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7Public Relations Initiatives and Choice of Medium Strategy influences the kinds of communicative efforts your client or organization undertakes. Those choices are strategy driven, while also contextually sensitive to public capability, availability, and preference; cultural, organizational, and socio- political-economic environments; and even physical factors such as geographic lo- cation and infrastructure. And finally, the strengths and weaknesses offered by each communicative option, also known as medium, impact its strategic selection or non- selection. In other words, as we consider communicative choices while at the same time we imagine their strengths and weaknesses, we also consider alternaquences. So when we consider using print in light of our strategy, we have to ask ourselves, “What are the alternaquences associated with print communication?” If we consider face- to-face communication in light of our strategy, we must ask ourselves, “What are the alternaquences associated with face-to-face communication?” We must ask the same question for each communicative choice, or combination of communicative choices, that we consider. That is what this chapter is about. We first acquaint you with three of Marshall McLuhan’s ideas that illuminate our professional communicative choic- es. We then present you with three concepts that are keys to strategic media use and selection. And finally, we take you on a reflective journey through five media types, strategically leaving a sixth for chapter 9. McLuhan’s Ideas Marshall McLuhan was a famed critic, prolific author, and speaker beginning in the 1960s. He made three prophetic statements you should know about. He 154 | Strategic Planning...