The Most Important PR In America

Just happens to be public relations activity that alters individual perceptions leading directly to changed behaviors. PR pulls that off by persuading a manager's key outside audiences with the greatest behavior impacts on the organization, to its way of thinking. Then it moves those external stakeholders to take actions that help the organization succeed.

I don't believe public relations can deliver much more than that.

Not surprisingly, PR runs best on its own fundamental premise that gets everyone working towards the same external audience behaviors. Insuring that your PR effort stays focused, the blueprint goes 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.

Results can range from community leaders beginning to seek you out, welcome bounces in show room visits and specifying sources looking your way to prospects starting to do business with you, customers making repeat purchases, and even fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures.

If, as a manager, that scenario appeals to you, try this path.

First, who handles the work required to produce such results? Your own full-time public relations staff? Some people assigned by the corporate office to your unit? An outside PR agency team? No matter where they come from, they need to be committed to you, to the PR blueprint and to its implementation, starting with key audience perception monitoring.

It's useful to make certain the public relations people assigned to your unit really believe ? deep down ? why it's SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Make sure they accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Working closely with the PR folks, start by nailing down who among your important outside audiences is behaving in ways that help or hinder the achievement of your objectives. Then, list them according to how severely their behaviors affect your organization.

Now, take steps to find out precisely HOW most members of that key outside audience perceive your organization. If you don't have the budget to pay for what could be costly professional survey counsel, you and your PR colleagues will have to monitor those perceptions yourself. Actually, they should be quite familiar with perception and behavior matters.

Best way to get that activity under way is to meet with members of that outside audience and ask questions like "Are you familiar with our services or products?" "Have you ever had contact with anyone from our organization? Was it a satisfactory experience?" Be sensitive to negative statements, especially evasive or hesitant replies. And watch carefully for false assumptions, untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially damaging rumors. When you find such, they will need to be corrected, as they usually lead to negative behaviors.

Now, it's time to select the actual perception to be altered, which then becomes your public relations goal. Naturally, you want to correct any untruths, inaccuracies, misconceptions or false assumptions.

Kind of goes without saying that a PR goal without a strategy to show you how to get there, is like a sailor's sandwich without the knockwurst. As you select one of three strategies especially constructed to create perception or opinion where there may be none, or change existing perception, or reinforce it, what you want to do is insure that the goal and your new strategy dovetail. You don't want to pick "change existing perception" when current perception is just right suggesting a "reinforce" strategy.

At this juncture, you create a compelling message carefully structured to alter your key target audience's perception, as directed by your public relations goal.

Your message must be a grabber and crystal-clear about what perception needs clarification or correction, and why. Of course you must be truthful and your position logically explained and believable if it is to hold the attention of members of that target audience, and actually move perception in your direction.

Then try this. Combine your corrective message with another news announcement or presentation which may provide more credibility by downplaying the need for such a correction.

Believe it or not, I call the communications tactics you will use to move your message to the attention of that key external audience, "beasts of burden" because they must carry your persuasive new thoughts to the eyes and ears of those important outside people.

You will be glad to know that a long list of such tactics awaits your pleasure. It includes letters-to-the-editor, brochures, press releases and speeches. Or, you might choose radio and newspaper interviews, personal contacts, facility tours or customer briefings. The only selection requirement is that the communications tactics you choose have a record of reaching people just like the members of your key target audience.

A fortunate factor is, things can always be accelerated by adding more communications tactics, AND by increasing their frequencies.

Questions will soon arise with regard to progress. Of course, you will already be hard at work remonitoring perceptions among your target audience members to test just how good your PR program really is. Using questions similar to those used during your earlier monitoring session, you'll now be alert for signs that audience perceptions are beginning to move in your general direction.

We are fortunate indeed that our key stakeholder audiences behave like everyone else ? they act upon their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your operation. Leaving you little choice but to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and move your key external audiences to actions you desire.

There's never a happier moment in the practice of public relations than when the data shows that you have achieved the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your department, division or subsidiary objectives.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1125 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

About The Author

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

---

Publicity: When Calling a Reporter, Keep it Short

When you are planning to call a reporter for the... Read More

So Whats Wrong With Strategic?

Some folks see the word "strategic" as a needlessly tiresome... Read More

Writing A Press Release

News releases (also called press releases) are an important part... Read More

I Cant Afford A PR/Publicity Campaign -- Can I?

It's a phrase I hear over and over again from... Read More

Monarch Health Sciences starts shipping long awaited Monavie and Monavie Active

The Acai Berry is starting to gain world wide recognition... Read More

Three Communication Secrets of The Great Communicator

I've worked in media and public relations for 20 years,... Read More

The Ten Ps of PR

Everyone is talking about the Ps of successful marketing, so... Read More

PR Failure Defined

I define public relations failure this way:key audience perceptions are... Read More

Achieve Media Attention for Your Business

Do you want to be quoted by the national press... Read More

35 Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release

Layout1. 1-2 pages in length.2. Double-space.3. 1.5 to 2 inch... Read More

Creating Event Magic through Planned Video Production

Once upon a time, there was a young, stressed out... Read More

Best Approach For Free Advertisement

Product/service publicity is the superhighway to business success everyone dreams.... Read More

Public Relations: Understanding Educated Gambling

As an entry level position to PR, I found myself... Read More

A Great Way to Do PR

As a business, non-profit or association manager trying to get... Read More

Etymology- How Words Change Over Time

Etymology is the study of the origins of words.As languages... Read More

The Story The Media Really Wants

If you're like most of my clients, you're probably interested... Read More

Effective Media Relations ? You Won?t be Talking to the Media Without It!

The media's role is to package and spread news, current... Read More

Public Relations ? Defining Your Organization from the Inside Out

What do your customers say about your company?Would you let... Read More

Why Managers Need the PR Advantage

Where is there a business, non-profit or association manager who... Read More

Same Old, Same Old PR Still Tops

Like human nature over time, the power of good public... Read More

Making Press Releases Work - Creating News Where None Existed

Aren't you tired of hearing how extremely easy it is... Read More

Media Training: How To Speak During a Media Interview

WHITE NOISEA client recently told me about a fascinating new... Read More

Make Sure Your Media Room Rocks

If a reporter was writing a story about you and... Read More

How to Get More Mileage Out of Your Media Coverage

Maybe it played for Kevin Costner in "Field of Dreams,"... Read More

Auto Detailing Public Relations; United Way Withholding

As a mobile detailing company it is important to have... Read More

Boost Your Business by Partnering with a Non Profit Organization

Is your business looking for new and creative ways to... Read More

PR: How Sweet It Is!

The public relations goal and strategy make sense; the message... Read More

The Role Of Public Relations In Branding

Because PR can be difficult to control, it is often... Read More

How To Get Radio-Active PR For Your Non-Profit Cause: Part Three of Three

HOW TO BE RELAXED AND EFFECTIVE ON-AIRHow does one stay... Read More

Building Credibility Through Bylined Articles

As if making sure your company runs smoothly on an... Read More

Is This the PR You Thought You Were Getting?

You know, where you do something positive about the behaviors... Read More

Press Releases for Every Occasion

To many marketers, the press release is something of a... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Join Your Professional Organization to Get Free Publicity

Unlike some professionals like lawyers and doctors, financial planners aren't... Read More