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Organizational Development
Business Strategies and Planning
Fine Tuning the Marketing Mix Cross
Cultural Import/Export
Marketing
Research & Maximizing the Value of Data
Competitive Tracking and Analysis
Project Management
Special Assignments
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Publicity & Media
Relations.
One of the best elements in the marketing mix, because it does not carry a
direct cost amount in the budget, is favorable publicity in appropriate media. A
simple press release about a new product or service can resonate around the
world if editors find it newsworthy. Or it can lay nearly dormant, resulting in
maybe a few small mentions if luck and timing coincide but with perhaps minimal
or even no results.
A big part of going after publicity is understanding the workings of the
specific communications medium through which one hopes to achieve exposure.
Going after electronic coverage is clearly different than looking for print
mentions. The efforts necessary to customize releases and press packages so they
slide right into the content and format of a specific media target is often paid
back in considerably stronger exposure.
If your organization is well branded within your industry, reporters and editors
may perk up with a little more interest when you submit something to them. If
your company is little-known, you carry the extra burden of having to educate
media people with background information about who you are in addition to
getting them to focus on your specific current press information. But in either
case, if an editor or reporter is compelled or distracted by the information
flow coming from the broad mix of other companies that he covers, than your
message may generate little or no interest.
It might be something as simple and easy as a courtesy call to an editor to
inform him or her that a release is on the way. Or, for some organizations,
there is a penchant to spend lavishly to wine and dine the press. But.
legitimately, the basic question presented above, "how does this fit in my
current mix of new information?" eventually determines what an editor will do
when considering your PR efforts. So it is important to target, customize, and
present media information in the most effective manner.
It is important to remember that press relations are essentially
behind-the-scenes activities. So working with the media in a clean and simple
style with ready-to-use information can be be much more powerful than fancy,
expensive, or distracting packaging.
And in addition to working to generate a strong, regular flow of usable
corporate information to the appropriate media, there are also two publicity
situations for which any organization must always be prepared with appropriate
tactics. The first, a positive opportunity, is the occasional "good news" story
-- an award won, an outstanding accomplishment, or even an intriguingly
interesting photo opportunity. There situations are often quick and temporary,
so a public relations department must be able to respond immediately while the
opportunity is fresh. The other situation requiring advance thought and
preparation is the unfortunate eventuality of a "bad news" or crisis situation,
usually requiring a public response from a top executive. Either way, these
unforeseen situations are opportunities to make use of current press attention
to reinforce background and general public information about the organization.
Some organizations have highly professional, full-time public relations
functions as established components of their marketing mix. For others with
budget limitations, which have not fully examined the potential and requirements
of developing an effective media relations program, or which have been throwing
money and effort at this function with less than desirable results, it may be
helpful to have an exploratory discussion.
Additional Services: Logan Marketing is affiliated with:
Virtual Productions.
Jump to Virtual Productions, Gloucester, MA
for a full menu of photographic, technical, digital production, and prepress services:
Client orientation: What goals are you seeking to achieve?
Let's establish a system which hits your targets. We have one GUARANTEE: we'll have more questions than answers... but you will end up with a richer mix of results-oriented, effective business thinking without the trappings, without the jargon, and ready to put to good use.
Initial review at no charge, contact: Jim Logan
Have a good day.
Obliterate acrimony. |
