Crisis Communications Target Audience
Below is a list of publics served by many public affairs or communications departments. When you are working on a crisis consider what the most effective method of communication would be for each group. Ensure that you communicate with each group that is part of your audience.
Stakeholders (Publics)
- Employees
- Executives
- Customers
- Board of Directors
- Electronic Media
- News Media
- Shareholders
- Community Leaders
Employees
- management, hourly/prospective/salaried employees, families, Union members, and Retirees
- Community where employees live, neighborhood coalitions, community organizations, plant locations, Chambers of Commerce
Customers
- Geographical
- Local, regional, national, and international
Functional
- Distributors, jobbers, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers
- Industrial/Business
- Suppliers, teaming partners, competitors, professional societies, subcontractors, joint ventures, and trade associations
Media
- General, local national and international; foreign trade; specialized
Academia
- Trustees, regents, directors, financial supporters, students, prospects, administration, faculty and staff, alumni
Investment/Financial
- Analysts - buy and sell side, institutional holders, shareholders, bankers - commercial and investment, stock brokers, portfolio managers, potential investors
Governmental
- Geographical
- Local, state, regional, national, international
- Functional
- Legislative, regulatory, executive, and judicial
Special Interests
- Environmental, safety, handicapped/disabled, minority, think tanks, consumer, health, senior citizens, and religious.