This document discusses definitions and concepts related to publics in strategic communication. It defines publics as groups of people who face common problems and share information and interests in finding solutions. This is differentiated from crowds, which are large groups of diverse people in the same space, and masses, which are large groups with similar lifestyles but not shared interests. It also distinguishes publics from audiences, which are groups of people receiving the same message through media. The document outlines models for understanding the reception of messages by publics and types of publics based on their attitudes and importance to organizations. It provides examples of mapping and evaluating key publics.

1. PUBLICS IN THE PROCESS OF
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

2. Definitions of public
Blumer:
“A group of people which, facing the same problem
of social interest, expresses alternative and
sometimes competing ideas about the means to
solve that problem”
Chelcea:
“The sociological and statistical category formed
by a group of people with different
characteristics which have in common a center
of interest or identical and simultaneous
information about a problem.”

3. Concepts’ differences: public - crowd
Crowd: a reunion of a heterogeneous
collection of individuals (very different as
age, gender, education, occupation) in the
same space;
Specific: collective exaggerated reactions,
emotional sensitivity
Public: Also a great number of people but
with the same interests and information;
not necessarily in the same space

4. Concepts’ differences: public - mass
Mass: a large collection of people with
similar life styles and social context, but
not necessarily common interests or
objectives, which could transform in
distinct groups sometimes.
= the base of selection for publics.

5. Concepts’ differences: public - audience
Audience: The total of receptors for a
message released by media
= the amount of individuals isolated in space
but who receive the same information in
the same moment.
Indicators: rating (market penetration: how
many people potentially receive the
message); market share (people who
prefer a channel instead of a competing
one)

6. Concepts’ differences: public - audience
• Audience as:
- Social heterogeneous collection;
- Mass
- Public
- Market
The difference public –audience: public has
a relationship with the organization/public
character who releases the message

7. Reception (Jauss model)
Reception is facing the proposal of the message
with the experience and frame of interpretation
of an individual.
Types of reception:
Emotional reception;
Memory reception (remember elements in own
experience)
Intellectual reception;
Behavior reception: translating the message in a
behavior

8. Types of public
a) Attitude for the organization/problem:
- Supporters
- Opposites
- Neutral
b) Communication target:
- Primary (the most important);
- Secondary;
- Optional.

9. Seitel: the map of key publics
The maps are individualized for each organization;
20 Key publics
Internal: boards of directors; managers,
empoyees, employees ‘ families, labor unions;
External: press/media; stakeholders; customers;
investors;competitors; suppliers; dealers;
suppliers; authorities; banks; trade
associations ; community neighbors;
international community.

10. Hendrix model
Each public should be evaluated in function of its
categories.
Ex. Mass-media:
Local/regional/national
Radio, television, newspapers
General /specialized
Online/real environment/both

11. Hendrix inventory of publics
Positive influence P (1-10)
= the good elements produced by that public
Negative potential V (1-10)
= the possibility to harm the organization
Importance of public P+V= I

12. Example of characteristics for a public
(Central public for an electoral campaign)
Men, active and informed, great media
consumers, age 40-50 years, married,
with children, employed in private
companies or having their own business,
graduated or post-graduated. Access
more the television in the evening but also
the online forums. Values: competence,
experience, education, equity,
competitiveness, real estate, confort