Search
Related Links

 

 

Informative Articles

Discover The Coach Within You
Discover The Coach Within You One of the three basic roles of leadership is the coach or mentor. The best boss is often the best coach. (See: http://tlc-leadership.com/the_three_faces_of_leadership) In sports the coach is very conscious of his role...
Managers: Let's Call a Spade a Spade!
Brochures, broadcast plugs and press releases – don’t call them public relations. Call them what they really are, valuable tactical devices which public relations calls upon from time to time to move a message from here to there. Nothing more,...
Preparing to be an Entrepreneur
I believe the free market economy and the wealth of a community is built on the back of the entrepreneur Taking the entrepreneurial business path can be exciting, exhilarating, and an emotional roller coaster of ups and downs. There are a number of...
Professionalizing The Family Business
Professionalizing the Family Business Family business expert discusses the difficult and emotionally destructive problems confronted In the 30 years I have been working as a family business consultant, the most difficult and emotionally...
Succession - Three Tips to Ease The Transition
Succession - Three Ways to Ease the Transition The succession process can cause havoc in the family business and the family. Especially if the process occurs only once and without a significant investment in planning. Here are three ideas to help...
 
Public Relations: Converting the Non-Believers

What’s the real reason some managers shy away from public
relations? I believe it’s because they don’t understand, or
believe, the direct connection between what public relations
is capable of delivering and their need to achieve specific
business objectives.

It’s lost opportunity of the worst kind. And a shame, because
the reason we do public relations in the first place is to
change the behaviors of certain groups of people important
to the success of those very Doubting Thomas managers.

First, I would say to them, surely, it’s not that difficult a
concept to understand or accept. People act on their perception
of the facts; those perceptions lead to certain behaviors;
and something can be done about those perceptions and behaviors
that leads to achieving your organization’s objectives.

Better yet, you can establish the degree of behavior change
you want, up front, then insist on getting that result before
you pronounce the public relations effort a success.

That way, you KNOW you’re getting your money’s worth.

Here’s another approach. How can you measure the results
of an activity more accurately than when you clearly achieve
the goal you set at the beginning of that activity? You can’t.
It’s pure success when you meet that goal.

Public relations is no different. The client/employer wants
our help in altering counterproductive perceptions among
key audiences which almost always change behaviors in a
way that helps him or her get to where they want to be.

But, as Doubting Thomases you might ask, are we
really qualified to do that job?

I think yes, because everything we do is based on the same
realities -- people act on their perception of the facts, and
we can do something about those perceptions. And when public
relations activity successfully creates, changes or reinforces
that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-action
those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the
public relations effort is a success.

It works this way in practice.

o you may wish to encourage a certain audience to sample
your soft drink brand’s great taste and refreshing flavor,
in the process creating perceptions of value, then new sales.

o or you may want people to perceive your organization
more positively, thus strengthening its reputation.

o it could be as simple as communicating a company’s
strengths to a target audience leading them to a positive
perception of the firm, in turn leading to new investments
in the company’s shares.

I know, Mr. or Ms. Manager, that you are not primarily
interested in our ability to communicate, paint images or
schmooz with the media. Nor are you especially fascinated
with our efforts to identify target audiences, set public
relations goals and strategies, write persuasive messages and
select communications tactics.

What I believe you DO want is a change in the behaviors
of certain key audiences leading directly to the
achievement of your business objectives.

Which is why we continually stress that quality planning,
and the degree of behavioral change it produces, defines
the success or failure of a public relations program.

Done correctly, when public relations results in modified
behaviors among groups of people important to an organization,
we could be talking about nothing less than its survival.

So, for your organization, Ms. Manager, that means
public relations professionals must modify somebody’s
behavior if they are to help hit your objective and earn a
paycheck – I believe everything else is a means to that end.

O.K., Mr. Manager, let’s look at how public relations might
work for you out on the ground. We’ll use the example of a
national marketer of furniture imported from the Far East.
First, we identify the key operating problem to be addressed.
Let’s say we receive news reports and other input, amplified
by competitive trouble-making out in the trade, about rumors
circulating to the effect that serious quality problems have
cropped up in the company’s factories in Southeast Asia.

Here, we verify whether the allegation is true or false.
So, because the company’s sales have leveled off and are
starting to decline, public relations counsel and staff, working
closely with the company’s manufacturing people here and
abroad, establish conclusively that rumors of declining quality
are without foundation, and simply untrue.

But, even though the rumors are not true, we still want to
verify the status of both consumer and trade PERCEPTIONS
of the company’s product quality.

