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Managers Dont Write Off Public Relations

Written by: Bob Kelly

Article Overview: It's what managers are NOT getting that causes unhappiness with their business, non-profit, public entity or association's current public relations expenditure.

Managers Dont Write Off Public Relations

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box
in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website.
Only requirement: you must use the Robert A. Kelly
byline and resource box. Word count is 1250 including
guidelines and box. Robert A. Kelly © 2006.

Managers: Don’t Write Off Public Relations!

There are those among America’s managerial cadre who will
write off public relations because they’ve been getting little
more for their PR dollar than brochures, special events,
reporter chatter and press releases.

While they have a right to expect more – a LOT more, from
their PR investment, truth is, they ARE getting valuable
tactical devices which they can call upon from time to time to
move a message from here to there.

But it’s what they are NOT getting that causes unhappiness
with their business, non-profit, government agency or
association’s current public relations expenditure.

Like assembling the resources and action planning they need
to alter individual perception leading to changed behaviors
among their most important outside audiences. And doing
something to persuade those important folks to their way of
thinking, then moving them to take actions that allow their
department, group, division or subsidiary to succeed.

No wonder they decide to write off public relations!

What they need is the right public relations plan, one
dedicated to getting every member of the PR team working
towards the same external audience behaviors which insures
that the organization’s public relations effort stays sharply
focused.

Not just any plan, but one based on a solid approach to
public relations. One, perhaps, 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 complete.

That manager shouldn’t have to wait long for results to
appear, such as membership applications on the rise,
bounces in showroom visits; new proposals for strategic
alliances and joint ventures; customers making repeat
purchases; prospects starting to work with them; and
capital givers or specifying sources looking their way.

Heads up managers always get results with this approach
by finding out who among their key external audiences is
behaving in ways that help or hinder the achievement of
their objectives. Then, they list them according to how
severely their behaviors affect their organization.

Next they decide how most members of that key outside
audience perceive their organization. If resources to
cover professional survey counsel aren’t there, the man-
ager and his or her PR colleagues will have to monitor
those perceptions themselves. Of course the PR folks
should already be up to speed about assessing and gathering
perception and behavior data.

Once back in the field, they must meet with members of
that outside audience asking 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?” And if you are that manager,
you must be sensitive to negative statements, especially
evasive or hesitant replies. Watch carefully for false
assumptions, untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and
potentially damaging rumors. When you find such, you
will need to take steps to correct them, as they inevitably
lead to negative behaviors.

Now it’s time to identify the specific perception to be
altered which then becomes your public relations goal.
You obviously want to correct those untruths, inaccuracies,
misconceptions or false assumptions.

Once you isolate your public relations goal, you
immediately need a strategy to show you how to get there.
The wrong strategy, of course, will taste like pickled beets
on your Braunschweiger sandwich. It’s just not right.

When you pick out one of three strategies (especially
constructed to create perception or opinion where there
may be none, or change or reinforce it,) you must 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.

Here you create a compelling message carefully constructed
to alter your key target audience’s perception, as specified
by your public relations goal.

Fortunately, you can always combine your corrective
message with another news announcement or presentation
which may give it more credibility by downplaying the
apparent need for such a correction.

It seems obvious that the content of your message must be
compelling and crystal clear about what perception needs
clarification or correction. Of course you 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.

With our own PR jargon, you may notice folks in the PR
business alluding to the communications tactics necessary
to move your message to the attention of that key external
audience, as “beasts of burden” because they must carry
your persuasive new thoughts to the eyes and ears of those
important outside people.

Luckily, there is no shortage of communications tactics.
They include letters-to-the-editor, brochures, press releases
and speeches. Or, you might choose radio and newspaper
interviews, personal contacts, facility tours or customer
briefings. There are scores available and the only selection
requirement is that the communications tactics you choose
be on record as reaching people just like the members of
your key target audience.

The good news is that you can always move things along
by adding more communications tactics, AND by increasing
their frequencies.

Someone is bound to bring up progress reports which will
lead you to return to the field again remonitoring perceptions
among your target audience members to test the
effectiveness of your communications tactics. Using
questions similar to those used during your earlier
monitoring session, you’ll now be on ready alert for signs
that audience perceptions are beginning to move in your
general direction.

You will be well-served to keep your eye on the core of
this approach: persuade your most important outside
audiences with the greatest impacts on your organization
to your way of thinking. Then move them to take actions
that help your department, division or subsidiary prevail.

In this way, rather than measuring the narrow results
achieved by the tactical subsets of your public relations
program like special events, brochures, broadcast plugs
or press releases, you will have discovered the only true
measure of public relations: the results of your strategic
efforts to alter individual perception among your key
outside audiences leading to changed behaviors, helping
you achieve your managerial objectives.

Put another way, instead of writing off public relations,
managers are best advised to assemble the resources and
action planning they need to achieve changed behaviors
among their most important outside audiences. Then do
something to persuade those important folks to their way
of thinking, and move them to take actions that allow their
department, group, division or subsidiary to succeed.

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 authored 245
articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click
ExpertAuthor, 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

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