INTRODUCTION
Proposed developments–including residential, commercial, mixed-use, stadiums and arenas–are monumental public relations projects. That’s because they require:
- Working with many stakeholders such as residents, neighborhood associations, coalitions, businesses, elected officials and regulators;
- Conducting public outreach through open houses, town hall meetings and small group meetings;
- Changing public opinion through editorials, letters-to-the-editor, testimonials; and
- Fighting misinformation using media relations, your website and social media.
Using our unique #HeartOverHead approach, here are best practices to help you get your development approved.
MAKE THE PUBLIC FEEL INVOLVED FROM THE BEGINNING
Your first step should be to reach out to the influencers, such as the alder and president of the neighborhood association, and tell them you are simply thinking about a development, and you want their constituents’ input during the nascent stages. Make it clear that everything is up for discussion and that no firm decisions have been made.
What most developers do is go to the city first and/or announce a plan to the media. In the case of the former, you’re doing it backward. For political reasons, city administrators and elected officials can’t/won’t make a decision without public input. That’s one of the reasons why the proposed baseball park in Waukesha failed.
In the case of the latter, if the public learns of your proposal through the media, then that’s when they usually get angry/concerned (“why wasn’t I told of this?”) and become your opposers instead of supporters. That, too, can mean doom for your project.
According to Dr. Myles Monroe, author of the book, Benefits of Change, the average person doesn’t respond to change, they react (negatively) to it. In our experience, this is why you need to have the public participate in making the change.
Have an abundance of ways for residents to provide their input, and show them how that input is shaping the proposal. A Harvard Business Review article on a change study revealed that for a no-participation group, “resistance developed almost immediately after the change occurred.”
In addition, it’s important to uncover potential roadblocks early on that may be more difficult or nearly impossible to surpass at a future point, and it’s important to educate the public and inoculate them from the inevitable misinformation from your opposition.
STRIVE FOR SUPPORT OR INFORMED CONSENT
You will need to create a messaging strategy that explains the need for your development, but more importantly, it also should emphasize your development’s benefits to residents and businesses. However, that is not enough.
The main reason is because you may run into NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard). That means the public agrees with the need and benefits of your project, they just don’t want it near them. The story on the aforementioned baseball stadium included this paragraph: “While adding that (the main opposer) wouldn’t mind seeing Big Top choose some other location for a Waukesha stadium, she is hoping it’s strike three for the proposals at Frame Park.”
The loss aversion theory states that people prefer avoiding losses to acquiring gains. Using this idea, here’s an example of how to change your messages:
- Original: Our development will feature a health club, a bank and a UPS store.
- Updated: Without our development, you will lose out on convenient access to everyday services such as fitness, banking and mailing.
Ultimately, you want to convert potential opposers to either supporters or neutral parties. Informed consent is achieved when someone feels they were included and educated adequately in the process, and they feel no need to oppose the project.