- Here’s An Opinion On:
- Social Media Monitoring Services
Submitted by: Robert A. Kelly
Unfortunately, there are managers who define publicrelations by its applications. Which explains neither itsunderlying strengths nor what PR is all about.
The casual observer is left with a confusion of tactical,application-oriented definitions of the public relationsfunction: Is it publicity? Crisis management? Specialevents? Reputation management? Promotion? Or a slewof other tactics in which we engage from time to time?
Which is it? More important, just what lies at the core ofmanagerial public relations anyway?
I believe the core lies in doing something positive aboutthe behaviors of those important outside audiences of yoursthat most affect your operation.
In other words, create external stakeholder behavior change the kind that leads directly to achieving your managerialobjectives.
And do so by persuading those key outside folks to yourway of thinking, then help move them to take actions thatallow your department, division or subsidiary to succeed.
Luckily, there s also a blueprint at the center of public relationsto help you cement that PR core for your own managerial benefit.
And it goes like this: People act on their own perception of thefacts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors aboutwhich something can be done. When we create, change orreinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect theorganization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.
And for managers such as you, here s the type of results thatcould emerge. Healthy bounces in show room visits; communityleaders seeking you out; prospects starting to do business withyou; membership applications on the rise; customers makingrepeat purchases; fresh proposals for strategic alliances andjoint ventures in the inbox; capital givers or specifying sourceslooking your way, and even politicians and legislatorsbeginning to view you as a key member of the business,non-profit or association communities.
You also need PR team members who understand that blueprintand commit themselves to its implementation, starting withkey audience perception monitoring. Let s face it, your PRpeople are already in the perception and behavior business,so they should be of real use for this initial opinion monitoringproject.
Caveat: you must be certain your public relations people reallybelieve deep down — why it s SO important to know howyour most important outside audiences perceive youroperations, products or services. Make sure they accept thereality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors thatcan help or hurt your unit.
Talk it over with them, especially your plan for monitoringand gathering perceptions by questioning members of yourmost important outside audiences. Questions like these: howmuch do you know about our organization? Have you hadprior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange?Are you familiar with our services or products and employees?Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?
While professional survey firms can always be hired to do theopinion monitoring work, they also can cost big bucks. So,whether it s your people or a survey firm asking the questions,the objective remains the same: identify untruths, false assumptions,unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any othernegative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.
The PR goal, obviously, is to do something about the mostserious distortions you discover during your key audienceperception monitoring. Will it be to straighten out thatdangerous misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy?Or, stop that potentially bloody rumor dead in its tracks?
Truth is, you won t get there at all without the right strategyto tell you how to proceed. But keep in mind that there are justthree strategic options available when it comes to doing somethingabout perception and opinion. Change existing perception, createperception where there may be none, or reinforce it. The wrongstrategy pick will taste like pepper flakes on your Cr me Brulee,so be sure your new strategy fits well with your new publicrelations goal. You wouldn t want to select change whenthe facts dictate a reinforce strategy.
Now it s time to put together a well-written message and directit to members of your target audience. It s always a challengeto create an actionable message that will help persuade anyaudience to your way of thinking.
You need your best scribes for this one because s/he must buildsome very special, corrective language. Words that are not merely compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual ifthey are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of viewand lead to the behaviors you have in mind.
Once you ve run draft copy by your PR team, it s on to the nextselection process — the communications tactics most likelyto carry your message to the attention of your target audience.There are scores that are available. From speeches, facility tours,emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews,newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But you mustbe certain that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks likeyour audience members,
By the way, you may wish to avoid shouting too loud andunveil your message before smaller meetings and presentationsrather than using higher-profile news releases, as the credibilityof any message is fragile and always at stake.
The people around you will start agitating in short order forprogress reports, which signals to you and your PR team to getgoing on a second perception monitoring session with membersof your external audience. You ll want to use many of the samequestions used in the first benchmark session. Big difference thistime is that you will be on red alert for signs that the bad newsperception is being altered in your direction.
Incidentally, I ve always thought it fortunate that such mattersusually can be accelerated simply by adding more communicationstactics as well as increasing their frequencies.
So, at the end of the day, what you want the new PR plan toaccomplish is to persuade your most important outsidestakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them tobehave in a way that leads to the success of your department,division or subsidiary.
Public relations should no longer be a mystery when the peopleyou deal with do, in fact, behave suspiciously like everyoneelse they act upon their perceptions of the facts they hearabout you and your operation. Which means you really havelittle choice but to deal promptly and effectively with thoseperceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and movethose key external audiences of yours to actions you desire.
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 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. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:
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