What Many PR Users Ignore

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Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

What Many PR Users Ignore

Simply that the behaviors of their most important outside
audiences rank pretty low on their list of things to worry
about. And this despite the reality that, properly cared for,
those behaviors can affect whether or not those managers
achieve their managerial objectives.

Unfortunately, many business, non-profit and association
public relations budgets are used pretty much to produce
newspaper and radio mentions, or to fund somebody’s
favorite special event. And this at a time when they should
be driving an action plan that persuades those key external
stakeholders to the PR user’s way of thinking, then moves
those audiences to take actions that help departments,
divisions or subsidiaries succeed.

After all, since that’s public relations’ strongest suit,
shouldn’t you be getting that first, THEN incremental
publicity exposure?

Run this idea by the public relations team assigned to
your unit: 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.

If you get agreement, you’ll share a simple blueprint
that gets everyone working towards the same external
audience behaviors insuring that your public relations
effort stays focused.

And there’s no end to the possible benefits: capital
givers or specifying sources beginning to look your
way; prospects starting to do business with you;
membership applications on the rise; customers making
repeat purchases; community leaders beginning to seek
you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; fresh
proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; higher
employee retention rates, and even politicians and
legislators starting to view you as a key member of the
business, non-profit or association communities.

But first, you need to find out who among your important
outside audiences is behaving in ways that help or hinder
the achievement of your objectives. And then, list them
according to how severely their behaviors affect your
organization.

Are you really certain as to HOW most members of that
key outside audience perceive your organization? Since
there’s a good chance you don’t have the budget to
accommodate expensive professional survey work, you
and your PR colleagues (they should be quite familiar with
perception and behavior matters) must monitor those
perceptions yourself.

Sit down 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?” Stay
alert to negative statements, especially evasive or hesitant
replies. Watch carefully for false assumptions, untruths,
misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially damaging
rumors. Any of which will need to be corrected, because
experience shows they usually lead to negative behaviors.

Now, because the obvious objective here is to correct those
same untruths, inaccuracies, misconceptions and false
assumptions, you must select the specific perception to be
altered which, in turn, becomes your public relations goal.

Unfortunately, a PR goal without a strategy to show you
how to get there, is like Shrimp Lo Mein without the
noodles. That’s why you must select one of three strategies
especially designed to create perception or opinion where
there may be none, or change existing perception, or
reinforce it. The challenge here (albeit small) is to 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.

Writing ability comes to the fore here as you create a
compelling message carefully designed to alter your
key target audience’s perception, if called for by your
public relations goal.

Here’s a tip. Combining your corrective message with
another news announcement or presentation may lend
more credibility by downplaying the need for such a
correction.

Be very clear about what perception needs clarification
or correction, and why. Your facts 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.
In other words, your message must be compelling.

You could 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.

Luckily, the list of tactics is extensive. It includes letters-
to-the-editor, brochures, press releases and speeches. Or,
you might select radio and newspaper interviews, personal
contacts, facility tours or customer briefings. There are
dozens in waiting and 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.

By the way, things can always be moved along at a faster
clip by adding more communications tactics, AND by
increasing their frequencies.

It won’t be long before those around you will be asking if
any progress is being made. By which time you already
will be hard at work remonitoring perceptions among
your target audience members. Using questions similar to
those used during your earlier monitoring session, you’ll
now be on the lookout for indications that audience
perceptions are beginning to move the way you want
them to move.

The best way to satisfy your associates’ curiosity is with
the results you will receive when you undertake this
aggressive public relations plan. In other words, targeting
the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads
directly to achieving your department, division or subsidiary
objectives.

end