The Final Paper demonstrate of the reading as well as the discussion ponts. The purpose of this assignment is to the concepts studied in this into a cohesive and paper. The Final Paperwill be titled ?An Marketing for ____.? You will fill in the with an or a new brand name of choice. The goal of the paper is to theories and concepts the textbook and readings into your ownideas o create specific marketing ideas to promot the brand (good or service) with a particular target. Refer to the previous assignments in this course for insight how to develop your Final Paper. You must a. Provide an Overview/Executive Summary of the marketing strategy. b. Describe the good or service and desired brand image. c. Describe the target market, including buyer motivations, demographics, and psychographics. d. Describe the overall marketing strategy, including positioning strategy versus competitors. e. Describe a promotions and advertising campaign that includes a description of one advertisement. f. Recommend and describe a Public Relations campaign. g. Describe the use of an Internet marketing campaign, including web site and use of email. h. Describe a direct marketing campaign, including Customer Relationship Management. The paper ? Must be 8 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. ? Must include a separate title page with the following: o Title of paper o Student?s name o Course name and number o Instructor?s name o Date submitted ? Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement. ? Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought. ? Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis. ? Must use at least four scholarly sources in addition to the course text, including a minimum of two from the Ashford University library. ? Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. ? Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Public Relations and Publicity 7 Tashatuvango/iStock/Thinkstock Learning Objectives Upon completing this chapter the student will be able to: Describe the different types of public relations and their purpose. State the functions of a public relations department. Describe objectives and strategies used in public relations. List the major tactics used by public relations professionals. Describe ways to evaluate the effectiveness of public relations efforts. Pre-Test Chapter 7 Pre-Test 1. Which of the following is true about public relations? a)\tIt focuses on marketing and selling specific products. b)\tIt focuses on supporting a positive image of the organization or brand. c) It is not the best IMC tactic for building alliances or partnerships. d)\tIt is directed mostly toward customers, rather than toward other organizational stakeholders. 2. A company has been charged with knowingly emitting illegally high levels of harmful gases at one of its manufacturing plants. Which type of crisis is this company facing? a)\tConfrontation b)\tMalevolence c) Organizational misdeeds d)\tWorkplace violence 3. Marketing public relations usually supports . usually supports , while corporate public relations a)\tspecial events management; public affairs management b)\tconsumer public relations; trade public relations c) public affairs management; special events management d)\ttrade public relations; consumer public relations 4. A page or two of information distributed to key media outlets or newswires that describes an event or new brand, service, or product is called a a)\tb-roll. b)\tfact sheet. c) press release. d)\tboilerplate. 5. Which of the following is NOT a useful part of a PR plan's rationale? a)\tA flowchart b)\tSMART objectives c) A timeline for rollout d)\tA description of the return on public relations investment Answers 1. b) It focuses on supporting a positive image of the organization or brand. The correct answer can be found in Section 7.1 2. c) Organizational misdeeds. The correct answer can be found in Section 7.2 3. b) consumer public relations; trade public relations. The correct answer can be found in Section 7.3 4. b) fact sheet. The correct answer can be found in Section 7.4 5. b) SMART objectives. The correct answer can be found in Section 7.5 Introduction Chapter 7 Introduction The authors wish to thank Ms. Courtney Kingery for co-authoring this chapter. Since 2007, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization gave money to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America to fund breast examinations and mammograms. In February 2012, the Komen organization announced it would stop funding Planned Parenthood. The company was unprepared for the backlash of this decision. Criticism appeared in social media and all media outlets. Many people pledged to stop their support for the organization. The Komen organization waited 24 hours to respond, which was too long in today's instant communication environment. The decision to not fund Planned Parenthood was led by Karen Handel, Komen's senior vice-president for public policy, who is also an opponent of abortion. Within a week, the Komen organization reversed the decision but it was, for many, too late. In the months that followed, Nancy Brinker, founder and president, stepped down. Local groups cancelled events and fundraising plummeted. A year after the public relations disaster, the Komen organization had not regained its footing. In contrast, in the days following the announcement by Komen, Planned Parenthood received more than $400,000 from donors and a grant of $250,000 from New York mayor, Mike Bloomberg (Rasmus, 2013). Many organizations do not realize the impact that seemingly small decisions can Bill Clark/Roll Call/Getty Images have on the organization. Public relations, Susan G. Komen for the Cure's senior VP, Karen Handel, led the when managed properly, can help an orga- foundation's decision to stop funding breast exams and mammograms nization regain its reputation. Often compa- through Planned Parenthood Federation of America. nies wait too long to respond to their publics and the publicity can greatly damage a company's efforts. There's a saying in marketing communications that publicity builds brands and advertising sustains them. Although this is true, public relations and publicity play an even greater role in providing positive communications for an organization or business. Public relations and publicity are the often unseen areas of an integrated marketing communications plan. The proper implementation of public relations (PR) and publicity will impact IMC in a positive manner. Think about a Broadway play. The actors are the ones that are seen on the stage, they're heard, and they get praise from the audience. However, without the crew and management team, the audience would not be able to see or hear the actors. In IMC, advertising is the variable seen and heard by audiences. Advertising tends to get the most attention and is the most recognizable part of the IMC plan, but the areas of PR and publicity shine a light on advertising and these areas help get the message out to a business or organization's stakeholders. Public relations and publicity are essential to an IMC plan. They have the ability, when seamlessly integrated into the IMC plan, to appeal to a number of different audiences. Public relations and publicity have the ability to create high credibility. The usage of PR and publicity helps to generate an endorsement from third-party sources such as the media. In addition, these areas tend to have Public Relations Chapter 7 the ability to communicate with hard-to-reach audiences, or hard-to-find buyers. Finally, the entire story of a company, organization, product, or brand can be told through the effective execution of public relations and publicity. Therefore, these tactical executions should be built into the IMC plan and integrated with multiple vehicles that have been scheduled at various times throughout an effective campaign. Let's take a closer look at how to develop a public relations and publicity plan so that strategic responses can be developed to issues that will come up. 7.1 Public Relations Public relations