Public Relations' 8 Fix Factors

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Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

Public Relations’ 8 Fix Factors

I say to business, non-profit and association managers,
a key part of your job description is – or should be – do
everything you can to help your organization’s public
relations effort as it strives to persuade important outside
stakeholders to your way of thinking. Especially when
it’s YOUR PR program that is tasked to move those
stakeholders to behaviors that lead to the success of
YOUR department or division.

Which is why I suggest that business, non-profit and
association managers embrace what I call PR’s 8 fix factors,
those steps necessary to prepare their public relations
operation for the battles certain to lie ahead.

The fix factors are based on this fundamental premise:
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.

Fix Factor 1

For starters, I caution Mr/Ms Manager that you may find
yourself data-challenged should you be unaware of just HOW
most members of that key outside audience perceive your
organization.

Has anyone sat down and listed those external audiences
whose behaviors could hurt your unit badly? Then prioritized
them according to the impacts they have on your operation?
A necessary first step in creating the right public relations
objective because, while behavior is the goal, and a host of
communications tactics are the tools, our strategy is the
leverage provided by key audience perception. Sometimes
called public opinion.

Fix Factor 2

Lets take a look at the audience you place at the top of your
prioritized target audience list. Because there could be
negative perceptions out there, someone must interact with
members of that audience and ask a number of questions.
Do you know anything about our organization? Have you
had any kind of contact with our people? Have you heard
anything good or bad about us or our services and products?
Watch respondents closely for hesitant or evasive answers.
And stay alert for inaccuracies, rumors, untruths or
misconceptions.

Fix Factor 3

Here, fortunately, you have a choice. You and your PR staff
can interact with members of that target audience yourselves,
which seems appropriate since your PR folks are already in the
perception and behavior business. Or, if budget is available,
you can hire professional survey counsel to do the work
for you.

What are you hearing during your perception monitoring
sessions? Misconceptions that need straightening out?
Rumors that should not be allowed to fester? Inaccurate
beliefs about your products or services that could drive
people away from you? Do you notice other perceptions
about your organization that need to be altered?

Fix Factor 4

The responses gathered by this kind of perception
monitoring among members of the target audience
provides just what you need to establish your public
relations goal – the specific perception to be altered.

You might start with a straightforward goal like clearing
up that misconception, correcting that inaccuracy or
replacing a perceived untruth with the truth.

Fix Factor 5

Now, the right strategy sends the public relations program
off to a good start because it shows you how to proceed
towards your goal. Luckily, there are just three strategic
choices for dealing with matters of opinion and perception.
You can create perception/opinion where there may not be
any, you can change existing opinion, or you can reinforce it.
An effort should be made to match the strategy to the public
relations goal you selected. Obviously, if you want to correct
a misconception, you would use the strategy that changes
existing opinion, not one that reinforces it.

Fix Factor 6

Here, there is a little more work to do in the form of the
message that, hopefully, will alter people’s inaccurate
perceptions of you and the organization.

Some serious writing is needed here. The corrective message
to be communicated to members of the target audience is an
opportunity to write something designed to change individual
opinion, and that’s a positive experience for any writer.

Clarity is first, followed closely by accuracy and believability.
Stick closely to the issue at hand – like that inaccurate belief,
misconception or dangerous rumor. A compelling tone is
useful because the message must alter what a lot of people
believe, and that is a big job. Tryout the message on some
colleagues for effectiveness.

Keep in mind that your message must be believable and that
rather than delivering it in a high-profile news announcement,
you may want to make the message part of another general
interest release, presentation or address.

Fix Factor 7

Now you must throw that message to receivers in the end-zone
or, continuing this scintillating mixture of metaphors, every
bullet needs a gun to fire it at the target. Which brings us to
the stable housing our beasts of burden – the communications
tactics whose job it is to carry your message to the attention
of those key target audience members.

Fortunately, there are many, many such tactics ranging from
luncheons, news releases and personal contacts to print and
broadcast interviews, speeches, press releases and dozens of
others. Only requirement is that they have a proven track
record for reaching your target audience.

Fix Factor 8

Soon, associates (and others) will inquire whether any
progress is being made in altering the offending perception
or opinion. If you’ve ruled out pricey survey counsel,
your best hope of assessing that progress is a return to
the field for a second perception monitoring session.

Yes, you and your PR team will ask the same questions
as you did in the initial monitoring session. But this time,
you’ll be looking for evidence in the responses that the
offending perception is finally being altered. You need
to see and hear signs that perceptions are actually moving
in your direction.

That tells you that positive behaviors by your key external
stakeholders cannot be far behind.

end