WebProWorld Marketing Forum |
Google Introduces "Significant Enhancements" To AdWords
Search engine-based PPC advertising is probably
the hottest technique of advertising in the marketing
available, largely because it is the most employed
method on the Internet. With an estimated 40% of
online advertising revenue being spent on search
engine ad, the numbers bear this out.
Smart Articles - How to write an effective article
When running an online business it can be hard to
convince potential clients of your expertise, especially
if you lack formal, provable qualifications from
an internationally recognised body. If a client
doesn't believe in your abilities they will not
believe in your company and if they do not believe
in your company, you are in trouble!
How would you market this product? Suggestions welcome...
After recently launching a new software product,
I am now looking for some suggestions on the better
ways to approaching the marketing/sales aspect.
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Articles |
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Thousands of companies wasted hundreds of thousands
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that it can mean just about anything to anybody.
PR and the Small Matter of Results
As a business, non-profit and association manager,
how satisfied are you when the public relations
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1000 Managers Turned Their Plans Into Energy!
I bet you can't tell me how leadership training
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The technical communications profession involves
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Before you read any further in this article, I'd
like you to take a moment and write down who your
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Deciding
to Go International
In our increasingly global society, many companies
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Matching individuals to organizations is a crucial
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people and the companies for which they work is
determined by the kind of organizational culture
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for the company determines whether a person is a
good match for a particular organization.
Technology & Communication
A study a couple of years ago found that 63% of
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Discovery Procedures for Building Effective Management Systems
Imagine what a professional football team would
be like without a regimen of practice drills? Now
take away their playbook and player statistics.
What you have in this extreme scenario are highly
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With 1 Million would you:
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06.27.05
How Managers Hurt Their PR Results
 By
Robert A. Kelly
Business, non-profit or association managers hurt their own
public relations results when they become fascinated with PR
tactics - press releases, publications and brochures and, particularly,
fun-to-manage special events - while failing to plan for the
perceptions and behaviors of the very people who probably hold
their managerial success in their hands.
We're talking about those important outside audiences whose
behaviors most affect their departments, groups, divisions
or subsidiaries.
Obviously, some of the less sensitive among those managers
just don't get it - the fact that the right public relations
alters individual perceptions leading to changed behaviors
among key external audience members and, thus, the achievement
of managerial objectives.
When they compound that oversight by not persuading those awfully
important outside folks to their way of thinking, then moving
them to take actions that allow their units to succeed, bingo!,
they badly hurt their PR results.
Needn't be the case. Take a moment and savor this approach:
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.
Look at what could come their way: fresh proposals for strategic
alliances and joint ventures; community leaders beginning
to seek you out; rising membership applications; welcome bounces
in show room visits; prospects starting to do business with
you; customers making repeat purchases; and new approaches
by capital givers and specifying sources not to mention politicians
and legislators viewing you as a key member of the business,
non-profit or association communities.
A few questions as to how this work might be assigned. To
an outside PR agency team? To folks assigned to your operation?
To your own public relations people? Just realize that regardless
of where they come from, they need to be committed to you
and your PR plan beginning with key audience perception monitoring.
You should meet with your public relations team in order
to be certain that those assigned to you are clear on why
it's vital to know precisely how your most important outside
audiences perceive your operations, products or services.
They must accept the reality that perceptions almost always
lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your operation.
Discuss your PR operating plan with them, especially how
you will monitor and gather perceptions by questioning members
of your most important outside audiences. For instance, how
much do you know about our chief executive? Have you had prior
contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange?
How much do you know about our services or products and employees?
Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?
Have no hesitation (other than budget) in using professional
survey firms in the perception monitoring phases of your program.
But remember that your PR people are also in the perception
and behavior business and can go after the same objective:
identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies,
misconceptions and any other negative perception that might
translate into hurtful behaviors.
The most damaging distortions you discovered during your
key audience perception monitoring will respond to the right
kind of PR goal by calling for straightening out that dangerous
misconception, or correcting that gross inaccuracy, or stopping
that potentially fatal rumor as quickly as possible..
Big challenge here is selecting the right strategy. Namely,
a strategy that tells you how to move forward. Please remember
that there are just three strategic options available to you
when it comes to handling a perception and opinion challenge.
Change existing perception, create perception where there may
be none, or reinforce it. Since the wrong strategy pick will
taste like sea salt on your rice pudding, be certain the new
strategy fits comfortably with your new public relations goal.
You don't want to select "change" when the facts dictate
a "reinforce" strategy.
It's inevitable and unavoidable -- someone on your PR staff
will have to write a strong message and aim it at members of
your target audience. Because crafting action-forcing language
to persuade an audience to your way of thinking really is hard
work, you need your best, first-string writer to put together
some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only
compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual
if they are to correct something and shift perception/opinion
towards your point of view leading to the behaviors you are
targeting.
Less taxing, and occasionally fun, is the selection of the
communications tactics most likely to carry your message to
the attention of your target audience. Do this after you run
the draft by your PR people for impact and persuasiveness.
There are dozens of tactics available to you. From speeches,
facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings,
media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many
others. But be sure that the tactics you pick are known to
reach folks just like your audience members.
As we all know, the method by which we communicate a message,
if tainted in any way, can affect its believability and credibility.
So, if unsure, you may wish to limit its initial scope by
unveiling it before smaller meetings and presentations rather
than through higher-profile news releases. Suggestions that
progress reports might be a nice touch, should be viewed as
an early warning that a second perception monitoring session
with members of your external audience, be undertaken. Many
of the same questions used in the first benchmark session
can be used again. But this time, you will be watching carefully
for signs that the problem perception is being altered in
your direction.
If you suspect the program is lagging, accelerate matters
with more communications tactics, then increase their frequencies.
Thus, instead of hurting your PR results, you will indeed
increase the chances of program success. And once you as a
manager digest the underlying premise of managerial public
relations, as outlined above, you'll understand how the right
PR really CAN alter individual perception and lead to those
changed behaviors you need.
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. bobkelly@TNI.net
Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com
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