River Communications: Planning and Communication

RIVER COMMUNICATIONS: PLANNING AND COMMUNICATION

Subject: River Communications Inc. is a P.R. firm that is working to promote and support their largest current client, Financial Freedom. The company's strategy for planning and communicating can be determind using the RECAP method outline found in Guth & Marsh.

Background:


Planning: Currently River Communications has taken to using five methods of planning
· Researching Senior Issues
· Competing Surveys
· Reporter’s Hot Button Issues
· Crafting Survey Questions
· Developing the Outreach Strategy and Tactics
Communications:
· James Garner serves as spokesperson for Financial Freedom
· Comprehensive company Website
· P.R. Survey for Seniors
o Focused on house/home
o Finances
o Retirement Planning

Discussion:
Planning:
· Key publics were determined based on generalized perception of reverse mortgage customers
o Primary publics were identified
§ Seniors
o Intervening publics were also determined
§ Adult children of seniors
§ Financial Advisors/Planners
Communications:
· Appropriate spokesperson for key publics
· Internet is the wrong medium to make contact with seniors
· Survey questions are misguidedly focused on the actual product rather than the core

product
o Actual Product: Reversed Mortgage
o Core Product: Freedom to live as is desired

Evaluation:
Planning:
· Continue identifying key publics and approaches to targeting them
o Newspapers
o Pamphlets
· Develop outreach strategies based on target audiences rather than ease for the company
Communications:
· Use a different medium for contacting key publics
· Focus survey on core product rather than actual product

Seniors just want to have fun.