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.