If you don't know how a communication audit is done, you will find the following information helpful. Let's find out what it is, when it is carried out and by whom, what is the role of such a check.

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A corporation can be successful if it meets the requirements of the target audience and senses its mood.

The fate of the enterprise depends on the level of success of communication and feedback. It is possible to search for clientele, sales routes, and make sales.

General points

There is no single definition of a communications audit. But, nevertheless, we will describe what they mean when they talk about such a check.

Basic definitions

With the help of a communication audit, you can obtain accurate data about the activities of the company from the point of view of the public. It is possible to determine how the company is presented, where there is a divergence of interests and views of the audience and the company.

– an independent examination of the company’s work, which is carried out by a professional. Based on the results of the audit, a qualified management decision can be made. This is an analytical research paper.

A communication audit is a comprehensive study, carried out by a third-party specialist, of the external and internal communication flow that passes through the enterprise.

Communication channels are being explored, which will allow us to systematize data about the brand and present the image of the enterprise that has developed in the target audience.

It involves working with data, when data is collected, analyzed, and evaluated. Based on such data, final conclusions and assessments are made.

Why is it needed?

Thanks to the audit you can:

• assess the state of the enterprise’s relations with target auditors;
• analyze the quality of relationships with partners and contractors;
• formulate the goals and objectives of the enterprise;
• get a complete picture of your reputation;
• determine the degree of corporate culture.

There are several communication check functions:

• evaluative;
• management strategic;
• predictive;
• informational

The purpose of the audit is to assess the activity of the enterprise's communications in order to develop and make management decisions, which is aimed at creating and maintaining a positive image.

During the audit the following is carried out:

• audit of the organization’s active communication channel;
• monitoring of media and informal channels;
• SWOT analysis of company communications;
• analysis of communications within the enterprise;
• diagnostics of the corporation's culture.

Legal grounds

The main legislative acts are:

1. (about auditing activities).

How to conduct a communication audit?

Carried out if there are malfunctions in the system. They are investigating what is the reason for this. Conduct informal research - accumulate facts, publications and other materials, observations of how the subject interacts with the target audience.

What is its essence?

With proper communication, it is possible to motivate employees, create a general atmosphere of unity, overcome conflicts, and create cooperative relationships that are aimed at solving problems.

You can conduct a superficial review of the portals of consulting companies and PR agencies that offer a number of communication services. It will become clear that there is no general definition of auditing.

The communication audit examines internal communications. External interactions are not taken into account. The company's reputation is diagnosed so that a reputation management strategy can be developed.

With the help of an audit, you can assess whether:

With his help:

• evaluate current PR activities;
• analyze the goals of managers and communication methods;
• identify key issues;
• diagnose the image;
• develop a general communication strategy.

Types of verification:

• current information check of how effective the company’s external communications are;
• ongoing review of communications within the corporation;
• a comprehensive communication audit that allows you to diagnose the image and reputation of the company;
• final information check of a certain project, program, action.

Areas of work:

• conduct an audit of active communication channels;
• carry out SWOT analysis;
• conduct diagnostics of corporate culture;
• analyze company communications, etc.

Carried out by whom?

Often, a company turns to specialized companies that will undertake the responsibility for conducting an audit. An employee of such a company will come to the company and draw up a brief for the inspection, and also determine the purpose of the procedure.

The specialist will plan the budget, help with the development of relations with the media, carry out measures to create an image, increase client loyalty, etc. The audit is also carried out by an independent expert.

Validation elements

Possible:

During the audit, the following research is carried out:

• information sources;
• pr audiences and data relays;
• communication tools and channels;
• frequency of PR communications;
• data preparation and control processes;
• necessary resources.

Typically, an audit involves monitoring the media, interviews with company employees, and interviewing industry experts.

The audit should be:

• systemic;
• managerially expedient;
• rational and flexible.

Documenting the process

When documenting, you should be guided by international standards (230).

The rules provide for mandatory registration of data, which is important for the formation of evidence that will confirm the auditor’s opinion.

Certain working documents are used - materials that are necessary when planning and implementing an audit, supervising the work of auditors, as well as those that contain audit evidence.

The documents must reflect the volume, nature of the work, timing, and results. But you shouldn’t document absolutely every issue.

Working documents should be drawn up in such a way that it is possible to obtain data on the activities carried out and the reason for making a fundamental decision.

The working documentation reflects the following data:

• organizational structure of the company;
• excerpt of documents, agreements, protocols;
• data on industries, economic environment;
• analysis of transactions, accounting account balance;
• information about the procedure and result;
• a copy of the message that is sent to another auditor, a third party;
• evidence that the auditor understands the accounting and internal control system, etc.

Documentation is carried out on paper or electronic media. Documents must be complete and reliable so that the overall nature of the audit can be understood.

The lead auditor is responsible for documentation. He also draws up a list of working documents that will be drawn up during the inspection.

All documents should be prepared before being created. The shelf life of completed forms is 5 years.

Emerging nuances

We will describe what you should pay attention to when conducting a communication audit, as well as what nuances may arise in certain situations.

Checking University Communication Flows

Verification is based on feedback control principles. Every year the need for auditor specialists increases, as the number of virtual representative offices of institutions grows, the technology of presentations and effective organization of work changes.

The verification methodology is applied to the analysis of various aspects and data exchanges of university corporations. Thanks to the audit, the picture of the university’s reputation, the level of openness in management, and the success of scientific policy becomes clear.

The verification is based on the evaluation of virtual network images that meet modern requirements for effective communication.

An ego network is formed when various forms of corporate work are aspected to the global network environment. The website is being developed, which will help strengthen the image.

