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Public Communication Strategies for

School Election Successfrom

The Public Relations Practitioner’s Playbook

[for the New York School PR Association]

M. Larry Litwin, APR, Fellow PRSA

© 20122

Or…

Why We Do What We Do

And

How To Do It Better!

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Taken from…

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PR Is...

• “This is who we are;

• What we think about ourselves;

• What we want to do; and

• Why we deserve your support.”

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You Talk – We Listen

Hearing vs. Listening

There is a reason why we have two ears and one mouth – we must listen twice as

much as we speak.

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Public Communication• Public communication is at the heart of our economy,

society and politics. Studios use it to promote their films. Politicians use it to get elected. Businesses use it to burnish their image. Advocates use it to promote social causes.

• It is a field built on ideas and images, persuasion and information, strategy and tactics. No policy or product can succeed without a smart (strategic) message targeted to the right audience in creative and innovative ways at the ideal time using the proper channel. The ability to communicate this way – to communicate strategically – is what Public Communication is all about.

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Strategic Message

Commercial PersuasionOr

Public Relations

“The establishing of reciprocal understanding between an individual and a group.”

Edward Bernays

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Ivy Ledbetter Lee’s Public Relations Principles

1. Tell the truth

2. Provide accurate facts

3. Give the public relations director access to top management so that he/she can influence decisions

In the beginning…

PR’s calling…

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Campaign

A premeditated act

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PR Plan/Roadmap

• Goal

• Objectives

• Strategies

• Tactics

• Tools

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Superior tactics cannot overcome a bad (business) strategy.

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No Planning = No Plan =

No Hope

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Questions to answer…

…enroute to a successful campaign:

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Carville and Matalin

• Simple

• Relevance

• Repetition

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Phase One

• Plan the campaign– Learn the laws– Research– Target audience– Voter registration

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Phase Two

• Information campaign– Community education– Face-to-face– Speakers bureau– Key communicators

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Phase Three

• Endorsements• Sophisticated publications• Buttons• Bumper stickers• Canvassing• Phone calls• Emails

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Why campaigns fail

• Voters generally uninformed• Two types of audiences –

passive/active• Lack of optimism• Poor GOTV effort

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Fraser Seitel says…

• “Our fundamental role in PR is to defend and promote and enhance and sustain the reputation of our organizations.”

• “Our job in PR is to help ensure that that objective is achieved…through proper performance – effectively communicated.”

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Managing Public Opinion

Public relations practitioners…

– Assess public opinion

– Influence public opinion

It is our responsibility to MANAGEpublic opinion!

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How are Bottom Lines Achieved?

? ? ?

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Media Life Changer No. 1…

A powerful example of algorithms and pixels thanks to CBS News.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57376133/how-the-revolution-became-digitized/?tag=contentBody;cbsCarousel

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Reaching the Desired Outcome

• Attitude

• Opinion

Education > Knowledge >Attitude > Behavioral Change >

Output = Desired Outcome

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PR Practitioners are…

Strategic Advisors

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ABCs of Strategic Communication

• Anticipate

• Be Prepared

• Communicate Clearly, Concisely,

Consistently, Calculatingly,

Completely (Specifically and Simply)

Open, Honest, Thorough, Valid

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Inline (1-2-1) Attachment

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1-2-1 campaigns DO work

http://www.businessinsider.com/check-out-this-60-million-high-school-football-stadium-in-allen-texas-2010-4

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Public Relations is Synergy

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Two-Way Communication Model

Sender>>>Message>>>Receiver^ V

^ Noise V

^ Noise V

^ Noise V^ V^ <<<<<<<<Feedback<<<<<<< V

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MAC Triad Plus

M

+P+T

A C

M=Message A=Audience C=Channel P=Purpose T=Timing

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MAC Triad Plus cont.

• Informization– Disseminating information (message) to

target audience through the proper channel at the best possible time.

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Cracked Egg Model

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Synergy

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

orThe whole works better than

any one of its parts.[To achieve our goal, we should

achieve synergy.]

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Public Relations is Synergy

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Persuasion Pointers

• Know your audience

• Know what you can accomplish

• Anticipate objections/dispel them

• Establish mutual goals/a common ground

• Give options/choices

• Be clear

• Be familiar

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Persuasion cont.

• Use problem/solution format

• Stress rewards/benefits

• Control the tone

• Clinch your argument

• Ask for what you want

• Leave (impression) something to remember

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Three-Step vs. Two-Step Flow

Three-Step Flow1. Credible endorser*

2. Key communicator

3. (Targeted) publics

*Source credibility

Two-Step Flow1. Mass-media

message carrier

2. (Targeted) publics

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Three-Step vs. Two-Step vs. One-Step Flow

One-Step Flow – One-to-One

1. From organization directly to

(Targeted) publics

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Third Party Endorser

• Endorsement = Someone who says it.

• Testimonial = Someone who lives it.

[Know the difference]

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7 C’s of Communication

• Credibility

• Context

• Content

• Clarity

• Continuity and Consistency

• Channels

• Capability

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Persuade vs. Convince

• Persuade – Change of mind or attitude (for a short time)– When you persuade someone, you get them to act

without convincing them

• Convince – Change of heart and mind (long term)– When you convince someone, you actually get

them to believe something else

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Questions ???

M. Larry Litwin, APR, Fellow PRSAlarry@larrylitwin.comwww.larrylitwin.com

© 2012