Public Relations: Recession Tool

Written by Robert A. Kelly


Continued from page 1

Next, prepare persuasive messages that not only provide details about your product and service quality, but address problems that surfaced during your conversations with target audience members. Identify what is really at issue at repparttar moment; impart a sense of credibility to your comments; perform regular assessments of how opinion is currently running among that group, constantly adjusting your message; as well as highlighting those key issue points most likely to engage their attention and involvement; and finally, identify and build into your messages pre-tested, action- producing incentives for individuals to takerepparttar 106608 actions you desire.

Then, considerrepparttar 106609 most effective means for communicating each message to each audience. This may include simple face-to-face meetings, briefings, news releases, news announcement luncheons, media interviews, facility tours, targeted speeches, a brochure, and a variety of other communications tactics.

And don’t forget special events, newsworthy activities like trade shows, open houses, awards ceremonies, contests, VIP receptions, financial roadshows, and even media-attracting stunts each of which will provide additional opportunities to communicate your message to your target stakeholders.

As you look for signs that your aggressive efforts are changing perceptions forrepparttar 106610 better, especially important in a recession, you should begin to notice increased awareness of your organization, especially progress inrepparttar 106611 marketplace for products and services as well as ideas; increased receptiveness to your messages; a growing public perception ofrepparttar 106612 role your organization plays in its industry and inrepparttar 106613 community; and, of course, growing numbers of prospects.

These details are tracked by speaking on a regular basis with people among each of your priority audiences, by monitoring print and broadcast media for mentions of your messages or viewpoints, by interaction with key customers and prospects and, if resources permit, modest opinion sampling.

Each of these indicators will reflect a segment of local, individual perception which, in turn, will gradually begin to reflectrepparttar 106614 modified behaviors you seek.

Especially during hard times, remember that people in your community or marketing area behave like everyone else – they take actions based on their perception ofrepparttar 106615 facts they hear about you and your business.

Which means that you must deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach them. Especially during recession, you must persuade your stakeholders to your way of thinking, thus moving them to take actions that lead torepparttar 106616 success of your organization.

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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




Is Your Public Relations Investment Paying Off?

Written by Robert A. Kelly


Continued from page 1

Step 3 Reach, Persuade and Move-to-Action

Now, you must reach, persuade and move-to-action those people whose behaviors will affect your organization. That includes, among others, a variety of stakeholders including customers, employees, prospects, retirees, media, legislators and regulators, and both financial and plant communities.

Reaching these target groups means applyingrepparttar most effective communications tools available to you. Among others, these will include such tactics as media relations and publicity- generating news conferences and press releases, newsletters and e-mails, high-profile speeches, charitable contributions, investor relations and informal opinion surveys.

Special events will be high onrepparttar 106607 action list: newsworthy events like trade shows, open houses, awards ceremonies, contests, VIP receptions, financial roadshows, and even media-attracting stunts. Onrepparttar 106608 marketing side, you will want to target your sales-oriented communications to help build brand franchise, win consumer acceptance and gain competitive advantage.

Persuading these important groups of stakeholders to your way of thinking depends heavily onrepparttar 106609 message you prepare for each target audience. You must understand and identify what is really at issue atrepparttar 106610 moment; impart a sense of credibility to your comments; perform regular assessments of how opinion is currently running among that group, constantly adjusting your message; as well as highlighting those key issue points most likely to engage their attention and involvement; and finally, identify and build into your messages pre-tested, action-producing incentives for individuals to takerepparttar 106611 actions you desire.

Moving your target group to action, hopefully with a mix of activity such asrepparttar 106612 above, can be accelerated, even amplified by careful selection ofrepparttar 106613 media to reach your target audience. This applies whether, among others, it’s print or broadcast media, key podium presentations or a series of top level personal contacts, and they all must communicate clearly and directly to your target audiences.

Of equal importance torepparttar 106614 success of your program will berepparttar 106615 selection and perceived credibility ofrepparttar 106616 actual spokespeople who will deliver your messages. They must have stature in their industries, and speak with authority, personal confidence and conviction if meaningful media coverage is to be achieved.

Step 4 Gain and Hold Understanding and Acceptance

By this time, your action program should begin to gain and holdrepparttar 106617 kind of public understanding and acceptance that leads torepparttar 106618 desired shift in public behavior.

Signs that your messages are turning some opinion in your direction should appear. A chance comment in a business meeting, a popular columnist’s observations, e-mails from interested parties or co-worker alerts that this political figure or that local celebrity made public references to your topic, should begin to build. Many of these indicators, each reflectingrepparttar 106619 state of individual perception, will gradually begin to reflectrepparttar 106620 modified behaviors you have in mind.

Step 5 Modifyrepparttar 106621 Behavior, Achieve your Goal

Whenrepparttar 106622 changes in behaviors become truly apparent through media reports, thought-leader comment, employee and community chatter and other feedback, atrepparttar 106623 same time clearly meeting your original behavior modification goal, your public relations program can be deemed a success.

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


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