Proper site planning is a powerful management node that can ensure network unity of connections and relationships.

When assessing how effective university communications are, it is important to determine the aesthetic parameters of website models, as well as the methodological and information base.

A new experience of artistic expression and identification is being developed. When studying external and internal information flows, certain services can be used.

The analysis process can reveal patterns and differences in the perception of the university image of universities among students of different institutions.

Analyzing the communication reactions and behavior of community members, they formulate recommendations for university PR employees regarding increasing loyalty and the level of student involvement in internal communications.

Use an automated monitoring system. As a result, the real image of the institution is determined, evaluative attitudes towards the corporation are identified and measured. Identify weaknesses in information policy.

In the organisation

When auditing the image of an enterprise within its framework, it is possible to determine how employees feel about the company. After all, whether the organization will be successful depends on the attitude of the staff.

During a communication audit, they check whether employees are satisfied with the conditions, the policies of the enterprise, and the correlation level of personal values ​​with corporate values.

It is possible to determine the situational behavior of the company, ways to improve the company in terms of communications and in the business process.

They set the goal, objectives, and duration of the campaign, analyze the quality of relations with contractors and government agencies, and determine the degree of corporate culture.

As a result, we determine:

• Is the company known, recognizable and quoted;
• what is the reputation;
• image of a leader and level of personal popularity;
• coincidence with the expert’s preference in a given situation, etc.

They research the media, dealers and consumers, authorities, partners. Then internal corporate communications are analyzed.

In public relations

A number of tasks are performed:

• assess the effectiveness of activities with specific channels of mass communications;
• analyze the real image;
• assess how active the organization is in information terms;
• evaluate the effectiveness of working with the media.

Relationship studies can be qualitative or quantitative. The analysis should be aimed at specific segments - target audiences. The result must be accurate and objective.

Methods that can be used:

PR departments have different responsibilities. But there are standard functions that are common to all departments. Let's outline the main points.

information audit represents a systematic analysis of media materials, including the Internet space, to obtain guidelines in order to develop an information strategy regarding an organization or person. It is the information audit that provides the company’s management with assessment indicators about the state of public opinion and balanced recommendations for improving the results of marketing activities.

The result of an information audit is a media portrait, or an image of the PR object under study in the information space.

When developing a media portrait, we are guided by the following principles:

Logical construction of the study, highlighting a structured list of media sources: press, TV channels, radio stations, Internet resources. During the structuring process, it is necessary to note: date of publication; its name; author; Edition number; volume of material; assessment of a PR object from a positive (+) position, negative (-), neutral (0), balanced (+/-);

The priorities of the analyzed media, taking into account the popularity rating of various types of information and mass media. At the same time, it is important to specifically confirm the leadership of PR information in the form of specific articles or excerpts from them;

Individualization of a PR object, highlighting the specifics of the psychological portrait, a comprehensive assessment of the influence of market environment factors on the successful functioning of the base object, and promising opportunities for market participation. At the same time, it is very important to identify the main competitor, segment target audiences of PR users to create competitive advantages and successfully position the base object;

Creativity, the content of which is manifested in a creative approach to the study of a PR object using lateral thinking in the field of choosing non-standard original solutions to the identified problem.

Communication audit. Another important type of research in Public Relations is communication audit. It is designed to help the PR manager more clearly correlate the actions of management and their goals, on the one hand, and the communication methods used to promote these actions and goals, on the other.

Communication audit is mainly used for the following purposes: analysis of the company’s relationship with its target audiences, clients, employees; Assessing the readability of key communications, such as an annual report or press release. It also often sets criteria for evaluating future PR activities.

Communication audit is mainly used to obtain information on how to solve the following problems:

• congestion of information flows;
• failure to find a common language with employees;
• uneven communication efforts;
• inconsistency of information available to the public about the company.

To conduct an effective communication audit, it is necessary that the person conducting it is familiar with the target audience, understands their attitude towards the company or organization, and is aware of their needs and concerns.

Strategic planning process in PR

Strategic planning in the field of public relations includes making decisions on program goals, identifying key public groups, developing regulations (rules or procedures) for selecting and defining strategies. An important condition for strategic planning is agreement between the general program goal, the goals put forward for each group of the public, and the developed strategy. The task is to choose strategies that can provide a specific desired result (precisely the one fixed in the form of a goal).

When developing strategic plans, PR specialists, as a rule, do this together with the heads of other departments of the organization. It is clear that each strategic plan contains distinctive elements, but despite this, the general approach to their preparation should remain the same. Typically, the planning and programming process involves the following main steps:

1. Defining the role and mission of the organization. The content and scope of work to be performed are agreed upon.

2. Identification of key areas requiring changes. Determine where to concentrate attention, energy and intellectual effort.

3. Development systems performance indicators.

Factors that can be measured and factors on the basis of which goals can be determined are identified.

4. Selection and clarification of goals. The results that need to be achieved are determined.

5. Preparing action plans. Ways to achieve further specific goals are being developed. The following are used:

A. Programming. A logical sequence of actions is established to achieve goals.

B. Drawing up a schedule. The deadlines for completing activities and achieving goals are established.

IN. Budgeting. Sources are determined and financial resources necessary to achieve goals are allocated.

G. Sharing of responsibilities. Those responsible for the final results and implementation of individual tasks are appointed.

D. Review and revision. The draft plan is tested and discussed before action is taken.

6. Establishing control. It is about ensuring control over the effective achievement of goals.

7. Communication. The intra-organizational communication channels necessary to achieve understanding and support throughout the previous six stages are identified.

