Scenario Planning In Public Relations Practice
By Uche Nworah, Ph.D
As a Public Relations (PR) practitioner, I am usually interested in interrogating events and occurrences and exploring the PR opportunities lost, or that could be gained from such events.
PR practitioners will improve their practice if they also imbibe the culture of ‘scenario planning’ in their professional practice. PR practitioners do well in event management and planning, and often don’t do so well in scenario planning. This requires planning for unforeseen circumstances that may come up, capable of disrupting PR plans and activities.
Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo was sworn-in on Thursday, 17th of March, 2022 as the 6th Executive Governor of Anambra state. Dr. Onyeka Ibezim was equally sworn-in as the Deputy Governor of Anambra state
The low-key event took place at the Government house, Awka.
In the audience were select guests including former Anambra state Governors, Dame Virgy Etiaba, Mr Peter Obi, and Chief Willie Obiano. Iyom Uche Ekwunife, Senator representing Anambra Central in the Senate, and Professor Pat. Utomi were among the guests.
Professor Soludo delivered a well-received, globally applauded, wonderful, hopeful and inspiring speech on his plans to make Anambra state a liveable and prosperous homeland for Ndi Anambra, at home, and in the diaspora.
The proceedings and speech could be described as coup in PR terms endearing the new Governor to more Ndi Anambra and non- Ndi Anambra.
However, midway into the swearing -in protocols, as trending social media videos later showed, wife of the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano, who arrived late for the event, and missed out on the opportunity to sit with her husband on the double sofa provided for the two, walked to where Iyom Bianca Onoh, wife of late Biafra leader, Ikemba Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, was sitting.
Different viral videos did not capture exactly what Mrs Obiano said to Iyom Ojukwu, but she could be clearly heard in one of the videos using a vulgar word-‘bit**’, on Iyom Ojukwu. The videos also captured the moment Iyom Ojukwu stood up, apparently not happy with what Mrs Obiano said to her, and physically struck out at Mrs Obiano.
The physical attack captured on video is now trending, and generating global online discussions. It appears to have overshadowed the inspiring speech and other proceedings at the event.
Perhaps knowing that there is no love lost between Iyom Ojukwu and Mrs Obiano, could the event organisers and security aides have anticipated such a clash, and done more to prevent it? What could they have done? Could scenario planning have identified such potential embarrassing confrontation? How could the handlers of the new Governor re-direct global attention and focus to what he said in his inaugural speech, away from the trending confrontation between Iyom Ojukwu, and Mrs Obiano?
Perhaps answers to these PR posers could help PR practitioners add to their repertoire of PR skills in anticipating, managing, and exploiting unforeseen circumstances in the management of brands and personalities.
Nworah is Anambra state chapter member of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
