Using Inoculation Theory in Public Relations Messages: Preparing the Audience for Arguments to be Made Later

Abstract

In the complex world of the 21st century, organizations have an imperative to communicate with an assortment of publics using multiple communication platforms (Taylor & Kent, 2010). An organization’s public is as likely to be half way across the world as it is to be down the block. Time, space, and location matter less in our highly networked world. Yet, time, space, and location also create challenges for organizations as they seek to influence their environments and achieve objectives. Public relations or strategic communication helps organizations work toward their objectives (Botan, 1997).

This chapter examines public relations through the theory of inoculation. Inoculation theory is a message-oriented theory that assumes that messages have effects. Public relations professionals work to build relationships with publics and influence those publics. The first part of this chapter explores public relations as a persuasive communication function. The second part of the chapter provides a summary of inoculation theory showing how it is used in a variety of persuasive contexts. The third section of the chapter provides a case study of how inoculation is used by a large consumer products company in its communication with publics. The final section provides conclusions and implications of using inoculation theory in public relations.