Marketing Communication as an Element of Public Communication at Schools

This article deals with the problem of public communication at schools. Modern society expects that any public body will share reliable information concerning its operation. This is also the case with schools. Different stakeholders interested in school functioning will seek information, that is important from their point of view (school staff, students, students’ parents, school graduates, authorities in charge and supervising, organizations working with the school and wider local communities). These different groups will not only seek information, but will also be interested in meeting public communication standards. Instruments used in marketing communication are supposed to support schools in achieving their main objectives, though often they serve market purposes ? that is, attracting new students. The aim of the research was to obtain information on how schools perceive and perform their role as a participant in the process of public communication. It tried to determine what content dominates in the communication with local communities, what means of public communication are used by schools and what functions are performed by public messages generated by schools.