Selecciones - Webs

Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
only useful for promoting mature brands, citing
their own examples of successful brand introductions
supported heavily by advertising. Many
advertising and PR people feel that it is hard to
control the message disseminated through PR
channels. Heinz’s introduction of green ketchup in
an EZ Squirt bottle is one such example. While
Heinz got $10 million worth of free publicity—
three times what was to be spent on advertising—
the publicity hijacked the marketing plan when
word of the launch leaked out two months before
Heinz was ready. Heinz’s marketing plan called for
the emphasis to be placed on the bottle design,
while the publicity focused on the green color of
the ketchup. While it all ended up okay, Heinz marketing
managers admit they were lucky that the
green color didn’t turn kids off.
So will public relations replace advertising as the
mainstay of the communications budget? Not
likely, say Jack Neff and others writing in Advertis-
Public Relations
564
17. Public Relations,
Publicity, and Corporate
Advertising
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
ing Age. They note that even with major declines
in 2001, advertising spending dwarfed that of PR—
$31.74 billion to $4.31 billion—and that PR spending
actually declined more than did advertising
spending. Rance Crain, also of Advertising Age,
sees advertising and PR working together as a
“one-two” punch, with PR as the relationship
builder. Crain notes that “integration seems to be
the way of the future,” arguing that “whatever
the disciplines used, they all must work together to
give a unified message to the consumer.” While
opinions differ, no one seems to be saying that
public relations should return to its traditional
function. Wonder what those PR people who told
marketers to stay away are thinking?
Sources: Rance Crain, “Marketers Look at New Ideas, and PR
Becomes the ‘Closer,’” Advertising Age, July 29, 2002, p. 15;
Jack Neff, Cara Dipasqule, and Jean Halliday, “Ries’ Thesis: Ads
Don’t Build Brands, PR Does,” Advertising Age, July 15, 2002, p.
14; Jack Neff, “Will PR Kill Advertising?” advertisingage.com,
July 16, 2002, pp. 1–6.
Regardless of which side you take in the advertising–public relations argument, one
thing is clear—the role of public relations in the communications program has
changed. While some people may disagree as to the importance and/or power of this
program element, few, if any, would contend that it is business as usual.
Publicity, public relations, and corporate advertising all have promotional program
elements that may be of great benefit to marketers. They are integral parts of the overall
promotional effort that must be managed and coordinated with the other elements
of the promotional mix. However, these three tools do not always have the specific
objectives of product and service promotion, nor do they always involve the same
methods you have become accustomed to as you have read this text. Typically, these
activities are designed more to change attitudes toward an organization or issue than to
promote specific products or affect behaviors directly (though you will see that this
role is changing in some organizations). This chapter explores the roles of public relations,
publicity, and corporate advertising, the advantages and disadvantages of each,
and the process by which they are employed. Examples of such efforts—both successful
and unsuccessful—are also included.
What is public relations? How does it differ from other elements of marketing
discussed thus far? Perhaps a good starting point is to define what the term public
relations has traditionally meant and then to introduce its new role.
The Traditional Definition of PR
A variety of books define public relations, but perhaps the most comprehensive definition
is that offered by the Public Relations News (the weekly newsletter of the
industry):
the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures
of an organization with the public interest, and executes a program of action (and communication)
to earn public understanding and acceptance. 1