Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1170 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2004. Attention PR Shoppers!
As a business, non-profit or association manager, what do you want?
Publicity that delivers newspaper and talk show mentions, or behavior change among your key outside audiences that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives?
Special events that attract a lot of people, or public relations that persuades your most important outside audiences to your way of thinking, then moves them to take actions that help your department, division or subsidiary succeed?
Zippy brochures and videos, or a way for you to do something positive about
behaviors of those external audiences of yours that MOST affect your organization?
What I believe you need to know about PR are two realities:
1) The right PR really CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors that help you succeed, and 2), your public relations effort must involve more than special events, brochures and news releases if you really want to get your money’s worth,
The underlying truth about PR goes this way: people act on their own perception of facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action very people whose behaviors affect organization most, public relations mission is accomplished.
And it can generate results like prospects starting to work with you; customers making repeat purchases; stronger relationships with educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities; improved relations with government agencies and legislative bodies, and even capital givers or specifying sources looking your way
Once program gets rolling, you also should see results such as new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; rebounds in showroom visits; membership applications on rise; community service and sponsorship opportunities; enhanced activist group relations, and expanded feedback channels, not to mention new thoughtleader and special event contacts.
That’s a lot of results from even a high-impact blueprint.
It almost goes without saying that your PR crew – agency or staff – must be committed to you, as senior project manager, to PR blueprint and its implementation, starting with target audience perception monitoring.
Is it crucially important that your most important outside audiences really perceive your operations, products or services in a positive light? Of course, so assure yourself that your PR staff has bought into whole effort. Be especially careful that they accept reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.
Sit down with your PR team and review PR blueprint in detail, especially plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with interchange? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?
