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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
17. Public Relations,
Publicity, and Corporate
Advertising
engaged in—for example, reducing air pollution, cleaning up water supplies, or, as
shown in Exhibit 17-5, protecting turtles. (As you can see, the community can be
defined very broadly.) Demonstrating to people that the organization is a good citizen
with their welfare in mind may also be a reason for communicating to these groups.
Suppliers and Customers An organization wishes to maintain goodwill with its
suppliers as well as its consuming public. If consumers think a company is not socially
conscious, they may take their loyalties elsewhere. Suppliers may be inclined to do
the same.
Sometimes sponsoring a public relations effort results in direct evidence of success.
For example, the “Just say no” to drugs campaign was a boon to companies manufacturing
drug testing kits, hospitals offering drug rehabilitation programs, and TV news
programs’ ratings. 16 Indirect indications of the success of PR efforts may include more
customer loyalty, less antagonism, or greater cooperation between the firm and its suppliers
or consumers.
Sometimes a public relations effort is targeted to more than one group. For example,
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE), the public utility company for the San Diego
area, has suffered from extreme negative attitudes among its customers due to its high
rates. This problem was aggravated when a series of management blunders resulted in
even higher rates and SDGE announced plans to build a nuclear plant in one of the
lagoons near the ocean, resulting in protests from consumers and environmentalists.
Stockholders and potential investors lacked trust, and employee morale was low.
(Company cars with the SDGE logo on the doors were vandalized, and drivers were
threatened to the point where the identifying logos had to be removed.)
The public relations plan developed to deal with these problems targeted a variety
of publics and employed a number of channels. TV spots showed consumers how to
save energy, print ads explained the reasons for the energy purchases made by management,
and PR programs were developed to foster more community interaction.
These programs have led to much more favorable attitudes among all the publics targeted.
(At least employees can put the SDGE logo back on their cars.)
Relevant audiences may also include people not directly involved with the firm.
The press, educators, civic and business groups, governments, and the financial community
can be external audiences.
The Media Perhaps one of the most critical external publics is the media, which
determine what you will read in your newspapers or see on TV, and how this news will
be presented. Because of the media’s power, they should be informed of the firm’s
actions. Companies issue press releases and communicate through conferences, interviews,
and special events. The media are generally receptive to such information as
long as it is handled professionally; reporters are always interested in good stories.
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
Exhibit 17-5 Chevron
demonstrates concern for
the public
571
Chapter Seventeen Public Relations, Publicity, and Corporate Advertising