What Challenges are PR Professionals Facing in Government?

PR, by definition, is:

noun

1. (used with a plural verb) the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc.,in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers,etc.
2. (used with a singular verb) the art, technique, or profession of promoting such goodwill.
   

(source: dictionary.com)

When looking at PR from a nonprofit perspective, it is usually much easier to promote goodwill and gain positive feedback from your publics. As a corporation, it’s harder to promote goodwill as your main objective is to gain profit. However, the industry with the most PR challenges is government.

The government, no matter where you’re from, is the system by which the state and community are controlled by a group of people with executive authority (usually) to positively benefit those living in that state. However, with factors such as politics, religion, business and trade, government policies and legislations gain be swayed to fulfil certain needs at certain times.

http://www.ipolitics.ca

The challenge in government PR is there are so many divisions within the state that it’s difficult to gain public acceptance for everything. For example, the controversial Canadian Bill C-51 is under major scrutiny especially within the immigrant and dual citizenship population. PR is to promote goodwill between the government and its publics but in this situation it’s extremely difficult to control their messages for something so widely unaccepted.

Another major challenge for PR professionals is representing government officials who are usually at the center of the media spotlight. Being able to handle issues/crises (such as mishandling taxpayers’ dollars for their own benefit) in a timely manner is a necessary skill. Citizens depend on their government to regulate and to uphold the law them same way as they do. However, humans are flawed and when the opportunity to take advantage of their power over others arises, most aren’t hesitant to submit to greed and corruption.

These are just some challenges that PR professionals face in government and there are certainly more avenues to explore such as elections and current trends. However, I’m interested in what you have to say.

What other challenges can you come up with?

Apple: “Whoops, Was That Our Fault?”

Despite your opinions on Apple’s technology innovation (or lack thereof), there’s no denying that they’re taking the world by storm. (Apple Storm = Potential smoothie name? No? OK.)

However, when the technology giant lost their prized possession (in this case, iPhone 4 prototype), Apple went from unstoppable to unforgivable.

Apple’s Whoopsie

In 2010, Gray Powell (a young Apple Software Engineer) misplaced the iPhone 4 prototype when he celebrated his birthday at an Irish pub. Apple got hold of this information and chose to keep the issue private. Their efforts to locate the phone were unsuccessful when someone called into Apple customer care looking to return the lost phone. However, the representative knew nothing about the lost prototype and thought it was a hoax or knockoff—so they ended the call.

The person who found the phone later went to Gizmodo and sold the phone for $5,000. Gizmodo tore it apart to reveal its specs and later confirmed it was authentic. A week later, Gizmodo released an exclusive iPhone 4 leak article unleashing pandemonium in the tech world. Apple lost major free media from this debacle from what it would have gained at their iPhone 4 launch.

Apple formally requested to recover the prototype from Gizmodo if they confirm that it was the lost iPhone 4. Apple grudgingly confirmed and was finally reunited with their beloved prototype. However, Apple did not stop there. With a warrant, police raided Gizmodo editor’s home, seizing his computer. Lets just say, media had a lot to cover.

What They Should Have Done

Apple failed on many accounts: succumbing to secrecy, lack of informing key people, and just plain not playing fair.

Hopefully Apple learned from their mistakes but if they didn’t, then I have a few suggestions *smirk*. Of course, it’s too late to change the past; however, there’s always an opportunity to improve the future.

In this case, Apple should have been more open to receive help. A small group of people looking for a small, handheld device in a big city (or country) seems hopeful but unlikely. They should have admitted they made a mistake and had some fun with it. They’re all about innovation and change, right? Inform your employees, create a challenge/campaign, be creative. That way, maybe when the lost iPhone was called into Apple’s customer service centre, the problem could have been solved there.

Another suggestion is to not be so protective. Now that information is more accessible than ever before, people crave for authenticity. No one likes a snotty two-shoes. Business should be more meaningful and “human”. Create genuine relationships. Be supportive. Don’t raid other people’s houses when the fault is yours!!

Who knows. Maybe this was a PR stunt between Apple and Gizmodo. Maybe Gray Powell never had the phone in the first place. Whatever the truth is, Apple made big waves in the media. Unfortunately, mostly negative.

Here’s a great Gizmodo article dissecting the issue with very relevant insights: http://gizmodo.com/5520746/apple-didnt-leak-the-iphoneand-why-that-matters?skyline=true&s=i

What other tips would you give Apple after this charade?

 

Can You Live on Less Than $1/Day?

