Between Now and Economic Recovery

There's still time to review your public relations program like Navy flight crews go over a fighter jet.

Reason is, you need to fine-tune your public relations activity looking forward to a snap-back in the economy, when you'll need all guns blazing.

First thing to check?

Do you know for certain what your most important external audiences think about you and your organization? Your answer is central to your success because those key perceptions lead to predictable behaviors, good or bad.

Here's a checklist.

Take another look at those outside audiences and put them in priority order. Decide which is most important to your organization's success, and let's work on that one.

Now, get out there and speak with members of that #1 target audience. And ask a lot of questions about how they feel about you and especially your organization.

Do you sense negative undercurrents? Have rumors crept into their consciousness? Are perceptions of your products, services and pricing what you want them to be?

The responses you receive let you set your public relations goal. For example, impact individual perception in a positive way by clearing up pricing inaccuracies or replacing rumor with truth.

However, to do something about that goal, a strategy is needed showing you how to reach it.

You're fortunate that you can choose from only three possible strategies. Create opinion (perceptions) where none exist, change existing opinion, or reinforce it. The challenge here is to select the strategy most likely to achieve your public relations goal.

Now comes the toughest job of all - creating the message you will send to your target audience. You don't want to goof the message, because it is central to achieving that goal.

First, it must set down the clarifying facts clearly and persuasively. It must take on the issue in question directly, and in an authoritative and compelling manner. And it must be as brief and specific as possible. One way to test message effectiveness is to try it out on several people, being careful to explain how it is intended to create, change or reinforce their opinions.

Here, the real fun begins. You get to pick your "beasts of burden," those communications tactics that will carry your first class message to the right ears and eyeballs in your target audience.

Happily, there are dozens of communications tactics available to you, in all shapes and sizes, to suit the communications challenge at hand, and your pocketbook. You might choose tactics such as community briefings, personal contacts, Internet emails or electronic magazines, news releases, speeches, brochures or even special events and newsworthy surveys.

The moment of truth comes when you go back to members of your target audience and remonitor their responses to your questions. Have perceptions changed? Do answers to your questions indicate less willingness to believe that rumor? Or do you get more accurate responses compared to inaccurate comments earlier?

This is what you want, a visible change in perception on the part of your key audiences. Once achieved, follow on behaviors almost always lead to organizational success.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@tni.net.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2005.

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. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: bobkelly@tni.net; bobkelly@tni.net

move in cleaning service Mundelein ..
In The News:

Quick iPhone and Android battery optimization techniques help your device stay powered all day by turning off hidden features that secretly drain power in the background.
Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.
New 401k catch-up contribution rules in 2026 will change taxes for high earners over 50. Learn how scammers exploit these changes and protect your retirement savings.
Kurt Knutsson's guide covers social media privacy protection through location settings, account privacy controls and two-factor authentication to prevent scams and data breaches.
Revolutionary retinal implant restores central vision in 80% of patients with advanced macular degeneration, offering hope where treatments once only slowed blindness.
Learn how to use passkeys on Windows and Mac computers without cameras or fingerprint readers. Discover secure authentication methods that replace passwords.
Tesla's FSD v14.1.2 update reintroduces Mad Max mode, enabling higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the standard Hurry profile setting.
A phishing email scam targeting American Express customers shows how cybercriminals use fake urgent messages to steal personal and financial information.
Facebook's new Meta AI feature analyzes your camera roll photos to create polished collages automatically, but requires cloud processing and raises privacy concerns.
A New Jersey teenager filed a major lawsuit against AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. over ClothOff, an AI tool that created fake nude images from her social media photos.
Microsoft reports Storm-2657 cybercriminals sent phishing emails to 6,000 addresses at 25 universities to steal payroll credentials and redirect funds.
Astronomers have discovered asteroid 2025 SC79, a skyscraper-sized space rock orbiting the sun in just 128 days. the second-fastest known.
The Fox News AI Newsletter delivers the latest developments form the world of artificial intelligence, including the technology's challenges and opportunities.
A cyberattack on SimonMed Imaging exposed personal information of 1.2 million patients, including medical records, financial details and identity papers.
Spotify's managed accounts for kids under 13 now available in at least seven countries, allowing parents to filter and block explicit content and songs.
Friendly text conversations about BBQs and social events can lead to WEEX gold trading scams that target older adults with fake investment opportunities.
California company Skyeports creates self-healing glass spheres from Moon regolith that generate solar power and support plant growth for sustainable lunar living.
Cleafy researchers discover fake VPN streaming app Mobdro Pro that installs Klopatra banking Trojan, giving attackers full control over Android devices.
Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are adopting virtual reality training to better prepare officers for high-pressure, real-world situations.
House Bill 469 would prevent AI systems from owning property, serving as executives, or gaining legal personhood in Ohio under Representative Thaddeus Claggett's proposal.
Public voter records expose retirees' personal details to election scammers who create targeted cons using names, addresses, and voting history data.
Instead of fearing what comes next with artificial intelligence, think outside the box. Here are high-earning AI jobs that don't require a computer science degree.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says polite words like "please" and "thank you" cost millions annually, while direct prompts may improve ChatGPT accuracy by several points.
Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat exposed intimate conversations and photos, revealing users spent up to $18,000 on AI companions before the breach.
New Instagram parental controls allow families to manage teen screen time and content limits through the Family Center with stricter safety settings.

