At this point, I put my umpteenth mug of coffee down next to me and reflect on this. For me, it sums up the communication industry perfectly. Perception is reality. We’re constantly being influenced by the media, by connections in our social media circles, from our partners, friends, colleagues, family and importantly, from our own individual experiences in terms of the voices we believe or the brands that we trust.
Public relations has for decades, in some form or another always been about managing perceptions in the public space. How is that achieved? By being present. By showing up. By having a voice and a purpose that resonates with the people that brand or individual (I hate the term ‘target markets’) wants to connect with.
‘Controlling the narrative’ gets thrown around a lot in our industry but it’s an important phrasing of having the correct story to tell, and telling it in such a way that is credible, authentic and emphatic. Fortunately, technology has provided an excess of ways in which to communicate with the people we want to reach so there is little to no reason why any brand should be quiet, even during a global pandemic.
A man is what others say he is and perception is reality. So what is it that individuals believe of your brand, your CEO or your team? Expressing a brand’s purpose through beautifully crafted pose is great but only actions can authenticate intent.
Brands or individuals that have been ‘loved’ (and I use the term loosely) for many months or years by consumers are perceived worthy of their time, of holding a temporary place in their cranium and perhaps even enough to make someone part with their hard-earned cash.
Great, so the brand is loved, job done right? Nope. There is no guarantee that a brand, an executive, a celebrity or other person held in high regard will maintain the good feelings they’ve acquired. A really good friend and long-time client often says,
People are fickle and attention spans are short.How true is that! We ‘love’ multiple brands in the same category depending on the day, our mood or what is most top of mind for us.
Is a man still a man if he is gone? Is a brand still top-of-mind if they go dark? A continuous presence in the right channels will go a long way in maintaining that brand affinity, as long as you remain authentic and provide value to the person on the other side. After all ‘a man is what others say he is and no more’.