Imagine your home…

Take out the furniture, except a few old blankets, a kitchen table and one chair. Take away all the clothing, except for the oldest dress or suit for each member of the family, and one shirt or blouse. Leave a pair of shoes for one member.

Empty the pantry and refrigerator except for a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a few mouldy potatoes for tonight’s dinner, a handful of onions and a dish of dried beans.

Dismantle the bathroom, shut off the water, and remove the electronic wiring. Take away the house itself and move the family into a tool shed. Remove all the other houses in the neighbourhood and set up a shantytown.

Cancel all subscriptions to newspapers, magazines and book clubs. This is no great loss as the family is now illiterate. Leave one small radio for the whole shantytown.

Move the nearest clinic or hospital 10 kilometers away and put a midwife in charge instead of a doctor.

Throw out the bankbooks, stock certificates, pension plans and insurance policies, and leave the family a cash savings of $5.

Give the head of the family three acres to cultivate as a tenant farmer. On this he can raise $300 in cash crops, of which 1/3 will go to the landlord and 1/10 to the local moneylender.

Take off 25 to 30 years from your life expectancy.

(pause)

Look around your new home and neighbourhood. How do you feel? How do you live day to day? What do you want to do to improve the situation? The text is from the diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus. What do you think she wants to teach us?

(Source: Development and Peace, Robert Heilbroner, The Great Ascent)

I first heard this when I was 13 years old in my first 25-hr famine, THINKfast, with my church youth group. Admittedly, I was naive and knew nothing about world affairs, besides what happened in my small, humble community.

The excerpt was read to us after completing an activity called, “Can You Live on Less Than $1/Day?” Needless to say, what we’ve learned stuck with me.

Can You Live On Less Than $1/Day Activity

We started the activity in groups. Each group member was given a role as a mother, a father, and children. The groups were then divided into different countries. We had a small amount of money and needed to survive the day with what we had.

There were shops to buy water, grain, seeds, clothing, food, cleaning supplies and more basic necessities. In the activity, multiple days, weeks and months passed on some countries found it easier to survive than others.

Some countries were affected by natural disasters that destroyed crops and homes. Other countries were unscathed and continued to flourish. Struggling countries had to decide on which basic necessity was worth saving that day. Other realistic events such as mining and sweat shops swept countries and took children from their homes. Greedy corporations stole resources from struggling resources to grow the country economically and technologically.

The activity was eye-opening, especially to an adolescent who was so unaware. The unfairness of struggling countries is a realistic phenomenon that still continues today. Through this awareness, I was persuaded to look at my surroundings and appreciate what I have. That we’re not the center of the universe and that other people are struggling with things we take for granted. It was a simple yet powerful activity that has stuck with me until now.

Through audience participation, content & structure and a clear message, THINKfast got their message through to many youths that night. THINKfast also provided suggestions for actions to implement in our everyday lives such as donating unused belongings, volunteering, reading world news, and engaging in meaningful conversations.

I’ve planned THINKfast for my church youth group a couple times and it is definitely a worthwhile experience. Consider planning one for your group. I’d love to hear how it goes!

Reflection Time!

What kind of feelings did this reflection give you? Think of actions you can do now (whether big or small) to improve your home, relationships, community and world!

Can you live on less than $1/day?

Defenders: Age of Respectron — 5 Tips for PR Superheroes

Anyone get the pun?

No?

Oh well. I tried.

---

Besides coming up with lame attempts to reference this famous movie, everyone should know PR professionals are superheroes.

We face challenges left and right, equipping ourselves with the utmost, state-of-the-art tools when utilizing our unfathomable writing and communicating skills. We take time to draft plans looking for the best strategic approach to defend our world (or, at least, our brand).

However, when we’re faced with “battles” that can tarnish your brand’s reputation, it’s important to remember these five tips:

5 Superhero Tips to Defend Your Brand

1. Respect Concerns

   It’s important to defend your brand’s views whilst respecting concerns because you want to maintain a positive image. Genuinely listening to concerns and being open to differing opinions is an amazing ability all PR superheroes should have. Simple, positive acknowledgement can go a long way. Your brand becomes reputable in valuing the opinions of other. Respect should be given and when you’re honouring another person, you become respectable.

   

2. Protect the Brand’s Vision/Mission/Values

   It’s also important to uphold your brand’s vision, mission and values. These principles are the core of your business and if controversy easily persuades you, then you may want to revisit your beliefs.

   Whether a concern is positive or negative, your brand should align with it’s principles. Of course, if it’s a grave concern and your brand is liable, then it’s probably time to take a step back and re-evaluate your organization.

