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, to 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 establishing 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 in minds of target audience members.

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 organization most.

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

So, could this be 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 that minority community knows you don’t discriminate.

0 Make employee hiring and retention problems a thing of 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 how 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 produce most significant impacts on your organization?

Let’s call that outside audience #1 on 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?