is the function and activity of supporting a positive organizational, company, or brand image in the public eye. The overall function is to create and maintain a sense of goodwill toward an organization from its stakeholders such as suppliers, stockholders, consumers, employees, politicians, and the company's community. These folks have a stake in what occurs in the company or organization and in the policies developed and implemented by a company. Typically, the function of public relations does not focus on selling a specific product, but rather it focuses on those activities required to support the overall image of the organization and its brands. Advantages and Disadvantages of Public Relations Public relations can be a great tool, but there are some drawbacks associated with the IMC tactic. Let's start by looking at the numerous advantages of PR and follow up with an assessment of the disadvantages associated with public relations. Advantages of Public Relations As previously stated, public relations can help build the image and brand of a company. PR efforts can make a company appear more credible. Another advantage of PR is that it helps to disseminate information. When a company is preparing to launch a new product for example, a press release can help build buzz about the product. Public relations is also a great tool to build partnerships and alliances. For example, when the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) employees went on strike in 2013 (Roberts, 2013), the employee union and the management team both used PR to communicate their side of the disagreement and try to win public opinion. Often one of the most visible areas where public relation tools are used is with crisis management. Negative publicity must be handled quickly or it can ruin reputations. Another advantage to PR is that it is relatively less expensive when compared to other IMC tactics. Public Relations can also be a competitive advantage when one company uses PR tools more effectively than the competition. Disadvantages of Public Relations Although the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, there are some cons to PR. With PR a company does not have as much control over the placement and message as compared to other IMC tactics. It is up to the media outlets to carry the story and often they choose not to. If it is published, it may not be given as much space as hoped. Another disadvantage is that sometimes when information is relayed or sent to media representatives, the reporters recraft the message or take information out of context, which leads to inaccurate information being reported. Many PR professionals Public Relations Chapter 7 take a great deal of time to write stories about their brand or company. Often these stories will go unnoticed and unpublished. Another disadvantage is that it is difficult to predict how the public or press will respond to a story. Finally, it is difficult to measure the success of PR efforts. Table 7.1 summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of public relations. Table 7.1 Advantages and disadvantages of public relations Advantages Disadvantages Builds image and credibility Don't have as much control over PR compared to other IMC tactics Gets out information Reporters often recraft message, leading to inaccuracies Helps build alliances Useful with crisis management Relatively inexpensive when compared to other IMC tactics Can be a competitive advantage Stories often don't get reported Hard to predict audience response Difficult to measure success Difference between PR and Advertising People often confuse public relations and advertising. Public relations uses the media to communicate with the general public, which is similar to advertising; however, there are many distinct differences between PR and advertising. The first difference is that PR is not paid for in a traditional sense. Public relations is not communicated through purchased air time or space from media outlets (as advertising is). Rather, public relations managers and executives rely on press releases, social media, and other PR tools to bring newsworthy events and activities to the attention of the various media outlets. Because of this, PR is not as controllable as advertising. As stated earlier, media outlets may or may not provide coverage of events and activities. The media may not deem the event or activity newsworthy. A second difference between advertising and PR is that public relations may not always be positive (the way advertising is). Media may generate negative PR for a company and this may create ill will for the organization or company depending on the bias of the media organization. The reputation and image of the company may suffer as a result of the negative publicity. A third difference is that the general public considers public relations a more trusted method of obtaining unbiased information and news because the information often comes from a third party. For this reason, it is trusted more than advertising. This allows PR executives and managers to create more impact by using public relations alone or in conjunction with advertising. The differences between advertising and public relations highlight why PR is an integral part of any integrated marketing communication program. Table 7.2 summarizes the differences between PR and advertising. Keep in mind that these are general differences and because the two areas often work together, it's difficult to completely isolate the differences, especially when marketing communication is integrated. Table 7.2 Differences between public relations and advertising Area Public Relations Advertising Cost Low High Control over published message Low High Presentation of message Can be positive or negative Positive Level of trust in the message High Low Public Relations Chapter 7 Publicity Publicity is a subfunction of public relations and it attempts to get news outlets to release information about a company. Publicity can be positive or negative. From the company's standpoint, the function of publicity is to generate positive news about the organization. Generally, publicity is used to generate buzz or WOM (word of mouth) about an organization or company, an individual within the organization, a product or service, events, or other newsworthy activities a company has developed. Publicity does not follow traditional cost structures and the total cost of an event should be evaluated when calculating return on publicity investment. For example, the publicity that is generated about a contest or sweepstakes may be free, but the cost of the giveaways is not and should be considered when calculating the ROI. Publicity needs to be controlled, planned, and must be seamlessly integrated into the overall IMC plan. Publicity works in tandem with other tactical executions. Third-party groups that have a stake in an industry should be monitored for unplanned or potentially negative messages, such as those that were communicated during the Tylenol scare (case found at the end of the chapter). For example, a study undertaken by a college or university on the impact of red wine on heart health should be closely monitored by vineyards and wine distributers because of the potential impact on business operations and sales. If the results of the study are positive, an organization can leverage the publicity coming out of the study to increase awareness and drive sales for wine and winerelated products and services. If the results of the study are negative, the organizations should have a strategic rebuttal in place to mitigate or minimize the impact of the negative publicity generated by the study. It is the responsibility of the public relations manager to be aware of external environmental influences and build on positive publicity, while downplaying or eliminating unplanned negative messages associated with environmental change. It is important that the PR department have access to the environmental scanning process that was presented earlier in the text. When companies want to launch a new product or brand, they