Managers Better Take PR Seriously
Managers Better Take PR Seriously
in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website.
A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.
Word count is 1170 including guidelines and resource box.
Robert A. Kelly © 2006.
Managers: Better Take PR Seriously
Here’s a sample of what you’ll be missing if you don’t
take public relations seriously.
As a business, non-profit, government agency or
association manager, you will miss out on the challenge
of assembling the resources and action planning needed
to alter individual perception leading to changed behaviors
among your most important outside audiences.
You’ll also miss the thrill of persuading those key folks
to your way of thinking, as well as moving them to take
actions that allow your department, group, division or
subsidiary to succeed.
Rather, if years of experience are to be believed, you’ll
probably find yourself preoccupied by communications
tactics like special events, broadcast plugs, press releases
and brochures. A shame because you will not be getting
the best public relations has to offer.
Those managers taking PR seriously, however, will long
since have based their PR program on a fundamental
premise 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 usually accomplished.
Fortunately, quality public relations planning really
CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed
behaviors among key outside audiences. But to do so,
you should remember that your PR effort must require
more than special events, news releases and talk show
tactics if you are to receive the quality public relations
results you deserve.
What kind of end-products, or results, are we talking
about? Welcome bounces in show room visits; prospects
actually starting to do business with you; capital givers
or specifying sources beginning to look your way;
customers beginning to make repeat purchases;
membership applications starting to rise; new proposals
for strategic alliances and joint ventures showing up;
politicians and legislators looking at you as a key member
of the business, non-profit or association communities;
and other community leaders beginning to seek you out.
Since they are already in the perception and behavior
business, your public relations professionals can be of
real use for your new opinion monitoring project. But
be certain that the PR staff really accepts why it’s SO
important to know how your most important outside
audiences perceive your operations, products or services.
Most important, be sure they believe that perceptions
almost always result in behaviors that can help or hurt
your operation.
Because you must monitor and gather perceptions by
questioning members of your most important outside
audiences, involve your PR people from the outset.
Rehearse with them questions like these: how much do
you know about our organization? Have you had prior
contact with us and were you pleased with the exchange?
Are you familiar with our services or products and
employees? Have you experienced problems with our
people or procedures?
Obviously, involving professional survey people will
be considerably more expensive than using those PR
folks of yours in that monitoring capacity. But
whether it’s your people or a survey firm asking the
questions, the objective remains the same: identify
untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors,
inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative
perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.
Now you set a public relations goal calling for action
on the most serious problem areas you uncovered
during your key audience perception monitoring.
Will it be to straighten out that dangerous
misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy? Or,
stop that potentially painful rumor dead in its tracks?
As one good turn deserves another, setting your PR
goal demands an equally specific strategy that shows
you how to reach that goal. But only three strategic
options are available to you when it comes to doing
something about perception and opinion. Change
existing perception, create perception where there
may be none, or reinforce it. The wrong strategy
pick will taste like fluffernutter on your Chinese
potstickers. So be sure your new strategy fits well
with your new public relations goal. You certainly
don’t want to select “change” when the facts dictate
a strategy of reinforcement.
As you know, when you’re dabbling in public
relations, you cannot avoid doing some writing,
and our current example is no exception. Here,
you or your people must prepare a persuasive
message that will help move your key audience
to your way of thinking. It must be a carefully-
written message targeted directly at that key
external audience. Select your very best writer
because s/he must come up with truly corrective
language that is not only compelling, persuasive
and believable, but clear and factual if they are to
shift perception/opinion towards your point of
view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.
Exactly what will carry your message to the
attention of your target audience? Communications
tactics, of course. And there are many available.
From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures
to consumer briefings, media interviews,
newsletters, personal meetings and many others.
Just be certain that the tactics you pick are known
to reach folks just like your audience members.
Because the credibility of any message is fragile and
always subject to interpretation, HOW you
communicate is a factor to be considered. Which
is why you initially may wish to unveil your corrective
message before smaller meetings and presentations
rather than using higher-profile news releases.
A second perception monitoring session with members
of your external audience will seem like a good idea
when calls for progress reports are heard. You’ll want
to use many of the same questions used in the
benchmark session. But now, you will be on strict alert
for signs that the bad news perception is being altered
in your direction.
Because momentum can always slow, it is fortunate
that you can speed it up by adding more communications
tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.
If this reflects your current PR program, it’s probably time
to take public relations seriously and begin to change the
behaviors of your most important outside audiences, while
avoiding a preoccupation with communications tactics.
This will allow you to alter individual behaviors within
those key groups in a way that leads to behavior change,
thus insuring the success of your operation.
end
Bob Kelly counsels and writes for business, non-profit and
association managers about using the fundamental premise of public
relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has published over
200 articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click
Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola
Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport
News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, 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:www.PRCommentary.com
Managers Better Take PR Seriously - To learn more about this author, visit Bob Kelly's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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 1170 including guidelines and resource box.
