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Part Five Developing the Integrated Marketing Communications Program
Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
Exhibit 15-12 Chrysler
provides public relations
information on its site
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
15. The Internet and
Interactive Media
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
as were press kits and a calendar of upcoming events (Exhibit 15-12). The objective of
the site was to improve relations with the press, and Chrysler was quite effective in
doing so. In addition, Chrysler’s newsroom contains many of the articles written about
the corporation, including awards won and philanthropic efforts such as its $10 million
support for children of the victims of the September 11 terrorist attack.
Other examples of effective use of public relations activities on the Internet are also
available, as you will see in the chapter on public relations. The Web is a useful
medium for conducting public relations activities, and its use for this function is on the
increase.
At the same time, many philanthropic and nonprofit organizations have found the
Internet to be a useful way to generate funds. Several sites have developed to perform
the functions that are required in traditional fund-raising programs. For example, Ben
and Jerry’s uses its website to express concerns about dioxin and forced child labor as
well as its support for the Red Cross and other charities. Other sites have been formed
to handle public relations activities for charitable organizations, provide information
regarding the causes the charity supports, collect contributions, and so on. In an example
of integrating the Internet with public relations and television, Youth AIDS has initiated
a Public Service campaign featuring artists like Alicia Keyes, Destiny’s Child,
and others to direct 15- to 24-year-olds to its website www.youthAIDS.org to learn
more about the disease and contribute to the cause.
Direct Marketing on the Internet
Our discussion of direct marketing and the Internet will approach the topic from two
perspectives: the use of direct-marketing tools for communications objectives (as
discussed in Chapter 14), and e-commerce. As we stated previously, many directmarketing
tools like direct mail, infomercials, and the like, have been adapted to the
Internet, as you will see. At the same time, e-commerce—selling directly to the consumer
via the Internet—has become an industry of its own.
Direct Mail Direct mail on the Internet (e-mail) is essentially an electronic version
of regular mail. Like regular mail it is highly targeted, relies heavily on lists, and
attempts to reach consumers with specific needs through targeted messages. As we
discussed earlier under personalization, consumers can opt to have specific types of email
sent to them and other types not sent. For example, if you permit, The New York
Times will e-mail you information about specific promotions, articles that will appear,
books on sale, and other items that you might purchase from it.
Sometimes users may also receive less targeted and unwanted e-mails. The electronic
equivalent of junk mail, these messages are referred to as SPAM. (One e-mailfiltering
company estimates that as many as 25 percent of all e-mails are SPAM.) 15
U.S. companies spent $927 million on e-mail ads in 2001, up 87 percent from