But, surprise! Probing consumer opinion through personal
contact and informal polling out in the market place, counsel
and staff determine that, in fact, there really IS a
disturbing perception out there that the company’s furniture
line is “of low quality and overpriced.”

It’s useful to make the point here, Ms. Manager, that public
relations problems are nearly always defined by what people
think about the facts, as opposed to the actual truth of the
matter.

Moving on, we establish the public relations goal: alter the
public perception of the company’s furniture quality. This
will lead to positive consumer behavioral changes, in turn
resulting in furniture buyers returning to company showrooms
once again.

Now we determine the public relations strategy. We only have
three choices: CREATE opinion where none exists, CHANGE
existing opinion, or REINFORCE that existing opinion. Because
existing opinion has turned negative on the quality of the
company’s furniture, the public relations strategy will be to
begin the process of CHANGING that opinion from negative to
positive.

Here, we identify key audiences. In this case,
at the top of the list is the furniture-buying public –
customers and prospects – as well as the trade and business
communities, employees, local


thought-leaders and media in
the company’s retail outlet locations, and a number of other
possible stakeholder groups.

Now, Ms. and Mr. Manager, we begin preparation of what we
hope will be persuasive messages for communication to our
target audiences.

It’s a challenge. The messages must disarm the rumors
circulating in the furniture community with clear evidence
of excellent design and construction quality, and seconded
by credible third-party endorsements such as satisfied
customers and top design consultants.

Regular assessments of how opinion is currently running
among target groups must be performed, constantly tweaking
the message and, finally, action-producing incentives for
individuals to take the desired actions must be identified
and built into each message.

Those incentives might include the very strength of the
company’s forthright position on the quality issue,
high-credibility designer endorsements, plans for expansion
that hold the promise of more jobs and taxes, or even the
sponsorship of a new cable TV furniture design show.

So, how will target audiences in the various company
locations actually be reached, Mr. Manager Thomas?
Among a wide variety of available communications tactics,
choices include face-to-face meetings, Internet ezines and
email, hand-placed newspaper and magazine feature articles
and broadcast appearances, special consumer briefings, news
releases, announcement luncheons, onsite media interviews,
facility tours, brochures and promotional contests.

Now, it’s time to monitor progress and look for
signs of improvement. Public relations staff and counsel must
speak regularly with members of each target audience, monitor
print and broadcast media for evidence of the company’s
messages or viewpoints, and interact with key customers,
prospects and influentials.

At last, indicators that the messages are moving opinion
in your direction will start appearing. Indicators like
comments in community business meetings, mentions in research
analyst’s reports, local newspaper editorials, e-mails from
members of target audiences as well as public references by
political figures and local celebrities.

What is happening, is that the action program is beginning
to gain and hold the kind of public understanding and
acceptance that will lead to the desired shift in public
behavior.

And the end-game for this example of public relations in action?

When the changes in behaviors become truly apparent through
increased showroom traffic, media reports, thought-leader
comment, employee and community chatter and a variety of
other feedback – in other words, clearly meeting the original
behavior modification goal – two things have occurred. One,
the public relations program is a success and, two, by
achieving the behavioral goal you set at the beginning, you
are using a near-perfect public relations performance
measurement.

To assess behavior changes and, thus, the degree of success
the public relations program has achieved, we need evidence
of changes in behavior showing up as follows: Internet chatter
and in print and broadcast news coverage, letters-to-the-editor,
consumer and customer reactions, shareholder letters,
comments from community leaders, informal polls of employees,
retirees, industrial neighbors and local businesses, feedback
from suppliers as well as reaction from elected officials,
union leaders and government agencies.

But, we can’t let the Doubting Thomases off the hook without
reminders that some very basic but unattended perceptions may
be out there that could lead to very costly negative behaviors.
For example, Mr. Manager:

0 if sales prospects are unaware of your product or service, you will
not get them as customers.

0 if your customers don’t remain convinced of the value of your
product or service, you lose them.

0 and if employees believe you don’t care about them, productivity suffers.

And on and on when still more audiences like citizens, journalists, regulators, investors and legislators don’t believe you.

In the end, a sound strategy combined with effective
tactics leads directly to the bottom line – altered perceptions,
modified behaviors, a happy CEO and a public relations home
run.

So, Mr. and Ms. Manager Thomas, what do I believe you want
from us? I believe you want us to apply our special skills in
a way that helps you achieve your business objectives. But
no matter what strategic plan we create to solve a problem,
no matter what tactical program we put in place, at the end
of the day we must modify somebody’s behavior for you if we
are to earn our money.