turn to both advertising and publicity to begin the campaign. Publicity is used to generate awareness of the new brand, and to create third-party endorsements for the brand through various media channels. Once awareness is created, advertising takes over to make sure there is enough reach to sustain the new product. As mentioned earlier in the text, public relations and publicity build brands while advertising sustains them. There must be integration of all communication vehicles to take advantage of the benefits associated with each of the tactics. In this case, the advertising and publicity tactics work well in tandem to drive awareness and, hopefully, sales to the new product. Marketing Public Relations In recent years, IMC professionals and advertisers have embraced public relations to support their corporate communications and use PR to help with brand development, product promotion, and image building. As such, integrated marketing communications and marketing professionals have better integrated PR and marketing efforts. With this movement comes a new name, marketing public relations, or MPR (Kotler and Keller, 2012; Giannini, 2010), which is public relations with a strong product and service focus. According to Harris (1993, p. 12), \"Marketing Public Relations is the process of planning, executing, and evaluating programs that encourage purchase and customer satisfaction through credible communication of information and impressions that identify companies and their products with the needs, wants, concerns and interests of customers.\" The purpose of using MPR is to promote products and services while building long-term relationships with the various publics that impact an organization. Marketing public relations people are involved in the following activities: Public Relations Chapter 7 Case in Point: Papa John's CEO Hires Crisis Management Firm to Restore Image When Papa John's CEO, John Schnatter, was misquoted and when the resulting publicity threatened to ruin his reputation, the CEO decided to hire Sitrick and Company, a crisis management PR firm, to restore his image. It all started in August 2012 when, in a call to investors, Schnatter voiced his opposition to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) by stating the health care overhaul could cost Papa John's 11 to 14 cents per pizza, a cost that the company could absorb. The press misconstrued what Schnatter said and instead reported that Papa John's planned to raise the price of pizza 11 to 14 cents per pizza as a result of Obamacare. While Schnatter had stated that costs could be passed on to the consumer to protect shareSpencer Platt/Getty Images holders, he did not give a specific amount. The remark was taken out of context and much of the resulting publicity portrayed Schnatter as a villain who planned to raise pizza prices and reduce employee hours due to Obamacare (Sebastian, 2013). After the comments, the company's YouGov BrandIndex Buzz score (an indication of brand favorability) went down from 32 to four (Papa John's Obamacare Stance . . ., 2013). Here's what Sitrick and Company did to help rebuild Schnatter's image (Sebastian, 2013): 1. Sitrick got Schnatter to write an op-ed piece (an opinion-based editorial written by someone not on the editorial board) for The Huffington Post to correct the inaccuracies. 2. The PR firm contacted blogs that printed erroneous information to state that they were wrong. Most blogs corrected the information. 3. Sitrick contacted other media outlets to inform them of their incorrect reporting. Reflection Questions 1. Why would a CEO refrain from answering questions that may require taking a political stance? 2. Should employees of major companies get involved with politics? Why or why not? 3. What are the advantages of hiring an external company to deal with PR? Building trust and credibility Positioning the company as a leader or expert in the field Introducing new products or relaunching products Promoting the use of new methods for the product and service Reaching new markets Defending market share Spreading the news prior to advertising or other IMC efforts As with other IMC variables and tactics, there is an overlap between PR and the other IMC variables. There are ways to leverage advertising to support PR efforts. For example, an organization may wish to advertise its public relations initiatives. These ads may be generated and placed to reach important members of the public such as politicians, voters, or customers. A not-for-profit business may want to promote a special sponsored program or community event to drive awareness of the charity and drive attendance to the event. They can do this by leveraging paid advertising in conjunction with publicity. Functions of a Public Relations Department Chapter 7 Financial Public Relations Marketers and IMC professionals have expanded the function of public relations in order to create a more integrative tactical execution for communicating to the various publics of a company or organization. There are various uses and functions for public relations. Finance departments use public relations to communicate issues associated with finance and accounting such as preparing financial statements (i.e., comparative balance sheets, balance sheets, profit and loss statements, annual reports, etc.). A subset of the public relations department that works to communicate with investors and present information about the financial standing of a company in a way that enhances the brand image has been termed financial public relations or FPR. The aggregation of financial data under one department makes it easier for business units to be consistent when reporting financial information. Train Made of Cake Celebrates 15th Anniversary of Heathrow Express A team of 15 specialist bakers and food artists created an edible train carriage to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Heathrow Expressthe fastest way to travel to Heathrow. The cake was displayed at a platform in London's Paddington station. The train attracted much publicity in all the major news outlets in England. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG01VEVp6z8 Learning Check Reflect on your learning by answering the following questions: 1. What are advantages and disadvantages of public relations for nonprofit organizations? 2. How can marketing public relations be used for new-to-market products? 3. Who should be responsible for financial public relations? 4. Do you think financial executives make good company spokespeople? Why or why not? 7.2 Functions of a Public Relations Department Public relations can take on many different roles and therefore many different functions. In the following section you will read about some of the more common functions of a public relations department. Each department's activities will differ depending upon the industry, company, mission and vision, and target market. No matter if the PR department focus is on trade or consumer public relations, there are activities and functions that will help with the communication process. Each of the functions of PR can be leveraged in many different ways to implement a strategy that works best to achieve the objectives. The major functions will typically fall into one of two categories: reputation management or crisis management. Reputation Management With reputation management, public relations professionals attempt to create and manage the reputation of the organization utilizing environmental scanning to monitor the media and other third-party stakeholders. Reputation management includes promoting positive publicity and managing potentially damaging negative publicity. Often PR professionals are called upon to put a Functions of a Public Relations Department Chapter 7 positive spin on the actions of public people, especially politicians. These PR professionals are often called spin doctors. Companies that have, or project to have a public reputation problem turn to public relations to assist them in reputation repair. Often public relations efforts make sure the