Robert A. Kelly © 2006.
Managers: Better Take PR Seriously
Here’s a sample of what you’ll be missing if you don’t
take public relations seriously.
As a business, non-profit, government agency or
association manager, you will miss out on the challenge
of assembling the resources and action planning needed
to alter individual perception leading to changed behaviors
among your most important outside audiences.
You’ll also miss the thrill of persuading those key folks
to your way of thinking, as well as moving them to take
actions that allow your department, group, division or
subsidiary to succeed.
Rather, if years of experience are to be believed, you’ll
probably find yourself preoccupied by communications
tactics like special events, broadcast plugs, press releases
and brochures. A shame because you will not be getting
the best public relations has to offer.
Those managers taking PR seriously, however, will long
since have based their PR program on a fundamental
premise 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 usually accomplished.
Fortunately, quality public relations planning really
CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed
behaviors among key outside audiences. But to do so,
you should remember that your PR effort must require
more than special events, news releases and talk show
tactics if you are to receive the quality public relations
results you deserve.
What kind of end-products, or results, are we talking
about? Welcome bounces in show room visits; prospects
actually starting to do business with you; capital givers
or specifying sources beginning to look your way;
customers beginning to make repeat purchases;
membership applications starting to rise; new proposals
for strategic alliances and joint ventures showing up;
politicians and legislators looking at you as a key member
of the business, non-profit or association communities;
and other community leaders beginning to seek you out.
Since they are already in the perception and behavior
business, your public relations professionals can be of
real use for your new opinion monitoring project. But
be certain that the PR staff really accepts why it’s SO
important to know how your most important outside
audiences perceive your operations, products or services.
Most important, be sure they believe that perceptions
almost always result in behaviors that can help or hurt
your operation.
Because you must monitor and gather perceptions by
questioning members of your most important outside
audiences, involve your PR people from the outset.
Rehearse with them questions like these: how much do
you know about our organization? Have you had prior
contact with us and were you pleased with the exchange?
Are you familiar with our services or products and
employees? Have you experienced problems with our
people or procedures?
Obviously, involving professional survey people will
be considerably more expensive than using those PR
folks of yours in that monitoring capacity. But
whether it’s your people or a survey firm asking the
questions, the objective remains the same: identify
untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors,
inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative
perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.
Now you set a public relations goal calling for action
on the most serious problem areas you uncovered
during your key audience perception monitoring.
Will it be to straighten out that dangerous
misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy? Or,
stop that potentially painful rumor dead in its tracks?
As one good turn deserves another, setting your PR
goal demands an equally specific strategy that shows
you how to reach that goal. But only three strategic
options are available to you when it comes to doing
something about perception and opinion. Change
existing perception, create perception where there
may be none, or reinforce it. The wrong strategy
pick will taste like fluffernutter on your Chinese
potstickers. So be sure your new strategy fits well
with your new public relations goal. You certainly
don’t want to select “change” when the facts dictate
a strategy of reinforcement.
As you know, when you’re dabbling in public
relations, you cannot avoid doing some writing,
and our current example is no exception. Here,
you or your people must prepare a persuasive
message that will help move your key audience
to your way of thinking. It must be a carefully-
written message targeted directly at that key
external audience. Select your very best writer
because s/he must come up with truly corrective
language that is not only compelling, persuasive
and believable, but clear and factual if they are to
shift perception/opinion towards your point of
view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.
Exactly what will carry your message to the
attention of your target audience? Communications
tactics, of course. And there are many available.
From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures
to consumer briefings, media interviews,
newsletters, personal meetings and many others.
Just be certain that the tactics you pick are known
to reach folks just like your audience members.
Because the credibility of any message is fragile and
always subject to interpretation, HOW you
communicate is a factor to be considered. Which
is why you initially may wish to unveil your corrective
message before smaller meetings and presentations
rather than using higher-profile news releases.
A second perception monitoring session with members
of your external audience will seem like a good idea
when calls for progress reports are heard. You’ll want
to use many of the same questions used in the
benchmark session. But now, you will be on strict alert
for signs that the bad news perception is being altered
in your direction.
Because momentum can always slow, it is fortunate
that you can speed it up by adding more communications
tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.
If this reflects your current PR program, it’s probably time
to take public relations seriously and begin to change the
behaviors of your most important outside audiences, while
avoiding a preoccupation with communications tactics.
This will allow you to alter individual behaviors within
those key groups in a way that leads to behavior change,
thus insuring the success of your operation.
end
Bob Kelly counsels and writes for business, non-profit and
association managers about using the fundamental premise of public
relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has published over
200 articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click
Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola
Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport
News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, 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:www.PRCommentary.com
Managers Better Take PR Seriously - To learn more about this author, visit Bob Kelly's Website.
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