8. Implementation. Ensures unanimous approval by all key leaders of immediate and future practical actions and the appointment of those responsible.

To complete the analysis of the current situation and the prospects for its progressive change, along with representative and expert research, focus group and in-depth interviews, information audits, a parallel communication audit is required - analysis of organizational structure, competence, substantive activities of /^-structures and specialists; studying the information materials (messages) they produce designed to influence internal and external target audiences; testing the system of connections and channels within which these structures (specialists, messages) operate.

Communication audit is a situational analysis that involves a complete and systematic study of the functioning of RY- department (department, service, press secretary) of a government agency in order to identify mechanisms for the formation and dissemination of messages and the quality level of communication links. In practical terms, it is often also necessary to verify problems (working hypotheses) identified during an information audit among specialist experts.

A communication audit initially involves studying the general professional competence of /^-specialists; availability and knowledge of information about the mission, history, structure of their organization; biographies of leading executives; specifics of perception of information about the organization and its services by target audiences.

Next, the materials (reports, speeches of managers, press releases, analytical reports, advertising issues, special publications) are analyzed for their compliance with progressive analogues and the current situation.

Finally, the effectiveness of the channels through which this information circulates is examined. The organization's own information resources are analyzed separately: website, own print and electronic media, projects of interaction with other media defined by agreements.

The forms of direct and feedback between managers, departments, employees, and external audiences are explored; daily communication activities and key special events designed to have a focused impact on the perception of audiences.

A communication audit is designed to identify the presence and level of development of the organization’s image - a stated position developed in the form of a package of text and visual components intended for promotion to internal and external audiences.

A communication audit determines the readiness of employees for change and their vision of the future reputation of the organization - the position perceived by target audiences, their recognition and acceptance of the images and theses embedded in the image design.

The ultimate goal of a communication audit is to identify the current role and future capabilities of information and communication mechanisms in testing and subsequently solving existing problems. A communication audit should come to serious generalizations that can be used as the basis for a government agency’s positioning strategy and the resulting tactical plan.

Let's present a fragment of the Report on a communication audit in the information structures of the Ryazan administration: analysis and proposals (June - July 2010), which is linked to the results of a parallel information audit.

Strategic reasons.

Currently, the press service has identified and accepted the following (voiced by the head of the administration) priority topics for covering the activities of the Ryazan administration:

• “Energy efficiency and energy saving”;
• "Ecology of the city";
• “Working with disabled people”;
• "International relations with sister cities."

However, these topics are not clearly recognized in the information field, are not visualized (not branded), and therefore are “lost” in the general flow and are not perceived as effective.

Offers:

• 1) formulate a package of branded information priorities through which the positive activities of the head of the Ryazan administration would be promoted. This package will serve as an effective strategic information promotion program;
• 2) hold a round table “The role of the media in shaping the positive image of the city of Ryazan” with speakers - editors-in-chief of local media, at which to develop recommendations for increasing the efficiency of cooperation between city authorities and the media.

Tactical reasons.

The press service publishes the main information and analytical products (monitorings):

• daily monitoring of regional print media and television media;
• weekly monitoring of the same media;
• consolidated monthly monitoring of the same media.

These documents are working documents and are sent to the heads of departments and departments of the administration to take action on the facts of critical speeches.

The results of an expert study of these documents show: monitoring the presence of the administration of the city of Ryazan and its head in the media contains some analysis of information events, mentions of the head of administration, etc. They are carried out on the basis of the work of internal specialists, without the involvement of information libraries and modern technologies for collection, systematization and analysis information. Internet resources are practically not represented in monitoring. Only during the election campaign the blogosphere and social networks are studied. That is, the existing monitoring is selective in scope and covers only a small part of the federal array of information and Internet resources. It is selective and insufficiently complete in terms of the number of analysis criteria.

Thus, quantitative and qualitative monitoring indicators do not fully correspond to the level of modern requirements for creating conditions for preparing and making management decisions based on media analysis and require adjustment.

Offers:

• 1) improve the technology for monitoring information in regional media in accordance with modern requirements. Develop (based on the technological experience of national electronic libraries and the presented document “Information Audit”) our own technology for monitoring information in regional media;
• 2) current monitoring of the total mass media is carried out by our own specialists based on work with the Integrum electronic information library. The terms of cooperation with her are contained on the website www.integram.ru. Annual monitoring will be carried out in the same library with the involvement of an external contractor, followed by an in-person presentation to interested parties.

The press service primarily carries out operational activities. However, even within the framework of this activity, independent information “face-offs” of the head of the administration take place, without the accompaniment of the press service.

Offers.

Select an employee (assign one of the press service employees) to the position (perform the functions) of a press secretary, whose responsibilities would include accompanying the head of administration at all information events, preparing and subsequent analysis of speeches (publications).

Human resources and information are, perhaps, the main components of an organization in any field of activity. Manufacturing, selling goods or providing services: no matter what you do, employees, managers and subordinates constantly share a variety of information.

But how to evaluate the effectiveness of internal communications in a company? What are its weaknesses? How to “strengthen” them? Your employees can answer these questions. But how to effectively collect their opinions and draw the right conclusions - this is the next post from the HR series.

Communications management

Any information that the company has, as well as the methods of its transmission, is an important component of management, namely communications management. Communications are divided into external - the company’s interaction with partners, suppliers, competitors, clients - and internal. Typically, external communications are handled by the company’s PR department, if there is one, as well as by the manager himself and the employees who are in charge of this interaction. All employees, without exception, take part in internal communications.

