PUBLIC RELATIONS IN HEALTH PROMOTION PRACTICE: AN APPLICATION OF THE SITUATIONAL THEORY OF PUBLICS FOR LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA SOCIETY’S TEAM IN TRAINING PROGRAM

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore a relationship between the public relations practice and the health promotion practice based on the assumption that one compliments the other. Grunig’s situational theory of publics was be applied as segmenting strategy to identify publics in order to determine a target audience for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program, a non-profit organization dedicated to blood cancer research. Surveys were distributed among a sample of 134 University of Houston’s undergrad students. After data analysis, the sample surveyed was divided into four different publics (active, aware, latent, and nonpublic) according to the theory’s assumptions. Demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity/race, and education level) and media preferences were identified for each of the four public types. Additionally, no significant differences of age, gender, and ethnicity were found on types of public. Results from this study are expected to be beneficial for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program by providing useful information about potential publics with the purpose of increasing participants and ultimately improving fundraising efforts.