Looking ahead…

So I have resigned myself to the fact that, like April, July is going to be pretty much…

Where is my sunshine?

We received our CIPR planning assignment on Monday 30th June and progress so far has been slow. It’s a pretty tricky assignment and being busy with work I just haven’t made much headway with it so it’s time to knuckle down!

I have lots of things to look forward to in August so that should keep me motivated. I’m making a note of them here so that when I am struggling with the assignment and feeling miserable I can remind myself of the fun to come!

• Saturday 2nd August – Leaving Party for Sam and Mark (colleague and her husband who are moving to Brighton)
• Wednesday 6th August – Pickle Jar Communications‘ 1st Birthday Party
• Thursday 7th August – University of Warwick Staff Summer Party
• Saturday 9th August – Nottingham for final CIPR Diploma teaching session
• Tuesday 12th August – Mom’s Birthday
• Wednesday 13th August – Mom’s twin sister (Mag) coming over from Dublin
• Saturday 16th August – My Birthday – there will be a whole weekend of celebrations for this but I haven’t got round to planning it yet!
• Monday 18th August – Going to see Mary Poppins at Birmingham Hippodrome
• Friday 22nd August – Cousin Laura having baby (if not earlier!)
• Saturday 23rd August – Casey Leaver’s 30th Birthday
• Tuesday 26th – Friday 29th August – CASE Annual Conference in Brighton

EDIT: this list is not exhaustive – I shall be adding to it!

So, bring on August when I will feel more like this…

I can do anything if I try

EDIT: I also feel that August might need a theme tune so am open to suggestions…preferably in the form of links to YouTube please!

Anything is possible

An Edward Monkton image

I might tell you the skirt in the knickers story another day…

Social Networking Wars

Via prgeek.net

I’m a loving Leo lion

I realise that my last three blog posts have been a bit heavy going about my CIPR Diploma so here’s a bit of entertainment…

I recently discovered “The Astrology Songs” by Harvey Sid Fisher – “twelve hits describing the special qualities of each sign in the Zodiac”.

You can hear clips from all of the astrology songs on YouTube and they are very entertaining (although I can’t say that they are necessarily accurate!)

Lyrics:

I’M A LOVIN LEO LION
BORN UNDER THE SUN
I’M A LOVIN LEO LION
I CAN DO WHAT CAN’T BE DONE
CERTAIN TO SUCCEED CAUSE I’M A SPECIAL BREED
EVERYTHING ABOUT ME IS RIGHT
YOU KNOW I AM THE FUN SIGN YOU KNOW I AM THE SUN SIGN
YOU KNOW I AM THE LIGHT

I’M A LOVIN LEO LION
DON’T PUT ME IN NO ZOO
I’M A LOVIN LEO LION
I WON’T DO NO TRICKS FOR YOU
MY ROYALTY CAN SOMETIMES BE A LITTLE TO RICH FOR MY BLOOD
I ALWAYS AIM SO HIGH I WILL BE REACHING FOR THE SKY
AND I’LL GET STUCK IN THE MUD

NO WITTICISM IF THE JOKES ON ME
SHOW CRITICISM IF IT’S COMPLIMENTARY
MY VANITY LOVES FLATTERY

I’M A LOVIN LEO LION
A WINNER WITHOUT FAIL
I’M A LOVIN LEO LION
FROM MY MANE DOWN TO MY TAIL
A FLAIR FOR FASHION AFFAIRS OF PASSION
SOMETIMES IN SECRET AND SHAME
I NEED MORE SEX THAN MOST IT’S JUST A FACT NOT A BOAST
AND IF YOU LOVE ME WE’LL DO THE SAME

I’M A LOVIN LEO LION…

Full lyrics and audio clips can be found on Harvey Sid Fishers website. Let me know whether his description of your zodiac sign was accurate…

Planning the Planning Assignment

Want to know what it’s like studying for the CIPR Diploma…? Well I may have bored you enough already with my discussion of the first assignment (the Critical Reasoning Test) but no sooner had we received our results we were given the details of our second assignment, the Planning Assignment.

I can’t really complain – the deadline for the first assignment was the 29th May and I have done very little studying since then but the trouble is that when the assignment details are released there is approx three or four weeks of (almost) hell trying to complete it! I am the type of person who likes to agonise over these things and I do generally aim for perfection so I probably make it harder than it needs to be but I can’t help who I am!

The first assignment tested academic understanding of theory. The next assignment is putting the theory into practise by developing a step-by-step communications plan in response to a crisis or issue. The main plan is 3000 words long and should be accompanied by a 2000 word rationale explaining the theory behind your chosen approach to the task. The deadline is 1st August so it’s a good job I didn’t have much planned for July!

CIPR Diploma Unit 2.2 – Planning Assignment

Aims: to encourage students to demonstrate their ability to apply planning theory acquired in Unit 2.2 to practical public relations activities

Objectives: to produce an action plan and rationale for a charity launching a campaign in the face of competition from a similar campaign launched by a private sector organisation. The plan should detail key issues and develop a strategy for maintaining reputation in the long term.

Scenario: you are the Director of Public Relations and Fundraising for a leading charity devoted to research into the causes of heart disease. Approaching the end of a two-year planning period, you are one month away from the launch of a new campaign, entitled ‘Let’s Kill Heart Disease’. The campaign aim is to raise the equivalent of £3 million over the next two years for distribution to the charity’s medical research units throughout your country.

During your regular Monday morning staff update session, one of your junior press officers mentions that a friend of hers who works for a leading cereal manufacturer has mentioned that her company’s new Corporate Social Responsibility initiative is remarkably similar to your campaign. Entitled ‘Stop Heart Disease. Dead’, the company has set a fundraising target equivalent to £1 million over the next 12 months. The funds raised will be distributed among scientists from anywhere in the world submitting successful funding bids that involve research into the heart-health benefits of cereal. The company has significant backing from a range of existing celebrity endorsers, and will be using high-impact TV and billboard advertising to publicise its campaign.

You are due to present to your charity’s board of directors in two days time, where you will be required to provide:

• A step-by-step plan to manage communication around this issue, providing a clear list of actions in order of priority and a summary of content for any written communication outputs
• A proposal to establish an issues management group, to monitor opportunities and threats, build and maintain the charity’s reputation in the longer term
• A rationale for each step of your approach

So, that’s the task… now to start planning…

P.S. This blog post is not a true reflection of what it is like to be studying for the CIPR Diploma as the opening sentence suggests… you should read the rest of my blog for a fuller picture ; )