Internal communications in an organization can be vertical (transfer of information from managers to subordinates and back) and horizontal (transfer of information within departments, among colleagues or between departments). These are formal internal communications, which are usually supported by official documents, for example, “Regulations on structural divisions.” Separately, we can highlight informal communications - in the smoking room, at lunch or in the corridor, information spreads quite actively and quickly, which cannot but influence the entire communication system as a whole.

What media are commonly used for corporate communications? This, of course, includes email, Skype, telephone, corporate information systems, corporate newspapers and boards, planning meetings and meetings, general meetings and individual conversations.

The state of affairs in the company, goals, objectives, problems of department heads and specific employees, information about new services, products, clients, regulations and prices, orders, report forms, data on successes and failures - all this information, important or not, is urgent or the one that can wait passes from employee to employee. And, of course, especially when the company is large and there is a lot of information, errors and omissions may occur if the internal communications system in the organization is imperfect. “They didn’t say”, “They didn’t report everything”, “They didn’t fully explain”, “Didn’t understand”, “Didn’t attend” - the cost of all these mistakes is directly proportional to the value of the content of the communication.

A simple example. A company that sells industrial equipment has changed prices for related installation services. Department heads recorded the information for themselves, but did not convey it to their subordinates. Clients were invoiced at the old price, and then had to urgently make changes to service agreements and issue new invoices. All this, naturally, does not have the best effect on the company’s reputation, customer reviews and, as a result, profits.

After such a situation, it would seem that the most logical thing for the director is to “scold” the heads of departments and monitor the delivery of information to each subordinate. But it is wiser to think about conducting an audit of internal communications in the company, for which it is useful to ask yourself a few questions. How well does information flow vertically and horizontally within each department and throughout the company as a whole? What information is not enough? Which distribution channels perform worse? How to fix it? The clearer the company's communications picture, the more effective communication guidelines can be developed and implemented.

Thus, the purpose of an audit (research, diagnosis) of a company’s internal communications system is to identify weak and strong points in the transmission of information among employees. To conduct an audit, it is most convenient to use a matrix questionnaire, which can be compiled based on a standard version. In the rows of the matrix you can place the main characteristics of information (its essence), and in the columns - the main sources, or channels of information dissemination. Below is an example of such a table.

When filling out the matrix, you can use simple notations (“Tick the box, cross”) or introduce a special scale (“Rate from 1 to 5, where 1 means information is distributed very poorly, and 5 — information is distributed very well”).

In addition to the matrix, you can use a number of additional questions, for example, “How satisfied are you with the situation with the flow of information in the company?”, “What other information would you like to receive?”, which can also be answered using a scale, or, more informatively, a form free answer.

Audit principles

First, when conducting almost any research in a company, it is very important to communicate the objectives of the activities to participants. Briefly and succinctly inform everyone about what you are doing and why, answer questions from employees. Secondly, this audit can be carried out anonymously, but it may make sense to simply sign forms by department so that the picture of communications is more detailed.

If you force employees to sign forms, you can get unreliable results: as a rule, only ratings of 5 points and the answers “I am satisfied with everything,” which, in principle, is uninformative, and such a study will have a negative emotional response among employees. Thirdly, it is better to carry out everything in one day at the same time in all departments - employees will not have time to discuss details with each other and the picture of the results will be more believable. By the way, such diagnostics can be carried out regularly; This is especially important when changes occur in the company - this method will allow timely tracking of serious errors in the dissemination of information.

Audit results can be processed both qualitatively and quantitatively. There is room for your imagination - you can calculate average scores for each channel of information or conduct a free-form cluster analysis of responses. During the analysis of the research results, conclusions and recommendations for optimizing the internal communications system in the company will be formed.

This could include expanding information dissemination channels (introducing general meetings or corporate newsletters), working to monitor the absorption of information by employees (is everyone, for example, using the updated product descriptions), and even organizing corporate events so that employees can discuss company news more openly and informally.

As a large commercial company, McDonald's LLC has its own PR service, but also resorts to the help of independent PR agencies and public relations specialists. The department is located in Moscow. The Nizhny Novgorod branch receives from the head department a plan of PR events for the region. Planned marketing campaigns, competitions, etc. are carried out in Nizhny Novgorod.

It is known that the management of McDonald's LLC takes a rather responsible approach to personnel selection, using modern testing and training technologies. This also applies to the public relations department, which consists of high-level specialists.

The department employs 7 employees who are grouped into six different areas of work: work with advertising, work with the media, analytical and research work, work on writing articles and press releases, technical work, work on design and design.

Employees of the public relations department have the following structure by educational level:

Higher education - 5 people.

Incomplete higher education - 2 people.

Thus, a highly educated creative team has been formed, capable, in our opinion, of solving the tasks assigned to the organization.

Therefore, the fairly effective PR activity of McDonald's LLC, in addition to the company's significant financial resources, can also be explained by the professionalism of the PR service personnel.

The activities of the literary group and design studio not only make it possible to have a comprehensive and complete communication impact, but also to successfully manage on their own when conducting PR campaigns on a city and regional scale. The structure of the department is shown in Figure 5.

Let's take a closer look at the functions and communication potential of the public relations and information science department.

The advertising manager must organize work on advertising products and performing services to promote them in the sales market. Inform consumers about the benefits of quality and excellent properties of advertised goods and services. Provides leadership, planning and coordination of the advertising campaign.

Studies the market and demand to determine the best time and place for advertising.

Monitors the development and implementation of agreements and contracts for advertising products and services.

The advertising manager establishes relationships with business partners. Analyzes the motivation for demand for products and services. Researches customer needs. The advertising manager invites well-known and popular people to collaborate in advertising and draws up contracts with them on a commercial basis.

