Clearly, a PR goal without a strategy to show you how to get there, is like lasagna without marinara sauce. As you select one of three strategies especially constructed to create perception or opinion where there may be none, or change existing perception, or reinforce it, what you want to do is insure that goal and its strategy match each other. You wouldn’t want to select “change existing perception” when current perception is just right suggesting a “reinforce” strategy.

Now, you create a compelling message carefully put together to alter your key target audience’s perception, as specified by your public relations goal.

Here’s a thought. Combine your corrective message with another news announcement or presentation which may provide more credibility by downplaying need for such a correction.

Your message must be compelling and quite clear about what perception needs clarification or correction, and why. Of course you must be truthful and your position logically explained and believable if it is to hold attention of members of that target audience, and actually move perception in your direction.

I like to call communications tactics you will use to move your message to attention of that key external audience, “beasts of burden” because they must carry your persuasive new thoughts to eyes and ears of those important outside people.

Happily, you have a wide choice because list of tactics is long indeed. It includes letters-to-the-editor, brochures, press releases and speeches. Or, you might choose radio and newspaper interviews, personal contacts, facility tours or customer briefings. There are scores available and only selection requirement is that communications tactics you choose have a record of reaching people just like members of your key target audience.

We are all lucky in this business because things can always be accelerated by adding more communications tactics, AND by increasing their frequencies.

Colleagues and others will soon be asking about progress. Of course, you will already be hard at work remonitoring perceptions among your target audience members. Using questions similar to those used during your earlier monitoring session, you’ll now be sharp-eyed and on lookout for signs that audience perceptions are beginning to move in your general direction.

Satisfying curiosity in this regard is largely a matter of serving up results you will receive when you undertake this aggressive public relations plan. Put another way, it’s Happy Hour time when you achieve kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your department, division or subsidiary objectives.

end

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to 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 communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com

4. To help determine how important as task is figure out consequences of doing or not doing a task. Are there positive rewards to be gained from completing a task? Are there consequences of not completing a task?

5. Are your tasks just 'busy' work, or are they truly accomplishing something? This uses the Pareto Principle (or 80/20 rule) which you can read about here. Basically concept of this is that 80% of results are accomplished with 20% of effort. Are your tasks part of 80% or 20%? Obviously if part of 20% then these should have a higher priority in your day.

Here's to finding more hours in day!

Mark Nemtsas Moving Target Software Get low cost, efficient, timesheet software!

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