Core Concepts of Marketing

SALESPROMOTIONANDPUBLICRELATIONS 211

ingthaninthefactthatthefirmhasjustopeneda newbranchinPhoenix.Thefirmmust

thinkofwhatintereststheexternalpublicandnotwhatintereststhefirm.Withemployees

andotherinternalpublics,thereisa fairchancethatall interestsmaycoincidebecauseall

areconnectedwiththesameorganization;withanexternalaudience, theassumptionshould

bethatthechanceofsuchaccidentalcoincidenceof interestis slight.

PublicRelationsTechniques

Thepublicrelationsprocessisquitecomplexandinvolvesa widevarietyoftechniques.

Public relations is differentthananyothertypeofpromotion, becausea greatdealofthe

communicationprovidedbya PRpersonmustbescreenedandreprocessedthrougha third

partythatis notemployedbythecompany. Therefore,ifI wishedforthelocalnewspaper

andtelevisionstationtocarrya storydetailingthegrandopeningofmynewstore,I have

noguaranteethateitherwillsendrepresentativestocoverthestoreopeningorthatthey

willcoverit thewayI wouldhaveliked.Evenif I weretowritethestorymyselfandsend

it tothenewspaper, includingappropriatephotographs, theeditormightchoosenottoprint

it orto modifyit.ThefactthatPRis characterizedbya lowlevelofcontrolnecessitates

thatPRpeopleestablisha positiverelationshipwiththe variousmedia. Withoutfirstaccom-

plishingthisgoal,thetoolsemployedbythePRpersonareusuallydoomedtofailure.Var-

ious publicrelationstechniquesaredescribedinTable8.5.

PersonalSellingandthe

MarketingCommunicationMix

Fewcompaniescoordinatemarketingcommunicationeffortsinsupportofthesalesforce.

Salespeopleareoftenseparatedfrommarketingcommunicationsspecialists becauseofboth

thestructureofthebusiness anddifferenceinperspective. Mostsalespeopleviewothermar-

ketingcommunicationactivitiesstrictlyasa meanstohelpsella productorcompany.Adver-

tisers,salespromotionmanagers, andpublic relationsexpertsrarelyconsidertheneedsand

suggestionsofsalespeople,andsalespeopleseldompayattentiontoinformationabouta

marketingcommunicationcampaign.

TABLE8.5 PublicRelationsTechniques

TECHNIQUE DESCRIPTION

Newsrelease(pressrelease)
Pressconference

Deliveringbadnews
Publicityphotographs
Companypublications

Openhouses/tours
Meetings

Organizedsocialactivities
Participation
Motionpictures/slides

Apreparedstatementsenttovariousmedia.

Meetingattendedbymediarepresentativesforthepurposeofmaking

announcementsoransweringquestions.

Systemthatanticipatesandhandlesnegativeevents.

Apreparedphotosenttovariousmedia.

Magazines,newspapers,andnewslettersproducedbythecompany,depicting

specific stories.

Providingvariouspublics'accesstoplantfacilities.

Plannedmeetingprovidedforvariouspublics,especiallyemployeesand

stockholders.

Company-sponsoredsocialactivitiesdirectedatemployees,e.g.,teamsandpicnics.

Company-encouragedinvolvementincommunityactivities,e.g., clubs,charities.

Professionallyproducedfi lmsandslidesaboutsomeaspectofthecompany,

providedtovariouspublics.