   

3. Listen to Your Stakeholders

   Extremely important. Cannot stress this enough. The #1 rule of PR is to know your audience. Your stakeholders are the driving force of your organization. Without them, where would you be?

   There’s incredible value in listening to your stakeholders and applying their feedback to your organization. You want them to know that you genuinely care about their views. Your goals should always be to build positive relationships, retain trust and gain support.

   

4. Be Transparent

   Concerns will arise no matter your level of transparency. However, more concerns will arise due to uncertainty. If you’re not actively communicating with your stakeholders, then you’re on your way to losing their trust.

   People respect integrity and (especially in the age of social media) tend to question organizations more often than before. There’s a plethora of information right at our fingertips. You don’t want to hide valuable information because, in one way or another, the truth will come out.

   

5. Don’t Come Off Too Defensive

   Lastly, don’t be that person who needs to defend every single point just to prove they’re right. Sometimes, you’re probably wrong. Coming off as too defensive leaves a negative impression. You don’t want to be seen as rude, stubborn or suspicious.

   Be polite. Acknowledge the person. Formulate key messages, for any sort of concern, prior to responding. Be timely and be sure to address concerns with respect and honesty whilst maintaining a positive brand image.

Every organization is different. There may be differing opinions to this blog post; however, one important takeaway is to be human. Humanize your brand—don’t be a robot. People relate more to genuine traits than traditional “push selling” ways of doing business.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree/disagree? Can you add one more tip?

Are you ready to protect your brand?

PR superheros, UNITE!

3 Amazing Tips for Social Media Communication

Communication is just as much receiving a message as it is sending one. Human interaction is a need most cultures value, and we mostly speak to be heard. Unfortunately, there are many factors that result in miscommunication.

• unclear message
• unable to decode message as intended
• alternative perceptions
• language barriers
• external/internal noise

Some factors we can’t control. To be a smarter communicator, we need to know which factors we can control and how to effectively control them.

How can we be better communicators?

1) Know your audience.

If you are (or will be) studying public relations (PR), this often comes up, but it’s so essential to everything you do! A part of being a smarter communicator is understanding who your audience is, what they like/dislike, and how they think and behave.

2) Know which platform to use.

Utilize channels that make sense for your target audience and message, and know when the use them.

Different Types of Communication in PR

In 1984, James E. Grunig developed the ‘Four Models of Public Relations’ in his book (with Todd Hunts) modelling different forms a communication between an organization and its stakeholders. Below is the model that helped shaped what the public relations industry is today. (Source)

Press/Agent Publicity — One-Way Communication
“Uses persuasion and manipulation to influence audience to behave as the organization desires.”

Public Information Model — One-Way Communication
“Uses press releases and other one-way communication techniques to distribute organizational information. The public relations practitioner is often referred to as the in-house journalist.”

Two-Way Asymmetrical Model — Two-Way Communication
“Uses persuasion and manipulation to influence audiences to behave as the organization desires. Differs from the press agentry model through the use of research to find out how best to persuade stakeholders.”

Two-Way Symmetrical Model — Two-Way Communication
“Uses communication to negotiate with the public, resolve conflict and promote mutual understanding and respect between the organization and its stakeholders.”

3) Tailor your message.
Be simple and clear.

Based on your research, configure a message that your audience will hear and have some sort of response to. Good writing skills are important in PR (I’m definitely learning everyday). It’s an art (but certainly challenging) to express an idea(s) and have your audience understand and believe the message. Knowing your audience and which platform to use helps in combating miscommunication, but tying that all together with a clear and simple message is the cherry on top. Practice your craft: write, write, write.

Tips on Reaching Your Audience On Social Media

There are many available channels to help you broadcast yourself/organization on social media. Here are the three main channels used today:

Facebook

You can create ads and boost posts for different purposes (eg: page likes, website clicks, offers, etc.).

This example is the Page Likes ad option for an organization I moderate, Tangles4U. What’s great is you can customize your target audience’s location, age, interests, behaviours, etc. and on the right hand side, it also shows your potential reach based on your specifications. After this step, you determine your budget for this particular campaign. Facebook automatically broadcasts it for you until the budget or potential reach is met.

Twitter

ads.twitter.com is another great tool that I use for @Tangles4U. You’ll need to link an existing Twitter account in order to utilize the features, but once you’re in it’s much like Facebook. You have the options to create different campaigns for tweet engagements, website clicks, followers, etc. Twitter Ads is a little more complicated than Facebook Ads where it’s not a simple input form process and you have to select through a series of options.

