Marketing Communications

318 CHAPTER 10 PUBLIC RELATIONS

Introduction

Traditionally, public relations (PR) is an activity which in most companies has been structurally

separated from marketing communications. It originated in the function of ‘press agent’, the

main activity of whom was to bridge the gap between the company’s point of view and media

coverage of the company’s activities. Gradually, press agents became a vital part of the company’s

communications eff orts targeted at various publics or stakeholders, and the activity of ‘press

relations’ evolved into the ‘public relations’ function. Staying in touch and creating goodwill with

all types of audiences has become an extremely sophisticated and complex task. Th is is illustrated

by the fact that in most companies the PR function directly reports to the chief executive offi cer

(CEO). However, not only do the type and number of target groups of PR exceed marketing

communications target groups, but also the nature of the objectives is quite specifi c, as well

as the tools and instruments used, although some of the latter are similar to those used in

marketing communications. All in all, it is fair to say that PR is more complex than marketing

communications, due to the variety of objectives and target groups it has to take into account.

PR also plays a vital role in integrating the company’s communications eff orts (see also

Chapter 1 ). Integrated communications at the corporate level imply the creation of synergies

between all communications tools, especially marketing communications and corporate

communications. PR is a very important component of the latter.

Public relations as a communications tool

Th ere are diff erent defi nitions of public relations, which all stress one or more important

aspects of this communications tool. Essentially, PR is a communications tool that is used

to promote goodwill towards the fi rm as a whole.^1 It is the projection of the personality of

the company, the management of reputation.^2 PR is the planned and sustained eff ort to

establish and maintain good relationships, mutual understanding, sympathy and goodwill

with publics , audiences or stake holders.^3 It is those eff orts that identify and close the gap

between how the organisation is seen by its key publics and how it would like to be seen.^4

Publicity is the term used to describe the free media coverage of news about the company or

its products, oft en as a result of PR eff orts.

Publics are, besides customers and potential customers, groups of people that the company is

not directly trying to sell products to (that is why these groups are sometimes called secondary

target groups), but that are perceived as infl uencing opinions about the company. As such,

publics can be considered as a component of the external company environment. Th e relations

with these publics should be positive because they can be vital to the company’s survival and

success. Essential in most defi nitions of PR is that it is a two-way form of communication: the

company learns from its publics and conveys information to them. Furthermore, like any

other communications activity, PR should be a planned eff ort. It is also a major component

of a successful integrated communications activity, since it covers a range of activities that can

be linked to other elements of the communications mix,^5 such as the following:

z Creation and maintenance of corporate identity and image, by communicating the

company’s philosophy and mission through corporate advertising, open days, etc.

z Improving the company’s standing as a good corporate citizen, by means of activities such

as arts and sports sponsorship or community programmes.

z Maintaining good relations with the media, both for disseminating good news and in

times of crisis.

z Attendance at trade exhibitions and the organisation of contacts with suppliers and

intermediaries.

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