2. Media relations managers

· prompt and complete informing of citizens about the company’s activities, including through the media;

· distribution and preparation for the media of official messages, statements and other information materials on the activities of the organization;

· preparing and holding press conferences, briefings, meetings with journalists on current issues of the company’s activities; organizing interviews and conversations;

· establishing communications with the media;

· analysis of press, radio and television materials about the company’s activities for its managers and employees;

3. The literary group is mainly involved in editing materials for the media.

4. Design studio: artistic design of layouts, which must fully correspond to future copies of the printed product.

Artistic design specialists communicate through artistic means. PR specialists provide them with great assistance, because... the combination of ideas, content and appropriate artistic expression makes communication more accessible and understandable to the target audience.

5. Technical department:

· production of printed PR materials: leaflets, booklets, posters;

· servicing PR events;

· storage of photo and video materials.

6. Research and Strategic Planning Department:

· analysis of all received information;

Figure 6 schematically depicts the process of communication activities of the organization.

Figure 6 - Process of PR activities of McDonald's LLC

Public relations specialists deal with the following professional tasks:

· communication with the city and regional Administration and the regional Legislative Assembly;

· cooperation with public organizations;

· representing the interests of McDonald's LLC at conferences, seminars, presentations;

· organizing and conducting seminars, press conferences, presentations, preparing press releases, articles, brochures, newsletters, reports, etc.;

· development of a “corporate philosophy” – moral, ethical and business norms, principles and creeds;

· work with regional, regional and city printed publications;

· communication with electronic media (TV, radio, WEB news);

· providing information support for the McDonald's LLC Web page on the Internet in Russian (http://mcdonalds.ru);

2.3 PR activities of McDonald's LLC

McDonald's is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and McDonald's is one of the world's leading marketing organizations.

McDonald's marketing strategy is aimed at carefully studying the target audience and promoting the company's unique differences to attract consumers and expand the target audience. McDonald's carries out marketing at three levels:

· nationwide;

· regional;

At the local level, the restaurant is supported by programs developed at the national and regional level.

The restaurant's marketing activities make it possible to create programs to increase turnover and attendance through the active use of advertising, sales promotion, market expansion activities and establishing public relations. Below is a description of each component and how it is used.

2. Providing time for broadcasting commercials on radio and television

3. Securing space for advertisements in newspapers and magazines

Measures to expand the market and stimulate sales.

Market expansion activities include writing a positive newspaper article, participating in important events, or providing prizes, which generally attract the attention of potential customers and encourage them to come to a McDonald's restaurant. These activities offer ways to capitalize on existing advertising campaigns and enhance advertising messages for ongoing sales and marketing purposes. There are many examples of these events:

1. Happy Meal

2. Reduced prices for some menu items

3. Related assortment with a sports or entertainment theme

4. Release of new products

To enhance PR activity, it is never superfluous to participate in various press conferences, exhibitions, and fairs. McDonald's LLC does not miss this opportunity.

McDonald's LLC has its own website on the Internet: http://mcdonalds.ru/ (Appendix B shows the main page of the McDonald's LLC Internet site).

If we talk about the site from the point of view of design and user-friendliness of the interface, in this case we can rate the site very highly (Appendix B). Indeed, this site is distinguished by bright colors, useful navigation, monochrome images of brands, and the site is made using Flash technology. The site has its own management system that allows you to manage the content of the site without special knowledge. The brightness of each page and original decorative elements can evoke only positive emotions.

In order to improve its corporate image, McDonald's LLC is developing charitable activities.

In 1984, in the USA, McDonalds initiated the creation of a charitable foundation in memory of Ray Kroc, the founder of the company. An organization with a global goal - helping children in need - was named “Ronald McDonald House”. The Foundation now supports charitable programs in 121 countries where the company's restaurants are open, which confirms the observation of domestic brand strategists. The Foundation has donated more than $200 million to help children in need around the world.

The Russian branch of the Ronald McDonald House was registered in 1995. According to an official source, the foundation provides “assistance to organizations whose programs are focused on helping society and improving the quality of life of needy children in Russia.”

But there is also the foundation’s own project called the Ronald McDonald Center. This is the first sports and gaming complex of this type in the country. It is intended for disabled children and is located at the Olympic Rowing Training Center in Krylatskoye. Its programs are designed for the physical and social development of children with physical and mental disabilities. The Center has a gym, computer and music classes, as well as open areas for tennis, football, a rowing section, and a “health track.” The center's capacity is 1,800 children per week (training for free), where all classes are conducted by specially trained trainers. In addition, a group of children, under the guidance of Center trainers, trains at the Moscow Golf Club.

The sources for raising funds for the Ronald McDonald House Foundation are the following: the McDonald's company itself (Russian branch), visitors to McDonald's restaurants, individuals and organizations.

The Foundation has its own website on the Internet (http://www.rmhc.ru), the main page of this website is presented in Appendix B.

The foundation also organizes effective charity fundraising events: for example, on November 20, 2012, the eleventh annual charity event “McHappy Day” was held, which allowed to raise more than 17 million rubles for the construction of the first “Ronald McDonald House” in Russia - a real “Home away from home” » for families whose children are undergoing long-term treatment at the Children's Republican Clinical Hospital in Kazan. This is a unique project for Russia - a free family hotel for parents and patients of the Children's Clinical Hospital, which is being implemented by the Ronald McDonald House Charitable Foundation.

