Marketing Communications Public Relations

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Marketing Communications - Public Relations

• Gary Akehurst

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Public Relations

• The management of communications and
  relationships to establish goodwill and mutual
  understanding between an organisation and its
  public (Jobber, 1995 437)
• ...concerns building good relations with the
  companys various publics by obtaining favourable
  publicity, building up a good corporate image,
  and handling or heading off unfavourable rumours,
  stories and events (Kotler et al, 1996 751)
• The process by which we create a positive image
  and customer preference through third-party
  endorsement
• (Jobber, 1995 437)

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Public Relations
Media TV Press Radio
Public local communities pressure groups opinion
leaders general public
Finance shareholders stockbrokers fund
managers banks
Organisation
Government parliament civil service local
authorities
Employees staff trade unions representatives
Commercial customers distribution suppliers
Source Jobber, 1995 437
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Public Relations

• Different tools
• press relations
• placing information in news media to attract
  attention to a person, product or service
• believable by consumers and creates more impact
  than ads written by company managers
• product publicity
• publicising specific products
• securing editorial space rather than paid space
• e.g. new products, special events, redesigned
  products

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Public Relations

• corporate communications
• creating internal and external communications
• promoting understanding of the company, eg
  communications with employees
• lobbying
• activities with government officials and
  parliament
• to promote or defeat legislation and regulation
• counselling
• advising management about public issues and
  company positions and images

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Public Relations

• Product-related Publicity
• assists in launching new products
• assists in repositioning a mature product
• builds up consumer interest in a product category

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Public Relations

• Corporate Communication
• influence specific target groups (e.g. sponsoring
  special events)
• defend products having public problems (with such
  problems it all depends on damage extent, the
  efficiency with which managers can get the
  product back on-line and an effective marketing
  message that the company is open for business)

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Public Relations

• Eurostar and the Channel Tunnel Fire
• have a crisis plan and instruct and train
  employees in crisis management
• take immediate steps, appointing a spokesperson
  to whom all media are referred and who is
  immediately available
• ensure effective co-ordination and install an
  information hot line
• contact companys PR agency if it has one
• process information quickly - notify press and
  keep them updated (the media will hear about the
  event anyway, so best to find out from your
  company)
• be consistent and flexible but initiate action
  communications
• show others the actual recovery

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Public Relations

• Build the Corporate Image
• build awareness and brand knowledge
• more credible and often more cost effective than
  advertising
• but must be jointly planned with advertising
  within a sufficient budget
• you need staff to develop and circulate stories
  and manage certain events

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Public Relations

• characteristics of publicity
• message has high credibility because it appears
  to be written independently by a media person
  rather than an advertiser (may therefore, be more
  persuasive)
• no direct media costs (although it is not cost
  free)
• loss of control of publication (no guarantee news
  item will be published)
• loss of control of content
• loss of control of timing

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environmental scanning - issues trends
identification

• establish specific marketing objectives
• build awareness
• build credibility
• stimulate sales force
• distribution channels
• promotion costs

Define the target audience identify important
issues
research to understand the companys mission,
culture, products communications targets
choose the PR message and vehicles event creation
- identify and develop interesting stories the
challenge - to create news
The PR Process

• Implement the Marketing PR Plan
• how to get media attention
• who talks to the media and who doesnt

the companys marketing plan

• Evaluating PR results
• difficult to measure as used with other
  promotion tools
• exposures
• awareness/comprehension/attitude change
• sales and profit contribution

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Public Relations

• major tools of public relations
• publications companies can reach and influence
  their target market by annual reports,
  brochures, cards, articles, company
  newsletters and magazines, audio-visual media
• events draw attention to new products or other
  company activities
• news cultivating the press to increase better
  coverage
• speeches create company and product publicity,
  accompanied by printed copies for
  distribution to press and other publics

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Public Relations

• public service activities improve public goodwill
  by giving money and time to good causes
• identity media ( visual identity - company logos,
  stationery, signs, uniforms, buildings, dress
  code, etc

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Public Relations

• can build PR around the owner or operator (e.g.
  Nico Ledonis and Rick Stein) - dangerous but
  benefits can exceed risks (e.g. Dyson)
• can build PR around location
• can build PR around a product or service (e.g.
  the Raffles Hotel, Singapore - the Singapore
  Sling)

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Public Relations

• potentially newsworthy topics
• doing something first
• marketing issues (new products, research
  breakthrough, future new products, large
  contracts/orders, sponsorships, price changes,
  service changes, new logos, export success
• production issues (productivity achievements,
  employment changes, capital investments)
• financial issues (financial statements,
  acquisitions, sales and profit achievements)
• personnel issues (training awards, winners of
  company contests, promotions/new appointments,
  success stories, visits by famous people, reports
  of interviews
• general issues (conferences, seminars,
  exhibitions, anniversaries of significant events)

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Public Relations

• press releases
• the headline (factual, avoid flowery and
  flamboyant language)
• opening paragraph (brief summary of whole release
  - if you get this published you have succeeded in
  getting across your essential message)
• organising the copy (less important messages at
  end)
• copy content (factual not fanciful back
  statements up with facts)
• length (short as possible - one page maximum
  make editors job easy as possible)
• layout (short paragraphs, plenty of white space,
  good margins, double-spaced)

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Public Relations

• References
• Lesly, P., 1991, The Handbook of Public Relations
  and Communications, Maidenhead McGraw-Hill
• White, J., 1991, How to Understand and Manage
  Public Relations, London Business Books
• Miller, J., 1993, Marketing Communications,
  Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration
  Quarterly, Vol. 34 No. 5, October, p49
• Durocher, J., 1994, Recovery Marketing What to
  Do After a Natural Disaster, Cornell Hotel and
  Restaurant Administration Quarterly, Vol. 35 No.
  2, April, p66

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Public Relations

• References
• Kotler, P., Bowen, J. and J. Makens, 1996,
  Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism, Upper
  Saddle River, NJ Prentice Hall, Ch 18 Promoting
  Products Public Relations and Ch 17 Promoting
  Products Advertising, Direct Marketing and Sales
  Promotion
• Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Saunders, J. and V.
  Wong, 1996, Principles of Marketing, Upper Saddle
  River, NJ Prentice Hall, Ch 19
• Jobber, D., 1995, Principles and Practice of
  Marketing, London McGraw-Hill, Ch 13 Other
  Promotional Mix Methods