red-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization,

the public relations effort is a success.

What that should mean to a CEO seems obvious. "I guess that money I'm spending on public relations really could result in the kind of change in behaviors of my key stakeholders that leads directly to the achievement of my organizational objectives."

Th

I address this article to businesses, associations, non-profits and public entity managers seeking a direct connection between the money they're planning to spend on public relations, and the achievement of their organizational objectives.

We can save a lot of time - you and I - if we can agree on one point: I believe that deep down - and I mean DEEP down - most chief executives understand that doing something about the behaviors of their most significant external audiences can rank in importance right up there with increased sales and earnings. Whether they do anything about it or not is another question. But I believe many sense - as do legislators who know they cannot govern without the consent of the governed - that managements cannot "govern" their enterprises without the support and understanding of their most important audiences. I refer to audiences such as members, supporters, customers, sponsors, prospects, regulators, employees, thoughtleaders, public interest groups and the like.

If I'm right, there are some bright days ahead in this new century not only for public relations people but world commerce as well.

Fortunately for all concerned, that success will spring from the fundamental premise of public relations: people act on their own perception of the facts, and those perceptions lead to behaviors about which something can be done. When public relations creates, changes or reinforces that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to- desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization,

the public relations effort is a success.

What that should mean to a CEO seems obvious. "I guess that money I'm spending on public relations really could result in the kind of change in behaviors of my key stakeholders that leads directly to the achievement of my organizational objectives."

Th

f executives understand that doing something about the behaviors of their most significant external audiences can rank in importance right up there with increased sales and earnings. Whether they do anything about it or not is another question. But I believe many sense - as do legislators who know they cannot govern without the consent of the governed - that managements cannot "govern" their enterprises without the support and understanding of their most important audiences. I refer to audiences such as members, supporters, customers, sponsors, prospects, regulators, employees, thoughtleaders, public interest groups and the like.

If I'm right, there are some bright days ahead in this new century not only for public relations people but world commerce as well.

Fortunately for all concerned, that success will spring from the fundamental premise of public relations: people act on their own perception of the facts, and those perceptions lead to behaviors about which something can be done. When public relations creates, changes or reinforces that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to- desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization,

the public relations effort is a success.

What that should mean to a CEO seems obvious. "I guess that money I'm spending on public relations really could result in the kind of change in behaviors of my key stakeholders that leads directly to the achievement of my organizational objectives."

Th

annot "govern" their enterprises without the support and understanding of their most important audiences. I refer to audiences such as members, supporters, customers, sponsors, prospects, regulators, employees, thoughtleaders, public interest groups and the like.

If I'm right, there are some bright days ahead in this new century not only for public relations people but world commerce as well.

Fortunately for all concerned, that success will spring from the fundamental premise of public relations: people act on their own perception of the facts, and those perceptions lead to behaviors about which something can be done. When public relations creates, changes or reinforces that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to- desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization,

the public relations effort is a success.

What that should mean to a CEO seems obvious. "I guess that money I'm spending on public relations really could result in the kind of change in behaviors of my key stakeholders that leads directly to the achievement of my organizational objectives."

Th

e but world commerce as well.

Fortunately for all concerned, that success will spring from the fundamental premise of public relations: people act on their own perception of the facts, and those perceptions lead to behaviors about which something can be done. When public relations creates, changes or reinforces that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to- desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization,

the public relations effort is a success.

What that should mean to a CEO seems obvious. "I guess that money I'm spending on public relations really could result in the kind of change in behaviors of my key stakeholders that leads directly to the achievement of my organizational objectives."

Th

red-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization,

the public relations effort is a success.

What that should mean to a CEO seems obvious. "I guess that money I'm spending on public relations really could result in the kind of change in behaviors of my key stakeholders that leads directly to the achievement of my organizational objectives."

That conclusion will let us do what we do best - reach those key audience perceptions with the facts as we know them. Hopefully, the messages we use will be clear and persuasive, and will create, change or reinforce perceptions as needed, then alter behaviors in the employer/client's direction.

When the problem solving sequence is completed, that particular public relations mission is accomplished. However, we must constantly guard against simply emphasizing those communications tactics we fervently HOPE will reach the target audience. Instead, we must go further and actively track how well those tactics and persuasive messages are altering the perception of that target audience. And then monitor to what degree audience behaviors have moved in our direction. This matters in a very important way. Management really CAN establish the desired behavior change up front in the planning phase, then insist on getting that result before pronouncing the public relations effort a success. In other words, getting their public relations money's worth!

This is powerful stuff! A chief executive of an association, a business, a non-profit and even a public entity can work with his or her public relations counsel and agree in the planning phase what they must do to achieve a specified adjustment in the behaviors of a really important external audience.

Even better, the way to do this is well-known in the public relations business:

select your target audience;
gauge its percepti