There's still time to review your public relations program like Navy flight crews go over a fighter jet.
Reason is, you need to fine-tune your public relations activity looking forward to a snap-back in the economy, when you'll need all guns blazing.
First thing to check?
Do you know for certain what your most important external audiences think about you and your organization? Your answer is central to your success because those key perceptions lead to predictable behaviors, good or bad.
Here's a checklist.
Take another look at those outside audiences and put them in priority order. Decide which is most important to your organization's success, and let's work on that one.
Now, get out there and speak with members of that #1 target audience. And ask a lot of questions about how they feel about you and especially your organization.
Do you sense negative undercurrents? Have rumors crept into their consciousness? Are perceptions of your products, services and pricing what you want them to be?
The responses you receive let you set your public relations goal. For example, impact individual perception in a positive way by clearing up pricing inaccuracies or replacing rumor with truth.
However, to do something about that goal, a strategy is needed showing you how to reach it.
You're fortunate that you can choose from only three possible strategies. Create opinion (perceptions) where none exist, change existing opinion, or reinforce it. The challenge here is to select the strategy most likely to achieve your public relations goal.
Now comes the toughest job of all - creating the message you will send to your target audience. You don't want to goof the message, because it is central to achieving that goal.
First, it must set down the clarifying facts clearly and persuasively. It must take on the issue in question directly, and in an authoritative and compelling manner. And it must be as brief and specific as possible. One way to test message effectiveness is to try it out on several people, being careful to explain how it is intended to create, change or reinforce their opinions.
Here, the real fun begins. You get to pick your "beasts of burden," those communications tactics that will carry your first class message to the right ears and eyeballs in your target audience.
Happily, there are dozens of communications tactics available to you, in all shapes and sizes, to suit the communications challenge at hand, and your pocketbook. You might choose tactics such as community briefings, personal contacts, Internet emails or electronic magazines, news releases, speeches, brochures or even special events and newsworthy surveys.
The moment of truth comes when you go back to members of your target audience and remonitor their responses to your questions. Have perceptions changed? Do answers to your questions indicate less willingness to believe that rumor? Or do you get more accurate responses compared to inaccurate comments earlier?
This is what you want, a visible change in perception on the part of your key audiences. Once achieved, follow on behaviors almost always lead to organizational success.
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
Batchtown Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareSure, any publicity is good. But don't invest time and... Read More
1) Package your story. Two critical elements will help you... Read More
For some, public relations works well when their news release... Read More
The most sensible way for business, non-profit or association managers... Read More
You are a spokesperson for your company, representing it for... Read More
The message is determined by analyzing the brand being marketed,... Read More
To many marketers, the press release is something of a... Read More
With a dismal failure rate of more than 75 percent... Read More
Ain't a gonna happen unless business, non-profit and association managers,... Read More
It happens to business, non-profit and association managers when their... Read More
New business owners often miss out on publicity opportunities because... Read More
Recently someone asked me why so many restaurants go out... Read More
Think that you aren't big enough for national media coverage?... Read More
What do your customers say about your company?Would you let... Read More
So many restaurants spend money on publicity and then practically... Read More
In this great country of ours, there are basically three... Read More
Have you ever gotten one of those letters from your... Read More
A press release telling about "Stevie, the Water-Skiing Squirrel" will... Read More
Prior to launching a new public relations campaign, evaluate the... Read More
Because PR can be difficult to control, it is often... Read More
Imagine that you are a radio producer. You have to... Read More
If I were coaching you as a business, non-profit or... Read More
More than half of America skips the Super Bowl, the... Read More
Last month, we told you about "pay for play," a... Read More
It sounds too simple to be true, but it really... Read More
shuttle from Midway Munster are ..Everyone knows the value of free publicity. And given the... Read More
If you do, it means:you don't value tracking the perceptions... Read More
Recently I had a craving for... Read More
There's a dirty little secret about press releases that the... Read More
They say that image is everything and some of us... Read More
Business, non-profit and association managers are in a stronger position... Read More
As eyes look forward to a new business year, many... Read More
As an entry level position to PR, I found myself... Read More
For business, non-profit and association managers, is it publicity that... Read More
Yes, and that pressure often comes from a CEO who... Read More
Media kits include a combination of information whether created for... Read More
It really is powerful when a business, non-profit or association... Read More
For discerning business, non-profit and association managers, PR success is... Read More
The toughest thing about writing a news release is getting... Read More
1) Do you NEED solid, consistant media exposure...week after week,... Read More
Business people often spend time and money trying to find... Read More
Anything that lets managers achieve their managerial objectives is a... Read More
Press releases are one of the most cost-effective ways to... Read More
And hurt bad if you are a business, non-profit or... Read More
Some folks see the word "strategic" as a needlessly tiresome... Read More
What's a Capability Statement?As the name suggests, it tells potential... Read More
Yes? Then do something positive about the behaviors of those... Read More
Aren't you tired of hearing how extremely easy it is... Read More
You never know when 60 Minutes will knock on your... Read More
Better check out the public relations fundamental premise, then take... Read More
Public Relations |