Why Do You Want PR?

To get someone's name in the newspaper or a product mention on a radio talk show?

If that's all you expect, fine. But that response tells me that, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you may have overlooked an important reality: people act on their own perception of the facts, leading to predictable behaviors about which something can be done on your behalf.

And you may be compounding that error by failing to insist that your department, division or subsidiary PR people make this very special effort: create, change or reinforce the perceptions of those external audiences whose behaviors really DO impact your unit.

If true, it means you don't have a proactive public relations plan that targets the kind of stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your operating objectives.

Still, I'll bet you'd like to do everything you can to help your unit's PR team persuade your important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking. Especially so when such a program works to move those stakeholders to behaviors that lead to the success of YOUR department and YOUR programs.

Well, there's still time to fix things.

Sit down with the public relations people assigned to your unit and make certain the whole team buys into why it's so important to know how your outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Be sure they accept the reality that perceptions usually morph into behaviors that can hurt your unit.

Explore with them how you will monitor and gather perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audience: 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 people? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Of course, you can always engage survey pros to round up these data for you, but that can be expensive. Besides, remember that your very own PR team is already in the perception and behavior game and could be of use for this opinion monitoring project.

Regardless of who interacts with members of your target audience, questioners must stay alert to false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and untruths.

Here you must be cautious because the perception information you gather helps you set a specific public relations goal. For example, clarify the misconception, spike that rumor, or correct the false assumption.

You pursue that goal by picking the right strategy from the three choices available to you. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. Be certain, however, that the strategy you choose is an obvious fit with your new public relations goal.

The question now becomes, what will you say to members of your key target audience who harbor the offending perception, to help persuade them to your way of thinking?

Select your PR team's best writer because s/he must prepare a very special, corrective message. One that is not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if it is to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

Happily, the next step is easy. You select communications tactics to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. Making certain that the tactics you select have a record of reaching folks like the members 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.

Remember that the method of communication often affects the credibility of the message. So you may wish to deliver it in small getogethers like meetings and presentations rather than through a higher-profile media announcement.

Others will soon clamor for signs of progress, and you'll want to demonstrate such results. And that means a second perception monitoring session with members of your target audience. Using many of the same questions as in your first benchmark session, you will now be on alert for signs that the offending perception is being altered in your direction.

Fortunately, you can always speed things up by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

You'll know exactly why you wanted to apply proactive public relations when you sharpen your focus on the very groups of outside people who play a major role in just how successful a manager you will be ? your key external stakeholders.

Especially when you follow through with a workable plan that helps you persuade those important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then moves them to take actions that lead to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.

As comedian Jackie Gleason used to say, "How sweet it is!"

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

---

Financial Planner Marketing - Problems Are Good (For Financial Planners Seeking Free Publicity)

A common complaint you'll hear is that the media is... Read More

How To Get An Avalanche Of Free Publicity For Your Home Business!

There are many ways you can get tons of free... Read More

PR Going According to Plan?

Think carefully! You're a department, division or subsidiary manager for... Read More

Cutting Down Your Trade Show Budget

Whenever a recession or volatility threatens the economy, companies immediately... Read More

Publicity for Financial Planners--Eight Tips For Success

Individual financial planners can outscore bigger competitors and gain market... Read More

4th Quarter 2003 Publicity = 1st Quarter 2004 Prosperity

As the year starts to wind down, many businesses and... Read More

How To Get Radio-Active PR For Your Non-Profit Cause-Part One

"We are in the communications business, the business of conveying... Read More

Are You Dissing Public Relations

If you leave a star player sitting on the bench,... Read More

Dont Put Up With Junk PR

In public relations, "junk" is more about attitude and lack... Read More

Ten Media Crisis Tips

No comment. These are probably the two most damaging words... Read More

Managers: Get Real, Please!

Personnel mentions in the newspaper and product plugs on radio... Read More

The Non-business Business

Think for a moment! If you were to do a... Read More

Media Training: Exposing Reporter Tricks -- Three Tactics Designed to Get You

A reporter's job is to get the most accurate and... Read More

Media Contact Lists and How to Build a Fantastic One

I got the latest issue of Internet Works in the... Read More

A Sensible Way to Use PR

The most sensible way for business, non-profit or association managers... Read More

Publicity: The Right Way for Marketing-Minded Financial Planners to Follow Up with a Reporter

Let's say you've called a reporter with some ideas for... Read More

How To Write More Powerfully For PR, Offline And Online

Years ago when my Dad owned a group of local... Read More

How Managers Hit PR Paydirt

As a business, non-profit or association manager, you'll know it's... Read More

Business Community Relations 101 - Getting the Most Out of Your Chamber of Commerce Membership

Since the major part of a small business typically comes... Read More

Publicity: Nailing a Media Interview, Part III (Staying on Topic)

In a media interview, always stick to your main points... Read More

Ill Alert The Media

There is something newsworthy happening at your organization right now.... Read More

Managers: Why Not PR Like This?

I mean public relations that presumes from the get-go that... Read More

Slow Day? Create News

Sometimes there seems to be no client news worthy of... Read More

Publicity: Three Tips on Writing a Press Release

Use journalistic styleReporters are busy. Just like you.So when you... Read More

How PR Helps Fiercely Competitive Managers

Fiercely combative business, non-profit and association managers use every PR... Read More

6 Essentials for Doing Your Own PR: Guest Author

Today's issue of Lean Marketing Champions features tips on doing... Read More

Managers, Have You Been Shortchanged?

You have been if you're a business, non-profit or association... Read More

Passing the PR Bar

The public relations bar, should such a proficiency measure ever... Read More

The Best PR Has to Offer Managers

How cool is this? You're a business, non-profit or association... Read More

The Ratings are Coming

Small businesses have always known the importance of word of... Read More

Publicity: Nailing a Media Interview, Part II (Crisis Management)

We'd all like reporters to ask us about our career... Read More

A Guide to Optimizing Public Relations Content

This guide to "SEOing" your PR efforts can help you... Read More

Using Media and PR to Your Advantage.

Lights...camera...ACTION.That's what often happens when people think of using media... Read More