Not Getting the PR Results You Want?

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Robert A. Kelly © 2003.

Not Getting the PR Results You Want?

The reason might be this simple: as a business, non-profit
or association manager, you’re too focused on communi-
cations tactics and not on a workable blueprint for dealing
with those important outside audiences whose behaviors
most affect your department, division or subsidiary.

If this sounds familiar, the blueprint I refer to provides the
tools required to persuade those key external stakeholders
to your way of thinking. Then, hopefully, move them to
take actions that lead to your success.

A blueprint, say, like this one: 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.

And, by the way, this is a blueprint that can produce
behaviors such as more prospects interested in your
services or products, more proposals for joint ventures and
strategic alliances, more frequent repeat purchases, or fresh,
new capital contributions and membership applications.

If this is something you wish to pursue, the next move is
yours. For example, take the time to enlist those public
relations people assigned to your unit in a brand-new
push to find out once and for all what those outside
audiences – those with behaviors that actually affect
your organization – really think about you.

That’s where the rubber meets the road because target
audience perceptions inevitably lead to behaviors that will
either hinder or help you in reaching your objectives.

So, let’s assume you and your PR team decide to prioritize
your outside audiences, then monitor the perceptions of
members of the #1 target audience on your list.

Here’s the first “fork in the road.” You can use your PR
professionals – who after all are in the perception and
behavior business – to interact with target audience members
by asking a lot of questions. For instance, “What do you
know about us? Have you ever had dealings with our
organization? Was it, or they, satisfactory?”

Or, if you have access to an ample budget, you can engage
the services of a professional survey firm to handle the
perception monitoring chore for you. Keep in mind, however,
that this activity is central to the success of a public relations
effort.

Either way, the data assembled by this drill is the raw material
used to create your public relations goal. And that goal might
call for clearing up a troublesome misconception, fixing a serious
inaccuracy or killing that budding rumor dead as a doornail.

But reaching that goal is another story. You need a strategy
to show you the way, and when it comes to perceptions and
opinion, there are only three strategies from which to choose:
change existing opinion/perception, create it where none
exists, or reinforce the perception. Trick is, be certain the
strategy you select is a natural fit with your new public
relations goal. For example, if you discovered a really negative
perception among members of your target audience, you
certainly wouldn’t choose the “reinforce” strategy.

But the real “beast of burden” in this PR problem solving
sequence is the message you will use to alter the offending
perception you turned up during your audience monitoring
drill. This is one message that must be very well written,
clear as crystal, and supported by compelling and believable
facts if it is to alter what some of your target audience
members believe. In this way, the message can nudge
perception in your direction, lead to the behaviors you have
in mind, and help you achieve your unit objectives.

Final challenge? Get that message to the eyes and ears of
members of your target audience. And that means selecting
and employing the right communications tactics from the
wide choice available to you. You can use personal contacts,
special events, media interviews and speeches. Or, you might
select from among news announcements, facility tours,
newsletters, brochures, audience briefings and so many others.
But be certain that the tactics you choose have a record of
reaching people like the members of your target audience.

Soon, however, questions will be asked as to how the new
public relations effort is faring. In other words, “Are we
getting the PR results we want?”

A fair question and one that can be fairly answered
by returning to the field for a follow up monitoring session.
Once again, you as the manager, and/or your PR support staff,
must ask questions similar to those you asked during your
earlier benchmark perception monitoring session.

The difference now? You want to see evidence that your
perception monitoring, your public relations goal and
strategy as well as your carefully crafted corrective
message and communications tactics have actually altered
the offending perception as you planned.

Should results not come fast enough, additional
communications tactics can be added, and their frequencies
increased.

Bottom line: as the department, division or subsidiary
manager for a business, non-profit or association, if the
primary focus of your public relations effort is tactics, you
are well-advised to make a shift in favor of this kind of
workable PR blueprint that gives you the best chance of
achieving your unit’s operating objectives.

end

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to 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 communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com