In 2010, the foundation held a charity evening at the Bolshoi Theater to mark its fifth anniversary. More than one and a half thousand guests saw Minkus’s ballet “Don Quixote” performed by Bolshoi soloists. $114,000 raised from ticket sales was donated to the Ronald McDonald Center. Money from the sponsors of this event made it possible to expand the Center's programs for disabled children and increase the number of children who attend it free of charge each week. In addition, McDonald's gives its customers the opportunity to personally participate in improving the lives of disabled children by donating their money. For this purpose, special donation boxes are installed in eateries. All collected funds are transferred monthly to the fund's account. As a result of this program, more than $270,000 has already been donated to the Ronald McDonald Center.

On November 20, 2013, the so-called “McHappy Day” was held for the sixth time in 17 Russian cities where McDonald’s restaurants are open. During the first five years of the campaign, more than 39 million rubles were donated to support shelters, orphanages and rehabilitation centers for children with physical and mental disabilities, and 7 “Family Rooms” were opened at hospitals in different regions of Russia.

As a result, since its inception, the McDonald's Charitable Foundation has donated more than $4.5 million to support a wide variety of charitable programs. For example, children injured in the earthquake in Armenia were treated in the United States with this money. In addition, the foundation donated more than $100,000 to the Institute of Pediatric Oncology for the purchase of medical equipment, the Medical Genetics Center for the purchase of medicines, and schools for mentally retarded children for the purchase of sports equipment. The company has repeatedly purchased equipment and medicines for children's hospitals in Moscow, and has also provided hundreds of Russian children with wheelchairs. And dozens, dozens of other shares.

Svetlana Polyakova, PR manager of Moscow-McDonald's JSC, answers “why do they need this”: “Actively participating in the life of the state is a duty and part of the company’s philosophy. After all, you can’t just sell hamburgers, you need to give back to the community. We decided to work as hard as possible in the direction of helping disabled children. In general, you cannot gain the trust of clients without being part of society and without helping this society. This is generally one of the keys to success.”

These words are directly related to brand management - brand loyalty, marketing interactivity, etc. But perhaps the main benefit for McDonalds from its own charity is global PR. A company like McDonalds simply needs the image of a philanthropist. Because a trivial chain of eateries is just a thorn in the side of anti-globalists, Greenpeace activists and trade unions. Either McDonalds is really that terrible, or its imaginary sins have already become a philosophical category.

But the fact remains: there are always scandals around McDonalds (the advertising campaign of the French McDonalds chain to protect its image during the mad cow disease epidemic is one of the “EFFI” winners). And such impressive amounts of money and such sacred categories as helping disabled children will not allow the company to be indiscriminately accused, even if a mouse is found in a hamburger. Charity in general often gives confidence in the future. Such is the fat reserve of good deeds.

McDonald's in Russia also organizes various sports-related promotions, including:

1. “To the 2014 FIFA World Cup with McDonald’s®”

To participate in the competition, you had to take/select (on your own or with the help of your parents) a photo or video showing how you love sports, play sports, or support your favorite team or athlete. The theme of the creative work is “Sports and Me.”

2. “Today are spectators, tomorrow are winners!”

Competition “Today – spectators, tomorrow – winners!” gave 166 families a trip to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. Young athletes from all over Russia, aged from 2 to 17 years old, sent their creative works to the site, participated in several stages of voting, and as a result, the best of the best, accompanied by their parents, visited Sochi, attended competitions and felt the spirit of the Olympics.

3. “Children are Champions! McDonald's

As part of the program “Children-Champions! McDonald's, in which more than 4,200 schoolchildren from 900 schools in 10 regions of Russia took part, 10 schoolchildren from Krasnodar, together with a physical education teacher, went to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. The Kuban team "Adrenaline" won all competitions and became the best school sports team in Russia. The guys were able to see the Olympics with their own eyes and cheer for our athletes, from whom the young champions take their example.

4. McDonald's "Golden Puck 2013" Annual children's hockey tournament

This is the most popular children's hockey tournament with more than 40 years of history. The first Golden Puck games were held in the winter of 1964-1965. Since then the tournament has been held annually. “Golden Puck” is an opportunity for every child to take part in a real hockey tournament. In 2013, more than 380 teams and 12,000 participants from 10 to 16 years old participated. The winners received the opportunity to attend the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.

5. London 2012 Olympic Games

As part of the McDonald's Children's Champions program, which traditionally gives children an unforgettable experience of visiting the Olympic Games, participants in the annual yard hockey tournament, young hockey players from the Moscow region team Orbita, went to the 2012 Olympics in London. The children were able to see the Olympic Games with their own eyes. games and received the exclusive privilege of communicating with athletes directly at the Olympic competition sites!

6. EEFA Championship 2012

The McDonald's Player Escort program gives children from different countries the opportunity to realize their dream - to accompany football players to the field in decisive matches of world and European football championships.

In 2012, Russia was represented so seriously in the program for the first time: at the European Championships there was a whole “team” - 11 people. The McDonald's children's football team consisted of children aged 6 to 10 years - winners of the competition "To the UEFA EURO 2012 European Football Championship with McDonald's."

Having carried out a detailed analysis of the activities of the public relations service at McDonald's LLC in maintaining the corporate image, we can draw a conclusion about the effective work of the structural unit under study.

Let's present a SWOT analysis of the PR activities of McDonald's LLC in Table 3.

Table 4 - SWOT analysis of PR activities of McDonald's LLC

Thus, using the results of the SWOT analysis of the organization’s activities, we can recommend the following steps, the implementation of which will contribute to solving the company’s problems and the most effective PR activities.

1. Conduct marketing research in branches of McDonald's LLC.

2. Reduce costs for organizing PR events.

3. Familiarize staff at all levels of the organizational structure with the mission, strategy, goals and philosophy of McDonald's LLC.

