Public Relations Summary Notes:

IMC is strategically controlling or influencing all messages

To do this, it requires Strategic Planning.

Creating and nourishing stakeholder relationships and profitable customer relationships to contribute to
long term profit, including both consumers and others with links to the brand. For example:
Government regulatory agencies and investors).

Strategically controlling or influencing all messages means that every contact with the market must be
consistent, and encouraging purposeful dialogue implies that people want the ability to interact with a
company.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Where Public Relations fits is not an easy question to answer.

Many would argue for example, that ‘publicity’ is only one part of PR. Is the advice a PR agency
provides to corporate management ‘publicity’, or the speeches they write for a CFO/CMO to give the
financial community? What about help with employee relations, or lobbying activities.

Public Relations practitioners are concerned with enhancing the image and reputation of an
organization.

The Institute of Public Relations defines P”R as ‘the planned and sustained effort to establish and
maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics.

PR plays an important part in the marketing communication mix, and the messages it delivers to various
‘public’ must be consistent with the message delivered by more traditional marketing communication.

Advantages:

• Much less expensive because there are no direct media costs involved.
• PR activity can be directed to very specific target groups and reach highly segmented publics
effectively.
• They avoid the ‘clutter’ associated mass media
• They are not seen as ‘advertising
• PR messages are likely to be seen as more credible.
• Highly connected to the industry – Broadcast, Government, Stakeholders, and various highly
respected professionals.
• PR activity can be directed to specific Target Groups.

Disadvantage

• There is sometimes no guarantee the message will gain the desired exposure.
• PR is not seen as ‘advertising’ the target audience may not make the desired link between the
message and the brand or company.