Same Old, Same Old PR Still Tops

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box
in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website.
A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.
Word count is 1155 including guidelines and resource box.
Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

Same Old, Same Old PR Still Tops

Like human nature over time, the power of good public
relations remains the same.

Whether you are a manager working for a business, a
non-profit or an association, at some point, you will want,
or need to create outside stakeholder behavior change –
the kind that leads directly to achieving your managerial
objectives.

Fortunately, you can get that job done by doing something
positive about the behaviors of those external audiences
that MOST affect your organization. And do so by
persuading those important outside folks to your way of
thinking, and moving them to take actions that help your
department, division or subsidiary succeed.

Fact is, your public relations push must involve more
than special events, brochures and news releases if you
really want to get your money’s worth.

The fundamental premise of public relations says as much
when it highlights the reality that 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.

That premise, that blueprint, really promises results.
From new proposals for strategic alliances and joint
ventures; rebounds in showroom visits, membership
applications on the rise; community service and
sponsorship opportunities, to capital givers or specifying
sources looking your way; enhanced activist group
relations, and expanded feedback channels; not to
mention new thoughtleader and special event contacts.

Even, conceivably, results like stronger relationships with
the educational, labor, financial and healthcare
communities; prospects starting to work with you;
customers making repeat purchases, and improved relations
with government agencies and legislative bodies.

That’s a lot of results from even a high-impact blueprint.

It almost goes without saying that your PR crew – agency
or staff – must be committed to you as the senior project
manager, to the PR blueprint and its implementation,
starting with target audience perception monitoring.

Be wary of PR people who describe themselves as
“totally on board the program.” That doesn’t mean they’ve
bought into the whole effort. Convince yourself that your
team members honestly believe why it’s SO important
to know how your most important outside audiences
perceive your operations, products or services. Assure
yourself that they buy the reality that perceptions almost
always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Then, take time to go over the PR blueprint in detail with
your PR team, especially the plan for monitoring and
gathering perceptions by questioning members of your
most important outside audiences. Questions like these:
how much do you know about our organization? How
much do you know about our services or products and
employees? Have you had prior contact with us and
were you pleased with the interchange? Have you
experienced problems with our people or procedures?

It would be ideal, of course, to use professional survey
counsel to handle the perception monitoring phases of
your program, if the budget is available. But keep in mind
that your PR people are also in the perception and behavior
business and can pursue the same objective: identify
untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors,
inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative
perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

At this juncture, you require a public relations goal to
aim for as you address the bumps that showed up during
your key audience perception monitoring. And that goal
could be to straighten out that dangerous misconception,
or correct that gross inaccuracy, or stop that potentially
fatal rumor cold.

But don’t try it without a strategy to show you how to
get there. There are only three strategic options available
to you when it comes to handling a perception or opinion
challenge. Change existing perception, create perception
where there may be none, or reinforce it. The wrong
strategy pick will taste like hollandaise sauce on your
cornflakes, so be certain the new strategy fits well
with your new public relations goal. You certainly don’t
want to select “change” when the facts dictate a “reinforce”
strategy.

The truth is that persuading an audience to your way of
thinking is plain, hard work. Which is why your PR team
must create just the right, corrective language. Words that
are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but
clear and factual. Only in this way will you be able to
correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your point
of view, leading to the behaviors you are want.

Get the input of your communications specialists as they
review your message for impact and persuasiveness. Then,
sharpen it one more time, and select the communications
tactics most likely to carry your words to the attention of
your target audience. You can pick from dozens that are
available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and
brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews,
newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be
sure that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks
just like your audience members.

Remember the old saw about the credibility of a message
depending on its delivery method. You might consider
unveiling it in presentations before smaller gatherings rather
than using higher-profile tactics such as news releases.

When the moment for doing a progress report arrives, it
will sound the alert for you and your PR team to get back
out in the field and start work on a second perception
monitoring session with members of your external audience.
You’ll want to use many of the same questions used in the
first benchmark session. Only this time, you’ll be watching
very carefully for signs that the bad news perception is being
altered in your direction.

And for those among us who are just plain impatient, you can
always move things along at a faster clip with more
communications tactics and increased frequencies.

The reason the same old, same old PR is still tops is that it
continues to focus sharply on those key external audiences
that most affect your organization, and you as a manager.
And it does something positive about them by persuading
those key folks to your way of thinking, and moving them
to take actions that help you achieve your managerial objectives.

end