How cool is this? You're a business, non-profit or association manager. You decide to get serious about your public relations and shift the spotlight away from communications tactics. You implement an action blueprint that (1), helps you persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking. And then (2), helps move them to take actions that lead to your success as a department, division or subsidiary manager.
It comes into sharper focus when that public relations blueprint helps deliver target audience behaviors like new waves of prospects buzzing around, more qualified calls about strategic alliances, a jump up in repeat purchases, a boost in the number of engineering consultants specifying your products or services, and even increased membership applications and contributions.
What is that blueprint, anyway? Try 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 accomplished.
As I've said many times in the past about that fundamental premise of public relations, it shines the PR spotlight directly on those outside groups of people with a large say about how successful a manager is going to be ? namely, it targets his or her most important external audiences.
But you need the PR folks assigned to your unit to buy into the program and shift their priorities from communications tactics to a workable, comprehensive plan like this one designed to deliver those key, outside audience behaviors.
Behaviors, by the way, that obviously help or hinder a manager in achieving his or her operating objectives.
The real work for you as the department, division or subsidiary manager starts by listing all your key external audiences in priority order so that you initially focus your resources on that number one audience.
Next step is answering the question, what do members of that audience think about your organization? Short of spending big money on professional survey counsel, you and your PR team can/should/must interact with those members by asking questions such as "What, if anything, do you think about us? Have you ever dealt with our people? Were you pleased with the experience? Have you heard other comments about our organization?"
At each step in this perception monitoring drill, you and your team must watch carefully for negatives like false assumptions, rumors, misconceptions and inaccurate statements. In other words, negativities that might turn into target audience behaviors that could really damage your operation.
The monitoring data you collect is the stuff of your public relations goal. For example, stifle the rumor, straighten out the misconception, turn around the false assumption, or make that inaccuracy accurate.
However, managers know that achieving any goal demands the right supporting strategy to show you how to reach it. Considering the workload, you'll be glad to know that opinion/ perception matters allow just three strategy choices: create perception where there isn't any, change existing perception, or reinforce it. But be alert to the need to select a strategy that directly complements your public relations goal.
The real burden of this PR problem solving sequence rests with the actual message you use to communicate your corrective facts to your target audience. This is where the public relations heavy lifting takes aim at altering individual perception among your target audience population.
First and foremost, your message must be clear, persuasive and carefully factual if it is to nudge perception/opinion in your direction and lead directly to those behaviors you desire. And it will do so only if your message is both believable and compelling. Which suggests that it be vetted prior to release by a variety of individuals to insure that it measures up to these standards.
You're in luck because you will benefit from a long list of communications tactics to help carry your message to the eyes and ears of members of your target audience. The list includes tactics like speeches, special events, media interviews and newsletters as well as press releases, customer briefings, facility tours, emails and quite a few others. Only caution here is, research each tactic carefully to be certain it has a record of reaching people just like those who make up your target audience.
Fortunately, things can always be accelerated by adding more high- impact communications tactics, increasing their frequencies and fine-tuning your message.
Answering the opening question, using a public relations blueprint of this nature can be extremely "cool." Especially when you, as a unit manager for a business, non-profit or association, take these steps to help persuade your key outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then help move them to take actions that lead to your managerial success.
In my view, that IS the best PR has to offer managers.
About The Author
Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association 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: mailto:bobkelly@tni.net
Chicago limo Skokie ..Shooting from the hip always creates anxiety.Especially when managers order... Read More
I heard a speaker recently who was talking about how... Read More
And here it is: public relations alters individual perception leading... Read More
Have you ever noticed that in communities without big universities,... Read More
Just like a financial planning client fears not having enough... Read More
Let's start out with a caution for business, non-profit and... Read More
What's more crucial to the success of a business, non-profit... Read More
The world has woken up to ethical issues in corporate... Read More
Publicity is obtaining editorial coverage or features for your business.... Read More
?makes the rules, of course.But when the gold takes the... Read More
Today's issue of Lean Marketing Champions features tips on doing... Read More
If your key ? that's KEY ? outside audiences don't... Read More
Sure, any publicity is good. But don't invest time and... Read More
While awaiting economic recovery, business needs to attract the attention... Read More
Not a single reporter showed up at our news event.... Read More
Public relations writing when writing press releases can be a... Read More
They know they had better do something positive about those... Read More
Whether you are a business, non-profit or association manager, your... Read More
This is the ending to my previous article, How to... Read More
A great way to celebrate your achievements and capitalize on... Read More
Would you like to expand the volume of your business?... Read More
Stripped down to its core, publicity is little more than... Read More
A Press Release is a captive story that can be... Read More
PRESIDENT BUSH TELLS A STORYOn March 18, 2005, President Bush... Read More
The annual detailing of the Kentucky Derby Train is an... Read More
limo O'Hare Bonfield ..Redevelopment is replacing new construction throughout the Greater Boston area,... Read More
Writing an effective press release is a way to draw... Read More
Yes indeed! If you are a young person who has... Read More
The public relations bar, should such a proficiency measure ever... Read More
Just because a publication is small doesn't mean that getting... Read More
THE NATURE OF MEDIAThirty years ago, Marshall McCluhan, the father... Read More
Maybe it played for Kevin Costner in "Field of Dreams,"... Read More
Don't let yourself be diverted by communications tactics playtime. You... Read More
Most people consider getting publicity the most important part of... Read More
Did you Know That Even TV Remote Control Units... Read More
Gaining news coverage on a successful press tour requires planning,... Read More
While awaiting economic recovery, business needs to attract the attention... Read More
The media live by the calendar. Your story pitch might... Read More
The truth is, you CAN attract the support of those... Read More
When most people think of media relations, they think of... Read More
At the core of any successful public relations campaign is... Read More
Although repetition is extremely important, there are times when advertising... Read More
Andrew Bogut, the Australian basketballer is now officially in the... Read More
Every reporter, from the cub at the small town paper... Read More
As small businesses we have an opportunity and an obligation... Read More
Keep these few crucial details in mind when writing and... Read More
Demand that it pull its own weight in your boat... Read More
Some people think that publicity is all about paparazzi snapping... Read More
Etymology is the study of the origins of words.As languages... Read More
Have you ever noticed that in communities without big universities,... Read More
Public Relations |