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Advertising To Be The Next Media Darling
Goldman Sachs adds their own numbers to recent reports that advertising spending on the Internet will take a bullish ride to record highs. Providing a lower estimate than Forrester Research and eMarketer, Goldman Sachs expects 2005 ad spending to reach $12.3 billion.
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.
Is
it profitable to display competitor ads?
Let's take a look at an aquisition that took place
not long ago -- but an eternity in tech years --
the Yahoo aquisition of Flickr. However, what still
mystifies many are Google's Adsense ads still being
displayed on Flickr. While some speculate that Flickr
will end up being a testing ground for displaying
their own ads...
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Take the pain out of gain and decrease the upheaval surrounding change by following six commonsense steps to effective management.
Want
to Light a Fire Under Your PR?
Yes? Then do something positive about the behaviors of those important external audiences of yours that MOST affect your operation.
Managers:
Here's a PR Template For You
Let's start out with a caution for business, non-profit and association managers: the premise of public relations implies that the work you do BEFORE you use PR tactics, such as press releases, brochures and broadcast interviews, will determine the success of your public relations effort.
PR: Short Form for Managers
Experience tells me that too many business, non-profit and association managers pursue their goals and objectives largely without the insights, behavioral strategies and sheer power public relations can bring to the table.
A Sensible Way to Use PR
The most sensible way for business, non-profit or association managers to use public relations is to strive to alter individual perception among their target publics, which leads to changed behaviors, thus helping achieve their managerial objectives.
Perception Persuasion Behavior: PR at Work
Managers - the business, non-profit and association sort - really need to get this down pat if they are to meet their managerial objectives.
Yes, There is a PR Sweet Spot
And here it is: public relations alters individual perception leading to changed behaviors among the key outside audiences of a business, non-profit or association manager. It happens when the manager applies positive actions affecting the behaviors of those important external audiences that most affect his or her operation.
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07.18.05
Managers: Super-Charge Your PR
 By
Robert A. Kelly
Ain't a gonna happen unless business, non-profit and association
managers, possibly like you, do something positive about those
important external audiences of yours that most affect your
operation. And then, as you persuade those key outside folks
to your way of thinking, help move them to take actions that
allow your department, group, division or subsidiary to succeed.
Fortunately for all of us, good public relations planning
really CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed
behaviors among key outside audiences.
Why should you believe it? Because of this public relations
premise: 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.
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Just look at the kind of reactions that can result: customers
starting to make repeat purchases; politicians and legislators
starting to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit
or association communities; capital givers or specifying sources
beginning to look your way; prospects starting to work with
you; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures;
welcome bounces in show room visits; membership applications
on the rise; and community leaders beginning to seek you out.
But it doesn't just happen, as I'm certain you already suspect.
Your public relations people really must be on board this
particular approach to PR. And especially, they must buy into
why it's so important to know how your outside audiences perceive
your operations, products or services. And do be sure they
accept the reality that negative perceptions almost always
lead to behaviors that can damage your organization.
Now, how do you plan to monitor and gather perceptions of your
key external audiences? Why, by questioning members of your
most important outside audiences. Meet with your public relations
people and review possible questions like these: how much do
you know about our organization? 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?
Hopefully it will not come as a surprise that your PR people
are already in the perception and behavior business and can
be of real use for the initial opinion monitoring project.
You can always use professional survey firms, of course, but
that can cost a bundle. So, whether it's your people or a
survey firm who handles the questioning, the objective is
to identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors,
inaccuracies, and misconceptions.
Soon you will have to decide which of the problems outlined
above (or others) becomes your corrective public relations goal
- clarify the misconception, spike that rumor, correct the false
assumption or fix a variety of other possible inaccuracies?
At the same time you set your PR goal, you must select the
right strategy from the three choices available to you. Change
existing perception, create perception where there may be
none, or reinforce it. The right strategy will show you how
to reach that goal. Of course, picking the wrong strategy
will taste like peanut butter on a nice piece of Nova Scotia
salmon. So be sure your new strategy fits comfortably with
your new public relations goal. Obviously, you wouldn't want
to select "change" when the facts dictate a "reinforce"
strategy.
At last we come to the "muscular" part of your
public relations effort -- writing a persuasive message aimed
at members of your target audience. It's always a severe test
to come up with action-forcing language that will help persuade
a target audience to your way of thinking.
It almost goes without saying that you must assign the task
to your best writer. What is required are words that are not
only 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 desire.
Now comes one of the less pressuresome chores -- identifying
the communications tactics needed to carry your message to
the attention of your target audience. Always making certain
that the tactics you select have a record of reaching folks
like your audience members, you have at your disposal dozens
of communications tactics ranging from speeches, facility
tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews,
newsletters, personal meetings and many others.
Do not overlook the fact that the believability of your message
can be dependent on the credibility of its delivery method.
And that means you may wish to deliver it in small getogether-like
meetings and presentations rather than through a higher-profile
media announcement.
As initial impact of your communications tactics is felt,
you and your PR people will want to undertake a second perception
monitoring session with members of your external audience.
The same questions used in the benchmark session can be used
again. But now, you will be looking very carefully for indications
that the bad news perception is moving in your direction.
By the way, take comfort in the fact that that your PR program
usually can be accelerated by adding more communications tactics
as well as increasing their frequencies.
To recap: I strongly advise you to remember this as a business,
non-profit or association manager: supercharging your managerial
public relations effort will depend heavily on you doing something
positive about those important external audiences of yours
that most affect your operation - positive steps like those
mentioned above. And as you persuade those key outside folks
to your way of thinking, you will hopefully move them to take
actions that allow your department, group, division or subsidiary
to succeed.
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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