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The Power of Public Relations

It's a multi-platform world. What's the tool of choice to get the marketing message across? The answer in two words: public relations.

The Same or Different?

Publicity and PR share a common purpose — to announce, to influence or convince, to remind, or to change a position. Beyond this, the differences arise.

Publicity allows for reviewing and rehearsing every message carefully. On the up side, the placement of the message can be carefully timed (think of ads during any major sporting event or on the back of most magazines: maximum exposure, maximum cost).

On the down side, however, all that publicity has a price. And credibility isn't all that high. Do you really believe every ad for a product you see advertised on TV or in a magazine?

Public relations has the advantage that the costs are much lower but its credibility ratings are much higher. This makes it extremely well suited to the long term, offering the company another way to get more for their money.

On the down side, with today's multi-platform approach there is a risk that the message can get lost. As well, the company does not have the same amount of control over the timing or the nature of the message.

PR executive Oren Bason explains that public relations began when companies realized that publicity (advertising) was not always the most effective tool for getting the message across.

Many of the world's PR agencies now embrace the concept of integrated marketing communications (IMC) as a way of achieving better results for the same (or less) money. Underlying IMC are four basic concepts:

The framework of marketing communications shapes the "look and feel" of every organizational message — both internal and external.
Marketing communications activities of the company or organization are geared to create a positive image toward the product or service in order to advance sales.
To succeed, a product needs to be exposed on a number of platforms simultaneously — newspapers, the Web, mail, billboards, TV.
Marketing communications has become part an integrated part of the overall marketing efforts of a company.

IMC positions the product at the nexus of publicity, placement, pricing, and public relations and is directly tied up with a company's brand and identity. This strong connection almost forces the organization's PR personnel to wear many hats: marketer, organizational manager, marketing manager, editor, journalist.

May the Forces Be with You

Public relations efforts are affected by three forces: the audience, the organization, and the media. Any one of the three can cause the message to shift. Today's audience is savvy and sophisticated. The younger the audience, the higher the expectations. They like flash, hype, and being on the edge.

Organizations face greater competition, and because of some of the corporate scandals in recent years, they also face greater accountability. Both factors can cause a change in the message.

Since 1998, when the Internet became a tangible force, the nature and influence of the media has changed. Information is now disseminated all the time, all around. Can't find it in the newspaper, look on the Web. Not on the Web? Check your Palm. Not there? Check your cell phone. There's no escaping information bombardment.

The immediacy of the Web has caused print magazines and newspapers to work to achieve a balance between getting it out there fast and getting it out there right.

The Secret to Success

The secret to success, Bason emphasizes, is to build an identity for highly visible, positive exposure (think of Jaguar or Mercedes). Consumers will pay more for the promise underlying the brand. (Volvo's implicit concern for safety has come to signify their image and brand.)

He points out that many of the marketing successes in recent years have been a result of strong public relations efforts — not advertising and named well-known companies characterized by strong identities and built on the efforts of excellent public relations: Google, Intel, Ikea, Starbucks, Red Bull, and Amazon. He then took the point one step further — people who have built a strong brand identity: Richard Branson, Larry Ellison, and a large cadre of international sports stars.

A Diversified Playing Field

A public relations plan is based on two things, according to Bason. The first, what the company does; the second, creative PR activities that drive and maintain exposure. PR strategies are determined by a number of diverse objectives:

		Build a brand
		Handle changes in corporate identity
		Manage crises (damage control)
		Provide international and regional positioning
		Develop internal communications
		Manage conflict
		Amass resources

The strategies can be achieved through an overall plan made up of a variety of materials and interactions (for example, press releases, newsletters, articles, conferences, discussion groups).

The Top 10 Ways To Get Journalists To Fall at Your Feet

Because exposure is key, there are a number of ways to get journalists to fawn over you and your product. Be aware that some of these suggestions are more practical than others, and some will not fly in the American marketplace.

Make your general manager or CEO a celebrity.
Make provocative or bold statements.
Release survey and research numbers.
Plan activities with celebrities.
Send journalists gifts.
Send journalists overseas to cover a story about the company.
Invite journalists to major company events.
Form a nonprofit organization.
Become the head or spokesperson of an association in your industry.
Buy a sports team or a TV station.

Think Small

Start-ups or small companies can put energy into public relations efforts and strategies for their product on a scale that suits their size and budget. Don't just assume it's the "big guys" that grab the headlines. One of our small start-up clients was recently featured in a Jerusalem Report article.

Press releases are a very low-cost way of attracting attention and can lead to greater exposure. Make sure the release contains real news and is not just a "commercial" about your product. To increase the likelihood that the press release will be picked up, call the reporter or editor to follow up.

If there's a show on the horizon, a one-page product data sheet speaks volumes.

As the need arises, each piece of the PR puzzle you add will tie into your company and your product, so that when you're ready to buy that sports team, your brand, identity, and message will be one that is integrated, timely, and recognized.