This example is Targeting for a tweets engagement ad. Your specifying options are through keywords, television, interests and followers, and target audiences. Budget setting is similar to Facebook. Personally, I like Facebook’s process better, but it depends on your audience and message. Here’s a quick snapshot:

LinkedIn

Lastly, we have LinkedIn’s campaign manager. Here you can create an ad or sponsor content (that’s already existing). I prefer this process over Twitter because it’s much simpler to use. You also set budgets for each campaign.

When you click “More targeting options” it reveals the options below:

Each channel has its own metrics tracking system which is great for evaluating the success of your campaign. This was a very brief run through of how to target your audiences using ad options on social media, but there’s so much more to venture through. I’m hoping the more I get comfortable with knowing my audience, picking different channels and developing messages that I can utilize these great features on social media.

Hopefully there was no miscommunication 😉

Don’t Lose the RACE! What You Need to Know About PR Planning

RACE is an acronym used widely by many PR professionals throughout decades. Breaking down the letters and delving into the different concepts instills analytical thinking and focuses on developing strategic approaches rather than racing to the action.

Over the years, other acronyms were developed but each one ultimately provides the same outcome: a step-by-step process to achieve effective PR plans. Below is a brief overview of RACE to get you started.

Research

In the world of PR, research is absolutely key. It’s prudent to invest of a lot of time into this first step — because it’s the most important. Research is the foundation to which we develop strategies and tactics to execute successful PR plans.

Begin with a situation analysis. Identify a problem/issue and analyze the situation. What information is needed? Who has a stake in this situation? What is the current public opinion? Do a SWOT analysis. Develop your understanding by asking the right questions and delving deep into the necessary research.

Assessment

With the information you gathered in ‘R’, it’s time to develop your objectives; plan your next course of action. What do you want to achieve? (Eg: build awareness of brand to university students) Who is your target audience and what do you want them to think, feel or do?

Developing strategies is the next essential step — how will you achieve your objectives? Identify your publics, stakeholders, key messages and communication channels. (Eg: utilize social media)

Communication

It’s time to execute your PR plan using measurable tactics. Strategies determine how you will achieve your objectives and tactics are what you will do. (Learn more about the difference between strategies vs. tactics.)

Create the message and get it to the public. What tools will you use to communicate key messages? (Eg: Facebook, Twitter) What is your timeline of execution? What is your budget?

Evaluation

Lastly, in everything that we do in PR, we need to determine our successes using metrics. This happens during and after the plan’s execution. Measure your results against your objectives. Set benchmarks throughout the execution to see whether or not the plan is on track.

Did your target audience understand the messages? Was the plan on schedule and within budget? Were there any surprises? How can we improve next time?

Will RACE Work for You?

RACE is a new concept for many (myself included). To familiarize ourselves with this process, apply the above steps to your organization. In addition, refer to PR plan examples to develop your understanding of RACE. Here are a couple of great examples:

• TOMS Public Relations Plan (Averi Ahsmann)
• Tiffany & Co PR Plan (Zeenat Rasheed)

Everyone has their preferences. RACE adapted from mixing many different elements into an simple step-by-step process.

I’m interested in hearing what works and doesn’t work for you! Do you think RACE will help you in your future PR plans? What processes do you take in planning for PR? What are your suggestions?

Pathway to Happiness: 10 Ways to Achieve Inner Peace

Happiness is one of the most valuable traits we wish to possess — but why are some of us not happy?

I used to be (actually, still am at times) a very anxious person, and when my mind is clouded by doubt and fear, I’m no longer at peace. My peers and I are a month into our year-long, intensive program in PR and Marketing, and have many other responsibilities that we’re trying to juggle (such as working, caring for family, and volunteering). For me, it’s getting to a point where my strength and patience are being tested.

My classmate posted five great ways to manage stress that surely come in handy, and along with managing stress, I also feel the need to care for my mental and spiritual being.

I love to watch Soul Pancake’s ‘The Science of Happiness’ series because it really tugs on the heart. It shows how adopting different aspects of life (like forgiveness, kindness, gratitude and positivity) influence our happiness.

A life of happiness is a one full of meaning and purpose. Being the anxious person that I was, and not happy with where my life was going, I turned to these points:

1) Ask important questions.

Learn to understand you! If we want change in our lives, how can we know where to go if we don’t know where we are?

