Changing perceptions is one of the primary functions
of public relations.
One classic such campaign was for the riparian owners
on the River Dee, through their organisation the
DSFIA. Faced with declining stocks on the river, they
were frustrated by the lack of support from the
authorities.
Our research showed the problem to be the
perception of the industry as little more than a
country pursuit. We set about changing that by
establishing the economic importance of salmon
fishing to the rural economy in the Dee Valley,
presenting the statistics on its value and the
number of jobs it supported.
The speed with which we changed this perception
surprised even ourselves! Once this recognition of
the status of the industry had been established, we
used the resulting political will for action to focus
on the implementation of measures to improve and
conserve salmon stocks.