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 1075 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2004. Does
PR Blueprint Work?
Managers, please take a minute and read two sentences: 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.
Properly executed, this comprehensive blueprint will help you persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your unit’s success.
And, as you move emphasis of public relations crew assigned to your operation from communications tactics to model outlined above, YOU move ever closer to personal success as a unit manager.
Here’s why. The blueprint demands of you a sharper focus on very groups of outside people who play a major role in just how successful a manager you will be – your key external audiences.
Like most managerial initiatives you implement, your new public relations blueprint also will require aggressive execution.
But, how do we KNOW blueprint works? In three ways:
1) Goal achievement
2) Follow big boys
3) Problem-solving muscle
Goal achievement -- Because blueprint requires that a public relations goal be established, first way we know blueprint works is when you achieve that goal. That’s just pure success when you end up nailing objective you planned for up front.
Follow big boys -- watch performance of big business, non-profit and association operators. Over time, large organizations become aware of those outside audiences whose behaviors affect it most because those stakeholder behaviors can and do cause pain. In due course, a list of these “publics” is created of special interest to public relations department and its agencies.
Because some behaviors hurt more than others, big boys often assign key stakeholder audience rankings. This prioritizes them as to impact, highlighting which target audiences require special attention and a hefty chunk of public relations budget.
Unlike smaller entities, big organizations benefit from extensive early-warning networks in form of field representatives, suppliers, customers of all sizes, various vendors, local, regional and national print and broadcast media who cover their activities, university contacts, retirees, sales representatives and residents of towns where its facilities operate.
Such networks provide much of perception monitoring needed to discover and track how organization’s key target audiences perceive it. In many cases, larger organizations retain professional survey counsel to gather these data, while others utilize staff public relations expertise in perception and behavior matters.
Many larger organizations waste little time applying corrective action to serious perception problems because they know how they can morph into troublesome behaviors. The public relations goal usually reflects most negative perceptions discovered either during opinion monitoring phase or from input gleaned from members of organization’s diverse network. For example, a new goal such as clarifying a dangerous misconception, correcting an unfortunate inaccuracy or spiking a potentially hurtful rumor.
