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 1100 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2004. Inoculate Yourself Against Bad PR
What is bad PR?
Well, if you’re a business, non-profit or association manager, bad PR does nothing positive about
behaviors of those important outside audiences of yours that most affect your operation.
It fails to create external stakeholder behavior change leading directly to achieving your managerial objectives.
And it never does persuade those key outside folks to your way of thinking, or move them to take actions that allow your department, division or subsidiary to succeed.
Good PR, on other hand, really CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors you need. At same time, however, it requires more than special events, brochures and news releases if you really want to get your PR money’s worth.
Your inoculation against bad PR is underlying premise of public relations, and here it is: 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.
You may be surprised that good PR 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
As effort gains momentum, you can also 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.
Just how vital is it that your most important outside audiences really perceive your operations, products or services in a positive light? Vital indeed, 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.
Take time to review PR blueprint in detail with your staff, especially how you will gather and monitor matters 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?
The perception monitoring phases of your program can obviously be handled by professional survey people, IF budget is available. But always keep in mind that your PR people are also in perception and behavior business and can pursue same objective: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.
