Towards greater integration in media planning: Decision-making insights from public relations practitioners

Abstract

ABSTRACT Existing research has explored media planning from the perspective of integrated marketing communication (IMC) as a continuously improving strategic process used to plan and coordinate the use of paid, earned, shared, and owned (PESO) media. However, to date, the practice of integration in media planning has mostly been explored from advertising and marketing perspectives. The consideration of public relations practitioner perspectives has been limited to preferencing earned media and the pairing of complementary media types. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 25 public relations practitioners in Australia, nuanced perspectives on contemporary integrated practice were found. Of note, public relations practitioners’ media planning choices were influenced by considerations of and consequences for stakeholders beyond consumers, which led to a risk-based mindset for some practitioners. In addition, the strength or lack of media angles and changing earned media landscape determined planning choices. Although evaluation occurred, there is room for improvement based on existing models. This study offers a public relations lens to media planning in support of ongoing, interdisciplinary integration and likewise opportunities for public relations to enhance its practice. (178 words)