by Robert
A. Kelly
You'll
never know in the end that your PR
investment was worthwhile unless
you set the right kind of goal at
the beginning -- a goal against
which progress can be measured,
and a goal that flows directly
from public relations strategies
and tactics like those discussed
below.
In my opinion, you must keep your
eye on the end-game because the
reason we do public relations in
the first place is to change the
behaviors of certain groups of
people important to the success of
our organization.
Another way of saying that? What
we REALLY care about is modifying
the behavior of those we wish to
influence.
Ask yourself this question: do we
employ public relations for the
sheer pleasure of writing news
releases, running special events,
doing surveys or booking speeches?
Some folks may actually think so,
but I believe the answer to that
question is no. We employ public
relations so that, at the end of
the day, somebody's behavior gets
modified.
-
you
may wish to influence people
to begin thinking more
positively about your
organization, thus
strengthening its reputation.
-
or
encourage them to begin buying
your soft drink brand by
communicating its great taste
and refreshing flavor.
-
it
could be as simple as
communicating a company's
strengths to a target audience
leading them to invest in the
company's shares.
-
or
even providing environmental
activists with the facts about
the company's full compliance
with Federal regulations, in
the hope they will bring their
plant-site demonstrations to
an end.
But remember: until you have a
solid indication that target
behaviors have, in fact, changed
in ways that meet your primary
behavior modification goal, you
DON'T know if your investment has
paid off.
So, let's look at ways to increase
one's comfort level about that
public relations investment. Here
are five steps, that can help you
hit the public relations bullseye
-- desired behavior modification
-- on your next public relations
venture.
Step
1 Accept the Fact That
People Act on their Perception of
the Facts
Many
behavioral experts agree that
people really do act on THEIR
perception of the facts, and
that how they react to those
facts actually does affect their
behaviors. It follows that
individual understanding of
those facts must be continually
informed if those behaviors are
to help achieve the
organization's goal and
objectives.
A
simple, but effective
illustration of this dynamic at
work, is the investor
considering the purchase of
company shares. With the facts
available to him or her at the
moment, he/she forms a
perception of the company.
Unsupported though they may be,
should those facts cast doubt on
the company's
future, it's safe to say that
the investor's negative
perception of the company will
lead to a certain behavior,
namely, no shares are purchased.
Public
relations counsel, alerted to
the negative perception about
the company through continuous
media monitoring, opinion
sampling and thoughtleader
contact, moves rapidly to
communicate accurate sales and
financial data to the investment
community. In due course, this
leads to perception and
behavioral changes on the part
of many investors -- namely,
towards a decision to buy the
company's shares.
Step
2 Create, Change or
Reinforce Opinion
Here,
after assessing opinion among
your target audiences through
media monitoring, opinion
sampling and thought-leader
contact, you must decide whether
you will create or change or
reinforce public opinion within
each target audience. Choosing
the correct mode - 1)
reinforcing existing opinion, 2)
creating new opinion from
scratch or 3) changing current
and possibly long-held views --
is obviously central to your
message preparation strategy and
its copy approach. Each must be
written to carefully reflect the
timing of the action being
taken.
Step
3 Reach, Persuade and
Move-to-Action
Now,
you must reach, persuade and
move-to-action those people
whose behaviors will affect your
organization. That includes,
among others, a variety of
stakeholders including
customers, employees, prospects,
retirees, media, legislators and
regulators, and both financial
and plant communities.
Reaching these target groups
means applying the most
effective communications tools
available to you. Among others,
these will include such tactics
as media relations and
publicity-generating news
conferences and press releases,
newsletters and e-mails,
high-profile speeches,
charitable contributions,
investor relations and informal
opinion surveys.
Special events will be high on
the action list: newsworthy
events like trade shows, open
houses, awards ceremonies,
contests, VIP receptions,
financial roadshows, and even
media-attracting stunts. On the
marketing side, you will want to
target your sales-oriented
communications to help build
brand franchise, win consumer
acceptance and gain competitive
advantage.
Persuading these important
groups of stakeholders to your
way of thinking depends heavily
on the message you prepare for
each target audience. You must
understand and identify what is
really at issue at the moment;
impart a sense of credibility to
your comments; perform regular
assessments of how opinion is
currently running among that
group, constantly adjusting your
message; as well as highlighting
those key issue points most
likely to engage their attention
and involvement; and finally,
identify and build into your
messages pre-tested,
action-producing incentives for
individuals to take the actions
you desire.
Moving your target group to
action, hopefully with a mix of
activity such as the above, can
be accelerated, even amplified
by careful selection of the
media to reach your target
audience. This applies whether,
among others, it's print or
broadcast media, key podium
presentations or a series of top
level personal contacts, and
they all must communicate
clearly and directly to your
target audiences.
Of equal importance to the
success of your program will be
the selection and perceived
credibility of the actual
spokespeople who will deliver
your messages. They must have
stature in their industries, and
speak with authority, personal
confidence and conviction if
meaningful media coverage is to
be achieved.
Step
4 Gain and Hold
Understanding and Acceptance
By
this time, your action program
should begin to gain and hold
the kind of public understanding
and acceptance that leads to the
desired shift in public
behavior.
Signs that your messages are
turning some opinion in your
direction should appear. A
chance comment in a business
meeting, a popular columnist's
observations, e-mails from
interested parties or co-worker
alerts that this political
figure or that local celebrity
made public references to your
topic, should begin to build.
Many of these indicators, each
reflecting the state of
individual perception, will
gradually begin to reflect the
modified behaviors you have in
mind.
Step
5 Modify the Behavior,
Achieve your Goal
When
the changes in behaviors become
truly apparent through media
reports, thought-leader comment,
employee and community chatter
and other feedback, at the same
time clearly meeting your
original behavior modification
goal, your public relations
program can be deemed a success.
PR
consultant Bob Kelly was
director of PR for Pepsi-Cola
Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR,
Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News
Shipbuilding; director of
communications, U.S. Department
of the Interior, and deputy
assistant press secretary, The
White House.
bobkelly@TNI.net
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