Issues Management: Best Practice Approach for Effective Corporate PR

Bisi Olawuyi, PhDResearch and Strategy Unit

The Quadrant Company, Nigeria

“An issue ignored is crisis ensured.” (Regester and Larkin, 2008)

Less action-oriented and more anticipatory

Proactive

Issues management

Needed after public outrage

Reactive

Crisis management

Issues Management: An Overview

Shifts in public values, rising expectations, demands for public consultation and intrusive media present greater challenges

Handling of issues can mean the difference between a crisis out of control and proactive solution—between profit and loss

Howard Chase coined the term, Issues Management in 1977 as a corporate shift from information base to advocacy position

Important strategic factor in reputational and financial performance

Issues Management: Conceptual Definition

Managing “corporate response to changes in operational environment” (Cutlip et al. 1985).

“a gap between corporate practice and stakeholder expectation” (Regester and Larkin, 2002)

“the process of identifying issues, analysing those issues, setting priorities, selecting programme strategy options, implementing a programme of action and

evaluating effectiveness.” (Cutlip et al. 1985)

Issues Management: Conceptual Definition (Cont)

Issues management is the practice of working socio-political issues for the advantage of an organisation. Encompasses lobbying and wider communication tools of a campaigner, but also focuses in at the organisation itself to understand what may need to change internally as well as seeking to influence the external world (Simon Bryceson)

•Slow burn, with a potential for crisis

•Things to watch that can affect the industry

•There is still an opportunity to influence and manage it

Issue management is understood

and interpreted as

follows:

Managing issues involves dealing with change. Its ultimate goal is to shape public policy to the benefit of the organisation through:

Early identification of the potential impact of the change

Organised activity based on sound management principles and techniques, and allowing time for analysis and creative thinking to influence the evolution and, ultimately, the outcome of that change

Issues Life Cycle

Emergence

•Identification of trends by expert

•Lines become drawn and conflict emerges

Dissemination

•Intense pressure

•Media coverage

Establishme

nt

•Groups seek resolution

•Pressure on involvement of regulatory organs

Erosion

•Legislation and regulation

•Unconditional acceptance by organisation

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4Emergence Dissemination Establishment Erosion

The issue Spreads into is well known, its relevance Is other areas becomes declines generated generalised

Figure 1: The Issues Life Cycle

Functions of Issues Management• Smart planning and operations

Critical changes in the public policy environment are integrated into the strategic business plan and corporate management strategies

• Tough defence and smart offence– Involvement of companies before issues solidify in order to

enhance successful campaign • Getting the house in order

– Examining the requirements to achieve appropriate commitments to matters of CSR

• Scouting the terrain – The use of social scientific techniques to offer valuable insights

into the way issues can be identified, monitored and analysed

•Makes it possible for organisations to shape government policy on issues which affect them, rather than just to adapt to policy changes. The interactive corporation tries to get a reasonably accurate agenda of public issues that it should be concerned with ...and develops constructive approaches to these issues (Bucholz, quoted in Grunig and Hunt, 1984, pg. 296)

Public Issues Management

Issue Management Techniques

Lobbying

Direct attempts to influence legislative and regulatory decisions in

government

Public Affairs

Specialised public relations effort designed

to build and maintain community and

government relations

Types of Lobbying

Defensivedesigned to abolish or amend an existing law, or offensive, aimed at

pushing the authorities to create a law.

Offensive aimed at pushing the authorities to create a

law

Factors for Successful Lobbying

Access to decision makers

Background research

Good timing

Communication skills

Knowledge of government procedure

Public interest

Support of opinion leaders

Effective targeting

Favourable media coverage

Knowledge of government structure

Lobbying: A Caveat

Every hour spent on

research and monitoring is worth ten on

lobbying (Charles Miller).

The later a campaign

begins, the fewer choices

are open (AlisonTheaker,)

Benefits of Effective Issues Management Techniques

Increase in market share

Enhance corporate

reputation Save money

Build important relationships

Protect business continuity

Mitigate risk and associated

regulatory impact

Pressure Groups and Issues

“Emotion has a place in public policy debate but if it becomes a substitute for rational consideration, we are in

very deep trouble indeed. The end does not justify the means, even where the

end is the saving of the world.” (www.bryceson.com)

Best Practice Approach•Tw

o-communication to learn the consequences of what they are doing on all of their relevant publics

Listening to all strategic constituencies

•Two-way communication to tell the publics about the organisation is doing about negative consequences

Talking with all strategic constituencies

•Continuous effort at communicating with activists are necessary to contend with their shifting stances

Continuous communication with activists

•Acknowledgement of all constituent groups regardless of size

Acknowledging the legitimacy of all constituencies

•Engaging competent and skilful persons

Expertise of the communicator

•Effectiveness measured more than in short-term gains or losses

Evaluating effectiveness in the long run

•Monitor environment and interact with dominant coalition internally

Public relations in the dominant coalition

TQC and IM: Raising the Game

Help clients to understand the nature of an issue, the actors involved and which combination of politics /

media / pressure groups / public opinion is the critical

driving force

Work with clients to develop both business strategies and communications strategies

Help the client reach internal alignment

Work with the client team on implementation

Case Study

• http://www.b-prod.be/hlc/2013/05/14/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-fish/