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With today’s ever-changing media landscape, maintaining a positive image with the public is of utmost importance. This is where public relations become a valuable tool in the promotion mix. Public relations are about creating and maintaining a favorable public image. Unlike other tools in the promotion mix, public relations are not paid for; it is earned media. The result of public relations is called publicity.
IN CONTEXT
There are two sides to public relations. The first is considered the “fun” side, where marketers get to share stories of all the great things an organization is doing. This helps to promote the brand’s image in a positive, feel-good way. The other side of public relations is damage control. This is when something negative happens within an organization and marketers must perform crisis communication—that is, addressing issues that could negatively impact the reputation of a brand.
Consider in 2017, amid the height of Black Lives Matter protests, when PepsiCo aired a commercial featuring Kendall Jenner calming an angry crowd by simply handing a police officer a can of Pepsi. Activists slammed Pepsi for trivializing such an important issue. Originally, Pepsi released a statement supporting its advertisement, but public backlash soon changed that position and the company issued an apology, saying it had “missed the mark” with its intentions.
In many organizations, public relations have been an afterthought or a sidebar to marketing, something used only when a crisis has occurred. However, public relations are more important than ever as the public seeks brands that have values aligned with their own and are not hesitant to boycott those who do not. In fact, according to a 2017 survey, 86 percent of consumers say that authenticity is a key factor when deciding which companies and brands they will support.
EXAMPLE
In the past several years, the public has become more aware and vocal about the use of Photoshop in advertisements. In fact, many celebrities have spoken out about their own photos being Photoshopped in the media and the unauthenticity it translates to the public. Similarly, companies such as CVS, Dove, and Target have stopped—or limited—the use of model editing to challenge unrealistic beauty standards.In an age of information access and sharing, companies can no longer afford to hide behind their mistakes, nor can they afford to miss opportunities to boast about their good deeds. Marketers need to be keenly aware of how the organization’s image is portrayed publicly—to all interested parties. There are several tools that marketers should use to positively impact this image. While the goal of public relations and publicity is to promote positive images to the public, marketers must use public relations to minimize the impact of negative publicity as well.
IN CONTEXT
Consider CNN’s Blackfish, which aired in 2013. The documentary shed light on the consequences of keeping orcas in captivity, forcing them to perform for sightseers at sea parks. It takes a deep dive into the lives of these captive marine mammals and how sometimes such animals can be deadly, as was witnessed at SeaWorld in 2014. The negative publicity created by the documentary caused SeaWorld’s Park attendance and its market value to drop.
Press relations entails establishing and maintaining positive relationships with those in the media, such as newspapers and television. Press relations are controlled internally by the marketing team and often include the marketer sending press releases and other stories that help to maintain a positive image of the brand. Although press relations are controlled internally, it is up to the media whether the stories will be disseminated to the public.
EXAMPLE
Consider your local news station that covers a story of a local bakery raising money for charity. The bakery owner or marketer has most likely sent the news station a press release of the upcoming event. The local news station will decide if it will or will not cover the story in its newscast. The more positive relationships the bakery team has with the local news station, the more likely it is to receive media coverage.Another useful tool of public relations is public affairs—efforts to influence public policy, engage with public officials, and trade associations. Public affairs often align with noncorporate entities, such as nonprofits and government agencies. However, for-profit organizations are becoming more and more involved in public affairs. Organizational leaders and marketers often share their economic impact with legislators to help policymakers amend or set new policies. For example, when Walmart plans to open a new store, the executives often reach out to local legislators to explain the goodwill and positive impact on the local economy. They continue conversations with local politicians to show they are “good citizens” of the community and help to impact local (as well as state and federal) legislation.
Very similar to public affairs, lobbying involves the intention of influencing public policy and law. Lobbying is a way for companies to influence legislation in their favor. Lobbying is a large part of the political system in the United States, and many companies and industry associations contribute massive amounts of money to influence politicians. Lobbying has come under a lot of scrutiny over the years as companies continue to grow and have larger resources to influence laws and legislation in their favor as opposed to favoring the individual or the greater society.
EXAMPLE
In 2020, the National Association of Realtors was the top lobbying association in the United States, followed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the American Hospital Association. Together, these associations spent over $200 million lobbying to impact local, state, and federal legislation.Organizations are increasingly sponsoring or hosting special events to show support for various causes. Such events are also a way to showcase the company, products/services, and/or brands to the public. Often, companies use special events to show the public that their values and ideals are part of their business model.