reputations of firms remain clean. In recent years the concept of corporate social responsibility has motivated firms to use reputation management as the key to assessing and implementing many social responsibility programs. Case in Point: Reputation Management and the Garment Industry In order to cut costs and keep prices low for consumers, many retailers produce clothing in other countries. The retailers may not know about or may ignore working conditions in the factories in which clothes are made. On April 24, 2013, a garment factory collapsed, killing 1,127 people. The building was located in Savar, a subdistrict in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was the deadliest garment industry accident in history. Although there were signs that the building was not stable, garment workers were ordered to return to work. Most of the employees were women, some of whom earned only $38 a month and worked long hours in sweatshops (Thomasson, 2013). Bangladesh has a poor safety record with garment factories. There were two other deadly garment factory accidents within six months of the Savar tragedy. The country is the world's second-largest apparel exporter behind China, with about 3.6 million people working in the garment industry (Thomasson, 2013). About 25% of Bangladesh's garment exports go to the United States and 60% go to Europe (Greenhouse, 2013). The event was tragic and a potential PR disaster for retailers who rely on Bangladeshi factories for apparel. Some retailers denied that they had products produced there, even when their brands were found in the rubble. Other retailers admitted they had products produced there and took responsibility to help improve safety. In July 2013, 70, mostly European retailers and apparel brands agreed to inspect all Bangladeshi garment factories that supply the companies under a plan called the \"Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.\" The companies agreed to take immediate action wherever serious safety problems were found. Retailers that are part of the plan include H&M, Carrefour, Marks & Spencer, and American companies PVH (parent company of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger), Abercrombie & Fitch and Sean John (Greenhouse, 2013). The accord is a legally binding agreement. The International Labour Organization (ILO) acts as the independent chair. Due to pressure from consumers to address the situation, U.S. companies that did not sign the accord including Walmart, Target, Gap, Macy's, Sears, and JCPenney are devising their own plan (Greenhouse, 2013). Critics say that although this is a start, the plan won't be legally binding like the Accord on Fire and Building Safety. Reflection Questions 1. Will public relations efforts be enough to preserve retailers' reputations with this type of disaster? Why or why not? 2. Why do you think many U.S. companies did not sign the accord? Crisis Management Related to reputation management is crisis management. Crisis management is the process used to control an event that threatens the company, stakeholders, or customers. Lerbinger (1997) identified the main crises that a company may face. They are summarized in Table 7.3. Functions of a Public Relations Department Chapter 7 Table 7.3 Types of crises companies may face Crisis Description Natural disaster Disaster made by nature, not by man; also known as an act of God Example: earthquake, hurricane, floods Technological crises Caused by application of technology Example: software failures, industrial accidents Confrontation A person or group of people are unhappy with a company's actions and voice their opposition Example: boycotts, picketing Malevolence A person or group of people break the law to damage a company or person within the company Example: kidnapping, espionage, corporate terrorism, product tampering Organizational misdeeds Management takes actions that it knows are harmful to the environment or customers without taking adequate precautions Example: deception, management misconduct Workplace violence An employee or former employee commits violence against another employee on company grounds Example: former employee seeking retribution, current employee seeking revenge Rumors False information about an organization that is harmful to the company's products and reputation Example: Lies spread about a product, manager, or company Jonathan Bernstein (n.d.), president of Bernstein Crisis Management Inc., identifies 10 steps when managing a crisis. 1. Identify your crisis communications team: These people are the primary decision makers during the crisis. Usually the CEO, PR executive, and legal counsel are on the team. 2. Identify spokespersons: These are the individuals on the crisis communication team who are authorized to speak for the organization. 3. Train spokespersons: Every person who will speak to media professionals must have training to do so. 4. Establish notification systems: Establish systems to quickly reach stakeholders using multiple modalities. 5. Identify and know stakeholders: It's important to identify all stakeholders so that no group gets omitted from communications. 6. Anticipate crises: Company management can discuss crises in advance and make plans to manage the different crises that may occur. 7. Develop holding statements: Holding statements are prepared messages and templates that are designed for use immediately after a crisis occurs. 8. Assess the situation: The crisis management team should assess the situation and be careful not to release unsubstantiated information. Functions of a Public Relations Department Chapter 7 9. Identify key messages: Each stakeholder will require different information. Identify three key messages that each stakeholder should know. Keep the messages simple. 10. Ride out the storm: Often it takes a long time to get through the crisis. The crisis management team must evaluate messages and determine when more information should be sent out. Lobbying Public affairs management, or lobbying, is Diane Bondareff/Invision for IKEA/AP Images the management of the communications After Hurricane Sandy, many companies, including IKEA, donated aimed toward elected officials and regula- their products to help victims. How is this an example of crisis tory bodies within government. Lobbying management? is also referred to as public affairs management due to the negative connotations of the word lobbying. Lobbying is oftentimes accomplished through the use of trade groups that can leverage their membership in order to produce desired results. A public relations professional may want to inform government leaders of certain activities the company is undertaking, and to show the leaders that these activities contribute to the public good. Additionally, PR professionals want to influence governmental leaders to oppose attempts to limit a company's activities that government leaders feel are negatively impacting the public good. Finally, PR employees may wish to influence the passage or defeat of legislation that will have a negative impact on the company's ability to operate effectively or efficiently. Special Events Management Special events management is the organization and management of events that have been planned within the IMC plan. Sponsorships of special events, cultural events, or even sporting events require some level of management. These events must be coordinated with other marketing communications tactics such as advertising, direct marketing, social media, and Internet marketing in order to generate the greatest benefit for the money spent. Speech Writing and Media Training Another important function of the PR department is crafting speeches and developing media training for various organizational personnel who deliver speeches or speak to media representatives. Speeches delivered by company executives can be an effective way to build trust and credibility. Message consistency is important. Any representative of a company or organization must deliver the same message that was delivered through the other IMC executions. The representative must