Managers: PR Mechanics or Engineers?

by S. Myers

Published on this site: December 26th, 2005 - See more articles from this month

If you are a business, non-profit, government agency or association manager, you need both. A skilled public relations "engineer" to assemble the resources and drive the action planning needed to alter individual perception leading to changed behaviors among your most important outside audiences.

That engineer will help you as a manager to persuade those key folks to your way of thinking, And then move them to take actions that allow your department, group, division or subsidiary to succeed.

But you'll also want those "mechanics" on board to handle communications tactics like brochures, special events, broadcast plugs, press releases and the like.

The force behind such a deployment is the underlying premise of public relations: 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 usually accomplished.

The essential reality is that the right public relations planning really CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors among key outside audiences.

As that manager, your PR effort must demand more than special events, news releases and talk show tactics if you are to receive the quality public relations results you anticipate..

The engineer-mechanic approach to public relations will deliver the outcomes you want. For example, capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way; welcome bounces in show room visits; membership applications on the rise; customers making repeat purchases; high potential proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; politicians and legislators looking at you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities; prospects actually starting to do business with you; and community leaders now seeking you out.

Don't overlook your PR worker bees. They can be of real use for your new opinion monitoring project because they are already in the perception and behavior business. But it's not a slam dunk. Satisfy yourself that the PR staff really accepts why it's so important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. And do insure that they really believe that perceptions almost always result in behaviors that can help or hurt your operation.

Tell your PR people what your plans are for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Ask questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the exchange? Are you familiar with our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Using those PR folks of yours will also save money over the cost of using professional survey firms to do the opinion gathering work. But 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 other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Now we set down a public relations goal calling for action on the most serious problem areas you uncovered during your key audience perception monitoring. Will it be to straighten out that dangerous misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy? Or, stop that potentially painful rumor cold?

In like manner, establishing a PR goal demands an equally specific strategy that tells you how to get there. But just three strategic options are available to you when it comes to doing something about perception and opinion. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. The wrong strategy pick will taste like citrus dressing on your scones. So be sure your new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. You certainly don't want to select "change" when the facts dictate a strategy of reinforcement.

At this point, good writing becomes the issue because you must prepare a persuasive message that will help move your key audience to your way of thinking. Obviously it must be a carefully- written message aimed at your key external audience. Select your very best writer. S/he must come up with really corrective language that is not merely compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

Here, you must select the communications tactics most likely to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. Lots are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be sure the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

Since the credibility of any message is fragile and always up for grabs, the means by which you communicate is a concern. Which is why you may wish to unveil your corrective message before smaller meetings and presentations rather than using higher-profile news releases.

Before you create a progress report, you'll find it useful to begin a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience in order to create comparative benchmarks. You'll also want to use many of the same questions used in the benchmark session. But now, you will be on strict alert for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

When things slow down, as they occasionally do, you'll be pleased that you can always speed things up by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

Once again, the right public relations planning really can alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors among key outside audiences.

The trick lies in knowing the difference in capabilities between those PR mechanics and PR engineers, then using their respective talents in your own best managerial interests.

Bob Kelly counsels and writes for business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has published over 200 articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly. 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. mailto:[email protected] Visit:www.PRCommentary.com