“PR is talking to media on behalf of a client.” An important means to an even more important end – communicating, as planned, with target audiences in order to alter their perception and modify their behaviors.

“PR is art and science of helping clients or employers communicate more effectively and persuasively with audiences that impact them.” Good, as far as it goes. But, it would be better if it said “the science of helping clients or employers achieve behavior modification they REALLY want,” rather than stopping at interim communications step.

And finally, “PR is ability to influence public opinion.” Which displays a trait common to most of these pronouncements – it stops short of a clear description of what people who are paying for public relations really want.

Employers and clients are not primarily interested in our ability to schmooze with media, communicate or paint images. Nor are they especially fascinated with our efforts to identify target audiences, set public relations goals and strategies, write persuasive messages, select communications tactics, et al.

What they invariably DO want is a change in behaviors of certain key audiences which leads directly to achievement of their business objectives. Hence, emphasis in this article on careful planning for altered key audience perceptions and modified behaviors.

Which is why quality planning, and degree of behavioral change it produces, defines success or failure of a public relations program.

Done correctly, when public relations results in modified behaviors among groups of people important to an organization, we’re talking about nothing less than its survival.

end

Bob Kelly, public relations consultant, was director of public relations for Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-Public Relations, Texaco Inc.; VP-Public Relations, Olin Corp.; VP-Public Relations, 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