Public relations and sponsorship

Public relations defined

The deliberate, planned and sustained effort to institute and

maintain mutual understanding between an organisation
and its publics.

Institute of Public Relations (IPR)

 Publics defined

Figure 19.1
 PR - marketing and corporate

Marketing PR:
• Long-term strategic image building, developing
credibility, raising the organisation’s profile, and
enhancing other marketing activities.

Corporate PR:
• Long-term relationship building strategy with various
publics.
• Short-term tactical response to an unforeseen crisis.
 PR techniques

Figure 19.2
 Publicity versus advertising
Advantages of publicity over advertising:
• Credibility - advertising is paid for whilst publicity is seen
as free.
• Reach - PR can achieve an incredible level of reach.
• Excitement - Publicity is about news and can generate
its own excitement.

Disadvantage of publicity over advertising:

• Uncontrollability - publicity is in the hands of the media.
 External communication used for PR

• Advertising.
• Publications.
• Lobbying.
 Internal communication used for PR

• House journals and newsletters.

• Briefings.
 Evaluating public relations

Figure 19.3
 Corporate reputation

Concerned with how people feel about a company based in

whatever information (or misinformation) they have on
company activities, workplace, past performances and
future prospects.

Fombrun, 2000
 Perceived corporate reputation:
stakeholders’

Figure 19.4
Source: based on ‘the value to be found in Corporate Reputation’ Financial Times 4th Dec., Fombrun (2000).
 Five principles to corporate reputation management
(Fombrun, 2000)

• Distinctiveness.
• Focus.
• Consistency.
• Identity.
• Transparency.
 Corporate identity

• The way an organisation chooses to present itself.

• Reflects the character and philosophy of the

organisation.

• Emphasises those characteristics that are positive.

 Changing corporate identity

Figure 19.5
 The change process

Figure 19.6
 Reasons for failure

Figure 19.7
 Sponsorship

A business relationship between a provider of funds,

resources or services and an individual, event or
organisation which offers in return some rights and
association that may be used for commercial advantage.

BDS Sponsorship
 Types of sponsorship

• Sport.
• Broadcast.
• Arts.
• Cause related.
 Role of sponsorship

• To support the broader PR strategy.

• Provide a venue for meeting key customers/suppliers.
• Improve awareness and attitudes towards company or
individual brands.
• Support employee, government and company relations.
• Support wider marketing objectives.
• Capture imagination of publics.
 Factors influencing sponsorship choice

Figure 19.8
 Sponsorship evaluation methods

• Media exposure measurement.

• Assessing communication results.
• Measuring sale results.
• Feedback from particular groups.