal, such
as employees, or external, such as the general public. Public relations messages
are disseminated through the use of tactics such as posting to websites and social
media, sending news releases, and holding special events.
Public relations usually has one of three purposes:
■■To create positive public opinion where none currently exists
■■To reinforce existing positive opinion
■■To change existing negative or neutral opinion into positive opinion
Advertising and marketing focus more on creating demand for a product or
service as well as influencing the behavior of consumers. These activities may
require a large budget. In contrast, the result of a good public relations strategy
is free or low-cost publicity. Many organizations successfully combine public
relations, marketing, and advertising to spread their message to the public.
DEFINING PUBLIC RELATIONS
PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES Page 5

The focus of this project is on ways to obtain free publicity through the use of
effective public relations.
Part of public relations is protecting the individual or organization’s brand. A brand
is an exclusive and desirable idea embodied in products, places, services, people,
and experiences. For example, the Toastmasters International brand is embodied
in the tagline “Where Leaders Are Made.”
The Toastmasters International Brand Manual is available online at
www.toastmasters.org/brandmanual.
The following steps can be used whether you want to build your personal brand,
increase awareness of your club, create support for a cause, or let the public know
about the products and services of a company or other organization.
Though your core public relations message remains the same, you may tailor it
depending on the outlet and the audience.
KNOW YOUR OBJECTIVE
The first step to determining your strategy is knowing the purpose and desired
outcome of your communication. For example, if your club is holding an open
house to attract new members, your objective is to promote the meeting and the
benefits of Toastmasters to your audience.
DEFINE YOUR MESSAGE
Analyze the qualities and values of your organization and how these will benefit
an audience. In the example of the open house, consider what community
members will gain from attending your club. Benefits include networking and
meeting new people. If they join the club, they will gain public speaking and
leadership skills along with self-confidence.
BRANDING
CREATING A PUBLIC
RELATIONS STRATEGY
Page 6 PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES

IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE
Once you have defined your message, identify your target audience. Your
audience is determined by many factors, including your objective, your
geographic area, and what you are publicizing. Perhaps you need to reach
specific segments of the public, such as people who speak a certain language,
are of a particular age group, or who have children. For a special event such as a
Toastmasters open house, your audience is anyone 18 years of age or older who
can travel to your location.
RESEARCH THE MEDIA
Different media channels, such as news websites, television and radio stations,
newspapers and magazines, typically specialize in certain types of news. A local
television station that broadcasts in a language spoken by some members of your
community wants news that pertains to its audience. A magazine that covers
parenting and children is not likely to be interested in your club’s speech contest
winner unless there is some connection to its readers.
Search online to find which media operate in your area and the audience they
serve. You can often find this information on their websites. Know how each
audience will benefit from what you are promoting. You can also determine how
and to whom newsworthy information must be submitted. Pay attention to any
deadlines and how far in advance they must receive information.
CONTACT THE MEDIA
Create a compelling story and develop brief talking points so that you can convey
your message in a way that will capture the attention of media outlets and
audiences. Be sure to include pertinent information such as who, what, when,
where, and why you are promoting an organization or individual. The message
should be clear and your facts correct.
DISSEMINATE THE MESSAGE YOURSELF
There are many ways to communicate your message to the public. Some you may
already know and can do yourself, such as giving a speech, updating an existing
website, posting to your social media networks, or using a website for posting
classified ads.
Other options for do-it-yourself public relations include making fliers or posters
and obtaining permission to post them in high-traffic areas where members of
your target audience may see them, such as colleges and universities, markets,
libraries, and community centers.
PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES Page 7

Newsworthiness is determined by the media in many different ways. Here are
some of the most common:
Timely
Reporters look for events and activities that are happening now or in the near
future. Something that happened last week is no longer news.
Relevant
The organization, cause, or event you’re publicizing must have relevance to
your target audience. For example, if a heavily traveled road will be closed for a
period of time, the news is relevant to anyone who regularly uses that street.
Prominent
If an important person, place, or thing is a part of your news, it’s more likely
to interest reporters. For example, if your club gives an award to a member,
it’s not necessarily newsworthy. However, if the club member is a prominent
figure such as the mayor of your town or chief executive of a well-known
local organization, the news media may be more interested.
Topical
If your organization, cause, or event can be linked to a culturally significant
holiday, time of year or event, it’s more likely to receive news coverage. An
example is promoting a product or service that can be given as a gift before a
holiday when gifts are typically exchanged.
Human Interest
Great stories that elicit an emotional response are always in demand.
People who triumph over adversity, have a fascinating talent, or experience
something that others can only imagine are all examples of human interest
stories. Every person has one; you just have to discover it. It is likely that there
are individuals with newsworthy human interest stories in your organization
or club who would be willing to share them with you.
Visual
If your organization can provide great images (photos, video, etc.) to visual
media such as television, print or online news, you increase your chances of
attracting reporters’ attention.
DETERMINING NEWSWORTHINESS
Page 8 PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES

