Measuring Relationships in PR – Module 2

   1.     According to the document, there are several ways an organization retains “good” relationships with its target audiences, including:

a.      Access—members of publics or opinion leaders provide access to public relations people.

                                               i.     GMI has “PR people” for this purpose.

b.     Positivity—anything the organization or public does to make the relationship more enjoyable for the parties involved.

                                               i.     I feel like Box Tops for Education is a good example of this. It gets our consumers involved in their community, and gives back to the billions of communities we serve in a positive way.

c.      Openness—of thoughts and feelings among parties involved.

                                               i.     While we cant exactly be “open” with everything, we do work hard to maintain an open and direct relationship with our customers, both through social media, as well as traditional mediums like snail mail and telephone.

d.     Assurances--attempts by parties in the relationship to assure the other parties that they and their concerns are legitimate.

                                               i.     We put this one right on the box:  “If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this product, please contact 555-555-0199.” (That isn’t the real number) :-P

e.     Networking--organizations’ building networks or coalitions with the same groups that their publics do.

                                               i.     We done this both on the consumer level (through social media), as well as at the B2B level by building deep, well integrated B2B and B2C relationships.

f.      Sharing of tasks--organizations’ and publics’ sharing in solving joint or separate problems. Examples of such tasks are managing community issues, providing employment, making a profit, and staying in business, which are in the interest of either the organization, the public, or both.

                                               i.     We STRESS community involvement both within and outside the organization. Just take a look at the “Communities” section of our website:  http://www.generalmills.com/Responsibility/community_engagement.aspx

   2.     Our efforts are measured in a myriad of ways, including:

a.     How many press conferences we hold and why.

                                               i.     It is also important to measure the three O’s from each of these conferences.

b.     Our Box Top Program is measurable both by the sheer number of box tops returned, as well as the amount of revenue it generates for schools and programs around the nation.

c.      We could measure openness by the response to our social media campaigns, or the number of consumer compliments, complaints, or concerns we receive.

d.     Again, we could measure this metric by sheer call volume or response. In fact, this is just another way we have a direct line to the consumer.

e.     This could be measured by the dollar amounts generated through retail or B2B sales, or the amount of shelf space provided to us vs. a competitor.

f.      We could measure this metric by how many of our employees engage in volunteerism (82% in the US), or by the amount of revenue generated through one of our many community programs.

   3.     Relationships are important to measure to ensure that the messages we seek to convey are effectively being communicated. It also ensures that we have established an image with all segments of our audience that fits GMI’s objectives, goals, and values. 

   4.     These relationships provide value in that they can help the company formulate a specific message(s), develop deeper understanding of its target audiences, and ensure that the goals, objectives, values, and ethics of the organization align across the company, its markets, and its constituents.

   5.     Some of GMI’s goals might be:

a.     To foster meaningful and lasting relationships between the consumer and our brands.

                                               i.     Obviously we’ve worked hard to do just that – hence the reason we are one of the words leading food companies. This relationship is of the utmost importance because this is our primary target audience – our “bread and butter.”

b.     To create a relationship with retails partners that is effective and efficient.

                                               i.     Over the past decade, we’ve worked to establish deeper, more efficient relationship with our retail distributors and partners. This has allowed us to create more efficient supply chains, reduce costs, and leverage market power to demand the best product placement. These are all important tenets of our relationship that allow us to distribute and sell the highest volume of product possible.

c.      To give back to the community.

                                               i.     At GMI, we believe in nourishing lives, and an important part of doing that comes in the form of supporting the communities we serve. This goal is important to GMI from both a consumer relations and ethical standpoint – we are a company built on the foundation of community, family, and teamwork for the good of society.

   6.     Some of the outcomes of these relationships might be:

a.     Increased public perception of the company.

                                               i.     Measured by positive press, tweets, likes, etc.

b.     Deeper supplier and retailer relations and establishments

                                               i.     Measured by our retail presence, including things like shelf-space or aisle placement. Also measured by stock levels, available product mix, etc.

c.      Increased community involvement

                                               i.     Measured by how much GMI “gives back” in terms of dollars and manpower. Also measurable through the number of community programs in which our employees participate.