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~~li1ority interest it may be necessary to create private media in o;;.;lp.,reach them - media such ~s slides, aU~io casse~tes.1 video f!l~:~J~house Journals, educational literature. pnvate exhibitions or
rIIlpubliCS r"~:E'
m'1~~~sic publics that apply to most commercial organizations may be ~~tilized as follows: .i1e community.
Qtential employees.,*ployees.
,uppliers of services and materials.
e money market. 1~1JIstnbutors.
ns~mers and users.
yimon leaders.
fda'"
1n8w we can see how much more varied are public relations publics fl!fim the target audiences or market segments of advertising. We are ~(@.spreading through the entire organization, taking in the production _ fi~ancial fun~tions of a b~siness. in addition to marketing. This m~edlately positions the pUbli: relations m.an~ger m relation to top ~~agement and the board of directors, and indicates that It IS unreal-
1 ... ftoPI.ace .hi:n within ~he marke.ti~g function. Furthe:, it sl~ows ~Q:W lirruting It IS to combme advertising and pubhc relations within ;f1J:fone job specification. More and more we see that advertising and .~lic relations are worlds apart, although it does follow that in those If.in.: pa.nies that do little adver.tis~ng - such as in~~strial companies iJjtasertismg may well come within the responsibilities of the PRO. IifAccording to the nature of the business, the eight basic publics may f:'&'f;subdivided or extended, so let us now review each of these publics !f~"
!lfi;.greater detail.'i!fjrThe community
~he community consists of the organization's neighbours who may HiYe or work close to the factory, office, store, airport, seaport, power tfation, research laboratory or whatever may be the organization's premises. Some complex organizations will have a number of premises ~t different kinds, or have different effects on different people and will ~~ .
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have relations with various communities. An example of this. elm
airport where some members of the community will suffer from aif.~ noise, others from road congestion, while still others will enjoy~ opportunities. .~~
Sensible companies are careful to develop and sustain a 'i~ neighbour' policy. After all, the community may contain potefil customers, employees, actual customers and employees (and t~ families), and many people who can be friends or enemies. ,~
The activities of the company may affect the community. Noise,-ct1 fumes, smells - even the very presence of the organization -'"U1 provoke antagonism. People object to all sorts of premises. They cCi{ be potentially dangerous chemical works, waste disposal plants~~ superstores however attractively designed and landscaped. Delibe:'rJ
efforts may be made to overcome these problems and to make""t:
organization acceptable. Tall chimneys, garden frontages, tasteful obscured buildings, waste disposal or conversion plants and n61 abatement all contribute to good relations. But so also will more obvle1 public relations activities such as 'open days', participation in 16~ events and the regular supply of company news to the local pres Nuclear power plants actually invite visitors. .~
Some manufacturers who make goods which are sold outside tl community sometimes forget they are part of the community, ai their works attain an almost 'Dracula's Castle' image. The author oni visited the country house headquarters of a well-known company, a~ was surprised to find that local people had nicknamed it 'The Ratter: because it had a research laboratory. Firms like Cadburys and W. 0;; H. O. Wills have, of course, been very much part of the communi! while others, like Bata, are sometimes accused of going too far wit the creation of company towns. ;;
Community relations can be matters of delicacy and diplomacy b~ as with so much public relations activity, they represent thoughtfulnesi Unlike the aggressiveness of advertising, public relations is aboj human understanding. The department store will try not to offend til job applicants it does not employ - they could be customers; provisici of a car park will be a convenience appreciated by customers; gogJ carriers (like those of Marks & Spencer) protect clothes on their journe' home from the shop - and back to the shop if they have to q; changed, but if form-filling formalities make the return or exchange