Stakeholder

A stakeholder is any person or group that can affect or is affected by an organization, including customers, employees, investors, regulators, partners and the media, and stakeholder voice is when employees, executives or affiliates speak publicly in ways that shape the organization's reputation. Stakeholder mapping is the systematic identification of these groups and of what each one cares about, the first step in any communications plan.

Stakeholders differ in how much power and interest they hold, so each needs a different message, channel and cadence. Identifying them early is the first step of any communications plan, issues program or crisis response.

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