PR: Am I Getting a Good Deal?

You are getting a good deal when you accept the... Read More

The Press Release: How to Get the Media to Pay Attention!

As many of you already know, promoting and marketing your... Read More

When Should You Outsource Your PR Efforts?

1) Do you NEED solid, consistant media exposure...week after week,... Read More

Publicity - How to Write a Headline That Will Garner Free Publicity

Taking your ad and turning it into paragraph-style prose is... Read More

Public Relations: Power Tool for the 21st Century

I address this article to businesses, associations, non-profits and public... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Dont Hold Back Information From the Media

Some financial planners think that they shouldn't share their top... Read More

The Worst PR Mistakes

For a business, non-profit or association manager, they could be... Read More

What not to wear when doing a TV Interview

? Don't wear all black. You'll look as though you're... Read More

Publicity: Write a Letter to the Editor for Free Publicity

Ever wonder why papers devote a page or more to... Read More

PR Essential to Your Success

Whether you are a business, non-profit or association manager, your... Read More

Leveraging Your Reputation - Making PR Work for You

We rely on all kinds of tools and advice to... Read More

Business Gifts for Your Clients and Employees

Tis' the season for business and corporate gift-giving! If you... Read More

Imagine PR Like This Helping You

As the kids say, how cool is this?You're a business,... Read More

Using the Media - Five Reasons Why

The media has the power to shape public opinion and... Read More

Advertising Is Dead. Long Live PR

Although I still believe there is a place for advertising... Read More

Business - How to Build it Using the Media

Have you ever noticed that when someone is interviewed on... Read More

Public Relations Writing: Write Better Press Release Headlines With More Impact in Less Time

Public relations writing when writing press releases can be a... Read More

What You Dont Know About PR Can Hurt You

And hurt bad if you are a business, non-profit or... Read More

Ignore PR at Your Peril!

If you do, it means:you don't value tracking the perceptions... Read More

Free Radio Publicity for Marketing-Minded Financial Planners

Radio is a powerful publicity tool. Most stations offer news... Read More

Managers: Why Not PR Like This?

I mean public relations that presumes from the get-go that... Read More

Lets Blow The Lid Off Public Relations

And show it for what it is - a humdinger... Read More

How to Form a Relationship with a Newspaper

How do you make a good relationship with a newspaper... Read More

6 Essentials for Doing Your Own PR: Guest Author

Today's issue of Lean Marketing Champions features tips on doing... Read More

PR - More Than News Releases

Public relations and news releases are synonymous in the minds... Read More

insured cleaning company Highland Park ..