 When hairnet industry found itself threatened by shorter hairstyles of 1920s, Bernays convinced health officials to require restaurant employees to wear hairnets. He also urged fashion setters and famous artists to write newspaper articles that proclaimed beauty of long, flowing hairstyles.

 When Proctor & Gamble found that it couldn’t get children to use Ivory Soap, Bernays organized national soap-carving contests for kids.

 When bacon industry found itself being shut out of urban American breakfast during Roaring Twenties, Bernays found doctors to proclaim that a “hearty breakfast” of bacon and eggs is more healthful than a light breakfast of coffee, fruit and toast.

The key, Bernays said, is to get a credible champion to say what you need to have said or to do what you need to have done in order to alter public’s opinion. Bernays would build an event around this champion’s words or actions, thus attracting media attention.

In this way, he would change opinions and behaviors of consumers, and thus grow overall market for his clients.

Bernays knew what many CEOs forget: It is always better to own a small share of a growing market than a large share of a shrinking market.

The Bernays Formula for employing news media to change public behavior is simple, but effective: 1.) Use PR to generate an event. 2.) Use event to generate news. 3.) Use news to change opinion or behavior.

Of course, today’s news media are far more skeptical than they were in Bernays’ day. But they are just as easily manipulated by PR Rainmaker who has creativity and moxie to put Bernays’ ideas to work.

Don’t believe it?

Study media machinations of Clinton White House.

Observe techniques of activist groups opposing everything from old-growth forestry to global trade.

Dissect news in national media and look for front groups, third-party experts and public events that are used to mold public opinion.

You can apply these same techniques today to grow your business.

The PR Rainmaker knows what Bernays knew: If you want to attract more customers or clients, focus on changing their opinions and behaviors, not on changing your product or service.

Or, as Napoleon told his generals, “Circumstance? I make circumstance.”

Copyright 2003 by W.O. Cawley Jr.

Then there are many, many minor angles, such as interpretive piece or consumer investigation. Don’t worry about these. Just learn to recognize a hard news story from a feature story.

4. Identifying Peg – A news story is different from an entry in an encyclopaedia. Both contain facts. But news requires a reason for facts to be told.

That reason is peg.

Don’t confuse peg with angle. The angle is reporter’s approach to story. The peg is reporter’s excuse for telling story.

For example, virtually any encyclopaedia contains an entry about tobacco. But reporter can’t pick up this entry and report it as news. The facts are there, but not peg.

However, if this morning a star athlete announces he has developed a cancer from using chewing tobacco, suddenly reporter has a peg – a reason – to write about tobacco.

Every news story, no matter angle, must have a peg. Without it, there is no reason to write story.

5. Making Deadline – Every journalist is racing against time. The TV news reporter is fighting a 3 p.m. deadline for 6 p.m. broadcast. The magazine reporter must meet a deadline three months from now. The Web reporter faces a new deadline every few minutes.

The deadline is just that: The last possible moment when reporter is allowed to file a story for print, broadcast or transmission.

Reporters who miss their deadlines lose their jobs.

6. Satisfying Boss – Every story must interest at least two people before it sees light. Those people are reporter and his editor.

If either one rejects story, it is dead.

The Boss also sets criteria for reporters: What they can cover, what they can pursue, how they can write their stories, what angles they can take, which pegs are acceptable and when deadline is due.

Make no mistake. You may never see The Boss. But world of journalism is ruled by editor, not reporter.

These are problems that face every reporter: Story, facts, angle, peg, deadline and editors.

The PR Rainmaker knows: If you can help reporters solve their problems, you can become their best friend. And therein lies great opportunity.

Copyright 2003 by W.O. Cawley Jr.