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Robert A. Kelly © 2004.
Do You Really Need PR?
The right kind of PR, that is, the kind that puts you in
charge of the care and feeding of a lot of people who
play a major role in just how successful a manager
you’re going to be?
As that manager, it also helps if you accept the fact that
you need the kind of external stakeholder behavior change
that helps you reach your business, non-profit or
association objectives.
And it’s also helpful if you believe it’s a good idea
to try and persuade those important outside folks to your
way of thinking, then move them to take actions that help
your department, division or subsidiary succeed.
Given all of that, if it now appears that you need to do
something positive about the behaviors of those outside
audiences that most affect your operations, yes, you
really need public relations!
I mean, look at the sort of results you could be getting:
politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key
member of the business, non-profit or association
communities; prospects starting to do business with you;
fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures;
membership applications on the rise; customers starting to
make repeat purchases; community leaders beginning to
seek you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; higher
employee retention rates; and even capital givers or
specifying sources beginning to look your way.
So we agree that, yes, you really need public relations.
But here’s what’s got to happen.
From the get-go, assure yourself that the public relations people
assigned to your department, division or subsidiary know
you’re determined to find out what your most important outside
audiences actually think about your organization. Reason being
that target audience perceptions usually lead to behaviors that
can help or hinder you in achieving your operating objectives.
Pin down which audiences are really key to your success then
build and prioritize your list of important outside groups of
people whose actions most affect your unit. And begin work
on that top external audience.
Your new public relations effort will depend for its success on
how efficient you are in gathering the perceptions of your
organization held by your key target audiences.
Put your public relations team to work interacting with members
of that #1 outside audience. Or, if you can tap a good sized
budget, you can ask a professional survey firm to do the job for
you. However, because your PR folks are already in the
perception and behavior business, my choice would be to use
them for this assignment.
Either way, someone must interact with members of that prime
audience and ask questions like “What do you know about our
operation? Are you familiar with our services or products?
Have you had any negotiations with us? If so, were they
satisfactory?”
Keep a careful eye on responses. Notice any evasive or hesitant
comments about your organization? Be especially alert for
misconceptions or untruths. Are there false assumptions or
inaccuracies you need to remedy in light of experience that
shows negative perceptions inevitably lead to negative behaviors –
the kind you must correct to protect your unit’s operations.
All this work prepares you to set your public relations goal.
For instance, clarify a hurtful inaccuracy, fix that misconception
or flatten that rumor once and for all.
As with just about any goal you pursue, you don’t reach it
without the right strategy to show you how to get there. Fact
is, with matters of perception and opinion, you have three
strategic options: change an offending opinion/perception,
create it where there isn’t any, or reinforce an existing
perception.
Here, perhaps the hardest work connected to a public
relations program rears its ugly head preparing the
persuasive message you will use to carry your corrective
facts and figures to members of your key target audience.
Several characteristics are required in such a message. It must
be clearly written as to why that misconception, inaccuracy
or false assumption should be corrected or clarified.
Supporting facts must be truthful so that they lead to a
finished message that is persuasive, believable and compelling.
How would you plan to move your message to your audience?
This is the least complex step in the sequence because
there are so many communications tactics ready to do the
message delivery job for you. They range from op-eds in
local newspapers, radio and TV interviews, speeches,
consumer briefings and brochures to newsletters, special
events, emails, personal meetings and many, many others.
Only caution: be sure the tactics you assign to the job have a
good record of reaching people just like the members of
your target audience.
Can we point to progress? Only way to know for certain if
offending perceptions have been altered, is to interact out
there once again with those audience members asking the
same questions as before. But this time, you and your PR
team will be watching carefully for indications that the
troublesome perception really is correcting in your direction.
That IS where “the public relations rubber meets the road,”
isn’t it? Business, non-profit or association managers use
mission-critical public relations to alter an offending perception,
leading directly to the predictable behavior…which helps them
reach their department, division or subsidiary objectives.
end
About the Author
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