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Managers: Why PR is SO Key
When outside audiences important to your
operation do not understand what you are all about or, worse, harbor
misconceptions, inaccuracies, untruths and false assumptions about you,
you are likely to suffer negative, key audience behaviors that can prevent
you from achieving your operating objectives.
As a business,
non-profit or association manager, you simply cannot avoid such consequences
when you allow external target audiences to hold negative perceptions about
you which lead inevitably to those hurtful behaviors.
If this
describes your operation, why not do something about it now?
Spend
some time with the public relations people assigned
to your department,
division or subsidiary. Review together
the fundamental premise of public
relations which contains
the answer to the challenges outlined above.
It goes this way: 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
accomplished.
Consider the kinds of results such a blueprint can
produce.
Prospects prowling about; new joint venture and strategic
alliance proposals; local thoughtleaders beginning to seek
you out;
customers making repeat purchases; fresh contacts
by capital givers and
specifying sources; unexpected sales
floor activity; and welcome recognition
of you and your
operation as key members of the business, non-profit or
association communities.
Make certain your PR team accepts the fact
that inaccurate
perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can hinder
your operation. And that they may be called upon to assist the
key
target audience perception monitoring effort.
Now, because they are
already in the perception and behavior
business, they really should be
directly involved in the initial
opinion monitoring project. You can always
hire a professional
survey firm, but that can cost a lot of money. At any
rate, those
who ask the questions of members of your target audience want
to identify inaccuracies, false assumptions, untruths, unfounded
rumors,
misconceptions and similar problems.
Interviewers will query members of
that important outside
audience asking them "Do you know anything about our
organization? Are you aware at all of our products or services?
Have you
ever had contact with us? Or have you ever had a
problem with our people or
procedures?"
Here, you decide which newly discovered negative becomes
your equally new, top priority, public relations goal.
Possibilities
include: is that misconception a clear and present
danger? Does that
inaccuracy represent a very dangerous
potential? Or does that unfounded
rumor you turned up look
like it could turn into the hottest fire of
all?
With your public relations goal in hand, you'll need a strategy
showing how to reach that goal. Fortunately, where perception and opinion
are concerned, you have just three strategic choices. Change existing
perception, create perception where there isn't any, or reinforce that
existing perception.
Whatever you do, be sure that the strategy you
choose is a
neat fit with your new PR goal.
As you might suspect, the
most difficult challenge is preparing the corrective message to be
communicated to your key stakeholder audience in a manner that will help
persuade them to your way of thinking.
Professional writing is the
key requirement -- corrective
language, if you will. And this language must
be not merely compelling and persuasive, but clear, factual and
believable if it is to move perception/opinion towards your point of
view and lead to the change in behaviors you have in mind.
At this
point, things get easier because, now, you identify the means for
communicating your message to your target audience, making certain the
tactics you select are on record as to reaching the same people as those
that make up your particular audience. There are scores of
communications tactics available ranging from consumer meetings;
facility tours, speeches, emails and brochures to media interviews,
newsletters, personal contacts and special events. One caution, HOW you
communicate can affect the message's credibility. Consider that it may be
more effective to deliver it at small meetings or events rather than through
high-profile media announcements.
It won't be long before your
colleagues and clients will look
for signs that progress is being made.
Which means a second
perception monitoring go-around with members of
that external audience. You'll again use many of the same questions used
in your initial benchmark perception monitoring session. Difference now is
that you will be on the alert and watching closely for signs that the
offending perception is being altered in your direction.
Happily for
all concerned, the campaign can always be
accelerated by the addition of
more communications tactics
and/or, of course, by increasing their
frequencies.
Thus the question, Mr/Ms manager, why NOT PR like this?
After all, persuading you external target audiences to your way of thinking,
then moving them to take actions that help your department, division or
subsidiary succeed, means, in all likelihood, that you have a public
relations success to celebrate.
Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks
to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental
premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has
been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR,
Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of
communi-cations, 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
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