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Obviously, problems that surfaced during your first perception monitoring session, will identify your public relations goal. Which should shoot to straighten out that dangerous misconception, or correct that gross inaccuracy, or do something about that wretched rumor.
While you can’t have a public relations goal without a strategy to tell you how to reach it, fact is, you have just three strategic choices when it comes to handling a perception or opinion challenge: create perception where there may be none, change 
perception, or reinforce it. Of course, picking wrong strategy will taste like seaweed on your popcorn, so be certain new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. For example, you don’t want to select “change” when facts dictate a “reinforce” strategy.
At this point, because structure of your corrective message is crucial, we start search for words that compel and persuade. Above all, they must be believable AND clear and factual if they are to persuade an audience to your way of thinking. But a must if you are to correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your point of view, leading to behaviors you desire. Take time to review your message with PR staff for its impact and persuasiveness.
Here you get to pick those communications tactics most likely to attract attention of your target audience. Fortunately, you can pick from dozens of available techniques. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. Just be very sure that tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.
Because very credibility of your message can depend on way you deliver it, you might introduce it to smaller gatherings rather than using higher-profile communications such as news releases or talk show appearances.
In due course, you can expect you and your PR folks will move back to field for a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. Same questions used in first benchmark session, will do trick again. But you must stay alert for signs that your communications tactics have worked and that negative perception is being altered way you want it to be altered.
If things slow down, you can always accelerate matters with a broader selection of communications tactics AND increased frequencies.
Public relation’s single most important contribution to a business, non-profit or association manager is building resolve to do something positive about behaviors of those important outside audiences that most affect their operations.
And that can only be effective when you, manager in charge, has accepted fact that right PR really can alter individual perception and lead to those changed behaviors you need.
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Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using 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 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
Bob Kelly counsels 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. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com
