PUBLIC OPINION:Identifying Priority Publics, If Goal Is Attitude Change

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Fundamentals of Public Relations MCM 401

Lesson 31

PUBLIC OPINION

Overview

So far we have studied various aspects of Public Relations with special reference to its different publics and

their identification. In this lecture the students will be explained more about the Publics and Public opinion

and how to identify and determine priority publics. The important ways of handling public and public

opinion will also be explained. Moreover, the students will also be acquainted with the laws of public

opinion.

PR Publics & Public Opinion Identifying & Describing Publics

There are various types of publics and types of public opinion.

PR publics & Public Opinion

· Modern Day Publics

· Media Publics

· Employee Publics

· Member Publics

· Community Publics

· Government Publics

· Investor Publics

· Consumer Publics

· International Publics

· Special Publics

Identifying Priority Publics

It is important to note and know the method of identifying priority publics. The following index named as

public vulnerability importance is an easy and comprehensible appropriate method to do this.

Through Public Vulnerability Importance. (PVI) Index.

FORMAT

Scale (1~10)

Potential for

Vulnerability of

Importance of

Organizations

organizations for

publics to

to influence

being affected

organizations

Audience or Public

________________________________________________________________

3 Ways To Describe Priority Publics

1. Nominatively--- just by giving public a name, such as "stockholders".

2. Demographically--- by a look at public's statistical characteristics such as age, gender,

income, education.

3. Psycho graphically --- by examining the public's defining emotional and behavioral

characteristics.

6 Segments of Public. As per Global Values.

Altruists

slightly older, more women than men.

Strivers more male , medium age.

Fun seekers more men than women , younger.

Creative

even split between men & women.

Fundamentals of Public Relations MCM 401

Devout older, more women than men, anchored in religion, faith, tradition.

Intimates

slightly more women than men, younger, focused on personal relationship.

Tackling Issues In Relation To Public Opinion.

1. Sensing the problem. (Research)

2. Defining the problem. (through judgement & priority setting)

3. Deriving solutions. (through policy & strategy selection)

4. Implementing them.

5. Evaluating outcomes.

Tips On Influencing Publics. (S Plous Univ.of Illinois)

If Goal Is Attitude Change

· Do not use graphic images unless accompanied by specific actions people can execute.

· Go to public instead of asking them to come to you.

· Do not assume that attitude change is essential for behavioral change

If Goal Is Behavioural Change

· Use moral arguments as adjuncts rather than main arguments.

· Do not offend the people you seek to change.

"Laws" Of Public Opinion (Hadley Cantril)

· Opinion is highly sensitive to important events.

· Opinion is generally determined more by events than by words unless those words are themselves

interpreted as events.

· Verbal statements have maximum importance when opinion is unstructured, & people seek

interpretation from a reliable source.

· By & large public opinion does not anticipate emergencies it only reacts to them.

· Opinion is basically determined by self interest.

· Once self interest is involved, opinion is not easily changed.

· Public opinion, like individual is colored by desire.

· Opinion does not remain aroused for any long period of time unless opinion is aroused by words --

is sustained by events.

· Events of unusual magnitude are likely to swing public opinion temporarily from one extreme to

another. Opinion does not become stabilized until the implications of events are seen with some

perspective.

· The important psychological dimensions of opinion are direction, intensity, breadth and depth.

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