4. Create an information base of sources (local and federal periodicals), which will allow, if necessary, to quickly post information about the activities of McDonald's LLC.

5. Improve programs for the development and stimulation of qualified specialists in the field of PR in order to reduce the outflow of personnel.

6. Conclude agreements with PR agencies, which will ensure additional promotion of the company’s services and solve a number of problems in maintaining the positive image of McDonald’s LLC.

7. Conduct a detailed study of the needs of clients (both permanent and “occasional”) through a survey. Find out the main complaints about the organization’s activities and wishes for the quality of products and services.

8. Organize market research jointly with other similar companies.

9. Introduce the position of PR manager in the branches of McDonald's LLC.

10. Use an aggressive strategy to suppress competitive pressure.

Regarding the external manifestations of the PR activity of McDonald's LLC, we can conclude the following:

Success factors:

· using the successful experience of Western companies in the field of PR (frank admissions of mistakes, relying on the image of an honest and open company).

· desire to maintain a reputation as an innovator in the market,

· extremely correct relations with government officials (which can be explained by Russian specifics - the fate of a commercial enterprise sometimes depends on government agencies, so it is better not to conflict with them),

· successful PR campaigns,

· very active participation of the company in various competitions and promotions, the use of any worthwhile information occasion to mention the name of the company McDonald's LLC,

· participation of company representatives in various organizations that carry out social work in areas important to the company,

· excellent personnel of the PR service of McDonald's LLC,

· significant financial resources

Reserves for improvement:

1. McDonald's LLC should take a more serious approach to the formulation of its corporate principles.

2. The company may need to pay attention to internal integrity, creating a strong corporate culture.

3 Development of measures to maintain the corporate image of McDonald's LLC

3.1 Planning activities to improve the corporate image of McDonald's LLC

Since the task of improving the corporate image of the company cannot be effectively resolved without first improving the overall management system and organization of personnel activities, the following sequence is proposed in the implementation of recommendations for improving the corporate image of McDonald's LLC:

1. Development of a new plan for marketing and PR activities.

2. Improving work in the field of personnel management.

It is recommended to start improving the corporate culture of a company from the management level. Conduct a series of comprehensive classes (with elements of a business game) for heads of structural divisions in order to develop:

· a common understanding of the role and place of structural units, heads of various management levels in the overall management system and organization of the management cycle;

· awareness by managers of the need for a clearer division of powers and areas of responsibility between them;

· an integrated approach to organizing functional interaction between management levels.

Within the framework of the created working group, the PR manager needs to individually determine with each manager the required volume, nature and desired timing for receiving initial management and production information from other structural divisions.

Summarize the data obtained and, during joint group working meetings, clarify with managers the level and nature of the so-called mutual claims.

Develop a realistic management algorithm for organizing interaction between structural units and within them with a clear indication of the order in which mutual information is presented over time.

During the analysis of the corporate structure of McDonald's LLC, set out in Chapter 2, it became clear that this enterprise is faced with the task of adapting its products to new market requirements.

1. Development of a new plan for marketing and PR activities with the possibility of implementing it in Nizhny Novgorod.

To improve the corporate image of McDonald's LLC, it is proposed to hold a corporate holiday.

Holiday is an exclusive product. It cannot be repeated twice, it cannot be rehearsed, and it is completely impossible to predict what might happen during it. So, if in a theater the actors first rehearse each play, then arrange a premiere show, and only after that they begin to present it to the public (and from the beginning of the season to its end, the quality of the performance improves), then the holiday is a one-time event, and something needs to be corrected later impossible. That is, everything should go brightly, emotionally, without overlaps, in accordance with the script. But as is usually the case, you have to act in unforeseen circumstances, and they are not always favorable. Improvisation and the ability to find a way out of the most dead-end situations are qualities necessary for all members of the team of holiday organizers. An instant change of tactics, a change in the scenario, the emergence of unforeseen difficulties and problems that require immediate solutions - this is a normal situation when holding a holiday. The possibility of such a turn of events should always be taken into account when planning a corporate holiday.

The organizers will include: Human Resources Department and Advertising and PR Department. The head of the Human Resources Department should be appointed as the main responsible person.

I. Brief summary of the essence of the project: what should be done and how - holding events dedicated to the birthday of Ronald McDonald.

1. Project competition “Sandwich Monument”

2. Grand opening of the monument

3. Children's drawing competition “My family and I at McDonald's”

4. Promotion “Transportable cheeseburger”

5. Photo competition for the best photo of gatherings at a McDonald's restaurant.

6. Win-win lottery.

II.Complex of media coverage:

3. Press conference.

III. Scheme of design work:

This includes the following activities:

1. Promotion “Transportable cheeseburger”

2. Announcement and holding of the “Sandwich Monument” project competition.

3. Announcing and holding a children's drawing competition “My family and I at McDonald's.”

4. Announcing and holding a photo competition for the best photo of gatherings at a McDonald's restaurant.

8. Production of corporate souvenir and promotional products with the company logo (fountain pens, notepads, plastic bags).

1. Ceremonial summing up of the results of the “Sandwich Monument” project competition - opening of the Monument. Winner's reward ceremony.

2. Solemn summing up of the results of the children's drawing competition “My family and I at McDonald's.” Winner's reward ceremony.

3. Summing up the results of the photo competition. Winner's reward ceremony.

5. Distribution of corporate souvenir and promotional products with the company logo (fountain pens, notepads, plastic bags).

