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What is Public Image? + 5 tips


Image in Everyday Life

We all have an idea of what we want to leave in the minds of the people we meet. Sometimes we want to project a casual, even comical personality, while at other times we present ourselves in a serious, even uncompromising light. We constantly adapt the way we behave, whether it is according to the place we are at, the people we interact with, or a variety of other factors. The image we build of ourselves is the result of the combination of what we project and the perception of the people to whom we are speaking.

In our personal life, we analyze all this ourselves, using the feedback from our entourage, the people we have been interacting with and, of course, our own feelings! We examine the exchanges we have had; we ask the opinion of others, and we build an idea that may or may not lead us to adapt our behaviour.

"Was I convincing enough to get the position?
"Did I behave properly in front of the parents of the one I love?

And all those questions that can even keep us awake at night!


The Public Image

When we transpose the whole thing into the public domain, the dynamics are similar, but we add a decisive element: the public! All these people who attend the many actions that you or your organization take, build an image of you or your organization, each time you interact with or in front of them. The public image that a personality or an organization builds is the result of the combination of everything it projects with the perception of the public as a whole. And by public, we must include the entire audience that has witnessed, in one way or another, your actions, including the media. Yes, that's a lot!

We hear and read about it all the time. With today's technology, we are in an era where information is propelled from everywhere and by anyone. A press release, an exchange or even a glance can be broadcast, taken up, commented on and, unfortunately, manipulated.

The analysis and management of the public image are thus much more complex than those of our personal image (which itself can be quite demanding, let's admit it! 😉 ).

Here are 5 tips for building and managing your public image, or that of your organization.

Above All, Beware of... Yourself!

Many people fear journalists and their trick questions, with reason of course. It's never fun to be in the spotlight and not knowing what to say or worse, not wanting to say anything. The goal of reporters is to present the catchiest news story and if one falls, chances are it will be one. However, giving them the power to make you fall is unfounded. Let's face it, at the end of the day, it will be your answers that you challenge, not their questions.

Regardless of the situation, you have control over your actions and reactions, and it is from these that the audience will build an image. If your attention is focused on the potential aggressiveness of the reporters, your suspicious and defensive attitude will hit the screen without even being asked a question.

You are constantly on stage. Whether or not you are faced with an embarrassing question, the risk is there. You will be analyzed even in non-threatening situations. So, journalist or not, it is a certain vigilance that should always accompany you, in the absence of fear, which would be immediately perceived.

Know and Act According to Your Goals

It's easy to get lost in the different communication contexts you'll face. The size of the audience, the reputation of the media, the presence of a star or even journalists (😉) can easily make you completely forget what you're there for.

This is a disarmingly simple tip, but one that is more of a discipline to apply. Before you go out, before you interact, take a minute to remind yourself of where you are going and what your goals are for the event. If necessary, assign this role to someone else. This moment will help you refocus your actions and, in many cases, provide you with the tools to avoid uncomfortable situations.

The following example shows a Céline Dion who is not at all fearful of the presence of journalists or their questions. She's seen it all! Clearly, despite her busy schedule and her presence at many such occasions, she is very familiar with the context of the event, which she reminds the interviewer of, as well as the reasons for her participation. A short interaction but one that is unusually powerful!

Public Interaction is Also Action

In public, we rarely just talk for the sake of talking. When we interact, we have one or more intentions, and we leave traces of them. Several purposes can guide our actions: to refine our image (to look nicer, for example), to position ourselves, to promote a product, to argue, etc. We talked about it in the last point, that' s great!

One step further is to question the actions we take when we interact to achieve these purposes. More than often, there is what we say, and there is what we do by saying it. To fully discern the two, I suggest reviewing your document, speech, press release or any other communication from a new perspective, putting yourself in the shoes of your various audiences, especially those who don't know you, who have never heard of you.

It is at this point that I suggest you ask yourself the famous question on which I will soon write a complete article:
How do I look?
... for the person I'm talking to?
... for the people who know me?
... for those who will hear about me for the first time?
Which brings me to my next point!

Challenge your communications

In preparing a communication, you certainly want to please, at least most of the time. Of course, you will have to come up with a message that will meet the expectations of your allies, and that is a priority. However, those who are already convinced are often not the ones who will try to deform your message, or refute it. Those are your opponents.

Keep them in mind when crafting and reviewing your communications, and play devil's advocate by trying to distort and refute your words. This is not an easy exercise since it is indeed confrontational, and it is often more convenient to rely on someone else to do it. Since we are in the field of risk management, and I will come back to this later in an article on the subject, I advise you to ask a neutral person who will approach the matter objectively, without taking sides or risking more personal discussions. Of course, this exercise should in no way prevent the review and approval process with your team and the people who already support you.

It's good to shine, but it's better to shine right!

Articles on how to reach more people, contribute to the hottest debates, get more clicks on a post or get more hits on a site, there are plenty of them. Quantity sells and there is no way to avoid it!

However, the construction and management of a public image involves more than the number of interviews, mentions, or clicks. Regardless of their contribution to visibility, public appearances must contribute to a positive image for you or your organization and, above all, not threaten it.

While too much exposure can cause audience saturation, a single presence can seriously damage your image or that of your organization. The public knows what to expect and has specific aspirations for each broadcast they listen to. You must make sure you are in the right place, at the right time and for the right reasons! Don't hesitate to ask for professional help to evaluate the demands you receive, to assess them to advise you, to adapt your message according to the media and their audiences, and above all, to decline or reject certain opportunities!

Learn more about YOUR public image

Many other factors contribute to the construction and control of public image and not all of them apply to everyone or to all organizations! This is a complex area that many academic researchers are working on. I learned everything from one of them!

The easiest way to know more on your image, and don't hesitate to do so, is to send me an email at francois@FLaberge.com or call me: 438 817-4774. I'll get back to you within 24 hours and it will be my pleasure to see how we can work together!

Stay tuned for my next article about public image: How do I look? I will explain some of the techniques used to analyze public image and give you some pointers on how to manage yours!

See you soon and have a great day! 😊

François

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