Mass promotion tool is Public relations- building good relations with the company’s various publics by obtaining favorable publicity, building up a good “corporate image” and handling or heading off unfavorable rumors, stories and events. Public relations is a much broader concept that includes publicity as well as many other activities. PR departments use many different tools such as Press relations, Product publicity, Corporate communication, Lobbying and Counseling. PR is used to promote products, people, places, ideas, activities, organization and even nations. PR department is usually located at corporate headquarters. Its staff is so busy dealing with various publics- stockholder, employees, legislators, city officials- that PR programs to support product marketing objectives may be ignored.
Major
Public Relations Tools: PR
professionals use several tools. One
of the major tools is news. Speeches can also create product and company
publicity. Another common tool is special events. Ranging from news
conferences, press tours, grand openings and fireworks displays to laser shows,
hot-air balloon releases. Multimedia presentations and star studied
spectaculars that will reach and interest target publics.
PR also prepare written materials to reach
& influence their target markets. These materials include annual reports,
brochures, articles and company newsletters and magazines. Audiovisual
materials, such as films, slide-and sound programs and video and audio
cassettes are being used increasingly as communication tools. Corporate identity
materials also can help create a corporate identity that the public immediately
recognizes. Logos, stationery, brochures, signs, business forms, business
cards, building, uniforms and company cars and trucks all become marketing
tools when they are attractive, distinctive and memorable. Companies also can
improve public goodwill by contributing money and time to public service
activities e.g. Bangladesh Bank CSR activities, etc.
Major
Public Relations Decisions: Management
should set PR objectives, choose the PR messages and vehicles, implement the PR
plan and evaluate the results.
Setting Public Relations Objectives: To develop a program to support two major
marketing objectives-
1) improve the image of the company and
2) Increasing the market share of the company.
Choosing Public Relations Message and Vehicles: Uses product more public recognitions. May relate Sponsor newsworthy events. Organization creates news- academic conventions, inviting well known speakers, holding news conferences for many different audiences.Implementing Public Relations Plan: PR
professionals are often former journalists who know many media editors and know
what they want
Evaluating Public Relations Results: Public relations results are difficult to
measure because PR is used with other promotion tools and its impact is often
indirect. If PR is used before other tools
come into play, its contribution is easier to evaluate. The easiest
measure of publicity effectiveness is the number of exposures in the media.