Analyzing Publics: Opinion Leaders Rule

Analyzing the publics at hand is one of the most important roles that a professional can take on. In order for a campaign to have effective communication, one must first address the correct group of people. After these groups have been chosen, they must be studied to make sure they can be communicated with in a sense that rings true to them.

What Exactly are Publics...?

A classic definition of the word publics by social philosopher John Dewey still rings true: a group of people that shares a common interest vis-à-vis an organization, recognizes its significance, and sets out to do something about it. A good way to look at it is that publics are homogenous, meaning they are similar in various areas. If a public believes in or sees an issue as relevant, they will usually act on it.

Publics, Markets, Audiences, and Stakeholders

There are different ways to group individuals, and they are categorized as: public, market, audience, and stakeholder. As previously discussed, publics are groups that share common interests. External factors are what create publics and a good way to think of them is like family: you don't get to choose. Markets, or market segments, are groups of the population with similar characteristics that can help an organization achieve consumer-oriented goals. Compared to publics being like family, markets are like friends. You choose them and they choose you. The next way to group people is audience. Easily confused with publics and markets, audiences are groups of people who pay attention to a particular medium of communication and receive messages through it. Continuing with the same analogy, audiences are like fellow passengers on a bus. They're not necessarily similar to you by principle, but share a common conveyance. Lastly, the final category is a stakeholder, someone that relates to an organization through potential impact on the organizations objectives and mission. Stakeholders care about organizations they are

passionate about.

Public Opinion Rules!

A big part of publics is opinion and how these different groups perceive organizations. In this day and age, public opinion can make or break companies/organizations. The basic goal of public relations in general is to neutralize bad or hostile public opinions for companies or organizations. When opinion leaders such as celebrities, influencers, and other individuals in the public spotlight favor a brand, consumers are way more likely to buy or use their services/products because someone they trust endorsed them. Think about it; when you admire someone, you usually trust them, wish to embody some of their characteristics, and be able to do the things they do. When opinion leaders endorse an organization or sometimes become the face of one, people associate them with that organization/brand and this can lead them to great success.