What's the real reason some managers shy away from publicrelations? I believe it's because they don't understand, orbelieve, the direct connection between what public relationsis capable of delivering and their need to achieve specificbusiness objectives.

It's lost opportunity of the worst kind. And a shame, becausethe reason we do public relations in the first place is tochange the behaviors of certain groups of people importantto the success of those very Doubting Thomas managers.

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

Better yet, you can establish the degree of behavior changeyou want, up front, then insist on getting that result beforeyou 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 resultsof an activity more accurately than when you clearly achievethe 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 wantsour help in altering counterproductive perceptions amongkey audiences which almost always change behaviors in away that helps him or her get to where they want to be.

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

I think yes, because everything we do is based on the samerealities -- people act on their perception of the facts, andwe can do something about those perceptions. And when publicrelations activity successfully creates, changes or reinforcesthat opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-actionthose people whose behaviors affect the organization, thepublic relations effort is a success.

It works this way in practice.

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

* or you may want people to perceive your organizationmore positively, thus strengthening its reputation.

* it could be as simple as communicating a company'sstrengths to a target audience leading them to a positiveperception of the firm, in turn leading to new investmentsin the company's shares.

I know, Mr. or Ms. Manager, that you are not primarilyinterested in our ability to communicate, paint images orschmooz with the media. Nor are you especially fascinatedwith our efforts to identify target audiences, set publicrelations goals and strategies, write persuasive messages andselect communications tactics.

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

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

Done correctly, when public relations results in modifiedbehaviors 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 meanspublic relations professionals must modify somebody'sbehavior if they are to help hit your objective and earn apaycheck - I believe everything else is a means to that end.

O.K., Mr. Manager, let's look at how public relations mightwork for you out on the ground. We'll use the example of anational 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, amplifiedby competitive trouble-making out in the trade, about rumorscirculating to the effect that serious quality problems havecropped 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 arestarting to decline, public relations counsel and staff, workingclosely with the company's manufacturing people here andabroad, establish conclusively that rumors of declining qualityare without foundation, and simply untrue.

But, even though the rumors are not true, we still want toverify the status of both consumer and trade PERCEPTIONSof the company's product quality.

But, surprise! Probing consumer opinion through personalcontact and informal polling out in the market place, counseland staff determine that, in fact, there really IS adisturbing perception out there that the company's furnitureline is "of low quality and overpriced."

It's useful to make the point here, Ms. Manager, that publicrelations problems are nearly always defined by what peoplethink about the facts, as opposed to the actual truth of thematter.

Moving on, we establish the public relations goal: alter thepublic perception of the company's furniture quality. Thiswill lead to positive consumer behavioral changes, in turnresulting in furniture buyers returning to company showroomsonce again.

Now we determine the public relations strategy. We only havethree choices: CREATE opinion where none exists, CHANGEexisting opinion, or REINFORCE that existing opinion. Becauseexisting opinion has turned negative on the quality of thecompany's furniture, the public relations strategy will be tobegin the process of CHANGING that opinion from negative topositive.

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 businesscommunities, employees, local thought-leaders and media inthe company's retail outlet locations, and a number of otherpossible stakeholder groups.

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

It's a challenge. The messages must disarm the rumorscirculating in the furniture community with clear evidenceof excellent design and construction quality, and secondedby credible third-party endorsements such as satisfiedcustomers and top design consultants.

Regular assessments of how opinion is currently runningamong target groups must be performed, constantly tweakingthe message and, finally, action-producing incentives forindividuals to take the desired actions must be identifiedand built into each message.

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

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

Now, it's time to monitor progress and look forsigns of improvement. Public relations staff and counsel mustspeak regularly with members of each target audience, monitorprint and broadcast media for evidence of the company'smessages or viewpoints, and interact with key customers,prospects and influentials.

At last, indicators that the messages are moving opinionin your direction will start appearing. Indicators likecomments in community business meetings, mentions in researchanalyst's reports, local newspaper editorials, e-mails frommembers of target audiences as well as public references bypolitical figures and local celebrities.

What is happening, is that the action program is beginningto gain and hold the kind of public understanding andacceptance that will lead to the desired shift in publicbehavior.

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

When the changes in behaviors become truly apparent throughincreased showroom traffic, media reports, thought-leadercomment, employee and community chatter and a variety ofother feedback - in other words, clearly meeting the originalbehavior modification goal - two things have occurred. One,the public relations program is a success and, two, byachieving the behavioral goal you set at the beginning, youare using a near-perfect public relations performancemeasurement.

To assess behavior changes and, thus, the degree of successthe public relations program has achieved, we need evidenceof changes in behavior showing up as follows: Internet chatterand 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, feedbackfrom suppliers as well as reaction from elected officials,union leaders and government agencies.

But, we can't let the Doubting Thomases off the hook withoutreminders that some very basic but unattended perceptions maybe out there that could lead to very costly negative behaviors.For example, Mr. Manager:

* if sales prospects are unaware of your product or service, you willnot get them as customers.

* if your customers don't remain convinced of the value of yourproduct or service, you lose them.

* 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 effectivetactics leads directly to the bottom line - altered perceptions,modified behaviors, a happy CEO and a public relations homerun.

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

Which is why I say that when you measure our realeffectiveness, you will be fully satisfied with those publicrelations results only when our "reach, persuadeand move-to-action" efforts produce that visible modificationin the behaviors of those people you wish to influence. In myview, this is the central, strategic function of publicrelations - the basic context in which we must operate.

Doubting Thomases aside, I hope these remarks contain anugget or two that assists you in leading the non-believers inyour organizations to a better understanding of the functionof public relations. Especially how it can strengthenrelationships with those important groups of people - thosetarget audiences whose perceptions and behaviors can help orhinder the achievement of their business objectives.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource boxin your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website.A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly © 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit andassociation managers about using the fundamental premise of publicrelations 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 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.

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