Public Relations 101: Assumptions are Dangerous!

Early on in my public affairs career, one of my mentors told me that you should never “assume” because it makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me.” (Get it?) This is great advice that is especially important in public relations planning!

Research is the Key to Effective Communications

At the core of public relations, we're focused on delivering messages to our target audiences to raise awareness or drive some sort of action (i.e. to purchase a product, donate to a cause, volunteer, etc.). For a communications campaign to be effective, we need to know as much about our audiences as possible:

• What are the demographic factors of our audiences?

• Through what methods or platforms do they receive their information?

• In what formats do they prefer to receive information?

• What motivates them to purchase, donate, volunteer, etc.?

• Who influences their decision-making processes?

Communications Efforts Based Upon Assumptions Can Damage or Destroy a Business!

During the height of the COVID pandemic, I assembled teams of upper division public relations students and assigned them to assist 10 struggling restaurants who had just been allowed to open back up for take-out order only. As the teams met with the business owners, they were told that the businesses were struggling because people were unaware that they were back open for business and that they needed the teams to implement a campaign to promote the fact that the businesses were, in fact, open.

After conducting some basic research, the teams found that the reason people were not returning to the restaurants was actually because they were afraid of catching COVID. The PR teams created campaigns that highlighted the processes and procedures that each restaurant had put into place to keep their customers safe - and the customers started returning. Putting time and effort into a campaign that addressed the business owners’ assumptions, would have been completely ineffective.

Know Your Audiences and Their Influencers

Public relations is strategic and effective campaigns MUST be built upon a solid foundation of RESEARCH. Knowing who your target audience is, who their influencers are, where they get their information, the format in which they prefer to receive their information, and what motivates them, enables you to deliver impactful messages in the place and manner in which they are most likely to see them.

When you create a PR campaign, or any marketing campaign, based upon assumptions, it’s like throwing spaghetti at the wall – and hoping that something sticks!