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 1040 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2003. Can Small PR Firms Deliver Huge Results?
They can when they invest in
basics. The best of them obviously rely on some form of public relations fundamental premise to produce winners across business environments from rockets and orange juice to product recalls and indicted CEOs.
But, chances are top producers among small PR firms have built their businesses on a premise like this one:
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 those people whose behaviors affect organization, public relations mission is accomplished.
Public relations firms who do not base their work on a premise like this one are well-advised to consider doing so.
The reason? Their clients are subject to same realities as rest of us, realities that never change. People usually behave based on their perception of facts. And clients usually demand certain behaviors from those “publics” whose behaviors have most impact on their businesses.
Even more to point, when client managers start looking for a return on their public relations investment, they want to see kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving their objectives.
Which is why, especially for small PR firm anxious to meet client needs, there is no better performance measure at which to aim.
However, for those small PR firms not yet guided by any kind of public relations fundamental premise, here is a suggestion.
Consider premise outlined above, then take a shot at convin- cing a new or current client to let you produce a broader, more productive public relations effort for his or her company. And remember, fundamental premise of public relations outlined above is a great equalizer placing all public relations firms on a level playing field when it comes to effectiveness of process. It especially targets those firms with a client who expects best value from PR dollars spent, not simply a limited and mechanical publicity placement effort.
In other words, consider using premise as a means for going after higher quality new business, or upgrading an account and broadening work performed for a savvy client who wishes to squeeze every benefit out of money they spend on public relations.
Start by listing a client’s most important outside audiences in priority order – audiences whose behaviors directly and visibly affect client success or failure. At top of such a list are usually prospects and customers. But it could well include community residents, business and political leaders, suppliers, minorities, fraternal groups, nearby military personnel and union leaders. The target list might even include “clients of your client” where such activity is a high priority for that client.
