Public Relations Why it Works

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 570 including guidelines and the box. Robert A. Kelly © 2006.

Public Relations: Why it Works The short answer is, it works best when its fundamental premise is the guide, which insures that the primary focus of your public relations program is the behaviors of your most important outside audiences. Not less urgent matters like personalities, communi1cations tactics or administrative concerns.

PR strives to effectively manage the perceptions and behaviors of your outside audiences with the goal of helping you achieve your organizational objectives.

Pretty important stuff.

But not difficult or complex.

Particularly when you get started on the right foot.

Namely, do an inventory and identify those groups of people whose behaviors have a clear impact on your organization.

Because how those folks think about you and your organization usually leads to those helpful/hurtful behaviors, job #1 is, find out how they perceive you right now. Because, as noted, those perceptions inevitably will result in behaviors that will help or hinder achieving your managerial objectives.

You and your colleagues must monitor those perceptions, interact with those target audience individuals and pose lots of questions.

What do you think of us? Have you ever had a problem with our service? But remain alert to signs of negativity like hesitant or evasive responses, misconceptions, rumors or inaccuracies.

With those responses in hand, you establish your public relations goal. For example, correct a specific inaccuracy, clear up that misconception, or neutralize a damaging rumor.

Next question: how do I get from here to there? You need a strategy.

But in dealing with opinion change, you have just three possibilities.

Create opinion/perception where there may be none, change existing opinion, or reinforce it.

What you say to members of your target audience is really important.

After all, you’re trying to change perceptions, and that requires a message that is not only crystal-clear, but persuasive and believable.

So, when you say the misconception, inaccuracy or rumor should be corrected, be sure your facts are rock-solid, credible and, hopefully, compelling.

Run the message by your colleagues to test its chances of altering perception, then fine tune it.

Your delivery system for moving your message to members of your target audience is the communications tactic. And there are scores of them available to you. From newspaper interviews, radio talk shows, emails, speeches and brochures to op-eds, community briefings, newsletters, personal contacts and many others.

How will you know if you are making progress?

Once your communications tactics have had six or seven weeks to make an impact on your target audience, go back out among audience members and ask the same questions all over again.

The big difference the second time around is, you are now looking for signs that opinion has been altered with regard to the problem perception. And watch especially for altered perceptions that include the corrective elements of your message.

As you continue monitoring key audience opinion/perceptions, positive changes should begin appearing and, inevitably, lead to the behavior changes you want.

In public relations, it doesn’t get much better than that.

end Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. 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 has authored 245 articles on managerial public relations which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly.

mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: www.prcommentary.com



Public Relations Why it Works - To learn more about this author, visit Bob Kelly's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | More

Related Articles
What To Do When Public Relations Fails
	Sometimes "public relations" strategies fail to deliver the intended results. Whether it is "selling" a product, a policy or an organization, there are several common pitfalls which public relations strategies m...
Why use PR
	In simple terms, we think of PR as communications management. It creates awareness, educates and influences public opinion, promotes and protects reputations and encourages organisations to communicate.
Advertising and Public Relations
	So, you’ve got some extra money to put towards your company and you’re not sure whether to spend it on advertising or public relations. Many entrepreneurs are confused about the difference between the two and which ...
Business to Business PR
	Good public relations is much more than creating a great image and generating stories in the media. It is also paying attention to one-on-one PR to make the sale when a prospect calls. And for many businesses, that...
What is Public Relations
	In the last decade, there has been much malignment of the field of public relations. Much of the criticism comes from the old stereotype of the circus barker who would say and promise anything so that the public wou...

---

Related Forum Posts
	Public Relations!
	New Small Business Topic
	Re: 5 Skills for work at home people... (Article)
	Second Life hype near peak?
	Jobs you can do from home
	Find Me Customers and Get 25% of New Client's Bill
	Re: Library to Meet
	Free Desktop sharing apps