Public Relations Audit

RSPCA

Public Relations Audit

RSPCA East Burwood has grown in profile in recent years and is now an iconic brand. The primary force in an emotionally based and contentious issue of animal welfare, the RSPCA will inevitably come under scrutiny and face analysis from various parties. Coming under particular fire from more extreme animal welfare groups for commercialism and ‘selling out’, the RSCPA has indeed embraced mainstream media to communicate its messages to greater audiences. It must maintain the credibility of its brand however, through integrated communication techniques, and by maintaining some conservatism in its approaches. However by tailoring products and messages to mainstream needs, via RSPCA Rescue on channel 7, amongst other methods, the RSPCA has continued to grow in stature, whilst demand for its services only continues to grow. Changing the law is a long and arduous process of negotiation, and the RSPCA has long been engaging constructively with Government, and has achieved results not attainable with simply the ‘throwing of an egg at a politician’, so-to-speak.. The new Animal Welfare Act is proof of successful reform emerging from the confines of the law; as a result of RSPCA lobbying inspectors have significantly greater powers and offenders receive tougher penalties. Unfortunately, even isolated cases of a disgruntled individual can be communicated on a significant scale via modern communication tools such as the internet and media channels. Relationships with employees, supporters, volunteers, corporate supporters and strategic partners, and police, media and government, are all vital to the successful running of the RSPCA, and contribute to the achievement of organisational goals and objectives. Whilst these relationships need to be nurtured, tensions with critical, though similarly motivated parties such as Animal Liberation and Vegan groups, need to appear to be mediated or at least controlled.

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Executive Summary...