EXAMPLE
Kroger has sponsored and volunteered for the Susan G. Komen Central Indiana Race for a Cure for many years. With one of its division offices located in Indianapolis, Indiana, the company has been covered by media for its involvement in the local chapter of the Breast Cancer Foundation. The events not only provide a much-needed community service but also generate positive publicity for the company.Social and digital media have become important tools for marketing managers, and the use of these platforms is advantageous in public relations as much as in advertising. The biggest advantages to using digital tools in public relations and publicity are that they can reach a larger audience in a short time, are inexpensive compared to other mediums, and allow for real-time communication.
IN CONTEXT
The San Francisco Batkid took social media by storm when the campaign was rolled out by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A boy fighting leukemia wished to be Batman, and the campaign went viral with the hashtag #SFBatman. People everywhere took time to volunteer and take part in the boy’s dream.
From a business perspective, the greatest advantage to public relations is that of cost; public relations are not a paid form of promotion. However, there are other advantages that accompany a well-thought-out public relations strategy.
IN CONTEXT
Increasing Brand Credibility: Because public relations are unpaid and come from an objective source—news media—they are perceived as much more credible than paid forms of advertising. In fact, it is the most credible and persuasive form of promotion. Most consumers value the opinions of news media and opinion leaders over that of a company’s best advertising.
Increasing Sales and Leads: Another advantage of public relations is that of sales and leads. Again, because public relations is considered a more credible source of information, various tools in public relations can help to increase sales and leads for the organization. Imagine you are attending an event that is raising money for the local animal shelter because you are a huge animal advocate. You see signs that an organization unfamiliar to you is the lead sponsor. While you may never have heard of this organization, let alone considered buying from this company in the past, the fact that it is helping to raise money for the local animal shelter sways your decision to do business with them. For example, let’s look at Campfire Treats, which makes dog treats. This company was one of the first in its industry to embrace the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) to ensure better treatment of chickens. The company has gained industry publicity and is becoming popular with pet owners who embrace more humane animal treatment.
Positive Brand Image: Because consumers are more likely to patronize organizations whose values align with their own, public relations has the distinct opportunity to provide a positive brand image to audiences. When organizations are authentic in their own values, they translate to increased loyalty and brand equity.
Cost-Effectiveness: As you have already learned, public relations are not a paid tool in the promotion mix. A good brand or company story can be picked up by several media outlets, exposing the promotion to a large audience. Consider the Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral in 2015. The challenge was first promoted by Pat Quinn and Pete Frates as a way for the public to better understand how Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS]) affects those with the disease. The challenge raised over $115 million worldwide for the disease and was an extremely cost-effective (and fun) way to raise funds when it went viral on social media.
While public relations is a cost-effective way to potentially reach a large audience, it does come with its own set of challenges, including no direct control, lack of guaranteed results, and difficulty in evaluating effectiveness.
IN CONTEXT
No Direct Control: Unlike other tools in the promotion mix, marketers have no direct control over public relations. In other words, the media controls how the organization is portrayed, when—or if—the coverage will appear, and where it will be placed. This is why press relations is such an integral part of the public relations strategy.
Lack of Guaranteed Results: Proficient marketers will spend time crafting the perfect press release, curating photographs, and getting just the right message to the media. They can even have excellent relationships with media personnel, but it is ultimately the decision of the media if it publishes a story. A story that is buried deep in a newspaper’s pages or a blur during a news program may not create the results marketers intended.
Difficulty of Evaluating Effectiveness: Public relations activities can be difficult to measure. A marketer can observe media mentions and stories, but the impact they have on the audience can be difficult to determine. Other tools in the promotion mix can be targeted to the audience of interest, but public relations are not. As such, marketers should consider paying keen attention to areas such as website traffic and social media mentions or shares to determine who is seeing the press and what they are saying about it.
Source: THIS TUTORIAL HAS BEEN ADAPTED FROM OPEN STAX’S PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING COURSE. ACCESS FOR FREE AT https://openstax.org/details/books/principles-marketing. LICENSE: CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION 4.0 INTERNATIONAL.
