PR: Time For a New Playbook?

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Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

PR: Time For a New Playbook?

When your public relations results pretty much depend on
whether your news item gets used in a newspaper column
or on a radio talk show, you may be ready for a fresh
approach.

Why not shoot for a 1-2 PR punch?

First, focus sharply on those external audiences who play
a major role in just how successful a business, non-profit
or association manager you will be.

And second, use the proactive public relations blueprint
outlined below to help you persuade those important outside
stakeholders to your way of thinking. Then move them to
take actions that lead to the success of your department,
division or subsidiary.

You need a simple plan -- the fundamental premise of PR,
as it turns out -- that gets everyone working towards the same
external audience behaviors, and puts your public relations
effort back on track.

Here’s the blueprint:

“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.”

And here’s a good way to put that blueprint to work in your
organization as you pursue external audience behaviors that
lead directly to achieving your objectives.

By the way, I’m talking about behaviors changes like welcome
bounces in showroom visits, community leaders beginning to
seek you out; membership applications on the rise, customers
starting to make repeat purchases; organizations proposing
strategic alliances and joint ventures; prospects starting to do
business with you; politicians and legislators unexpectedly
viewing you as a key member of the business, non-profit
or association communities; and even capital givers or
specifying sources beginning to look your way.

Get started by sitting down and actually listing those outside
audiences of yours who behave in ways that help or hinder
you in achieving your objectives. Then prioritize them by
impact severity and begin work with the target audience in
first place on your list.

Of course you’re probably data-challenged because you aren’t
certain just how most members of that key outside audience
perceive your organization.

There’s a good chance you don’t have the budget to
accommodate professional survey work. So you and your PR
colleagues (they should be quite familiar with perception and
behavior matters) must monitor those perceptions yourself.

Interact with members of that outside audience by asking questions
like “Have you ever had contact with anyone from our organization?
Was it a satisfactory experience? Are you familiar with our services
or products?” Stay alert to negative statements, especially evasive
or hesitant replies. Watch carefully for false assumptions, untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially damaging rumors.
Any of which will need to be corrected, because experience shows
they usually lead to negative behaviors.

So, because the obvious objective here is to correct those
same untruths, inaccuracies, misconceptions and false
assumptions, you now select the specific perception to be
altered, and that becomes your public relations goal.

But a PR goal without a strategy to show you how to get
there, is like a bratwurst without the onions. That’s why you
must select one of three strategies especially designed to
create perception or opinion where there may be none, or
change existing perception, or reinforce it. The challenge
here (a small one) is to insure that the goal and its strategy
match each other. You wouldn’t want to select “change
existing perception” when current perception is just right
suggesting a “reinforce” strategy.

Now it’s your writer’s turn to prepare a compelling message
carefully designed to alter your key target audience’s
perception, as called for by your public relations goal.

It may be that combining your corrective message with
another newsworthy announcement of a new product, service
or employee will lend more credibility by not overemphasizing
the correction.

The new message must be very clear about what perception
needs clarification or correction, and why. Your facts must
be truthful and your position must be logically explained and
believable if it is to hold the attention of members of that
target audience, and actually move perception in your direction.
In other words, your message must be compelling.

Now you select your “beasts of burden,” the communications
tactics you will harness to carry your persuasive new thoughts
to the attention of that external audience.

Luckily, the list of tactics is a long one. It includes letters-
to-the-editor, brochures, press releases and speeches. Or, you
might select radio and newspaper interviews, personal contacts,
facility tours or customer briefings. There are dozens in
waiting and the only selection requirement is that those you
choose have a record of reaching people just like the members
of your key target audience.

Those around you will soon inquire if any progress is being
made. Of course you’ll already be hard at work remonitoring
perceptions among your target audience members. Using
questions similar to those used during your earlier monitoring
session, you will now look carefully for indications that audience
perceptions are beginning to move the way you want them to move..

Happily, you can always speed up the process by adding more communications tactics, AND by increasing their frequencies.

But, as this article suggests, building your PR playbook around communications tactics is self-defeating. Instead, use your tactics
as originally intended, to carry messages. What must come first
is an aggressive public relations plan such as that outlined above
that targets key stakeholder behavior change leading directly to
achieving your department, division or subsidiary objectives.

end