PROVIDING THE RIGHT INFORMATION
What you are publicizing may help to determine when you complete these public
relations tactics. If it’s a popular, high-profile, or regularly scheduled event such as
a free community concert in the summer, you may want to begin publicizing it
two to three months, or more, in advance. For smaller or more informal events or
activities, 7-14 days is often sufficient. Allow more time around holidays or large-
scale events in which many people participate, such as summer vacations or the
beginning of school terms.
Be sure to provide the information that your audience needs to reach you or a
designated contact person, such as name, phone number, and email. Also include
brief information about:
Who
Who is involved or featured
What
What you are publicizing
Where
Where your club or organization is located, or in the case of a special event, will be
located—include a map or directions if necessary
When
When your organization is open, your club meets, or your event will be held; if an
RSVP is required, include the deadline for doing so
Why
Why the public should know about your message (i.e., the benefits to them)
PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES Page 9

Many public relations tactics can be used to communicate your message.
Determine which ones meet your unique situation.
NEWS/PRESS RELEASES
A news release is a concise written announcement sent to the media to
gain publicity. Journalists may use news releases to contact you for more
information. News releases are quick and inexpensive to produce and distribute
to journalists electronically.
PITCHES TO JOURNALISTS
You can contact specific journalists or editors directly. This is also known as
“pitching.” Pitches are brief and include: the main points of what you are seeking
to publicize (such as a Toastmasters open house), why it’s important to the
audience the journalist serves, and why he or she should report on it.
Pitching stories is less formal than a news release and is most effective when you
already have a relationship with the journalist.
INTERVIEWS
Podcasts, webcasts, television shows, and radio stations may interview guests who
can provide specific information to the media audience. They may seek guests
who are experts on certain topics and well-known.
Use media websites to research the topics or organizations typically covered by specific
media. If appropriate, you can propose a guest interview about a specific topic.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Holding or sponsoring a special event is a great way to inform the public of your
message. An event may be small and local or bring together individuals and
organizations from around the globe. It may be open to the public or to a select
group of guests. Events may be held live and in-person or virtually online.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Many news organizations use social media to connect with the public. Research
each news organization’s website for detailed audience demographics to assist
you in tailoring your message.
PUBLIC RELATIONS TACTICS
Page 10 PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES

Use the Sample News Release on page 19 as a guide for completing a news
release for your club, area, division, or district. If you are not a club officer or district
leader, be sure to check with leadership before disseminating any information on
behalf of Toastmasters International.
Proofread your final news release carefully when you are done writing it. Ask
another person, such as a club officer or district leader, to review the news release
before it is distributed. Contact your vice president public relations or district-level
public relations manager for a list of media contacts.
Plan to monitor any results of your strategy and follow up as required. After
beginning your public relations tactics and strategy, track inquiries, new members,
and other results of your efforts. If possible, compare these results with those from
before you started your public relations efforts to determine effectiveness.
Most organizations have specially trained, designated spokespersons who are
authorized to address the public and the media, especially during times of crisis or
negative public opinion. Here are some of the responsibilities of these professionals:
■■Anticipate adverse public responses and have plans in place to address them.
■■Meet with others in the organization who will be called upon in an emergency
to practice coordinating responses.
■■Know the main stakeholders who must be provided information during a crisis
or negative public opinion.
■■Confirm and acquire appropriate approval of all information before it is
released. Know who will be delivering the information to which audiences
and how it will be disseminated. For example, the chief executive officer will
contact board members directly, while employees may be notified of an issue
in a meeting or by email.
■■Provide identified audiences with ongoing information, including the facts
about the situation, who is involved, and any action or response by the
organization, if applicable.
■■Remain calm, professional, and honest about the crisis or negative public opinion.
EVALUATING PUBLIC RELATIONS
PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES Page 11

