Prerequisites

• University degree in media, business management or marketing.
• Some experience in public relations.

Course Description

Successful public relations campaigns do not begin with a press release, but with a smart plan built on a deep understanding of the audience, clarity of message, and a precise alignment between institutional objectives and media influence tools. This course provides a practical framework that helps participants move from intuitive thinking to systematic planning, making campaigns more coherent, more impactful, and better equipped to serve institutional reputation over the medium and long term.

Course Objective

By the end of this course, participants will:
• Understand the role of planning in the success of public relations campaigns.
• Analyze the relationship between institutional identity, marketing, and communication planning.
• Design a public relations campaign plan aligned with institutional objectives.
• Craft campaign messages based on audience analysis and expected response.
• Select appropriate channels and tools using a strategic rationale.
• Establish clear indicators to evaluate campaign impact and measure success.

Course Outline

• Introduction to planning public relations campaigns:
- The concept of public relations and its strategic role in institutions.
- The difference between media activity and a planned campaign.
- Why do some campaigns fail despite strong messaging?
- The role of planning in building institutional reputation.

• Institutional identity and integrated communication:
- The concept of institutional identity and its impact on campaigns.
- The relationship between public relations, marketing, and advertising.
- Unify communication discourse and control messaging.
- Ensure alignment between institutional values and campaign content.

• Audience analysis and message development:
- Identify and segment target audiences.
- Stages of audience response to public relations campaigns.
- Develop key messages—transforming campaign objectives into a clear central narrative that gives the campaign its communicative identity.
- Align messages with cultural and media contexts.

• Campaign planning and scenario building:
- Core elements of a public relations campaign plan.
- Define objectives, indicators, and expected outcomes.
- Select appropriate media channels and platforms.
- Build timelines and assign roles.
- Anticipate risks and develop alternative scenarios.

• Impact evaluation and campaign sustainability:
- Tools for measuring the impact of public relations campaigns.
- Evaluate media and public engagement.
- Link campaign outcomes to institutional objectives.
- Develop future campaigns and build sustainable communication practices.

Course Benefits

• A graduation certificate by Al Jazeera Media Institute.
• A practical project: developing a comprehensive public relations campaign plan.