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Do You Really Need PR?
The right kind of PR, that is, the kind that puts
you in charge of the care and feeding of a lot of people who play a
major role in just how successful a manager you're going to be?
As
that manager, it also helps if you accept the fact that you need the kind of
external stakeholder behavior change that helps you reach your business,
non-profit or association objectives.
And it's also helpful if you
believe it's a good idea to try and persuade those important outside folks
to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that help your
department, division or subsidiary succeed.
Given all of that, if it now
appears that you need to do
something positive about the behaviors of those
outside
audiences that most affect your operations, yes, you really need
public relations!
I mean, look at the sort of results you could be
getting:
politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key
member of the business, non-profit or association
communities; prospects
starting to do business with you; fresh proposals for strategic alliances
and joint ventures; membership applications on the rise; customers starting
to make repeat purchases; community leaders beginning to seek you out;
welcome bounces in show room visits; higher employee retention rates; and
even capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way.
So we agree that, yes, you really need public relations. But
here's what's got to happen.
From the get-go, assure yourself that the
public relations people
assigned to your department, division or subsidiary
know
you're determined to find out what your most important outside
audiences actually think about your organization. Reason being
that
target audience perceptions usually lead to behaviors that
can help or
hinder you in achieving your operating objectives.
Pin down which
audiences are really key to your success then
build and prioritize your list
of important outside groups of
people whose actions most affect your unit.
And begin work
on that top external audience.
Your new public
relations effort will depend for its success on
how efficient you are in
gathering the perceptions of your
organization held by your key target
audiences.
Put your public relations team to work interacting with
members
of that #1 outside audience. Or, if you can tap a good sized
budget, you can ask a professional survey firm to do the job for
you.
However, because your PR folks are already in the
perception and behavior
business, my choice would be to use
them for this assignment.
Either
way, someone must interact with members of that prime
audience and ask
questions like "What do you know about our
operation? Are you familiar with
our services or products?
Have you had any negotiations with us? If so, were
they
satisfactory?"
Keep a careful eye on responses. Notice any
evasive or hesitant
comments about your organization? Be especially alert
for
misconceptions or untruths. Are there false assumptions or
inaccuracies you need to remedy in light of experience that
shows
negative perceptions inevitably lead to negative behaviors –
the kind you
must correct to protect your unit's operations.
All this work prepares
you to set your public relations goal.
For instance, clarify a hurtful
inaccuracy, fix that misconception
or flatten that rumor once and for
all.
As with just about any goal you pursue, you don't reach it
without the right strategy to show you how to get there. Fact
is, with
matters of perception and opinion, you have three
strategic options: change
an offending opinion/perception,
create it where there isn't any, or
reinforce an existing
perception.
Here, perhaps the hardest work
connected to a public
relations program rears its ugly head -- preparing the
persuasive message you will use to carry your corrective
facts and
figures to members of your key target audience.
Several characteristics
are required in such a message. It must
be clearly written as to why that
misconception, inaccuracy
or false assumption should be corrected or
clarified.
Supporting facts must be truthful so that they lead to a
finished message that is persuasive, believable and compelling.
How
would you plan to move your message to your audience?
This is the least
complex step in the sequence because
there are so many communications
tactics ready to do the
message delivery job for you. They range from op-eds
in
local newspapers, radio and TV interviews, speeches,
consumer
briefings and brochures to newsletters, special
events, emails, personal
meetings and many, many others.
Only caution: be sure the tactics you assign
to the job have a
good record of reaching people just like the members of
your target audience.
Can we point to progress? Only way to know for
certain if
offending perceptions have been altered, is to interact out
there once again with those audience members asking the
same questions
as before. But this time, you and your PR
team will be watching carefully
for indications that the
troublesome perception really is correcting in your
direction.
That IS where "the public relations rubber meets the road,"
isn't it? Business, non-profit or association managers use
mission-critical public relations to alter an offending perception,
leading directly to the predictable behavior…which helps them
reach
their department, division or subsidiary objectives.
end
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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