The top three ideas will be prominently featured on NewIdeaTrade.com, an online division of Global Commerce & Communication that connects innovators, investors, and marketers. In addition, winning ideas will be listed on NewIdeaTrade.com database in an effort to attract investors for winners of competition.

Competition entries must be received by October 30, 2003. The winners will be announced on December 30, 2003. Judging criteria for new technology ideas and new product/service ideas are Potential for Commercialization, Creativity, and Quality of Presentation. Judging criteria for ideas addressing global issues are Applicability and Usefulness, Creativity, and Quality of Presentation. Entry form and additional information about competition are available at http://www.newideatrade.com/inventions.htm.

Reaching your goal isn’t going to happen if you don’t have right strategy. You’re fortunate that there are really only three strategy choices: create perceptions (opinion) where there isn’t any, change existing opinion, or reinforce it.

Now comes a real challenge – writing message that will alter that perception. It must make a compelling case, so think about it carefully. In order to persuade, it must state clearly that offending perception is not a true perception. Instead, you lay out truth in a credible manner, keeping in mind your create-change-reinforce strategy choices.

Getting that message to members of your target audience is least complicated step in problem solving sequence. There are dozens of communications tactics available to you that can reach those members. They range from open houses, announcement luncheons, press releases and speeches to articles, emails and newspaper and radio interviews, and many others.

Are you making any progress? Only way to tell is to go back to other members of your target audience and ask same questions all over again. Only now, you watch carefully for signs that their perceptions reflect corrections contained in your message.

If you’re not satisfied with movement in perception, you should consider using a wider selection of communications tactics with a proven record of reaching that audience. You might want to use them more frequently to increase their impact.

Also, your message should be evaluated again for impact and factual content.

Obviously, if you pay regular attention to your most important external audiences, you will be aware that certain behaviors are beginning to exert a negative impact on your organization.

Using a proven sequence like this to deal with those impacts insures that you will always be aware of brewing target audience behaviors that could hurt your organization.

end

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. 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