Corporate communications: audiences, funding and crisis management

Abstract

Who are the key audiences of corporate communications? Is the communication department adequately funded? And how are crisis handled? This paper reports an empirical research conducted in 20 British organisations, with a focus on these three questions. It is found that internal publics, financial PR and opinion formers are viewed as the three most important audiences. Although most organisations now are more conscious of their corporate identity than ever before, the function is generally funded inadequately.