EXERCISES
In addition to this project assignment, you can learn more about public relations by
performing one or more of these exercises. They will help you gain experience, but
are not required to complete this project.
■■Meet with the vice president public relations of your club to discuss his or
her responsibilities.
■■Learn the steps to becoming vice president public relations.
■■Review public relations resources available on the Toastmasters website.
REVIEW AND APPLY
Before you complete the assignment, take a moment to read through the
questions you see here. If you are not able to answer them comfortably, review
the project.
■■What are the steps to formulate a public relations strategy?
■■How can you use public relations tactics to communicate your message to
the public?
■■What strategies can you use to promote awareness of your club or organization?
■■How can you determine which media channels to contact for the most effective
distribution of your message?
Page 12 PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES

COMPLETE YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Now that you have read through the project, plan and prepare your speech or report.
Review: Return to page 3 to review your assignment.
Organize: Use the Project Checklist on page 14 to review the steps and add your
own. This will help you organize and prepare your assignment.
Schedule: Work with the vice president education to schedule your speech.
Prepare: Prepare for your evaluation. Review the evaluation resources on pages
16–18 and share all resources with your evaluator before your speech. You may
choose to share your evaluation resources online.
PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES Page 13

Page 14 PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES
PROJECT CHECKLIST
Public Relations Strategies
Page 1 of 2
Plan a simple public relations strategy.
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Schedule your speech with the vice president education. If you need more time to share your
strategy with your club, you may schedule an 8- to 10-minute speech with the approval of the
vice president education.
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Write a speech to share your public relations strategy with your club.
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Rehearse your speech.
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Purpose: The purpose of this project is to practice the skills needed to effectively use public relations strategies for
any group or situation.
Overview: Create a public relations plan for a real or hypothetical group or situation. If it involves your club, it must
be hypothetical unless you communicate with the vice president public relations and club president. Share your
plan in a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting. This speech is not a report on the content of this project, but an
example of how you will or might apply what you learned.
This project includes:
■Creating a public relations strategy
■A 5- to 7-minute speech
Below are tasks you will need to complete for this project. Please remember, your project is unique to you. You may
alter the following list to incorporate any other tasks necessary for your project.

PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES Page 15
Page 2 of 2
PROJECT CHECKLIST – Public Relations Strategies
© 2016 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved. Toastmasters International, the Toastmasters International logo, and all
other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be
used only with permission. Rev. 4/2016 Item 8412C
After you have completed all components of the assignment, including your speech, return to
page 4 to rate your skills in the post-project section.
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Additional Notes
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Page 16 PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES
Page 1 of 3
EVALUATION FORM
Public Relations Strategies
Speech Title
Evaluator
Member Name Date
Speech Length: 5 – 7 minutes
Purpose Statements
■
The purpose of this project is for the member to practice the skills needed to effectively use public relations
strategies for any group or situation.
■The purpose of this speech is for the member to share some aspect of his or her public relations strategy.
Notes for the Evaluator
During the completion of this project, the member created a public relations plan.
About this speech:
■The member will deliver a well-organized speech about a real or hypothetical public relations strategy.
■The speech should be informational, but may include humor and visual aids.
■The speech should be engaging.
■The speech should not be a report on the content of the “Public Relations Strategies” project.
General Comments
You excelled at:
You may want to work on:
To challenge yourself:

PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES Page 17
Page 2 of 3
EVALUATION FORM – Public Relations Strategies
For the evaluator: In addition to your verbal evaluation, please complete this form.
5
EXEMPLARY
4
EXCELS
3
ACCOMPLISHED
2
EMERGING
1
DEVELOPING
Clarity: Spoken language is clear and is easily understood Comment:
5 4 3 2 1
Vocal Variety: Uses tone, speed, and volume as tools Comment:
5 4 3 2 1
Eye Contact: Effectively uses eye contact to engage audience Comment:
5 4 3 2 1
Gestures: Uses physical gestures effectively Comment:
5 4 3 2 1
Audience Awareness: Demonstrates awareness of audience engagement
and needs
Comment:
5 4 3 2 1
Comfort Level: Appears comfortable with the audience Comment:
5 4 3 2 1
Interest: Engages audience with interesting, well-constructed contentComment:
5 4 3 2 1
Topic: Shares some aspect of his or her public relations strategyComment:
5 4 3 2 1
Visual Aids: Uses visual aids effectively (use of visual aids is optional)Comment:
5 4 3 2 1

