A Powerful PR Strategy

A Powerful PR Strategy



It really is powerful when a business, non-profit or

association manager uses public relations to alter the individual perception of members of its key outside

audiences, thus beginning the process of changing their

behaviors.



And truly powerful when s/he actually persuades many

of those key outside folks to the manager's way of

thinking, helping to move them to take actions that allow

the manager's department, division or subsidiary

to succeed.



What's happening in our example, is that managers are

using public relations to do something positive about the

behaviors of the very outside audiences of theirs that

MOST affect their operation.



ESPECIALLY "warm and fuzzy" when such power

creates the kind of external stakeholder behavior change

that leads directly to achieving the manager's most

important objectives.



Wouldn't it be nice, you say, if managers had available

the precise public relations blueprint they need designed

to get all their team members and organizational

colleagues working towards the same external stakeholder

behaviors?



Yes it would, so here is a PR blueprint plan along those

lines: People act on their own perception of the facts

before them, which leads o 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.



The word powerful seems appropriate when results like

these start to crop up: new proposals for strategic

alliances and joint ventures; capital givers or specifying

sources looking your way; a rebound in showroom visits;

membership applications on the rise; fresh community

service and sponsorship opportunities; new thoughtleader

and special event contacts; improved relations with

government agencies and legislative bodies; prospects

starting to work with you; customers making repeat

purchases; and even stronger relationships with the

educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities.



The division of labor will be a prime concern to you.

Just who is going to do the work anyway? Will it be

regular public relations staff? Or people sent to you by

a higher authority? Or possibly a PR agency crew?

Regardless of where they come from, they must be

committed to you as the senior project manager,

to the PR blueprint and its implementation, starting with

key audience perception monitoring.



Something to keep your eye on. Be sure that your team

members really believe deeply why it's SO important to

know how your most important outside audiences perceive

your operations, products or services. Be certain they buy

the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors

that can help or hurt your unit.



Invest some time in reviewing your PR blueprint with your

PR team, especially your plan for monitoring and gathering

perceptions by questioning members of your most important

outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you

know about our organization? Have you had prior contact

with us and were you pleased with the interchange? How

much do you know about our services or products and

employees? Have you experienced problems with our people

or procedures?



If your budget will allow, you can use professional survey

counsel for the perception monitoring phases of your program.

But remember that your PR people are also in the perception and

behavior business and can pursue the same objective: identify

untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies,

misconceptions and any other negative perception that might

translate into hurtful behaviors.



Now you must establish your public relations goal. This is your

chance to do something about the most serious distortions you

discovered during your key audience perception monitoring.

Your public relations goal might call for straightening out that

dangerous misconception, or correcting that gross inaccuracy,

or stopping that potentially fatal rumor in its tracks.



To achieve success, you need a solid strategy, one that clearly

shows you how to proceed. To keep things simple, note that

there are only three strategic options available to you when it

comes to handling a perception and opinion challenge. Change

existing perception, create perception where there may be none,

or reinforce it. Of course, the wrong strategy pick will taste like

spoiled rhubarb pie so be certain the new strategy fits well

with your new public relations goal. Naturally, you don't want

to select "change" when the facts dictate a "reinforce" strategy.



This is your chance to share a powerful corrective message with members of your target audience. But persuading an audience to

your way of thinking is no easy task. Which is why your PR folks

must come up with words that are not only compelling, persuasive

and believable, but clear and factual. Only in this way will you

be able to correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your

point of view, leading to the behaviors you are targeting.



Run a message draft by your communications specialists to be sure its impact and persuasiveness measure up. Then select the

communications tactics most likely to carry your message to

the attention of your target audience. You can pick from dozens

that are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and

brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters,

personal meetings and many others. But be sure that the tactics

you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience

members.



You might consider unveiling the message in presentations

before smaller gatherings rather than using higher-profile tactics

such as news releases. Reason is, the credibility of a message

can depend on the credibility of its delivery method.



The subject of progress reports will come up soon enough. And this should alert you and your PR team to get back out in the

field and start work on a second perception monitoring session

with members of your external audience. You'll want to use

many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session.

Difference this time is that you will be watching very carefully

for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your

direction.



If things slow down, try speeding them up with more

communications tactics and increased frequencies.



By now you should know this powerful reality at the core of

public relations: the right PR can alter individual perception

leading to changed behaviors which, in turn, lead directly to

achieving your managerial objectives.



end



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 communi- cations, 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.

mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com