Marketing Communications

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Marketing Communications
Public Relations

FACTORS FAVOURING THE SELECTION OF CONSULTANT

1. The cost bears a direct relationship to the work commissioned and the budget can be varied
   easily annually.


2. The executives engaged on the account have worked on other types of public relations for
   other clients and can use their wide experience to service of each client.


3. The principals of the consultancy are independent and can give unbiased and impartial advice.


4. If the results are unsatisfactory, it is an easy matter to terminate the contract by giving due
   notice to the consultant.

DISADVANTAGES OF CONSULTANCY SERVICE

1. An outside firm may have little practical knowledge of the organization’s policy or daily
   activities and will require detailed briefing at the outset and at every new development.


2. There may be a lack of continuity in operations, for, the personnel in consultancy firms is
   likely to change more frequently than staff employed by the organization.


3. Queries from the press which are of any complexity will usually have to be referred to
   someone at the headquarters of the organization and this hinders the provision of a speedy
   service to the press.

IN-HOUSE PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT

Organizations that appreciate and value the functions of public relations may sometimes consider setting
up an in-house public relations department or take counsel from a public relations consultant. The
desirability of establishing a public relations department or relying on the services of outside consultants
will obviously depend on the size of the organization and the nature of the public relations activities
it is proposed to undertake. An experienced public relations consultant is well qualified to advise an
organization on the pros and cons of the adoption of a campaign or public relations programme, or to
investigate and report on the effectiveness of existing activities in this field.

Large organizations take recommendations from the public relations consultant and use an in-house
public relations department to implement the programme, while a smaller organization may use the
services of smaller public relations consultants available in their environment.