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When you monitor individual perceptions this way, responses you receive allow you to establish your public relations goal. For example, neutralize that rumor, or clear up that misconception, or correct that inaccuracy.
But what good is that public relations goal all by itself? No good, of course, until you know how you’re going to achieve it. And that means you need a strategy. Since there are really just three ways to affect perceptions or opinion, you must decide whether public relations goal can be achieved by creating opinion/ perceptions where there isn’t any, or by changing existing opinion, or by reinforcing it.
And so, with goal and strategy all set, real work begins. What are you going to say to those individuals whose perceptions of your organization you wish to alter? In other words, you need a message that, in addition to being crystal-clear as to intent, will be persuasive, credible and really compelling. And you must be specific as to whether you seek to correct a misconception, an inaccuracy, a rumor or a mistaken belief about organization.
Every bullet needs a gun to fire it at target. And same goes for your message. The “beasts of burden” that will carry your message to right eyes and ears among your target audience will be communications tactics. They include news releases, letters-to-the-editor, speeches, newsletters, brochures, face-to-face meetings, broadcast interviews and dozens of others.
In due course, you will wonder if you’re making any progress. Best way to tell is to monitor members of your target audience all over again. Ask questions similar to those you used earlier, and listen carefully for indications that their perceptions now reflect corrective elements of your message.
Not enough movement in their perceptions? You’ll want to think about increasing number of different communications tactics you’re bringing to bear as well as an increase in their frequencies. And don’t forget to re-evaluate factual basis and impact of your message itself.
Your ongoing monitoring of perceptions among your key target audience will begin to reveal changes in that opinion as time passes. And that spells success in public relations.
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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