Page 18 PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES
Page 3 of 3
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Public Relations Strategies
© 2016 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved. Toastmasters International, the Toastmasters International logo, and all
other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be
used only with permission. Rev. 4/2016 Item 8412E
This criteria lists the specific goals and expectations for the speech. Please review each level to help you complete
the evaluation.
Clarity
5 – Is an exemplary public speaker who is always
understood
4 – Excels at communicating using the spoken word
3 – Spoken language is clear and is easily understood
2 – Spoken language is somewhat unclear or
challenging to understand
1 –
Spoken language is unclear or not easily understood
Vocal Variety
5 – Uses the tools of tone, speed, and volume
to perfection
4 – Excels at using tone, speed, and volume as tools
3 – Uses tone, speed, and volume as tools
2 – Use of tone, speed, and volume requires
further practice
1 – Ineffective use of tone, speed, and volume
Eye Contact
5 – Uses eye contact to convey emotion and
elicit response
4 – Uses eye contact to gauge audience reaction
and response
3 – Effectively uses eye contact to engage audience
2 – Eye contact with audience needs improvement
1 – Makes little or no eye contact with audience
Gestures
5 – Fully integrates physical gestures with content to
deliver an exemplary speech
4 – Uses physical gestures as a tool to enhance speech
3 – Uses physical gestures effectively
2 – Uses somewhat distracting or limited gestures
1 – Uses very distracting gestures or no gestures
Audience Awareness
5 – Engages audience completely and anticipates
audience needs
4 – Is fully aware of audience engagement/needs
and responds effectively
3 – Demonstrates awareness of audience
engagement and needs
2 – Audience engagement or awareness of audience
requires further practice
1 – Makes little or no attempt to engage audience or
meet audience needs
Comfort Level
5 – Appears completely self-assured with the audience
4 – Appears fully at ease with the audience
3 – Appears comfortable with the audience
2 – Appears uncomfortable with the audience
1 – Appears highly uncomfortable with the audience
Interest
5 – Fully engages audience with exemplary, well-
constructed content
4 – Engages audience with highly compelling, well-
constructed content
3 – Engages audience with interesting, well-
constructed content
2 – Content is interesting but not well-constructed
or is well-constructed but not interesting
1 –
Content is neither interesting nor well-constructed
Topic
5 – Delivers an exemplary speech about some
aspect of his or her public relations strategy
4 – Delivers a compelling speech about some aspect
of his or her public relations strategy
3 – Shares some aspect of his or her public relations
strategy
2 – Mentions some aspect of his or her public
relations strategy but does not fully address
1 – Speaks on a topic other than his or her public
relations strategy
Visual Aids (Optional)
5 – Visual aids are an integral and seamless part of an
exemplary presentation
4 – Use of visual aids enhances the speech or
presentation of the public relations strategy
3 – Uses visual aids effectively
2 – Use of visual aids is somewhat effective but
could be improved
1 – Use of visual aids is ineffective

PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGIES Page 19
Page 1 of 1
SAMPLE NEWS RELEASE
© 2016 Toastmasters International. All rights reserved. Toastmasters International, the Toastmasters International logo, and all
other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be
used only with permission. Rev. 4/2016 Item 8037
The boxes below identify the parts of a Toastmasters news release.
Media Contact:
Gerard White
1-222-345-6789
[email protected]
Headlines and subheads should be short,
engaging, and tell the reader what to
expect in the news release.
Identify
your club by
name and
l ocation.
Include a quote
from someone
in the organiza-
tion and provide
any additional
information.
Provide reference infor-
mation about your club
and district here.
Put your
name and
contact
information
here.
The opening paragraph tells the basic
facts about your news: who, what,
when, where, and why.
You can
summarize
information
here if
publicizing
an event.
Be sure to include necessary
contact information if you
want people to respond.
Refer to www.toastmasters.org
for current membership, club,
and country numbers.

www.toastmasters.org