Home
>
Public Relations
>
Are You Dissing Public Relations

Are You Dissing Public Relations

If you leave a star player sitting on the bench, you could be the loser.

Look at it this way. Because you push hard to reach your sales and marketing objectives, you need the help of your top external audiences.

If you agree, what are you doing to insure their support? At the least, you need to prioritize those key target audiences and work them hard from the top down because few of us can do them all at once.

When I say work them hard from the top, I mean start by monitoring carefully how members of that most important target audience feel about your business. You must interact with them and ask a lot of questions.

Notice any negative feelings? How about misconceptions that need fixing? Any inaccurate understandings of your products and services? In short, ANY perceptions about your business that you need to alter?

With information like that in hand, you can set your public relations goal. It could be as simple as this: clear up that misconception, explain away that inaccurate understanding, or respond clearly and positively to feelings of uncertainty.

So, with your goal all set, what's next? Right! You select a strategy. Since you have only three choices, it will be an easy decision. Create opinion (perceptions) where none exist, change existing opinion, or reinforce it. Let the goal you established guide your strategy selection.

Now you go for the meat on the bone, your message. And it will need to be a specific and compelling message that clearly and creditably lays out, for example, why the rumor is dead wrong, or why that belief about the company is not only inaccurate, but unfair. In brief, the message must be both crystal-clear and very believable.

But even a first-class message does no good sitting on a shelf. It needs aggressive communications tactics to carry it to the eyes and ears of members of your key target audience, whose behaviors you wish to alter.

Fortunately for all concerned, there are dozens of communications tactics available to you. They range from emailings, speeches, press releases and face-to-face meetings to broadcast interviews, consumer briefings and open houses and a lot of others.

But the moment of truth arrives when you remonitor how members of your key target audience NOW perceive you and your business. Again, you must ask plenty of questions while attempting to highlight how, and if perceptions have been altered by your communication. What about that frighteningly inaccurate perception of your business - better than before? And the specific misconception that most of your products are made in South East Asian sweat shops. Any improvement there? And the small number of interviewees who had never even heard of your firm. Has that number been reduced?

If insufficient progress is noted, remedies include a heavier, and wider concentration on communications tactics. As would a review of, and adjustment to your message content.

The prize remains the same. Altered perceptions leading to desired behaviors that directly contribute to the success of your business.

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.

Robert A. Kelly ? 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: bobkelly@tni.net; bobkelly@tni.net

same day cleaning service Des Plaines ..

In The News:

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.