Transcript Who „suffers” from PR

Dr Maciej Ulita
(Fraser P. Seitel, Public Relations w praktyce, Warszawa 2003.)
Public opinion
Best
campaign
will
 Public opinion is an elusive
and PR
delicate
good,
not
 Chester Burger who started
onebuilt
of thetrust
best PRwhen
agencies
once said:
reality destroys it.
Reality limits possible
PR successes!
Public opinion likes and dislikes
Vs
Likes and dislikes
 Both earned similar amount of money,
 They are totally different,
 Both are extremely recogizable,
 One has possitive image,
 While the other rather not…
 Both are succesful…
Public opinion
 That’s peculiarity of public opinion dominated by

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fame,
Most often it is hard to push people towards strong
and radical opinion,
Even harder is to change opinions they have,
Some say, that even mass media has very little effect on
public opinion…
So
What PR are willing to do?
PR Vs PUBLIC OPINON
 Main task of PR is to influence on the public opinion…
 Most of PR programs/projects are to:
Make people change their opinion concerning
certain product, service or organization,
2. Solidify uninformed or undecided opinions,
3. Strengthen existing opinions
1.
What PR needs?
 PR specialists must understand in what way public
opinion sets up,
 How it arises from people attitude toward various
things,
 And what influence communication has upon it
What PUBLIC OPINION is?
 Public opinion as PR escapes definitions,
 Josepf Kraft (journalist) said:
„Unknown God to pries whom incenses are burnt”
 Edward Bernays (an American pioneer in the field
of public relations and propaganda) said:
„…is a term describing badly defined, hesitant and
changing group of individual opinions”
What PUBLIC OPINION is?
 Princeton University Professor – HARWOOD
CHILDES took 40 various but possible definitions and
at the end summed his researches with one by
Herman C. Boyle:
„Public opinion is not a name of a
certain thing, but a classification of
SOME things”
What PUBLIC OPINION is?
PUBLIC OPINION
Relates to a group of people,
who on certain field has
common interest – e.g. share
holders, employees, members of
certain social group, etc.
Expressing attitude
towards certain subject.
- When attitude is strong
enough it reveals itself as the
opinion.
- When opinion is strong
enough it becomes action –
verbal or behavioral
Is a combination of many individual
opinions concerning issues which
influence group of people.
In other words
It is a CONSENSUS
ATTITUDE
 Hard to define
 Generally it is capacity for thinking in a certain way
about certain subject
 On the other hand latest researches shows that it may
be a judgment which people use for certain problems
or issues
But
 Judgments not necessarily have to be related to one
general attitude – e.g. one may agree with one reaction
while disagree with other…
Attitude moulding factors
 PERSONAL – physical and emotional parts of human
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being such as: height, age, social status
CULTURAL – environment, life style
EDUCATIONAL – level and quality of education
FAMILY – the way kids are being brought up
RELIGIOUS – system of beliefs
SOCIAL STATUS FACTORS
RACIAL
Sometimes this
group is called
„SILENT
MAJORITY”
Motivating factors by A. Maslow
Becoming what one can be
•Respect,
•Trust,
•Leadership
•Strength
•Success
•Power
•Intelligence
•Love
•Acceptance
•Being in a
group
•Belonging
6 cardinal rules
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
DO NOT USE PICTURES UNLESS IT IS
ACCOMPANIED BY POSSIBLE ACTIONS PEOPLE
CAN DO (do not use pictures of death talking about
abortion because association may cause that people
will flee the problem)
GO TO YOUR SURROUNDING INSTED OF
WAITING FOR IT TO COME TO YOU
DO NOT ASSUME THAT CHANGE IN ATTITUDE
IS NECESSARY FOR CHANGE IN BEHAVIOUR
USE MORAL ARGUMENTATION AS AN
ADDITIONAL NOT MAIN
PUT YOURSELF IN MAINSTREAM
DO NOT OFFEND PEOPLE YOU’RE TRYING TO
CHANGE
Power of persuasion
 Persuasion is probably most powerful tool of PR
 It is a goal of most of PR programs
 The theory of persuasion has millions of explanations
and interpretations
Saying straight out
It means to make someone do something thanks to
given advice, shown way of understanding or
simply – pointing out
Needed proof
 In order to persuade you need a proof to back up
 Proofs that give you the persuasive effect:
1. Facts - You do not discuss with facts!
2. Emotions – people are emotional!
3. Personification – people react to personal
experiences – if an authority talks about personal
experiences – it will work!