be trained on how to handle potentially dangerous or damaging questions that portray the company or organization in a negative light. The objective is to make sure the representatives and speech deliverers create a message that shows the firm in a positive light. Publication Development The public relations department is often responsible for the development and production of the many publications released by an organization. Examples of these include annual reports, sales Public Relations Planning Chapter 7 brochures, pamphlets, corporate websites, social media sites, and manuals. It is important that messages in the publications support and are consistent with the overall IMC message and brand, as well as the overall company mission and vision statements. The process of public relations planning and development must follow the same logical steps associated with all other tactical executions of the integrated marketing communications plan. RACE Process Any public relations activity should follow a process. This process should have four key elements (Wilcox and Cameron, 2012): Research Action (program planning) Communication (execution) Evaluation This process is referred to as RACE. Although PR and publicity follow essentially the same steps as the other IMC variables, the objectives and strategies may vary slightly based on the focus of the audience: trade or consumer public relations. Learning Check Reflect on your learning by answering the following questions: 1. What aspect of public relations would you like the most? The least? 2. What are your thoughts about the ethics of lobbying? 3. Why don't some companies do a good job of crisis management? 7.3 Public Relations Planning Both corporate and marketing public relations activities can be classified according to the target of the communication. Public relations tactics aimed toward the end user are classified as consumer public relations and are generally supported by MPR. If the public relations executions are aimed toward the trade, they're classified as trade public relations and are supported by corporate public relations. The use of either of these types of PR depends on the organization, industry, and identified target market and market segments. While the main focus of MPR is to support marketing and sales, corporate public relations focuses on the promotion of an overall corporate or organizational image by focusing on nonmarketing communications. Both types of communication will have a direct effect on the communication outcomes or objectives developed and determined by the IMC planner. When developing the PR plan, begin by identifying the objectives, create the strategy or strategies, and then add the tactical executions while providing rationale and evaluative tools. In actual executions, some media reach end users more effectively while others reach trade users better. Objectives The first task in the creation of the trade PR plan is to develop specific objectives. Remember, objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and have a time frame (SMART). The objectives must relate to the target user (consumer or trade). Objectives for the trade publications, Public Relations Planning Chapter 7 social media, and broadcast may not be the same as those developed for the final consumer. Trade public relations are aimed at the trade and are usually executed prior to the consumer public relations executions. The consumer should not receive messages that are different from those given to the trade and other publics, but the message and objectives should be targeted specifically toward the end user. For example, an objective for the trade may besecure space at three trade conventions within a six-month period. An example for consumers may bespeak to at least 500 consumers about product X during three conventions within a six-month period. Strategies To achieve objectives, the public relations planner must develop overall strategies that will impact the firm's communications. The strategies for public relations are similar to those used in sales promotion: push, pull, or pass (Harris, 1993). With a push strategy, a company uses public relations to gain support and encourage channel members to promote the product, service, brand, and company to the final consumer. For example, a retailer may approach a supplier to request help in promoting a special event. A pull strategy aims public relations toward the final consumer to stimulate demand for the company's offerings or acceptance of a company's message. If a company sponsors a winning Iain Masterton/age fotostock/SuperStock sports team, the company can stimulate potential Social media is frequently used in executing PR strategies. sports consumers and fans to seek out and request information from the resellers. A pass strategy attempts to gain support from gatekeepers within the marketplace. A company facing a boycott may reach out to special interest groups to gain their support. Other PR strategies may include using social media to reach stakeholders, attending networking events to increase visibility, and hiring external companies to help with PR. Typically, in the PR plan, the strategies will include statements of how the PR planner is going to get media mentions, trending, and word-of-mouth issues to help achieve the objectives set for consumer PR. Although it's important to generate specific objectives and tactics for the consumer and trade, marketing public relations professionals are also charged with the task of developing overall tactics for the IMC campaign and plan. The next section describes popular tactics that are used to reach and communicate with the various audiences of a firm or organization. Virgin Atlantic: Fly in the Face of Ordinary This video shows a public relations stunt in which Virgin Atlantic took over a bench in New York City to show how the company \"flies in the face of ordinary.\" The unsuspecting participants got a taste of the Virgin Atlantic experience. The video shows people's reactions as they experienced everything that would be expected on the plane . . . with a twist. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpCsp1u1i88 Tactics Chapter 7 Learning Check Reflect on your learning by answering the following questions: 1. What are the three main strategies used in PR? 2. How would you change PR tactics to reach the trade versus consumer markets? 3. What strategies would you use if you had a small budget? 7.4Tactics Regardless of the target market, public relations professionals have various tactical executions at their disposal to implement strategies and achieve overriding PR and IMC objectives. For reputation management of trade public relations, the PR manager may wish to employ publicity. Other tactical executions include press releases, feature articles, and exhibits. Table 7.4 is a list of the most popular tactics available to professionals in public relations. Table 7.4 Common tactics used in public relations Type Description Press release A press release consists of one or two sheets of information about an event, service, brand, or product launch distributed to key media outlets or news wires for broad distribution to the media. Photos, b-roll, and other visuals Visual tools increase chances of publication and include pictures, b-roll, and visuals such as presentations, charts, and graphs. Media and press kits A conglomeration of items and information that help the media develop a story or news article, as well as providing more in-depth information about an event, product, organization, or service. The media kit typically contains a press release, photographs, a CD or flash drive with electronic versions of the photos, advertising, or additional information that will be sent to the key media outlets. Fact sheets Fact sheets contain information about an event, company, organization, product, or service in a concise and easy to read format. Feature articles Feature articles are those that get more prominent placement in media outlets. When media outlets are interested in a company's activities, they may decide