Public Relations in Higher Education

To Advertise or not to Advertise - What is the Purpose?

 

According to Rennie, NU Focus aims at attracting `elite' advertising because 

corporations have the message that the magazine wants to convey, that of superior 

or elite quality and educated thinking minds (Interview 10/9/92). 

 

Advertisers are largely attracted to NU Focus because the readership is educated, 

fairly affluent (indicated by readership survey - Summer 1992) and thus presumed 

to realise quality when they see it. In addition, NU Focus is enlightening people about 

good, practical social upliftment and the advertisers wish to ally themselves to that 

(Interview with the author:10/9/92).

 

Advertising can also be used to reassure readers and popularize issues. These are 

often subtextual functions and are not immediately apparent on a superficial level. 

For example, the increase in "green" advertising in NU Focus by large companies: 

the issue of making the thinking, educated and affluent publics aware of the grave 

problems the environment is facing is being popularised (made to appear as common 

sense) by the advertising carried out by large companies. This is beneficial both to 

the environment and the company, with emphasis on the latter because it puts the 

company in a positive light and is good for business.

 

Secondly, it reassures readers that the companies are still in business and that if 

they have money to advertise `things must still be alright'. The advertising level in 

NU Focus is different from normal mainstream magazines: it is not commercial 

advertising but rather corporate or public service advertisements. 

 

The companies that advertise in NU Focus are mainly science and technology giants.