Public relations professionals put a lot of resources into ensuring that company spokespeople are competent communicators. While this is important, it needs to be seen in a broader communications context. Why? Because even the best-trained spokesperson may not be seen as very credible by their audience. A Public Relations Society of America survey of American adults aged 18-plus, reported late last year, makes this point very well. The following are credibility rankings adapted from the survey results, of "people who can provide financial information on a company" (from highest to lowest, based on mean score): - Consumer protection advocate
- Professional financial planner or advisor
- Business or industry expert
- Stock broker you know
- Friend involved in a business or industry
- Family member
- University business school professor
- Stock holder in a particular business or industry
- Worker in a company or business
- Business reporter for a newspaper
- Business reporter on television
- Government official who regulates a business or industry
- Company's chief financial officer (CFO)
- Union leader
- President of a large corporation
- Company's chief executive officer (CEO)
- Spokesperson for a company
For corporates, the message to be drawn from this is to give priority to ‘influencing the influencers'. |
