PR Going According to Plan?

Think carefully! You're a department, division or subsidiary manager for a business, non-profit or association and you really need to achieve your operating objectives.

But even a yes response to the headline above leaves the really big question unanswered ? does your current public relations plan help persuade your most important outside audiences to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your success?

If the answer to that question is uncertain or even no, change is in order. Change that gives you a public relations blueprint that helps lead to managerial success and, some might say, survival.

I refer here to the kind of blueprint that moves the emphasis from communications tactics to an aggressive plan for reaching those outside groups of people with a big say about how successful you're going to be ? your key external audiences.

Here's the essence of such a blueprint: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Use it to deliver behavior results like lots of new inquiries, buyers coming back for more, fresh queries about joint ventures and strategic alliances, meaningful increases in capital contributions or brand new specifiers of your component products and services.

To make it work, you need to lead those public relations people assigned to your unit away from a preoccupation with communications tactics over to that new, comprehensive blueprint. As a manager, you're now prepared to create the external audience behaviors you need to achieve your department's business, non-profit or association objectives.

Charge your PR team with finding out how those key outside audiences perceive your operation. That will require interaction with members of that audience which you will identify when the team prioritizes those groups in order of their impacts on your unit. Here, your choice is, spend significant money on professional survey people to handle the perception monitoring chore, or use members of your assigned PR team to gather the data. Remember that your public relations team is already in the perception and behavior business.

Either way, questions must be asked. "What do you know about us? Have you had positive or negative contact with our folks? Do you have an opinion about our services or products?

Keep your antennae up for any signs of negativity. Did questioners note a glaring inaccuracy? Or a false assumption about your operation? How about any hurtful misconceptions or rumors? Evasive or hesitant responses should also be noted.

Now you're ready to establish your public relations goal which could be as simple as "correct that dangerous inaccuracy," or "squash that hurtful rumor" because of the damaging behaviors such negatives can create.

But how to achieve that goal? With the right strategy, of course.

Because there are just three strategies available in matters of perception/opinion, you can create perception where there may be none, change an existing perception/opinion, or reinforce it. But be certain that your strategy choice meshes with your new public relations goal.

Here's where your PR team's writing talent comes to the fore. You need a corrective message that will alter negative perceptions among members of your target audience. As unit manager, you need to stay involved in message preparation to make certain it is compelling, persuasive, well-written, fact-based and believable if your target audience's perceptions are to be altered towards your point of view.

Getting that nifty piece of writing to the attention of that audience of yours is easily accomplished. And here is where communications tactics DO matter. They'll carry your message to audience members using everything from personal contacts, brochures and media interviews to speeches, newsletters and facility tours. But be certain that your chosen tactics are known to reach people like those in your target audience.

Soon you'll need hard evidence that the negative perception is really being altered according to plan. This demands that you return to the field and remonitor the perceptions of your target audience members. This time, however, your team will be alert for indications that the offending perception is really changing in the way you planned.

By the way, things can always be moved along faster by adding new communications tactics, and by increasing their frequencies.

As noted at the outset of this article, you need to persuade your most important outside audiences to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your success as a unit manager.

Your new public relations blueprint will help you reach that objective.

About The Author

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. mailto:bobkelly@tni.net Visit: mailto:bobkelly@tni.net

disinfecting cleaning services Arlington Heights ..
In The News:

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.
Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.
Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.
Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.
Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.
Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.
Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.
Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.
New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.
A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.
AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.
A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.
New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.
Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.
Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.
Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.
Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.
Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.
Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.
iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.
Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.
FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.
Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

What? You Havent Got a Capability Statement?

What's a Capability Statement?As the name suggests, it tells potential... Read More

Top Ten Tips for Writing your Best Press Release Ever

Keep these few crucial details in mind when writing and... Read More

Why News Releases Fail

Sorry about my otaku with this issue (otaku = more... Read More

Financial Planners, Follow These Guidelines to Get Free Publicity

Be a ResourceThe media people that are likely to want... Read More

Managers, Start Your PR

There'll never be a better time for a manager working... Read More

A Natural Phenomenon? Really?

Sure. What else do you call a human discipline whose... Read More

How Marketing-Minded Financial Planners Get Publicity

You've probably noticed, if you live on this planet, that... Read More

A Managers PR Paradigm

If you manage a department, division or subsidiary for a... Read More

PR: Focus on What Matters!

Sure, as a manager, you have a talented member of... Read More

Pressure From the Top?

Yes, and that pressure often comes from a CEO who... Read More

How To Get An Avalanche Of Free Publicity For Your Home Business!

There are many ways you can get tons of free... Read More

6 Steps to Using Trade Magazines To Reach Customers

When developing a publicity campaign for their business many owners... Read More

Managers Who Tap Into PRs Value

Business, non-profit and association managers get a ton of satisfaction... Read More

PR Works! 15 Ways To Make Your Press Release Stand Out From the Crowd

Do editors of newspapers, magazines and online news sites really... Read More

Media Training: When Reporters Bully You

UNDER FIREA friend whose organization is often in the media... Read More

Take the High Ground With Quality PR

Quality public relations does something positive for business, non-profit and... Read More

Media Relations: When Google Got Googled

Before meeting my soon-to-be-wife for the first time, I "Googled"... Read More

The Right Hook

Have you fantasized about spreading word of your business on... Read More

How To Create A News Angle

Think of a triangle. On the left, imagine the story... Read More

Public Relations

The wind of changes...The digital world has changed the form... Read More

Do You Have A Press Package?

How do you make a friend of the media? A... Read More

Talk Radio Success

You do not have to hire a publicist or advertise... Read More

Media Training: Three Reasons to (Almost) Always Stay On-The-Record

The words are pop culture heroes.Movies such as "The Insider,"... Read More

PR: Advice You Didnt Ask For

Although, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you may... Read More

When Should You Outsource Your PR Efforts?

1) Do you NEED solid, consistant media exposure...week after week,... Read More

bathroom cleaning service Mundelein ..