REASON:
I believe the key to good PR is this reality. 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.
In other words your public relations effort must involve more than special events brochures and news releases if you really want to get your moneys worth.
The payoff can make your day: membership applications on the rise; customers starting to make repeat purchases; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; community leaders beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; prospects starting to do business with you; higher employee retention rates capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way and even politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of the business non-profit or association communities.
But who among your PR team really understands the blueprint outlined above and shows commitment to its implementation starting with key audience perception monitoring Luckily your PR people are already in the perception and behavior business so they should be of real use for this initial opinion monitoring project.
