Public Relations, Influencer Marketing, and Corporate Advertising

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©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Introductory Scenario: Bring on the BuzzProcter & Gamble creates buzz for Charmin

• Enjoy the Go! Campaign• A dozen support agencies involved• Created on site “go teams” who greeted visitors but were also screened for social media skills• Celebrities get into the act • Sponsor a Broadway show and get news media involved—TV, newspaper, blogs

Public Relations

The marketing and management communications process to foster goodwill between a firm and its constituents:• Customers• Stockholders• Suppliers• Employees• Government entities• General public

A New Era for Public Relations?Firms are using PR in new and different ways to create visibility and image for a brand by getting people to “talk” about the brand.

BUT…• PR is NOT the tool for establishing brands in

the market. • PR lacks the strategic control needed to

establish a brand within the segment in the manner desired by a firm.

• It is true that corporate execs want more “action” and visibility from promotion. PR is now more prominent in many IBP campaigns as consumer tire of mass media advertising.

• Good PR can create a positive social “epidemic.”

The cellular phoneindustry has had to

combat the bad “PR” from distracted

driving incidents related to cell

phoneuse while driving.

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Public Relations and Damage Control

• Intel—Caused its own PR crisis by not responding to concerns about the performance of the Pentium chip.

• Taco Bell and the PR “curse” of social networking.

• Walmart in nearly constant damage control.

• But, companies need to learn to handle bad news.

Objectives of Public Relations

• Promote goodwill• Promote a product or service• Prepare internal communications• Counteract negative publicity• Lobby• Give advice and counsel

Tools of Public Relations

• Press releases• Feature stories• Company newsletters• Interviews and press

conferences• Sponsored events• Publicity

Public Relations Strategies

• Proactive PR strategyo Guided by marketing

objectiveso Publicize a company and its

brandso Take an offensive rather than

defensive posture• Reactive PR strategy

o Dictated by external influenceso Focuses on problems, not

opportunitieso Requires defensive measures

Proactive Strategies

• Public relations audit• Public relations plan

o Current situation analysiso Program objectiveso Program rationaleo Communications vehicleso Message content

Reactive Strategies

• Public relations audit

• Identification of vulnerabilities

Influencer Marketing

• A series of personalized marketing techniques directed at individuals or groups who have the credibility and capability to drive positive word-of-mouth in a broader and relevant segment of the population.

• The idea is to give the influencer something positive to talk about with respect to firms and brands.

Professional Influencer Programs

• Targeting professionals (doctors, therapists, lawyers, accountants, etc.) with positive PR messages with goal of having these “professionals” influence their clients attitude toward a brand.

• “Seeding the conversation” between the professionals and their clients.

• Tactics include trade show displays, direct mail communications, and personal selling calls—all IBP techniques.

• The process provides professionals with “intellectual currency.”

Peer-to-Peer Influencer Programs

• Targeting social networks with positive messages about a brand to pass along through their social networks.

• The programs provide “social currency” within peer networks.

• Buzz and Viral Marketing

Peer-to-Peer Influencer Programs

Buzz and Viral Marketing

• Buzz marketing is creating an event or experience that yields conversations that include the brand.

• Viral marketing is the process of consumers marketing to consumers via:

– The Web (e.g., via blogs, social media, or forwarding YouTube links) or through personal contact. Simulated by a firm marketing a brand.

– The idea behind both buzz and viral marketing strategies is to target a handful of carefully chosen trendsetters or connectors as your influencers, and let them spread the word.

• Cultivating Connectors

– The sophisticated process of cultivating peer-to-peer influencers to positively tout a firm’s brand.

– Procter & Gamble has enrolled 600,000 “connectors” in its Vocalpoint program—mostly women with wide social networks.

Corporate Advertising

Designed to establish a favorable attitude toward a company as a whole.

Objectives:• Build the image of the firm• Boost employee morale or attract

new employees• Communicate an organization’s

views• Position the firm’s products• Play a role in integrated brand

promotion

Corporate advertising features the firm rather than one of the firm’s brands.

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Types of Corporate Advertising

• Corporate image advertising: Create a favorable predisposition toward the firm—not designed to affect sales.

• Advocacy advertising: Establish the firm’s position on important social, political or environmental issues.

• Cause-related advertising: Features a firm’s affiliation with an important social cause.

• Green Marketing: Corporate efforts that embrace a cause or a program in support of the environment.

Drinking and driving is an important Social issue prompting corporate

cause advertising.

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