4 The head office communication forum
Out of sheer need, the BP Oil communication manager invited a small group of key middle managers to meet on an informal basis, to help her by discussing communication issues. This evolved into a formal monthly meeting because the managers themselves wanted it. They were the first to appreciate the chance to be together and catch up on what was going on outside their immediate areas. Useful spin-offs included head office tech-ins, head office get-togethers and – stealing from the US – head office brown bag lunches. And, most satisfyingly, management in head office owned its own communication.
Then BP Oil brought its main communication professionals together to develop the next stage in helping line management communicate. One of the outputs of that meeting was a redefinition of the role of the professional communicator:
To facilitate an open, timely and balanced two-way communication process in which messages about BP, and its objectives, enhance BP Oil’s ability to perform.
Points worth noting in this statement are the words ‘facilitate’, and ‘perform’. The former is a clear indication that communication professionals are there to help management; they cannot do the communication task for them. The latter is the recognition by the communication professionals that, for many managers, ‘communication’ is still a soft issue. If you talk to managers about communication the chances are they will switch off. If you talk to them about performance you have a better chance of getting their attention.
- Ильина о.К., Тычинский а.А.
- Предисловие
- Методическая записка
- Content
- Marketing communication
- The role of public relations in the marketing mix
- Public relations planning in the marketing mix
- Marketing integration
- Campaign development
- Diagnosing the solution
- Product launches
- Improving brand equity
- Public Relations in the future marketing mix
- Step-by step planning process
- Exercises
- I. Discuss the following questions.
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- Marketing integration
- III. Match the following definitions with the word-combinations below.
- IV. Complete the words.
- Internal communication
- Why communicate?
- What do people want to know?
- Some communication techniques
- Communication and leadership: the bp Oil experience
- Background
- Preparing the ground
- Creating the right attitude
- 1 The right attitude (see Figure 2.2)
- Attitude Technique Talent
- 2 The communication road map
- 3 The good communicator
- 4 The head office communication forum
- The virtuous circle
- Link with human resources
- Where is bp Oil now?
- Exercises
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- IX. Translate the following text from Russian into English.
- (Виктория Чупровская. Внутренний pr способен решить коммуникативные проблемы в компании. Www.Prlink.Ru)
- Сommunity relations
- Background
- What is community relations?
- Why bother?
- Methods used in a community relations programme
- One piece in the jigsaw
- Research
- Strategic objectives
- Project selection criteria
- A sponsorship example
- Donations policy
- How can the project be developed?
- Measurement and evaluation criteria
- Business benefits of the programme
- Employee participation in the community involvement programme
- Why bother involving your employees?
- How do you know that the programme is a success?
- Internationalising the programme
- Future developments
- Conclusion
- Exercises
- I. Discuss the following questions.
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- IV. Complete the words.
- V. Translate the following word-combinations from Russian into English consulting the article.
- Financial public relations
- How do you define financial public relations?
- The basic task
- Corporate public relations
- What contribution does financial public relations make to the success of a company?
- What are the rules that govern financial public relations?
- Why has this business become such a major industry?
- Investor relations – Is it public?
- Coordination and consistency
- A time to speak and time to remain silent
- How does it fit in with other areas of public relations?
- In-house or consultancy?
- Vickers plc – a very brief case study
- Conclusion
- A checklist
- Exercises
- Corporate public relations
- Vickers plc – a very brief case study
- VIII. Translate the following text from English into Russian.
- IX. Translate the following text from Russian into English.
- X. Summarize the article “Financial Public Relations”.
- XI. Solve the following pr problem.
- Local government and government relations
- Why central and local government matter
- Effective public affairs
- Defining public affairs
- Central and local government
- Government
- Members
- Local government
- Gaining access
- Case studies
- Bail Bandits – a campaign to change the law
- The execution
- Trident – battle of the dockyards
- Key points
- Exercises
- Business to business public relations by Nigel Lawrence
- The customer rules
- How do you know it works?
- The trade press
- Getting it right
- Being prepared
- Getting the good news across
- Joining forces
- Conclusion
- Exercises
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- Public relations for non-commercial organizations
- The mission
- Not-for-profit pr
- The public presence
- Partnership – the sum is greater …
- Provision of services
- Involvement of interested parties
- Case studies – the human face
- Aims, objectives and realization
- Checklist for a successful campaign
- Exercises
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- Involvement of interested parties
- III. Match the following definitions with the word-combinations below.
- VI. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English using active vocabulary.
- VII. Translate the following text from English into Russian.
- Sponsorship
- Definition of sponsorship
- What makes a successful sponsorship?
- Do’s and don’ts of sponsorship
- The sponsorship package
- Sponsorship package checklist
- The public relations agency agenda
- Exercises
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- The sponsorship package
- III. Match the following definitions with the word-combinations below.
- IV. Complete the words.
- V. Translate the following word-combinations from Russian into English consulting the article.
- Environmental public relations
- Be aware of public concerns
- Chemicals industry – in the limelight
- The Rhône-Poulenc initiative
- Changing public perceptions
- Putting the case for recycling
- Looking to the future
- Exercises
- II. Say what the following refer to in the text of the article under the headlines:
- III. Match the following definitions with the word-combinations below.
- IV. Complete the words.
- (Dorothy Seed. Global warming changes attitudes to nuclear power / Behind The SpinPublic Relations. Http://publicsphere.Typepad.Com/behindthespin/2006/11)
- Glossary a