Perception and influence
An ‘tried and tested’ approach to managing communication needs is to turn to Public Relations. Many organisations whether established brands or small businesses in the growth stage assume that PR is the solution to increasing their exposure and building a reputation. There is an old adage “No PR is bad PR” – which is derived from the premise that any exposure is better than none. In our current media climate where everyone is a journalist and it’s hard to distinguish real from fake, it may be opportune to dismiss this and question whether ‘old-school’ PR is the right approach.
Whilst PR has its place it is becoming less relevant in a world where the way we communicate, how we receive our information and importantly, how we are influenced, has changed.
The concept of influence is a tenuous one. “Who” you are influencing and “how” are important questions which are difficult to measure accurately. There is no science behind PR and there isn’t a linear relationship between exposure and sales. Measuring influence is even trickier as often it is subtle and gathering data on who has been influenced is even more difficult to assess. Of course, social media was invented to try to manage this problem. Does a like on Instagram mean that your post has “influenced” someone? And are the “Influencers” who have created a whole new industry really influencing people? These are questions which require more depth and understanding of human behaviour.
What is perhaps more important is perception. It is more important to understand and be aware of the perception your business or organisation has and if your communication strategy is in line with how you want your audience to see you. It is critical to have key messages and communication campaigns in place but it is equally important to engage with the client or consumer and understand how these messages are being received.
A review of your competitors and your sector together with market research will enable a more accurate view of whether your communication is effective.