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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
17. Public Relations,
Publicity, and Corporate
Advertising
Establishing a PR Plan
In a survey of 100 top and middle managers in the communications field, over 60 percent
said their PR programs involved little more than press releases, press kits for
trade shows, and new product announcements. 13 Further, these tools were not
designed into a formal public relations effort but rather were used only as needed. In
other words, no structured program was evident in well over half of the companies
surveyed! As we noted earlier, the public relations process is an ongoing one, requiring
formalized policies and procedures for dealing with problems and opportunities.
Just as you would not develop an advertising and/or promotions program without a
plan, you should not institute public relations efforts haphazardly. Moreover, the PR
plan needs to be integrated into the overall marketing communications program. Figure
17-2 provides some questions marketers should ask to determine whether their PR
plan is workable.
Cutlip, Center, and Broom suggest a four-step process for developing a public relations
plan: (1) define public relations problems; (2) plan and program; (3) take action
and communicate; and (4) evaluate the program. 14 The questions in Figure 17-2 and
the four-step planning process tie in with the promotional planning process stressed
throughout this text.
Developing and Executing the PR Program
Because of the broad role that public relations may be asked to play, the PR program
may need to extend beyond promotion. A broader definition of the target market, additional
communications objectives, and different messages and delivery systems may
be employed. Let us examine this process.
Determining Relevant Target Audiences The targets of public relations
efforts may vary, with different objectives for each. Some may be directly involved in
selling the product; others may affect the firm in a different way (e.g., they may be
aimed at stockholders or legislators). These audiences may be internal or external to
the firm.
Internal audiences may include the employees of the firm, stockholders and
investors, members of the local community, suppliers, and current customers. Why are
community members and customers of the firm considered internal rather than external?
According to John Marston, it’s because these groups are already connected with
the organization in some way and the firm normally communicates with them in the
ordinary routine of work. 15 External audiences are those people who are not closely
connected with the organization (e.g., the public at large).
1. Does the plan reflect a thorough understanding of the company’s business
situation?
2. Has the PR program made good use of research and background sources?
3. Does the plan include full analysis of recent editorial coverage?
4. Do the PR people fully understand the product’s strengths and weaknesses?
5. Does the PR program describe several cogent, relevant conclusions from the
research?
6. Are the program objectives specific and measurable?
7. Does the program clearly describe what the PR activity will be and how it will
benefit the company?
8. Does the program describe how its results will be measured?
9. Do the research, objectives, activities, and evaluations tie together?
10. Has the PR department communicated with marketing throughout the
development of the program?
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
Figure 17-2 Ten questions
for evaluating public
relations plans
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Chapter Seventeen Public Relations, Publicity, and Corporate Advertising