PR: Room at the Bottom?

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Robert A. Kelly © 2003.

PR: Room at the Bottom?

When special events and communications tactics rule the
PR roost instead of a workable plan designed to manage
external audience behaviors that impact your organization
the most, that’s where public relations results can wind up.

You know, bad results like key target audiences showing
little confidence in your organization, or seldom taking
actions that help you succeed and, in the end, failing to help
you achieve your unit objectives.

If that sounds all too familiar, you’ve got to change a few
things. So let’s start with what your public relations should
be about, perhaps something like this: 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.

Building on this kind of base means you’ll be working with
a blueprint that helps persuade those important stakeholders
to your way of thinking. Hopefully, that will move them to
take actions that lead to your success as a business, non-profit
or association manager.

If this sounds like an approach to public relations you want
to consider, here’s the way to get started.

First big question to be answered? How DO those outside
audiences whose behaviors hurt or hinder your operation the
most, actually perceive your organization? Everything flows
from the answers to that question, and that means you and
the PR team assigned to your unit must interact with members
of your target audience. Questions should include “What do
you know about us? Have you had any dealings with our
organization? Were you satisfied? Do you have any problems
with us?” And while asking your questions, be especially alert
to false assumptions, inaccuracies, misconceptions or rumors.
Negative attitudes as well as hesitant or evasive replies should
also be recorded.

The responses you gather will determine the public relations
goal you will pursue. You may choose to correct an especially
dangerous inaccuracy, or to clarify a potentially hurtful
misconception, or to convert a painful rumor from false to true.
Remember, negative perceptions often lead to the damaging
behaviors you ultimately aim to alter.

Actually reaching your goal, however, is your next challenge.
But not a complex challenge because there are just three
strategies available to show you HOW to reach your public
relations goal: reinforce existing opinion, change that perception,
or create perception/opinion where there isn’t any. One caveat:
be certain the strategy you select is a good match for your
public relations goal.

The message you prepare designed to alter the offending
perception is the most important step in this public relations
problem-solving sequence. Because it must be successful
in altering perception among members of your target
audience, it must be clear about what it intends to change,
clarify or correct. On top of that, your message must be
persuasive and compelling and, above all, while making
the case for your point of view, your message must be
believable. This suggests that running the message by several
colleagues for their reactions is a good idea.

Next step sounds like a lot of work, and it is. But again, not
complex. Simply put, you have to get your message before
the eyes of those members of your target audience.
Communications tactics will do the job.

The choice is broad and includes tactics such as speeches,
customer or member briefings, press releases, newsletters,
radio/newspaper interviews and many, many more. Be
careful that the tactics selected are known to reach people
like the members of your target audience.

Now, you need to be able to measure progress. And the best
way to do that is to return to the field and interact again with
your audience members. Ask questions similar to those
asked in the first perception monitoring session. But now,
you will be on the alert for clear signs that perceptions are,
in fact, being altered as planned.

By the way, you can boost progress by adding more
communication tactics to the battle, and increasing their
frequencies.

Instead of a public relations program that produces results
at the bottom of the efficiency scale, the action effort outlined
above will do just the opposite. Namely, persuade your
important outside stakeholders to take actions that lead to
the success of your organizational unit.

end