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 570 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2003. Public Relations: Why it Works
The short answer is, it works best when its fundamental premise is
guide, which insures that primary focus of your public relations program is behaviors of your most important outside audiences. Not less urgent matters like personalities, communi- cations tactics or administrative concerns.
PR strives to effectively manage perceptions and behaviors of your outside audiences with goal of helping you achieve your organizational objectives.
Pretty important stuff.
But not difficult or complex.
Particularly when you get started on right foot.
Namely, do an inventory and identify those groups of people whose behaviors have a clear impact on your organization.
Because how those folks think about you and your organization usually leads to those helpful/hurtful behaviors, job #1 is, find out how they perceive you right now.
You and your colleagues must monitor those perceptions, interact with those target audience individuals and pose lots of questions. What do you think of us? Have you ever had a problem with our service? But remain alert to signs of negativity like hesitant or evasive responses, misconceptions, rumors or inaccuracies.
With those responses in hand, you establish your public relations goal. For example, correct a specific inaccuracy, clear up that misconception, or neutralize a damaging rumor.
Next question: how do I get from here to there? You need a strategy. But in dealing with opinion change, you have just three possibilities. Create opinion/perception where there may be none, change existing opinion, or reinforce it.
