A Public Relations practitioner, Alfred Edema yesterday in Uyo urged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to use strategic communication to influence targeted audience in achieving its desired goals.
Edema gave the advice in a paper on “Strategic Communication and Management” at a three-day training organised by NCS and the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) for Public Relations Officers and selected Journalists.
He stressed the need for image-makers to know their targeted audiences since they constituted the foundation of a communication strategy.
“To achieve the desired goals, one should influence the voluntary behaviour of the targeted audience which will improve the chances of succeeding in a developmental project.
“Communication is very important because it increases awareness of issues, problems as well as solutions.
“Communication also disproves false belief and misconceptions and also advocates for change,” Edema said.
He said that there must be ability for mobilisation of organisational relationship to influence perceptions and social norms before one could possess good public relations.
Edema said there was also the need to consider management decisions in the communication analysis and planning of an organisation.
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