The importance of self image in PR Strategy

Another important thing I learned from the 9th IPRRC: You need to take into account the self-image of your audience when you put together your communications strategy. Yvette Bueno raised a fascinating issue with her research into the importance of self-image in communications. Her research looked at Domincan immigrants in Florida and how they perceived themselves and the media. Although her research was limited in scope, it raised some very interesting issues.

The respondents viewed themselves as Dominican, not necessarily Latino, and felt that their communities, what they ate and what they did reinforced their “Dominacan-ness”  As a rule they distrusted the media and believed that the media was inherently prone to portray all immigarants as “illegal”  .. Teleumundo at Miami Herald – are you listening? GM, P&G and all you other major corporations that are targeting theLatino market – listen up! Just as “Europe ” isn’t one market, nor is the “Hispanic market” a homongenous unit.

Most importantly, we all need to think about how self-image factors into what we think we’re saying to people.As we know, its not what we say, its what our target audiences hear. More importantly it's not who we think they are, but who THEY think they are.