to write a longer, feature article. Publications Sales flyers, brochures, newsletters, annual reports, and magazines are considered publications. Often this material is developed in both print and electronic versions to make distribution easier. Event marketing Events are typically built around a themed activity, display, or a product launch and often only one company is marketing the event. Posters or calendars They present information in a useful and attention-getting manner. Exhibits and public tours Exhibits and tours are an effective method to educate audiences on a company's products and services. Electronic media and website content Includes electronic media press kits, streaming videos, downloadable podcasts, online product demonstrations, and testimonials. Tactics Chapter 7 Press Release A press release consists of one or two sheets of information about an event, service, brand, or product launch distributed to key media outlets or newswires for broad distribution to the media. The goal of the news release is to induce the media into developing a feature story around the event, product, or service. The press release must be written in a way that catches attention to increase the chances of publication. In addition to information, a boilerplate that describes the company is generally at the end of the press release along with general company contact information and the website address. A boilerplate is prepared text that is used in many different contexts, including social networking sites, without changing the words. The press release is the most widely utilized public relations tool due to its relatively low cost and high impact potential if the major media outlets pick up the release. One major disadvantage is that the firm or organization issuing the release cannot control how the media will cover the information provided in the release (if they cover it at all). The media outlets selected as recipients of the release should have strong circulation and viewership among the company's target audience both for trade and consumer public relations. A number of print and broadcast media provide information on how to write a press release. There are also many publications and websites that aid in the development of a good press release. In terms of content, the following questions should be considered: 1. What is the purpose and what key message will be communicated? 2. Who is the target audience for the press release? 3. How can product and service benefits be communicated to the target audience? 4. What public relations or IMC objective will be achieved through the use of a release? 5. Is a press release the best way to communicate with stakeholders or are there other methods that are better? Although print and broadcast media are the traditional avenues for the dissemination of press releases, in today's world, the majority of news releases are distributed via email or other electronic news services and vehicles. Many are downloaded from a company's website (Wilcox and Cameron, 2012). An electronic release is single spaced and under 200 words. The most important information appears first. Provide the date and company or organizational information that allows the media to contact the PR professional. If the news release is on a company or organizational website, make the release attractive and include the company, product, brand, or organizational logo on the site to create continuity with other IMC executions. Photographs, B-roll, and Other Visuals Any visual element that can be incorporated into public relations communications will have greater impact and will increase the chances of publication. Photographs can tell a story that words can't. B-roll is video footage about the company, products and services, and events that can be used to help media outlets tell a story. For example, there may be b-roll about a company that is used and reused whenever a story about the company is aired. Photographs, b-roll, and other visuals, such as graphs, charts, and presentations are used in conjunction with written material to draw attention or create excitement about newsworthy events. When using a photo or visual a caption should be attached and all individuals should be identified. Celebrities generally catch the attention of target audiences and should be included when possible and where appropriate. Tactics Chapter 7 Press and Media Kits When discussing advertising we introduced media kits as a way to determine information concerning rates, readership, and publication requirements. Press kits are often called media kits. These kits contain items and information that help the media develop a story or news article and provide more in-depth information about an event, product, organization, or service. The media kit typically contains a press release, photographs, and a CD or flash drive with electronic versions of the photos, advertising or additional information that will be sent to the key media outlets. If a company is planning a new product launch, the media kit may also include samples of the product when practical. For example, if a movie company wants to generate public relations and awareness for a new film it expects to soon place in theaters, a trailer of the movie could be included. It is not unusual to find a schedule of events enclosed in the media kit. The media outlets selected to receive the media kit should have strong reach of the company's target market and target audience for both trade and consumer public relations. Fact Sheets Fact sheets contain factual information about an event, company, organization, product or service in a concise and easy to read format. The idea behind a fact sheet is to provide or give supporting details for the press release or to clarify details about a product, event, organization, or service by providing documented data. Fact sheets give reporters more details and context for their coverage of an issue or event and are often used by the media as a quick reference tool. They are often included in press kits. Example: Fact Sheet Use the following link to view a fact sheet for TD Bank: http://www.tdbank.com/exc/pdf/company_fact_sheet.pdf Feature Articles If the media kit catches the attention of the media, they may decide to create or develop a story or feature about the event, product, company, or service. A feature article gets more prominent placement in media outlets. A professional writer or reporter writes the feature. Production studio professionals may be employed by the sponsoring company to write the article. The key to creating a good feature article is to make the story timeless so that the editor can broadcast or print the story whenever there is time or wherever there is space. Publications and Printed Material Publications and printed material include sales flyers, brochures, newsletters, annual report, and magazines. Often this material is developed in both print and electronic versions to make distribution of the material easier. Consider the audience for the material and keep the tone and vocabulary appropriate for the audience. For example, an audience of doctors needs higher level vocabulary than a typical consumer audience. In creating publications and printed material, PR professionals should refer back to the strategy that will be usedpush, pull, or pass. Will the material be pushed to consumers as a monthly newsletter or will trade partners come to a website to pull the material as needed? Is it necessary to target other groups and use a pass strategy? Tactics Chapter 7 Event Marketing We covered sponsorships in the sales promotion chapter. Event marketing is related to sponsorships because both offer an organization an opportunity to build brand awareness. Sponsorships allow an organization to connect with an event through differing levels of financial commitment and there are often many sponsors for a particular event. Event marketing is typically built around a themed activity, display, or event such as a product launch and often has only one company marketing the event. The idea behind using event