7. Conducting a win-win lottery.

8. Press conference.

IV. Summarizing. The results of the project can be assessed both quantitatively: the total mass of newspaper material, the overall audience coverage, and qualitatively: the level of representation of event participants, the representativeness and nature of reviews of the events held and the company as a whole.

The objectives of special PR campaigns come down to two important points: ensuring the constant presence of a commercial structure in the information field and additionally attracting the attention of journalists and wide target audiences to the company, its products or services.

Empirical indicators for assessing project outcomes:

1. Coverage - the scale of dissemination of information about the complex of events dedicated to the birthday of Ronald McDonald.

2. Number and tone of media materials.

3. Reaching audiences.

4. Fame - change in knowledge about the McDonald's restaurant.

5. Attitude - improving the opinion of the McDonald's restaurant.

6. Feedback - purchases made at McDonald's restaurant.

Project effectiveness

V. The effectiveness of our project can be assessed and measured by indicators such as:

· receipt of messages sent to them by target groups;

· drawing attention to these messages;

· Memorizing messages.

The main results of the project boil down to changes in opinions, attitudes and behavior of our target audience.

Measuring outcomes will include the use of methods such as media content analysis, online analysis, event evaluation, and public opinion polls.

In the proposed project we will use special events. Let's talk about this in more detail. So, special PR events represent a large group of PR actions that are actively used in cases of active maintenance of a corporate image. Therefore, we will initiate these events ourselves.

The objectives of the planned special PR campaigns boil down to two important points: ensuring the constant presence of a commercial structure in the information field and additionally attracting the attention of journalists and wide target audiences to the McDonald's restaurant and its goods and services.

The developed project includes a whole arsenal of special events, varying depending on the specifics of the target audience or product, and the required scale of actions.

The “highlight” of the project, capable of attracting the attention of a wide audience and the close attention of journalists, will be the “Monument to a Sandwich” project competition and the “Transportable Cheeseburger” campaign.

For the target audience, in order to stimulate interest in the McDonald's restaurant through special promotions, a number of prizes will be used during the project (video camera, photo camera, coupons for discounts on lunch at the restaurant). Issues of active interaction with target audiences will be resolved through competitions - the “Monument to a Sandwich” project competition, the “My family and I at McDonald’s” children’s drawing competition, a photo competition for the best photo of gatherings at a McDonald’s restaurant, and the “Transportable Cheeseburger” campaign.

The plan for a set of events dedicated to Ronald McDonald's birthday will include a number of related events:

· surveying target groups to identify opinions or interest in the McDonald's restaurant;

· exclusive media interviews;

· distribution of corporate souvenir and promotional products with the company logo (fountain pens, notepads, plastic bags).

The final stage of the project will be the creation of a calendar schedule of planned activities (Table 5).

Table 5 - Schedule of events dedicated to the birthday of Ronald McDonald

Let us describe in more detail the activities included in the schedule.

1. It is necessary to prepare and distribute press releases and invitations to a press conference to a pre-compiled mailing list. The list of invitees should be drawn up from the point of view of inviting friendly journalists.

5. Develop regulations on held competitions, decide on the method of informing those wishing to participate in competitions, the competition commission, and the place where competition works will be accepted.

6. Carefully prepare promotions, lotteries, prizes, presentation and promotional materials for the event.

2. Improving work in the field of personnel management.

Since a survey of McDonald's restaurant visitors revealed an unsatisfactory level of professional competence of staff, we will propose measures to improve work in the field of personnel management.

Draft corporate training program for McDonald's LLC employees

The program draft, developed by PR and communication managers, includes the following active forms and methods of working with personnel:

1. Individual conversations between the manager and staff on the issue of developing the organization’s image.

2. Mentoring.

3. Trainings.

4. Consultations with leading experts.

5. Lectures, seminars.

The goal of the program: to increase the level of corporate culture of the enterprise.

1. Study of the theoretical foundations of the formation of corporate culture.

2. Group cohesion.

3. Formation of group work skills.

Time: training is carried out over 3 days. Each lesson lasts 6-8 hours. The training period is August 2014. The training will be conducted with managers of McDonald's in Nizhny Novgorod.

The training will be conducted by a professional training company in Nizhny Novgorod - Avangard LLC. The cost of classes with one group will be 20 thousand rubles, in total classes will be held with 3 groups.

Progress of the training:

Lesson 1: Introduction to training.

Lesson objectives:

1) creating favorable conditions for the work of the training group: familiarizing participants with the basic principles of the training, adopting the rules of the group;

2) mastering an active communication style;

3) study of the theoretical foundations of the concept of “Corporate culture”

Table 6 - Lesson No. 1

Lesson 2: Teambuilding as a means of shaping the image of the organization

1. Develop the skills necessary to work effectively in a team.

2. Team building.

Table 7 - Lesson No. 2

Lesson 3: Maintaining the company's image.

1. Assessing the company's image.

2. Improving the unified service model.

3. Telephone etiquette

4. Improving the rules of communication with the client.

Table 8 - Lesson No. 3

Conducting training at McDonald's will improve the corporate climate in the team and enhance the corporate image.

When developing a corporate event, it is necessary to take into account the possibilities of financing a PR and advertising campaign. Therefore, one of the organizers’ tasks is to develop a budget. PR managers calculated the possible budget, which was accepted by the organization's management.

The budget for the campaign to maintain the corporate image of McDonald's in Nizhny Novgorod is presented in Table 9.

Table 9 - Cost estimate for conducting a campaign to maintain the corporate image of the McDonald's restaurant

The total cost of conducting a campaign to maintain the corporate image of the McDonald's restaurant will amount to 363.45 thousand rubles.

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