Who am I? What/Who do I love? What motivates me? What is important to me? Why do I do the things I do? Why am I concerned with certain things? Find the meaning behind your actions.

2) Reflect. Reflect. Reflect.

I don’t journal as often as I should, but it’s a great way to help you reflect on your day/week or on certain aspects of your life. It’s also a great way to document your personal journey. Often times, when I’ve felt discouraged, I’d look back on past journal entries to remind me that progress is slow, but still happening.

3) Be thankful.

When we appreciate our surroundings and the people that touch our lives, our attitudes change dramatically. Be thankful for what you have, and don’t be fixated on what you don’t have.

4) Think positively.

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional”.
― Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Dr. Darryl Cross illustrates how to eliminate negative self-talk if we change our thinking. We will always experience external and internal triggers (whether good or bad) that transcends into how we think about that particular trigger. If our thoughts are positive, our mood/emotions will reflect those positive thoughts, which in turn influences our actions. If our thoughts are negative, our moods and actions will reflect a different outcome.

5) Learn to let go.

Trust. Most of us tend to want control of our situations because we dislike uncertainty, but we can’t control everything. Strength draws from accepting uncertainty and understanding that we don’t have the power to control every situation.

6) Do not be afraid.

“Take chance, make mistakes, get messy!”
— The Magic Schoolbus

It’s okay to make mistakes; perseverance is key. The point is to learn from our wrongdoings, in hopes of not repeating the same mistakes.

You are capable of much more than you think you are, and when you realize this, your challenges become less and less of a nuisance. You put value into someone’s life, whether you think you do or not.

7) Be in the present.

It’s important to reflect on your past, but not live in it. It’s also important to think about your future, but don’t let it control and define every moment you have now. There’s beauty all around us that we sometimes fail to notice because we’re so busy moving — we forget to just stop and savour the moment. Being in the stillness of the moment is one of the best remedies for a troubled soul.

8) Surround yourself with like-minded people.

The world can pull us in so many different directions, and when you’re trying to go a certain way, it’s helpful to have a support system of people with the same thinking as you to keep you on your path.

We weren’t created to be alone, and we can help each other in many ways. You and I are different, and when when bring those differences together, we can achieve great things!

9) Give.

Don’t focus your attention on material wealth — your possessions don’t define you. Spreading love is one of the greatest gifts we can ever give. There will always be someone in need of help, and we can give in so many ways. Giving someone your time is truly an act of love.

“Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.”
— Blessed Mother Teresa

10) You are your best you.

Self-worth is important. Realizing who you are, and who you were created to be is one of the best epiphanies anyone can ever experience. Be truthful to yourself. If you constantly compare yourself to other people, where does that leave you? They are not you — you are you. Learn to understand and appreciate your person.

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”
― Kathryn Stockett, The Help

Life should be simple, and I hope some of these points help you as much as they’ve helped me.

Do you have any to add? What do you think of these points? I’m interested in hearing your thoughts and what helped you!

6 Days Until Our Kidney Transplant’s 2nd Anniversary!

Time sure does fly. October 4 mark’s the 2nd anniversary of my sister and I’s kidney transplant.

I realized I haven’t thought or talked about it much, which now I think I should because it’ll be a good reminder of how blessed we were (and still are). In the next days leading up to October 4, we’ll share our experiences in hopes of bringing more awareness to the importance of organ transplantation and caring for our kidneys.

Please follow and share this blog if you’d like to read more about our story.

Kidney disease is not something to ignore. There is no known cure. 

Kidney disease describes a variety of disease and disorders that affect the kidneys. Most disease of the kidney attack the filtering units of the kidneys—the nephrons—and damage their ability to eliminate wastes and excess fluids. (Source)

Diabetes and high blood pressure are key contributors of kidney failure, but there are other known ways as well (such as genetic inheritance). (What is kidney disease?)

There are currently over 4,500 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant in Canada. In 2011, 256 patients died waiting for a transplant — and a third of them needed a kidney. The number is only rising, especially in Manitoba.

How can we help?

Consider giving the Gift of Life and help eliminate wait times.
One donor can save or dramatically enhance the lives of 8 people through: the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, stomach, bone, and skin to name a few.

Visit transplantmanitoba.ca for more information.

We may not all be organ donors.

Donating to the Kidney Foundation will go towards improving the lives of those affected by kidney related diseases. Your money will support research in finding a cure.

Volunteering is also a great way to donate your time. There are many events promoting education and awareness about renal diseases. Look for one in your city!

How do I know if I have kidney disease?