marketing is to generate traffic and interest about a product, service, or brand. Public relations tools can be applied to both sponsorships and event marketing. When evaluating event marketing or sponsorships make sure the event supports the overall mission, vision, and objectives for the company or organization. Make sure the event fits seamlessly into the marketing campaign as well as the IMC campaign. Finally, make sure the event reaches the target market or target audience. The costs for event marketing are high and expenses must be justified. This justification usually occurs with a comparison of the cost to the penetration ability of the event on the targeted market. Red Bull Stratos Space Jump On October 14, 2012, Felix Baumgartner ascended to 128,100 feet in a stratospheric balloon and made a freefall jump at 833 miles per hour. The jump broke the record for the highest freefall. The sponsor of the mission was Red Bull. This video shows a sample of the news coverage the event garnered: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Z7M4bPfHk The event is chronicled on the Red Bull Stratos website at http://www.redbullstratos.com/ where Red Bull Stratos event merchandise can be purchased. Posters or Calendars Posters and calendars are popular tactics used to communicate with stakeholders (both internally and externally). Many types of information can be placed on posters and calendars and given to customers. Calendars provide a great source of exposure over a long period (12-14 months). Local or regional marketers and companies use calendars to keep the company name in front of their current and potential users. Posters have limited life in that they are tied into event marketing. They are typically placed in strategic locations for an event or activity being undertaken by an organization. Posters that communicate with internal stakeholders can be used for job postings, new health warnings, etc., but should feature the company or organizational information such as the business name, logo, and contact information. PRNewsFoto/California Milk Advisory Board Calendars, such as this one distributed by the California Milk Advisory Board, keep an organization's name in front of the user. This calendar provides the user with dairy baking tips. Tactics Chapter 7 Exhibits and Public Tours Exhibits and public tours of facilities are a common way to communicate with external and internal stakeholders. A great example of this tactic is Hershey's Chocolate World located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Hershey received numerous requests for tours of its facilities, but wanted to keep aspects of the manufacturing processes secret. At the same time, Hershey wanted to give consumers a feel of what it is like to create chocolate and chocolate bars. Hershey considered giving guided tours of the facilities; however, this was not possible due to security and safety concerns. Hershey needed another option. The company came up with a simulated factory experience. Hershey developed Chocolate World, which allows consumers to take a ride, at no cost, on an attraction developed to show how chocolate is made, and how chocolate is converted to candy bars. At the end of the ride consumers find themselves at the Hershey factory store where thousands of Hershey branded products, as well as additional food service items are sold. The exhibit has made Hershey, Pennsylvania, a major tourist destination and it supports local economic development as well as Hershey's corporate Larry French/Invision for Hershey/AP Images Hershey's Chocolate World is a simulated factory experience. growth, mission, and vision. Electronic Media and Website Content Electronic media are also useful when developing PR and creating publicity. In addition to the electronic information that is included in electronic media press kits, some alternative online media are becoming extremely popular because they are able to draw public attention outside of the traditional media channels. The popularity of streaming videos, podcasts, and online product demonstrations and testimonials has made this tactic effective. It can deliver millions of potential or current users from all over the world. With free videostreaming websites and video sites such as YouTube, companies and organizations can go directly to consumers to start a grassroots buzz about an event, new product launch, or brand. This is an effective, relatively low-cost method of spreading the word about products, services, and brand offerings. AP Photo/Twitter This is an example of a corporate blog from Twitter. During the last decade, blogs have become popular tools to disseminate publications and materials. A blog is a website that is regularly updated by an individual or group and contains opinions and information Tactics Chapter 7 about a topic. Corporations have created corporate blogs that focus on PR activities and events within a company or organization. Corporate public relations offices are beginning to embrace the power of blogs and are including them as part of the overall communications efforts. Keep in mind that there are other blogs in existence that have been created for other purposes such as personal blogs, industry specific blogs (often embraced by trade associations), and publication-sponsored blogs that have ties to traditional media. Miscellaneous Tactics The tactics discussed above are the major executions used by PR professionals. However, many more tactics can be used to reach the targeted audience. When deciding to use any tactic, make sure the cost/benefit is understood and that the tactic is in line with the other marketing communication objectives. Additional tools used by PR professionals and IMC planners include the following. Case studies: illustrate how a company has helped others Creation brand ambassadors: people who have a strong belief in the brand and spread the word effectively Writing by-lined articles and op-ed pieces: published articles give the company credibility Public speaking: helps to establish executive credibility and expertise White papers: presents a company's position on an issue Video sharing: allows others to share videos of the company and brand A book authored by a company executive: provides clout and respect Podcasting: low-cost method of communicating that can be downloaded and viewed Press conferences: effective way to communicate time-sensitive information The key is to make sure that the public relations and publicity attempts are integrated into the overall IMC plan and campaign. The IMC planner and PR specialist must draft examples of each approach. These examples should be included in the public relations/publicity portion of the IMC plan as well as integrated into the entire IMC campaign. For example, if planning to use publicity in the form of a press release, create a draft press release with the targeted media outlets or an example of a feature article about the event to illustrate how the message will be communicated to the various trade audiences. The most important information for your audience should be included in the draft or example. The targeted audience needs to know why and how the new actions will benefit them. Information and communications should not include superfluous information or too much information, which will confuse the audience. Identify individuals or resources that will be involved in the execution as well as any associated costs. Learning Check Reflect on your learning by answering the following questions: 1. What are the most effective tactics when launching a new product? Why? 2. In what ways can the use of PR tactics backfire? Rationale, Evaluation, and Control Chapter 7 7.5 Rationale, Evaluation, and Control As with all tactics in the IMC plan, there must be a rationale behind the strategies and tactics chosen in the PR plan. Evaluation and control are important to determine the role played by PR in the success of a campaign. Rationale All strategic initiatives and tactical executions must have rationale or reasoning behind them as support. In developing the PR