Inoculate Yourself Against Bad PR

What is bad PR?

Well, if you're a business, non-profit or association manager, bad PR does nothing positive about the behaviors of those important outside audiences of yours that most affect your operation.

It fails to create external stakeholder behavior change leading directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

And it never does persuade those key outside folks to your way of thinking, or move them to take actions that allow your department, division or subsidiary to succeed.

Good PR, on the other hand, really CAN alter individual perception and lead to the changed behaviors you need. At the same time, however, it requires more than special events, brochures and news releases if you really want to get your PR money's worth.

Your inoculation against bad PR is the underlying premise of public relations, and here it is: 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.

You may be surprised that good PR can generate results like prospects starting to work with you; customers making repeat purchases; stronger relationships with the educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities; improved relations with government agencies and legislative bodies, and even capital givers or specifying sources looking your way

As the effort gains momentum, you can also see results such as new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; rebounds in showroom visits; membership applications on the rise; community service and sponsorship opportunities; enhanced activist group relations, and expanded feedback channels, not to mention new thoughtleader and special event contacts.

Just how vital is it that your most important outside audiences really perceive your operations, products or services in a positive light? Vital indeed, so assure yourself that your PR staff has bought into the whole effort. Be especially careful that they accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Take the time to review the PR blueprint in detail with your staff, especially how you will gather and monitor matters by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

The perception monitoring phases of your program can obviously be handled by professional survey people, IF the budget is available. But always keep in mind that your PR people are also in the perception and behavior business and can pursue the same objective: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Now, let's talk about your public relations goal. You need one that speaks to the aberrations that showed up during your key audience perception monitoring. In all probability, it will call for straightening out that dangerous misconception, or correcting that gross inaccuracy, or doing something about that damaging rumor.

The realities of public relations are that goals need strategies to show you how to get there. And also that you have just three strategic choices when it comes to handling a perception or opinion challenge: create perception where there may be none, change the perception, or reinforce it. Unfortunately, a bad strategy pick will taste like ice cream on your corned beef and cabbage, so be certain the new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. For example, you don't want to select "change" when the facts dictate a "reinforce" strategy.

Your PR team must create just the right, corrective language. Persuading an audience to your way of thinking is awfully hard work, so we're looking for words that are compelling, persuasive and believable AND clear and factual. You must do this if you are to correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your point of view, leading to the desired behaviors.

Here you must select the communications tactics most likely to carry your words to the attention of your target audience. Meet again with your communications specialists and review your message for impact and persuasiveness. You can pick from dozens of available tactics. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. Just be sure that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

On the chance that the old line about the credibility of a message depending on its delivery method is true, you might think about introducing it to smaller gatherings rather than using higher-profile communications such as news releases or talk show appearances.

Consider yourself alerted when the topic of a progress report is suggested. Time for you and your PR folks to return to the field for a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. Using many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session, you'll now be watching very carefully for signs that your communications tactics have worked and that the negative perception is being altered in your direction.

If impatience rears its head, you can always accelerate things with a broader selection of communications tactics AND increased frequencies.

Obviously, this will convert bad PR into good PR by doing something positive about the behaviors of those important outside audiences of yours that most affect your operation. It will do the job by creating external stakeholder behavior change leading directly to achieving your managerial objectives. And it will pull this off by persuading those key outside folks to your way of thinking, thus moving them to take actions that allow your business, non-profit or association to succeed.

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 1100 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

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 communi- cations, 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.

eMail: bobkelly@TNI.net

Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com

---

There Is No Such Thing as Competition

A wise friend of mine has often said, "There is... Read More

PR: Lets Cut to the Chase

If your key ? that's KEY ? outside audiences don't... Read More

PR Going According to Plan?

Think carefully! You're a department, division or subsidiary manager for... Read More

Publicity: Three Tips on Writing a Press Release

Use journalistic styleReporters are busy. Just like you.So when you... Read More

Media Relations: Ending the Press Release Crutch

When most people think of media relations, they think of... Read More

Promote Your Products With A Press Release

Writing an effective press release is a way to draw... Read More

How PR Makes a Managers Life Easier

Things are pleasant for many business, non-profit or association managers... Read More

Media Relations: Making Your Story More Newsworthy

During my career as the head of media relations for... Read More

Publicity: Show a Reporter You Care by Inviting Them to Fact-Check

Just like a financial planning client fears not having enough... Read More

Managers, Got a Grip on Your PR?

What are you trying to do with your business, non-profit... Read More

The Three-Mile Radius

In last year's animated film Shrek II, a giant gingerbread... Read More

Effective Media Relations ? You Won?t be Talking to the Media Without It!

The media's role is to package and spread news, current... Read More

Your Organization: What Role PR?

As a manager, does your current business, non-profit or association... Read More

What is GuerrillaPR Anyway?

Public relations is the art, as one of my colleagues... Read More

TV Reporter Shares the Secrets to Getting Covered on the News

Do you have a great idea for a story, but... Read More

How to Get Publicity for a Service Business

Many of our clients are in service businesses, such as... Read More

Community Based Marketing Strategies

As small businesses we have an opportunity and an obligation... Read More

A Managers PR Paradigm

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

Smashing the Myth of the Press Release

A musician spends years honing his craft. He writes world-class... Read More

How To Share Your Success Story Without Sounding Like You Are Bragging

A great way to celebrate your achievements and capitalize on... Read More

Possibilities Of The Blogosphere For The PR Industry In Spanish-Speaking Countries

Only two media in Spanish speaking countries offer RSS: the... Read More

Sound Like Your Situation?

What a shame! Potentially productive public relations people resting on... Read More

Attention Owners of Food Related Businesses: How to Get Publicity Any Time You Want

Attention: Who Else Wants To Get Publicity Whenever You Want... Read More

Asian Media Relations: Increase Your Profile and Image in China

China's media is booming creating opportunities for marketing-savvy businesses. But... Read More

The Most Important PR In America

Just happens to be public relations activity that alters individual... Read More

A Well-Oiled Strategy Machine

Yes, that's what public relations really is when it tracks... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Make Your Web Site a Resource for the Media

Reporters, by nature, are curious people.If you can get them... Read More

The 7 Deadly Sins of Press Releases

A press release is often your only chance to make... Read More

How To Use PR To Build Your Business

Everyone knows the value of free publicity. And given the... Read More

Prep for a Successful Trade Show

Well, autumn is upon us and with the onset of... Read More

PR Is Just Smart Business

The name of the game is doing our part to... Read More

Inoculate Yourself Against Bad PR

What is bad PR?Well, if you're a business, non-profit or... Read More

A Winning Game Plan

You want to sell your products or services, and that... Read More