4. Appealing to „YOU” – people like to know what
they are going to get, so I’ll tell YOU what I’ll do for
YOU!
Influencing public opinion (PO)
1.
2.
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5.
15 laws of influencing public opinion
by Hadley Cantril (social psychologist):
It is very sensitive to important events.
Extremely important events often cause ultimate PO
changes. It all calms down after the event
consequences may be seen from a distance.
PO is more often described by events then words
(saying sth may be an event).
Speaking may be most powerful when PO is not
moulded – it seeks interpretation from reliable
source.
In most cases PO do not foresee crisis simply reacts
to it.
6. Ones opinion is mostly determined by ones interest
7.
8.
9.
10.
– impulses influence it as long as connection to the
interest is clear.
PO can not be interested for a long period of time
(unless it is closely connected to their interest or
being sustained).
When people’s interest is involved it is not easy to
change their opinion.
When people’s interest is involved PO often is ahead
of politics (in democracy).
When opinion is sustained by small majority or is
not strongly shaped successful event puts PO to
acceptance.
11. In hard times people are more sensitive about
12.
13.
14.
15.
leaders. If they trust them the are willing to give
more, if they do not, they become less tolerant.
If people feel they take part in decision process the
will not oppose.
People have more to say when talking about goals. It’
s far worse as ways of getting to them are concerned.
PO stays under the influence of desire.
In most cases (in democracy) when people have
access to education and information they show good
reason.
SUMMARY
Influencing public opinion is one of the biggest concerns
of PR specialists.
In order to make it possible it is good to foresee and
prognoses upcoming trends – MEGATRENDS
Being able to control public opinion is a key to
success.
What about ethics?
IABC Code of Ethics for
Professional Communicators
(http://www.iabc.com/about/code.htm)
These principles are essential:
 Professional communication is legal.
 Professional communication is ethical.
 Professional communication is in good taste.
Recognizing these principles, members of IABC will:
 Engage in communication that is not only legal but also
ethical and sensitive to cultural values and beliefs;
 Engage in truthful, accurate and fair communication that
facilitates respect and mutual understanding;
 adhere to the following articles of the IABC Code of Ethics
for Professional Communicators.
IABC Code of Ethics for
Professional Communicators
(http://www.iabc.com/about/code.htm)
 Professional communicators uphold the credibility and dignity
of their profession by practicing honest, candid and timely
communication and by fostering the free flow of essential
information in accord with the public interest.
 Professional communicators disseminate accurate information
and promptly correct any erroneous communication for which
they may be responsible.
 Professional communicators understand and support the
principles of free speech, freedom of assembly, and access to an
open marketplace of ideas and act accordingly.
 Professional communicators are sensitive to cultural values and
beliefs and engage in fair and balanced communication activities
that foster and encourage mutual understanding.
IABC Code of Ethics for
Professional Communicators
(http://www.iabc.com/about/code.htm)
 Professional communicators refrain from taking part in any
undertaking which the communicator considers to be unethical.
 Professional communicators obey laws and public policies
governing their professional activities and are sensitive to the
spirit of all laws and regulations and, should any law or public
policy be violated, for whatever reason, act promptly to correct
the situation.
 Professional communicators give credit for unique expressions
borrowed from others and identify the sources and purposes of
all information disseminated to the public.
 Professional communicators protect confidential information
and, at the same time, comply with all legal requirements for the
disclosure of information affecting the welfare of others.
IABC Code of Ethics for
Professional Communicators
(http://www.iabc.com/about/code.htm)
 Professional communicators do not use confidential information
gained as a result of professional activities for personal benefit
and do not represent conflicting or competing interests without
written consent of those involved.
 Professional communicators do not accept undisclosed gifts or
payments for professional services from anyone other than a
client or employer.
 Professional communicators do not guarantee results that are
beyond the power of the practitioner to deliver.
 Professional communicators are honest not only with others but
also, and most importantly, with themselves as individuals; for a
professional communicator seeks the truth and speaks that truth
first to the self.
Code by PR Society of America
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5.
Articles used most often
PR organization member must be honest to clients
and employers (past, present and future) and to his
colleagues.
Must abide by truth and faithfulness and good taste
standards.
His professional life must be in harmony with public
interest.
He mustn’t deliberately tell lies or misleading
information.
He mustn’t engage in any activity which could cause
deformation of communication channels.
© Maciej Ulita