and publicity plan, a flowchart is an excellent tool to use. The flowchart should include who will be reached (the audience), why they are being communicated to, when the plan will be launched, how the plan will be executed, and where the plan will be executed. Additionally, the flowchart will allow the PR planner to see the interactions with other IMC variable executions. It is a good idea to provide a timeline for the PR campaign. The timeline must be coordinated with the timing of other IMC executions and is a powerful tool in convincing decision makers of the need for the executions and activities. The rationale should show why the costs estimated for the tactics and proposed timeline are justified. A return-on-public relations investment would also help. If the costs aren't justified or the timeline is too long (or short), consider modifying the tactical executions to continue working toward the listed objective(s). Evaluation and Control In all areas involved with IMC, there must be evaluation criteria developed so managers can track the progress of their campaigns. Without any indication of effectiveness, managers will not know if their attempts are successful, where the problems lie, or when or if the strategies and tactics should be used again. In other words, evaluation of the plan must be undertaken to make sure the plan is on target and successful. The evaluation should naturally flow from the SMART objectives. Both short-term and long-term evaluation procedures need to be developed and placed in the plan. Expectations from people involved in the campaign must be clearly stated so that everyone knows their duties and responsibilities, allowing the manager to see which employees are performing well and which tactics and strategies are working the best. Depending on the goals, objectives, and target market, the planner may use either trade or consumer public relations, but may use both. If both types of PR are used, they must be brought together and integrated throughout the campaign, both in the PR area and in the overall IMC plan. There are many companies that specialize in evaluating PR efforts such as Vocus (www.vocus.com/advanced-pr/measure/), Google Analytics (www.google.com/analytics/), and Cision (http://us.cision.com/). Cision PR Management Software This video shows how software can help small business owners with their PR evaluation efforts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dZkbiN9Gik The Pyramid Model of PR Research Although evaluation of PR efforts is often difficult, it should be undertaken to determine whether objectives have been accomplished. Prominent PR researcher, Jim Macnamara (2005), developed the pyramid model of PR research depicted in Figure 7.1. The model should be read from the Rationale, Evaluation, and Control Chapter 7 bottom up. The base represents the beginning of the PR process. The top is the desired outcome of PR activities (attitudinal or behavioral change). As the figure shows, at the beginning of the process there is a lot of information to gather to fully understand the audience. Once this is done, the choice of medium, content, and format of the message is made. Although not depicted in the model, this is also when objectives are developed. Once these choices are made, the effectiveness of the tactics used are measured and evaluated. There are many options to measure effectiveness such as interviews, focus groups, media clippings, and counting attendance at events. Finally, the outcomes are measured in terms of attitudinal and behavioral change in the target population. Figure 7.1 The pyramid model of public relations research Applicable Methodologies: Outcomes (Functional & organizational evaluation) Number who. . . . . . . change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quantitative surveys (large scale structured) behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sales; Voting results; Adoption rates; Observation Number who . . . . . . change attitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Focus groups; Surveys (targeted) (e.g. Customer, Employee or Shareholder Satisfaction); Reputation studies Out-takes (Proposed as a 4th stage of communication in some models) Number who understand messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Focus groups; Interviews; Complaint decline; Experiments Number who retain messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interviews; Focus groups; Mini-surveys; Experiments Number who consider messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Response mechanisms (1800, coupons), Inquiries Number & type of messages reaching target audience . . . . . . . . . Media Content Analysis; Communication Audits Outputs (Process & program evaluation) Number of messages in the media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Media Monitoring (clippings, tapes, transcripts) Number who received messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Circulations; Event attendances; Web visits & downloads Number of messages sent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Distribution statistics; Web pages posted Quality of message presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Expert analysis; Peer review; Feedback; Awards Inputs (Formative research) Appropriateness of message content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feedback; Readability tests (e.g. Fog, Flesch); Pre-testing Appropriateness of the medium selected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Case studies; Feedback; Interviews; Pre-testing (e.g. PDFs) How does target audience prefer to receive information? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Academic papers; Feedback; Interviews; Focus groups What does target audience know, think, feel? What do they need/want? . . . . . . . . Observations; Secondary data; Advisory groups; Chat rooms & online forums; Databases (e.g. Customer complaints) What is measured: (key stages & steps to communication) Source: From Macnamara, J. (2005). How to measure public relations and corporate communications. http://amecorg.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/PR-Metrics-Paper. pdf. Copyright 2005 Jim R. Macnamara. Reprinted by permission of the author. f07.01_OMM651.ai Learning Check Reflect on your learning by answering the following questions: 1. Why should rationale be included in a PR plan? 2. Does the pyramid model accurately reflect the PR process? Why or why not? 3. What are ways to evaluate PR effectiveness? Post-Test Chapter 7 Summary and Resources In this chapter we started by looking at the functions of public relations and publicity in an IMC plan. We discovered that PR and publicity are ancillary communications tactics to advertising and other IMC variables. We found that public relations build brands while advertising sustains them. In addition to the discussion of the role of PR and publicity, we also differentiated the two areas. Public relations has the specific role of supporting or enhancing public perception of an organization's image (or a brand's image). PR efforts need to support other communications plans, but must be integrated into the overall IMC plan. Publicity is a subfunction of public relations with the goal of spreading positive news about a company, organization, brand, or activity. Both PR and publicity are used together. As the chapter progressed we found that there are two major types of public relations: trade and consumer. The type of PR used by an organization or company depends on its type of business. In a B2B situation, trade PR is used heavily with some light consumer PR. For companies involved in B2C marketing, consumer public relations is used heavily, with some light PR aimed toward the trade or industry. Public relations has many functions which were discussed in detail within the chapter. Some of the major functions include reputation management, lobbying, special events development and management, speech writing, and publishing. The remainder of the chapter focused on the development of tactical executions that are used