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E-mail Rumors
We have all opened bogus e-mails in our inboxes claiming that a fast food restaurant doesn’t use real chicken, a billion-dollar company advocates Satan worshipping or fruit from another company contains flesh-eating bacteria.
In today’s world of quickly circulating e-mail and blogs, it’s easy for an entire organization to be ruined because of one e-mail rumor. So how do keep your organization from suffering such an attack?
• Respond to the e-mail rumor. Let your audience know you're aware of it and explain why it’s not true. People often equate silence with guilt so be sure your audience hears your side of the story, too.
• Speak against the rumor with consistent messages. Give talking points to everyone in your organization who comes in contact with your audience. Add information to your Web site refuting the rumor.
• Communicate your concern. Even if you are not guilty, show empathy.
• Seize the opportunity. While you are fighting the rumor, take the time to build new alliances, bolster your reputation and increase your brand recognition.
If the rumor about your organization happens to be true, it is best to be open and honest with your audience.
Got PR?
No matter what industry you’re in, public relations can and should play a vital role. Why? Well, at some point, virtually all organizations must try to alter perceptions or change the behavior of their target audience in some way.
So, how exactly do you get PR?
First, find out what your audience thinks about you through surveys with questions like: How much do you know about our organization? Have you experienced problems with our staff or products?
Second, devise goals to tackle the problem areas your audience helped you discover. And, yes, we all have areas we can improve upon.
Now you have a decision to make. Are you trying to change existing perception (the most difficult), create perception where there is none or reinforce perception? This decision must be in line with your problem-solving goals.
Next comes the hard work. You must develop a persuasive message and overall strategy to change, create or reinforce perception. Then, you must carefully consider your audience to determine the most effective way to communicate that message to them.
Just when you think you're done comes the part that's often overlooked. Monitor your audience again to see if perceptions have changed and, therefore, if you have reached your PR goals. Evaluate yourself to see what you did well and what you can do better next time.
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