Which is why I say that when you measure our real
effectiveness, you will be fully satisfied with those public
relations results only when our “reach, persuade
and move-to-action” efforts produce that visible modification
in the behaviors of those people you wish to influence. In my
view, this is the central, strategic function of public
relations – the basic context in which we must operate.

Doubting Thomases aside, I hope these remarks contain a
nugget or two that assists you in leading the non-believers in
your organizations to a better understanding of the function
of public relations. Especially how it can strengthen
relationships with those important groups of people – those
target audiences whose perceptions and behaviors can help or
hinder the achievement of their business objectives.

end


About the Author

Bob Kelly, public relations consultant, was director of public
relations for Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-Public Relations, Texaco Inc.;
VP-Public Relations, Olin Corp.; VP-Public Relations, Newport
News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications,
U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press
secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

 

Strategic Planning (in nonprofit or for-profit organizations)
Adapted from the Field Guide to Nonprofit Strategic Planning and Facilitation. ... First, a Point About For-Profit and Nonprofit Strategic Planning ...
www.managementhelp.org
 
Basic Description of Strategic Planning (including key terms to know)
Adapted from the Field Guide to Nonprofit Strategic Planning and Facilitation. ... Strategic planning often includes use of several key terms. ...
www.managementhelp.org
 
Strategic Planning, Strategic Plan, Business Strategy, Strategic ...
Strategic planning advice with free strategic planner & sample strategic plan covering mission statement, SWOT analysis with business plan software for cash ...
www.planware.org
 
Strategic Planning
FAQs regarding strategic planning - geared primarily toward non-profit organizations but with enough detail and general information to provide useful ...
www.allianceonline.org
 
Frequently Asked Questions
Strategic Planning · Fundraising · Financial Management · Risk Management · Credit Card Acceptance. The FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) listed on this ...
www.allianceonline.org
 
Strategic planning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Strategic planning involves defining objectives and developing ... Strategic planning uses "the big picture" to pursue large scale, long term objectives. ...
en.wikipedia.org
 
08/26/96 STRATEGIC PLANNING
You guessed it: strategic planning. Suddenly, the idea of rising above the ... But if strategic planning is back with a vengeance, it's also back with a ...
www.businessweek.com
 
Dr. Strategy - Dr. Pete Johnson, Keynote Speaker, Marketing ...
StrategicPlanning.com “Turning Change Into A Competitive Advantage”. Dr. Pete's Preview Video Click Here. Take-Away Value Sample Program Handouts ...
strategicplanning.com
 
Strategic Planning Society: Strategy Development and Implementation
Strategic Planning Society: Strategy Development and Implementation.
www.sps.org.uk
 
Guide 7
Strategic Planning in Smaller Nonprofit Organizations ... In short, as a result of a strategic planning process, an organization will have a clearer idea of ...
www.wmich.edu
 
STRATEGIC PLANNING MANUAL
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Your browser may not have a PDF reader available. Google recommends visiting our text version of this document.
 
BPubs.com: Strategic Planning & Business Planning Articles
Business Publications related to Corporate Strategic Planning.
www.bpubs.com
 
Strategic Planning Tools
Strategic Planning is a method for positioning an organization to take ... A strategic planning process incorporates an in-depth planning model that takes ...
www.nsba.org
 
Center for Simplified Strategic Planning, Inc.
The Center for Simplified Strategic Planning offers training, seminars, consulting, speakers, workshops, a book and a newsletter on strategic management for ...
www.cssp.com
 
LEADERSHIP: Strategic Planning and Strategic Management
Introduction: Is strategic planning really worth it? ... The purpose of strategic planning is to encourage thinking about your organization's "big ...
vskn.ca
 
The CEO Refresher Archives - Strategic Planning
When done right, the integrated strategic planning process can take a ... Strategic Planning and Project Management: The Key to Successful Implementation ...
www.refresher.com
 
HEFCE : Publications : 2000 : 00/24 - Strategic planning in higher ...
This guide reviews good practice in strategic planning in higher education (HE). It originated in a consultation exercise which we held in 1998 to review ...
www.hefce.ac.uk
 
The Association for Strategic Planning
The Association for Strategic Planning (ASP), is a non-profit professional society whose mission is to enable people and organizations to succeed through ...
www.strategyplus.org
 
Amazon.com: Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A ...
Amazon.com: Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A Practical Guide and Workbook: Books: Michael Allison,Jude Kaye by Michael Allison,Jude Kaye.
www.amazon.com
 
Amazon.com: Simplified Strategic Planning: A No-Nonsense Guide for ...
Amazon.com: Simplified Strategic Planning: A No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast!: Books: Robert W. Bradford,Robert W. Bradford,J. Peter ...
www.amazon.com
 
