PR Failure Defined

Written by Robert A. Kelly


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. Net word count is 745 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2003.

PR Failure Defined

I define public relations failure this way:

0 key audience perceptions are not monitored 0 a realistic, corrective goal is not set 0 an improper, or no real strategy is selected 0 a persuasive, compelling message is not prepared 0 communications tactics are selected mostly by hunch 0 and no follow-through perception monitoring is done to determine progress.

Failure insured! Similar, in fact, torepparttar artillery commander who tells his gunners to point their cannons in any direction and fire them when they feel like it!

No plan, no results!

Why not deal this way with those external target audiences whose behaviors really have an impact on your organization?

Who are they? List them in order of their impact on your operation. And let’s concentrate here on #1.

What do you really know about how they perceive your operation? This is vital, of course, because perceptions almost always lead to predictable behaviors. That’s why it’s so important that you get this step right.

Fact is, you must interact with members of this target audience and question them carefully. What do they think of you and your organization? Do you detect negative undercurrents? Are you surprised by certain inaccuracies or misconceptions? Has a rumor crept in to their consciousness to do its dirty work?

The answers prepare you for establishingrepparttar 105397 corrective public relations goal. For example, straighten out that wrong impression. Or fix that misconception. Or correct that unfortunate inaccuracy. Rumors, of course, need immediate attention to neutralize them inrepparttar 105398 minds of target audience members.

With your goal all set, what is your strategy for achieving it? This one is a time-saver because there are only three strategies designed to deal with this situation: create opinion (perceptions) where none may exist; or change existing opinion; or reinforce it. Your goal will point you towardrepparttar 105399 proper choice.

A Well-Oiled Strategy Machine

Written by Robert A, Kelly


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. Net word count is 910 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2003.

A Well-Oiled Strategy Machine

Yes, that’s what public relations really is when it tracks important external audience perceptions and follow on behaviors. And again when it does something about those perceptions and behaviors by reaching, persuading and moving to actions you desire, those people whose behaviors affect your organizationrepparttar most.

All of which makes it much more likely that you will achieve your operating objectives.

So, could this berepparttar 105395 time to put a new public relations program in motion that will provide you with results like these?

0 Make sales prospects aware of your product and service values and convert many of them to customers.

0 Reinforce those same product and service values with your existing customers and keep many of them.

0 Boost your productivity by persuading your employees that you really do care about them.

0 Avoid unnecessary problems by insuring thatrepparttar 105396 minority community knows you don’t discriminate.

0 Make employee hiring and retention problems a thing ofrepparttar 105397 past by convincing community residents that your business is a good place to work.

0 Avoid “bad press” by being straightforward and responsive to media queries – and NEVER lie to them!

0 And nail down that joint venture or strategic alliance by quickly knocking down negative rumors started by trouble- making competitors.

Now, here’s howrepparttar 105398 well-oiled strategy machine that produces such results can support your objectives and work hard for YOU..

Decide up front who matters most to you among those outside audiences of yours. Whose behaviors can make or break your day? Which audiences producerepparttar 105399 most significant impacts on your organization?

Let’s call that outside audience #1 onrepparttar 105400 priority list and work on it right now. Of course, other external audiences will require your attention in due course.

First question: how do members of this key target audience view your organization and its products and services? Always surprises me how many business people answer this question vaguely, if at all.

To get those and other useful responses, you must interact with those individuals and ask a lot of questions. For example, what do you think of us and our products/services? Or, have you had any problems with our services or products?

Be especially alert to negative responses or even undertones. And watch closely for inaccuracies that need to be corrected, or misconceptions you must clear up. Rumors, of course, must be addressed directly and killed dead, to emphasize repparttar 105401 point!

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