Managers: PR More Than Tix and Plugs?

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Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

Managers: PR More than Tix and Plugs?

You bet! And in three ways vital to you as a business,
non-profit or association manager.

To succeed, your public relations effort needs to do
something really positive about the behaviors of those
outside audiences that most affect your operation.

It needs to deliver external stakeholder behavior
change – the kind that leads directly to achieving your
managerial objectives.

And it needs to do so by persuading those important
outside folks to your way of thinking, then move them
to take actions that help your department, division or
subsidiary succeed.

All three, hopefully long before anybody worries about
theater tickets or radio plugs!

But how do you get to the point where all three of those
dynamics actually contribute to your success as a manager?

I believe the fundamental premise of public relations is
a good place to start, herewith: 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.

Get organized around that premise and you could get
behavior changes like more membership applications;
customers making repeat purchases; new proposals for
strategic alliances and joint ventures; community leaders
beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in show
room visits; prospects starting to sniff around; capital
givers or specifying sources beginning to think about you,
and even politicians and lawmakers who view you as a
key member of the business, non-profit or association
communities.

May sound painfully obvious, but you need the entire
PR team assigned to your unit on board for this ride.
They need to accept that fundamental premise of public
relations.

A not so obvious first step? Make certain the whole team
agrees – really agrees -- why it’s so important to know
how your outside audiences perceive your operations,
products or services. Be deep-down-sure they accept
the reality that perceptions almost always lead to
destructive behaviors that can damage your unit.

Carefully go over just how you plan to monitor and gather
perceptions by questioning members of your most
important outside audiences. Questions like these: how
much do you know about our organization? Have you had
prior contact with us and were you pleased with the
interchange? How much do you know about our services
or products and employees? Have you experienced
problems with our people or procedures?

Your PR people can be of real use for this opinion
monitoring project since they already labor in the
perception and behavior vineyard. Yes, you can always
bring in a professional survey firm, but that can be
hard on the wallet. Whether it’s your people or a
survey firm who asks the questions, the objective
stands: identify untruths, false assumptions,
unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions
and any other potentially hurtful perception and prepare
to deal with it.

Then you must carefully select which of the above
becomes your top priority, yet corrective public relations
goal – is it the need to clarify that misconception, or
spike that rumor or correct the false assumption or
inaccuracy?
Success is just around the corner when you pick the right
strategy from the three choices available to you. Change
existing perception, create perception where there may
be none, or reinforce it. And be certain your new strategy
is a good fit with your new public relations goal.

So, just what will you say when you have the opportunity to
address your key stakeholder audience? In other words, what
will you say to help persuade them to your way of thinking?

Your best writer must be tasked with preparing such a
message because you’ll obviously need some very special,
corrective language. Not only compelling, persuasive and
believable, but clear and factual if the language is to shift
perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to
the planned behaviors.

At this point, you select communications tactics to carry
your message to the attention of your target audience. But
carefully insuring that the tactics you select have a record
of reaching folks like your audience members. Fortunately,
there are dozens that are available. From speeches, facility
tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media
interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others.

As the credibility of your message is always at stake, you
may wish to deliver it in small meetings or presentations
rather than through higher-visibility media announcements.

In due course, you’ll f eel pressure for indications of
progress. Which translates into another perception
monitoring session with members of your key target
audience. Using some of the same questions used in the
original benchmark session, you will now be especially
alert for signs that the questionable perception is being
altered in your direction.

Here, you’re in luck because matters can always be
expedited by adding more communications tactics, AND
increasing their frequencies.

Thus, what should come first in any manager’s public
relations effort is prompt and effective action in dealing
with key, target audience perceptions by doing what is
necessary to reach and move those key external
audiences to actions you desire.

In the proverbial nutshell, use an action plan that helps
you influence your most important outside stakeholders
to your way of thinking, then move them to behave in
a way that leads to the success of your department,
division or subsidiary.

end

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to 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 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.
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