 

 
Content Menu

  • 10 lessons for every shoestring entrepreneur

  • 10 reasons why time and attendance systems are not just substitutes for clock cards

  • 10 tips for managing your time

  • 10 ways to help you plan your home office for productivity and comfort

  • 2005 economic update industry specific 2005 total compensation budget predictions

  • 5 steps to powerful negotiating feature article

  • 5 warning signals your business might have a cash flow problem

  • 6 steps to laying out your competitive strategy

  • 7 essential elements of leading change

  • 8 reasons the holidays are a great time to build your business

  • achieving competitive advantage through collaboration with key customers and suppliers

  • affluent market may disappoint retailers by spending less for december holiday gifts

  • affluent men spend twice as much on holiday gifts for their spouse as women do

  • affluent name recipients of december holiday gifts in new survey

  • affluent turn cautious in outlook for personal spending and the economy

  • attract and retain top talent

  • a cyber staffing solution for small businesses

  • a guide to performance management

  • a real business coach

  • a renewed view of the modern business culture

  • a strategy for success

  • balanced scorecard strategic planning

  • barriers to effective planning

  • being a home based business owner whats not to love

  • being stressed out may not be all that bad

  • best practice benchmarking the path to excellence

  • blueprint for change

  • book summary mind your own business

  • bottleneck oriented business management

  • bridge loans everything you wanted to know

  • building win win alliances

  • build winning alliances

  • business 101 passion before planning

  • business growth through strategic merger and acquisition

  • business intelligence advancements transform corporate decision making

  • business or leisure make sure you get the best stay

  • business planning 101

  • business planning myopia

  • business plans what consultants dont tell you

  • business plan basics

  • business process automation bpa

  • buying a business advice for the first time buyer investor

  • buy now retire later an investment in your dreams

  • cash flow profits and the cash conversion cycle

  • change management can lead to rigidity and resistance to change

  • change may be your ace in the hole

  • chasm of change restructuring the goliath of change

  • choking on itil a menu for success

  • client service as a competitive advantage

  • coaching an adapting tool for attaining fulfillment in the global economy

  • coaching for lawyers 10 ways a lawyer can benefit from working with a professional coach

  • collaboration not competition

  • common sources of financing for small business

  • comparing corporate and personal goal attainment programs that have developed over thousands of years with modern day programs

