Like many human resource, finance, distribution or
manufacturing managers, do you simply view PR as
able to create some publicity by moving a message
from one point to another using tactics like brochures,
broadcast plugs and press releases?
Or, are you a business, non-profit, government agency
or association manager who needs the kind of public
relations effort that leads directly to achieving your
managerial objectives? That would tell me that you no
longer wish to be denied the best public relations has
to offer, and that you want to pursue the quality public
relations results you believe you deserve.
If that sounds like you, but you feel the need to
understand a little more about public relations, let’s
take a quick look at a high-impact action plan designed
to do something meaningful about the behaviors of
those important outside audiences that MOST affect
the departmental, divisional or subsidiary unit you
manage.
What the plan does, is create the kind of external
stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to
achieving those managerial objectives of yours; in this
case by persuading those key outside folks to your way
of thinking by helping move audience members to take
actions that help your unit succeed.
It will soon become apparent that the good news
implicit in PR’s underlying premise is the reality that
good public relations planning really CAN alter
individual perception and result in changed behaviors
among key outside audiences.
What about that underlying premise? Take it for a spin
and see if it makes sense. People act on their own
perception of the facts before them, which leads to
predictable behaviors about which something can be
done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion
by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action
the very people whose behaviors affect the organization
the most, the public relations mission is usually
accomplished.
This kind of public relations can deliver the results you
want: community leaders begin to seek you out; customers
begin to make repeat purchases; new prospects actually
start to do business with you; politicians and legislators
begin looking at you as a key member of the business,
non-profit or association communities; capital givers or
specifying sources begin to look your way; welcome
bounces in show room visits occur; new proposals for
strategic alliances and joint ventures start showing up;
and membership applications start to rise.
Be sure to spend some quality time with your PR people
analyzing your plans for monitoring and gathering
perceptions by questioning members of your most
important outside audiences. Suggest queries along
these lines: how much do you know about our
organization? Have you had prior contact with us and
were you pleased with the exchange? Are you familiar
with our services or products and employees? Have
you experienced problems with our people or procedures?
Happily for all, your PR staff is already in the perception
and behavior business whether they come from an
agency, parent company or are direct hires. So, while
looking first to them to manage your data gathering activity,
be certain that they really accept why it’s SO important to
know how your most important outside audiences perceive
your operations, products or services. In a word or two, be
sure they believe that perceptions almost always result in
behaviors that can help or hurt your operation.
At the same time, be aware that asking professional survey
firms to do the opinion gathering work, can be very costly
when compared to using those PR folks of yours in that
monitoring capacity. But whether it’s your people or a survey
firm asking the questions, the objective remains the same:
identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors,
inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative
perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.
A clearcut and realistic PR goal is an absolute necessity.
It must call for action on the most serious problem areas you
uncovered during your key audience perception monitoring.
You may decide to straighten out that dangerous
misconception, bring to an end that potentially painful
rumor, or correct that awful inaccuracy.
In like manner, establishing the right action-oriented
strategy will show you how to get to where you’re going.
Truth is, you have just three strategic options available
to you when it comes to doing something about
perception and opinion: change existing perception,
create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it.
Needless to say, the wrong strategy pick will taste like
beef gravy on your red snapper. So be sure your new
strategy fits well with your new public relations goal.
You certainly don’t want to select “change” when the
facts dictate a strategy of reinforcement.
Because you’re going to have to prepare a persuasive
message that will help move your key audience to
your way of thinking, ask the best writer on your team
to get ready to prepare a carefully-written message
targeted directly at your key external audience. The
writer must produce some really corrective language
that is not merely compelling, persuasive and believable,
but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/
opinion towards your point of view and lead to the
behaviors you have in mind.
Carefully selected communications tactics will carry
your message to the attention of your target audience,
and there are many such tactics available. From
speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to
consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters,
personal meetings and many others. But be certain
that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks
just like your audience members.
By the way, you may wish initially to unveil your
corrective message before smaller meetings rather
than using higher profile news releases. Reason is,
a message’s credibility is always fragile and often
suspect depending on the method by which it was
delivered.
In due course, you’ll be demonstrating, in the form
of periodic progress reports, how the monies spent
on public relations can pay off. But it’s also an alert
to start a second perception monitoring session with
members of your external audience. Here, you’ll use
many of the same questions used in the benchmark
interviews. Only difference now is, you will be on
strict alert for signs that the bad news perception is
being altered in your direction.
As is often the case with programmatic activity, there
could be a slowdown. But keep in mind that adding
more communications tactics, and/or increasing their
frequencies, should adequately address that problem.
Thus, understanding public relations and how it can
best be used by managers, requires that such managers
move well beyond communications tactics. They must
create a high-impact PR action plan focused on key
external audiences, and designed to deliver the very
best public relations has to offer.
end
Bob Kelly counsels and writes for business, non-profit and
association managers about using the fundamental premise of public
relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has published over
230 articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click
Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola
Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport
News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S.
Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The
White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia
University, major in public relations.
mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.PRCommentary.com