Visit the Kidney Foundation to learn all about your kidneys. Ask your doctor for a urine test to check your kidney levels. Visit a kidney screening session near you.

Prevention is ALWAYS key.

Drink plenty of water.
Eat healthy.
Exercise regularly.
Get enough sleep.
Ask the right questions; talk about it!

We can do this together!

We would like to thank EVERYONE who supported us throughout our transplant journey, and to those who (even until today) sent their kind words — thank you!

Share this post and help spread kidney and organ transplant awareness. #mercyandcherry

Donate to our anniversary fundraising page and let’s fight kidney disease together! 

I’m Pretty Sure We’re Not Robots

http://www.leadmd.com

Authenticity is a big factor on social media. With the ‘rise of the internet’ (I feel like this can be a movie title), we are more conscious of our surroundings. Now, we receive information at rapid speeds, and this puts pressure on organizations to respond/react in a timely manner.

Where ‘content is king‘ used to prevail, has now become ‘contribution is king‘ on social media. Your level of contribution influences your social media engagement (sharing, replying, liking, etc.), which in turn, adds value. But as much as organizations need to focus on contribution, we should never undermine the quality of content we produce.

We are not robots.

Humans crave connection, and so we must connect on a relational level (What Does It Mean to be Human on Social Media). But what about authenticity — what are the intentions behind our actions?

A recent example that comes to mind when dealing with authenticity on social media is how corporations weighed in on the 9/11 anniversary (Brands Miss the Mark with 9/11 Tweets).

Source: AdWeek

Source: http://cnews.canoe.ca/

Source: AdWeek

Source: http://cnews.canoe.ca/

There are the obvious cringeworthy tweets (and some moderately okay) but many corporations received backlash considering how sensitive 9/11 is to US citizens (and people around the world). Personally, these tweets are too strategic in the placement of their logos, choice of images and wording (9+11=20% Off? *cringe*) that it makes you question their intentions. Many corporations were practicing the art of ‘newsjacking’ but these tweets didn’t ride well with the public — in turn, damaging brand identity.

“People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories and magic.”
— Seth Godin

As PR specialists, we must never forget our humanity. After all, we are humans relating to other humans! Social media is about socializing, and not so much selling. If we think of our audiences as commodities, then how will that affect brand loyalty, influence and relationships in the long run?

I’m interested in hearing your thoughts!

What do you think about these tweets? Do you think their actions were appropriate, or could they have gone a different route? Do you have other examples of inauthenticity on social media?

Lastly, to leave off with a possible ‘Rise of the Internet’ movie poster 😉

Source: http://www.businessgrow.com

Learn the First (and Most Important) Step in Effective Communications

Research is key. It is the first essential step of executing effective public relations. Before developing objectives or planning for events, a foundation must be put in place by gathering information and listening. This initial step is where we need to distinguish and understand our targeted publics.

Source: http://www.ethlife.ethz.ch/

What is a public?
A public is a distinguished group of people within the general population. These publics are identified based on demographic such as age, income, social strata, education, existing ownership or consumption of specific products; residency; lifestyle; and characteristics. Establishing your publics will help reach your message to the appropriate audience effectively.

Examples of Publics and Where I Fit In

Source: http://www.allaboutyou.com

Considering the age factor, I best fit into the youth category, being born between 1981 and 2003. Other terms for this age group include Generation Y (Gen Y), Millennials or the E-Generation. Most people born into this age group will spend about 1/3 of their lives online. We are the E-Generation because of our consumption of electronic media. Our lifestyles are geared towards the online community when interacting with friends through social media, text, email, etc. We are a tech savvy generation. We develop attitudes towards certain products, and act as mentors to towards buying decisions. We’ve become extremely resourceful and independent.

Ethnically, I belong into the Filipino community (although my nationality is Canadian). My parents moved into Canada from the Philippines, and in the way that I was brought up, I inherited the characteristics and lifestyles of a Filipino. Some of these characteristics include food choices, music, religion, and language. This lifestyle separates us from other ethnicities in how we present ourselves, in our traditional celebrations, and interactions with people. Although I was born in Canada, I am highly influenced by the Filipino culture.

Lastly, I’m a woman! Gender plays a huge role in distinguishing publics. We may share similar traits with men, but women behave differently. Our buying habits, opinions, and interests may not be the same, and in the way we communicate/express our emotions are also different. We have needs that men don’t, and it’s important to address what those are.

Researching is strenuous work, but defining your public is integral. The more you develop and narrow your understanding of who your public is, the better your campaign objectives will be.