  • compensation committee 101 what does it do

  • competitive marketing analysis

  • creating a business strategy

  • creating a vision

  • cultivating your pathway to success dont leave your companys future to chance

  • dealing with anger

  • developing your mission

  • develop a successful business foundation second to none

  • discover the coach within you

  • does your culture support or sabotage your strategy

  • dont allow yourself to get burned

  • embrace diversity to build effective teams

  • entrepreneur to employer considerations

  • famous business strategies

  • fatal mistakes to avoid when writing a business plan

  • finding and keeping good people

  • five strategies to strengthen your companys financial management

  • focus on results not money

  • four reasons why small businesses succeed or fail

  • franchises exit strategies

  • franchises whats the exit strategy

  • generating publicity will the media be interested in my product business

  • getting and keeping good people

  • getting together the importance of business relationships

  • have you ever thought of joining or forming a consortium

  • help wanted new business leadership required to jumpstart the american economy

  • home business grants

  • how effective is your leadership style

  • how joint ventures can catapult you to success

  • how not to let powerpoint kill your presentation

  • how to accelerate the return on investment roi of your senior talent

  • how to create a great mentoring relationship

  • how to develop a successful board of advisors and why you should

  • how to develop multiple streams of 100 000 home business income

  • how to easily accelerate your profits

  • how to use graphs and charts in your business plan

  • hr off shoring outsourcing a buyers market

  • human resource communication pays off

  • ideas are free a book summary

  • identifying candidates for leadership

  • if one does not do any planning one is planning to fail

  • improve profitable roe with retention

  • index

  • investing in the czech republic outside of prague part 1 brno property

  • investments short term or long term

  • isg expands to include denovo bank consulting

  • its spring time for a compensation program tune up

  • its time to get all strategic small business marketing stategy

  • i wanna hold your hand first time homebuyers

  • i want to get a mortgage fast online

  • job search lessons from the super bowl

  • job talk the heart of productivity

  • leadership and customer service is there a link

  • leadership development turn on your employees

  • leading with power and authority energize others with deep green leadership

  • learn to manage your projects with project management training software

  • living life in a time starved world

  • lone wolf lead wolf

  • make your mark how to attract clients and grow your business

  • making the most of your year

  • making your item get the best bid on e bay

  • management span of control and the power of models

  • managers have you been shortchanged

  • managers lets call a spade a spade

  • managers should your pr budget stress tactics or strategy

  • managers you know your job but what about public relations

  • managing the human resource project

  • managing transformational change within the public sector

  • managing with vision

  • marketing planning and control systems from agency style to nerve center

  • maybe you should worry about your pr

  • meetings bloody meetings

  • merger and acquisition an engine for corporate growth

  • millionaires name top choices for holiday gift wish list

  • mission and vision statements foundational to successful change

  • new years resolutions for your business

  • non profits need new strategies to weather budget crisis

  • not another ice breaker team building with a purpose

  • oe consultants is there a future for them

  • operational excellence for wholesale distributors

  • performance measures a key to organizational success

  • planning to make a decision

  • plan for business success 6 reasons to succession plan

  • practice on purpose working on your business

  • pragmatic consulting from the clients perspective

  • preparing to be an entrepreneur

  • printing offline

  • professionalizing the family business

  • professional intervention in the family business

  • profit the goal and more than margins

  • pr lets dump the smoke and mirrors

  • public relations a natural phenomenon

  • public relations converting the non believers

  • public relations defining your organization from the inside out

  • public relations power tool for the 21st century

  • quality consulting major consumer products company

  • quick books and finances

  • ready fire aim

  • ready setwait

  • renovations and upgrades bring it to the bank part 2

  • resolve to focus on results in 2006 website results that is

  • rotator

  • rules to setting business goals and objectives why and how to be smart

  • secrets to successful publishing

  • selling your business for the best price

  • selling your technology company why earnouts make sense today

  • sell a business 10 steps to maximize selling price

  • setting goals and implementing change

  • setting you sails the mission statement

  • should you write your own business plan

  • six disciplines for excellence

  • small business planning three myths

  • small business q a swot analysis is no magic 8 ball

  • small business q a the business autopsy a fact of life

  • so you dont have a business plan why not

  • starting a small business is just like running the peachtree only tougher

  • starting your business avoiding the me incorporated syndrome

  • start thinking strategically about your business

  • strategic clarity for communication management

  • strategic internet marketing 5 basic keys to online business success

  • strategic organizational learning

  • strategic planning and consulting

  • strategic planning basics

  • strategic planning for salespeople

  • strategic planning steps for optimum business management

  • strategies to time management

  • succeeding as a seller on e bay

  • succession planning problems getting started

  • succession three tips to ease the transition

  • succss tip business plannning 101

  • survival without computers

  • surviving survival

  • swot analysis is no magic 8 ball

  • swot analysis strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats

  • tactical hints for succession planning

  • tales from the corporate frontlines try try again

  • temporary staffing agency how to start

  • ten tips for creating a terrific employee appraisal system

  • ten ways to sharpen your business edge

  • the 7 traits of an exceptional and successful entrepreneur

  • the 7 traits of an exceptional successful entrepreneur

  • the art of succession planning

  • the business autopsy a fact of life

  • the case of the vanishing technology

  • the challenges of human resource management

  • the collapse of enron

  • the crisis of modernity

  • the dos and donts of creating business partnerships

  • the five biggest mistakes an hr professional can make from the clients perspective

  • the inferno of the finance director

  • the magic and mystery of teams

  • the project management mindset

  • the role of the business model and strategy for business

  • the ten pillars of leadership and business development

  • the three factors of leadership motivation

  • thoughtleading the art of separating yourself from the pack

  • three planning myths

  • three steps to give your strategic plan traction

  • time management is a work of art

  • tips to maximize the sale of your business

  • top tips for effective time management

  • to all managers how does add affect your workplace

  • trade show exhibit booth 7 tips to improve yours

  • trade show victory

  • trend setting how office art improves productivity

  • understanding financial statements when approaching lenders

  • useful tips for evaluating your meeting venue options

  • what are we teaching pr students

  • what could macedonia learn from a tiger the asian tigers and the phenomenon of uninterrupted economic growth

  • what if peter drucker were your ceo

  • what is a trainer what is a facilitator

  • what is google adsense

  • what to consider before approaching lenders

  • what your home based business plan can do for you

  • what you must do for one whole day every week for your business

  • when and where the affluent shop for december holiday gifts

  • when tactics are not enough

  • who do you talk to

  • why bother with customer centricity

  • why have a mortgage coach

  • why just the right ppc campaign management brings in lots and lots of cash

  • writing a business plan

  • your 7 minute mba

  • your business or your life why not both

  • your online fortune is just a click away