Some horses I know all looking for the feed bucket: always guaranteed to get their attention!
If only it was as easy for we, as public relations practitioners, to achieve the same level of interest in the audiences we seek to engage?
Grunig's Situational Theory provides some pointers here. People will engage depending on high problem recognition (being concerned enough to engage with an issue), low constraint recognition (the need to feel that the action they take will actually make a difference) and high involvement.
New technologies are assisting this engagement, particularly as activist groups can use them to build on involvement and empower people who may want to engage but think it's too much effort to do so. As practitioners, we have to make it as easy as possible for people to engage. I like the approach Amnesty International takes to helping anyone become an activist. We can all learn something from this campaign and many similar.
I guess the horses are luckier because their audience is very caring and more informed (human beings). Public relations practitioners could achieve a similar level of attention depending on the level of their audience sophistication and access to information. ICT plays a great role in enhancing the audience's access to information. In Africa, improving ICT literacy in the communities helps achieve the sort of attention that public relations practitioners desire. See: www.ifla.org.sg
ReplyDeleteI agree. The audience who wants to hear from us is receptive...
ReplyDeleteOf course, the challenge may be trying to converse with an unsophisticated audience or one which is hard to reach. That's where we need all the tools that technology can provide. Whether it be through games, facebook or simple SMS texting.
Long time haven't followed all my classmates and now just see what's going on. Just read various passages and comments. I found we are also lucky (not only the beautiful horses). I can see what happens all over the world (UK, Singapore, Africa..) without taking long distance trip. From webblog, we are the audiences. We are also the spokesperson.
ReplyDeleteHi Joan
ReplyDeleteGreat to read that you appreciate the horses! Like you, I love this easy means of keeping up with everyone around the world.
Charli