This report has been superseded: see our list of good practice guides for more recent publications

601
No advertising or publicity should be undertaken without some justification, or without regard for the cost.

602
The principal prerequisite of justification is to establish an identifiable need for information on the part of the intended target audience. The need may in some circumstances be obvious, such as from a statutory obligation to give public notice. Sometimes a need is perceived from random or informal indicators – such as the number of telephone enquiries received – which should be properly confirmed and their nature and extent reliably determined. Confirmation can be achieved in a number of ways, including surveys, analysis of reports by counter staff, and analysis of correspondence.

603
The next matter to be justified is the form in which the advertising or publicity is to be undertaken. The method of communication used should be effective in reaching the people who have the need for the information. Again, regard will need to be had for statutory requirements, but communication by another method as well could be warranted.

604
Thirdly, the scale of the communication effort will be a significant factor in the total cost. Taken together with the method of communication, which will also be a major cost factor, the objective should be to meet the identified need for information to the extent practicable and reasonable at the least expense. Any information need that has little prospect of being met, other than at disproportionate cost, should not be pursued without good reason.

605
The key questions to be addressed are:

• Who is the communication aimed at?
• What information do those people need?
• In what way is that information best presented?
• What is the most cost-effective means of conveying the information to those who need it?