The Scope of Publicity

Speaking before the Wellington Advertising Club on the 8th May, the General Manager (Mr. H. H. Sterling) dealt very effectively with the purposes and necessities of Publicity in relation to modern transport.

He said that he was not there as an expert in Publicity. It was not his business to be his own Chief Mechanical Engineer or Publicity Manager. As General Manager of Railways it was his duty to employ specialists to be in charge of these departments, and to engage them upon the work for which they had work for which they had the necessary qualifications and training.

“I don't like the word ‘Advertising,’” said Mr. Sterling. “I prefer ‘Publicity’ as being the term that conveys the wider implications of the duties that advertising or publicity is intended to fulfil.”

When the term “Advertising” was used, the first thing most people thought of was the “Wanted” advertisements in the newspapers or one of the various types of outdoor advertising.

The main reason why he approved of the word “publicity” was that he considered the work of the advertising controller came within the general classification of public relations. The public had to be related to business through extension of knowledge which would bring buyer and seller into harmony with each other.