PR v Advertising
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Transcript of PR v Advertising
PR v Advertising
What is PR?
• Communication with stakeholders/publics
• Varying schools of thought
• Solely media relations
• Encompasses internal communications
• Depends on organisational structure
• Reality – messages can overlap
• Internal issues can be newsworthy
• External messages may have relevance to an internal audience
• Consider your target audience and the message you want to convey
What is Advertising?
• Bought or paid for media space
• Print media• Broadcast media
(TV/Radio/Internet)• Outdoor advertising
(Billboards, bus backs/adshels)
Channels• Leaflets/Posters• Direct mail• Advertorials• Promotions or
Competitions• Merchandise • Branding –
vehicles/uniforms• Packaging
Quirky Take On Advertising
Pros & Cons Of Advertising
Benefits• You get exactly what you pay
for
• You have complete control over the message delivered
• It can help to build brand identity
• Allows promotional measures to be built in to evaluate effectiveness
Disadvantages• Research proves people don’t
necessarily read adverts
• Location of advert is linked to its effectiveness
• To implement an effective campaign can be very expensive
• Repeated exposure required to reinforce message
When To Use Public Relations
• Timely• Relevant • Unique/Unusual• Tragedy/Trauma• Human Interest
• Consider items that have been making the news in the last week?
• Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand saga
• Homecoming parade and demonstration in Belfast
• Halloween related stories
• Feature articles – linked to James Bond
Pros & Cons of Public Relations
Benefits• Coverage may be result in a
third party endorsement
• More likelihood of people reading articles
• Can increase understanding of issues which you couldn’t achieve with advertising
• Can present the human face of an organisation
Disadvantages• Coverage is not guaranteed
• Sales not guaranteed as a result of activity
• Difficult to evaluate effectiveness
• Information may not appear as you wish
• If interview arranged you can’t proof article before it is printed
Working With A Limited Budget• Review current practices and
spend
• Be clear about who you wish to target
• Keep focused when reviewing advertising and public relations options
• Look at what competitors doing • Take note of things that make
you look a second time – could you use a similar mechanism to your advantage
• Cost various alternatives
• For e.g.: Billboard site in excess of £200 for 2 week cycle
• Cost of printing 48 sheet poster is additional
• Need a designer to prepare visual
• Whereas cost of designing graphics and branding of a car £170 – you have a mobile advertisement
Working With A Limited Budget• Build a database of useful
contacts
• Take details of feature correspondents and sports journalists
• Picture desks can operate independently to news desk
• Could you use media teasers to stimulate interest in your product or brand
• More expensive than e-mail invite but more memorable
• Open Days – invite media to sample activity for free
• Are there other events that could provide photographs – course completions etc.
• Are you an authority in your area – media outlets seek comment on news stories.
• Digital camera – can take high quality pictures. If local photographers don’t turn up at least have record of event.
Develop A Calendar Of ActivityAre there ways to link activities of key calendar events?
• January – New Year – Resolutions – Get Fit/Healthy
• February – Valentines Day – stories people finding love through hobbies
• March/April – St. Patrick’s Day/April Fool’s Day/Easter
• June/July/August – Summer holidays/features on activity breaks
• September/October – Halloween, mid-term break
• November/December – Christmas
• Known celebrations – 1st/5th/10th birthday, business awards/Investors In People/new employees
Advocate of PR
“Using yourself to get out and talk about it is a lot cheaper and more effective than a lot of advertising. In fact, if you do it
correctly, it can beat advertising hands down and save tens of millions of dollars.”
Richard Branson
Thank-you for listening !