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defining publics
publicS, not target audiences
publicS ' is part of the jargon of public relations, an invented word not
Ji~b'e found in the orthodox dictionary. It helps to show that public ~1:rrons is rarely concerned with the 'general public' as dictionaries Im~ suggest.
liietlblics is a very meaningful expression and one peculiar to public Prte'i$ons. This special word also helps us to strike yet another contrast ~~q:l advertising, which has its own distinct jargon.
~dvertiSing campaigns are usually directed at a target audience con~i~ng of the largest number of potential buyers, or at a market segment fi!1i?articular buyers. This selectivity is implied by the definition of ~a:Vertising used by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, the ~fessional body of advertising agencies:
Iti1dvertising presents the most persuasive possible selling message to the itlt11 prospects for the product or service at the lowest possible cost.
• ~e right prospects can be defined precisely for an advertising earnBlUgn. For example, research may show that the prospects for an
xpenslve battery-operated kitchen clock might be C2 housewives
['@d twenty-four to thirty-four or sales of a small, economical family ~. fnay be aimed at that segment of the motorcar market which is ~Ffcentrated on family urban driving.
i~uCh an identification of the sales market will be taken into account ~1}en planning a public relations programme, but it is much smaller !€d less diffused than the various publics with whom an organization [~contact.
lThe identification of public relations publics is fundamental to QJ~ planning of a programme, for unless the publics are defined
96
it is impossible to select media which will convey our messageM them.. "_' .,1
Moreover, It may be necessary to list all possible publics II1 order;ii decide priorities because constraints of the budget, manpower~i other resources have to be applied. But how can we choose priorilli! or media unless we first of all write down all the publics we would JIl&'€ to communicate with in an ideal world free of constraints? The prob!~ will vary from one organization to another. Some will have sucl;;' diversity of minority group publics that it would be costly to try~ reach them; others will have majority group publics which canj~ reached simultaneously through the mass media, especially if thet~.i; considerable role playing by the same people. .~
To explain role playing, a man may be a city office worker, a husban~! parent, a motorist, a golfer, a gardener and an amateur photograp.l1~f who enjoys motoring holidays abroad. These are his roles. Sucit';
person may read a lower middle class newspaper, listen to his 'c~
radio and watch television and is easily reached by the mass markW media. Now, supposing an organization such as a bank, bUildi;l society, travel agent, rose grower, camera dealer or car ferry opera:t~i wanted to reach some of the publics represented by this man's differel:if~ roles it could do so very easily because such players of several rOi~, enjoy the same popular media. But this would not be so if people wli}i! more specialized interests had to be reached, e.g. those who dro~ performance cars, played in golf championships, grew orchids,,~t~ made home movies on video cassettes. :.
Let us look at the example of a bank and its publics, the role playitfi of its potential customers and the ease of reaching them through t!l~ existing mass media. The bank's commercial objective may be to le~ money to people who require finance for the purchase of hous~$~ house improvements and extensions, motorcars, photographic equiJrl ment or holidays abr?ad. The public relation~ objective may be."1 educate relevant publics about the bank's services. The role playn;~ aspect is important because it will show that many of the banktl prospects or publics are in fact the same people playing out differe~ roles at different times. They can be reached simultaneously throu~&e the same media with the same public relations effort. '.
Nevertheless, this can be an oversimplification and concern orill those publics containing large groups of people not unlike the advetiJ tising target audience. Most organizations will have numerous publiC.:1 as we shall see. ..t:t~
Understanding the nature of publics helps the public relations mat.l. ager or consultant to determine the feasibility of reaching the'~ economically within the budget. For example, because of their special