Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), non-profits and the public sector do not sell products but communicate with the public like commercial organisations. As such, NGOs and public institutions have similar public relations (PR) or communication goals. Their communication goals range from raising awareness about social issues and public policy to changing attitudes, gaining public trust, raising funds for good causes, increasing community participation in events, such as elections, attracting visitors or attendees, etc.
There are a plethora of PR techniques that can enable NGOs and the public sector to achieve their communication goals.
- Research – With fundraising being critical to the success of NGOs, research plays a pivotal role in helping NGOs identify potential donors by mapping their causes with organisations that invest in those causes. Additionally, research through content analysis, focus group discussions and surveys enable NGOs to craft messages that help them to influence the government to adopt new policies such as climate action, gender equality and so forth. On the other hand, the public sector uses the same approach to shape public behaviour.
- Public service advertising (PSA) – It is common for PR pros to be challenged when they say that advertising is a PR tool as much as a marketing tool. The basis of this argument is that whereas marketing uses advertising to persuade people to buy a product, PR uses advertising like PSAs, also known as public service announcements, to educate and persuade a change in perceptions or behaviour especially when there’s a need to reach a mass audience. For example, ahead of the 2023 Presidential election in Nigeria, there have been several public service advertisements encouraging civility, responsible voting and aiding disabled persons at the polls to cast their votes. This campaign by the United States government is a good example.
NGOs may also run advertising campaigns to motivate consumers to volunteer time, and businesses to donate towards a cause such as relief for earthquake victims, immigrants and more.
- Institutional advertising – Whilst governments do not sell goods and services, in a sense, they sell their countries using advertising to attract foreign direct investments or tourists. The “Malaysia truly Asia” advertisement continues to ring in my mind several years after it aired on CNN. That is an example of an institutional advertisement designed to attract visitors to the country.
- Influencer programmes – Amid public pushback against the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China ramped up PR efforts that included contracting social media influencers to “polish its image.” The Winter Olympic games went ahead with good participation from athletes from around the world. Here in Nigeria, influencers such as Funke Akindele and Chinonso Egemba aka “Aproko Doctor” have been used for public health campaigns.
- Talk radio or podcasts – Radio talk shows are popular in Nigeria. One example is the Green Scene hosted by Nigerian environmentalist Desmond Majekodumi where he discusses climate change. However, we have seen non-profits such as the Archwell Foundation use the Archetypes podcast hosted by Meghan Markle to raise awareness about how typecasting affects mental health, gender equity and other issues.
- Opinion editorials – Articles such as the informative “Blood for those who need it” create awareness about societal issues. At the same time, it spotlights the work of an NGO and prompts people to take action.
- Townhall meetings – Face-to-face discussion forums facilitate two-way communication between NGOs or the public sector and the public so they continue to be relevant despite the digital revolution. They are especially important in communities with low literacy levels.
- Media interviews – Again, concerning the Nigerian general elections, we have seen several spokespeople from opposing political campaigns appear on television and radio interviews to defend their party’s flagbearers, raise awareness about party manifestos and correct misconceptions.
- Social media – The populace speaks to the government every day through social media and other forms of media. As with for-profit organisations, public institutions should engage more actively with people on social media.
After all said, it is crucial for organisations, especially public institutions in Nigeria, to carefully consider the medium of communication. Nigerian government institutions or agencies favour the state or national broadcasters to deploy their communication messages because they offer a wider reach through free-to-air terrestrial networks. However, those termed the ‘aware’ and ‘hot issues’ publics who usually challenge the government and make the loudest noise on social media do not necessarily tune in to the state-owned media stations. So, a balanced media mix is key.
As a result, the public sector needs to consider harnessing other media channels, including pay-television channels and cinema. Furthermore, content is king. If you spend two hours watching the national broadcaster, it becomes clear that they have many public enlightenment campaigns. The issue is that the campaigns are not visually appealing and very uninspiring. Thus, the content has no chance of virality on social media. In the world today, digital media are an important element of the media mix. The public sector cannot overlook the impact of engaging content. They should enlist PR firms to assist them in creating compelling and engaging content.
