“Considering marketing and public relations as the same function, in my view, is in the best interests of the corporation. ... Marketing and public relations can and should be compatible. ... in gaining understanding of influential third parties--such as legislators, government agencies, political parties, labor unions, public interest groups, and churches. In the future, public relations will play a greater role in shaping marketing strategies responsible to consumer concerns. In the classic sense, PR will influence not only what companies say but what they do.” ~Thomas Harris, The Marketer's Guide to Public Relations (Turney)~
PR professionals are often assigned to other duties in collaboration with their company’s marketing and advertising departments in order to achieve the organization’s goal. If PR is integrated with the other departments, not only will it save the company time and money, but it will also help to protect the image of the promoted product or service.
PR is used to raise awareness, inform, and influence the audience’s behavior. The audience expects a certain level of trust from a company. At times, PR messages can be very political, jeopardizing that level of trust the company was hoping to establish amongst their consumers. By working with the other functions of communication, such as marketing and advertising, a stronger foundation of trust can be built because the message will be consistent across all lines of communication.
In addition, there are usually strict guidelines that must be followed when making claims in an advertisement—this fact will also help increase the consumer’s level of credibility and trust.Mark Weiner, author of Unleashing the Power of PR: A Contrarian's Guide to Marketing and Communication, said that “the belief in the benefits of IMC is as great as ever, even if the overwhelming majority of marketing organizations can't live up to its promise.”
“The technology is even more advanced than what had been conceived even just five years ago. And marketing is under even greater pressure to do more with less and for less.”
I couldn’t agree with Weiner more when he explained the reasoning behind why some companies are still haven’t grasped a real understanding for IMC. He explained that executives now know that truly integrated marketing can only be derived from a truly integrated organization.
“A truly integrated organization understands that IT and engineering are as much a part of marketing as marketing is related to accounting or manufacturing because each is rooted in the customer experience. Genuinely aligning an organization extends beyond most marketers' sphere of influence and oversight. The unwillingness of the organization to become more fully integrated in its thoughts and actions can be an insurmountable obstacle (Weiner).”
He explained that even those organizations claiming to deliver IMC are most commonly delivering integrated tactical outputs rather than an infrastructure aligned to deliver a positive, aligned customer experience.With that said, it is important for organizations not to ask their marketing, internal communications, advertising, and PR departs to work separately—with no involvement or sharing of responsibilities with one another. And, especially, the departments need not compete against one another. For the highest level of customer satisfaction will be obtained after an integrated message is delivered.
References:
Turnery, Michael. “On the Way to Integrated Marketing Communication.” Northern Kentucky University. 2001. View the entire article here
Weiner, Mark. “What’s Become of Integrated Marketing Communication?” Bulldog Reporter. 6 March 2008 Retrieved 30 April 2008 here
Monday
Lesson 5 focused on mobile marketing—a marketing technique that is becoming more mainstream as a result of the more than 200 million cell phone users in the U.S. (55 million of them under the age of 20).Think back 50, 30, and even ten years ago…Did you ever imagine the now President-elect, Barack Obama, would announce his VP pick via a text message?
In my opinion, the Barack Obama campaign was one of the most clever campaigns I have ever witnessed.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Obama campaign’s text message announcing Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee’s running mate reached 2.9 million U.S. mobile subscribers, making it “on of the most important text messages” ever and “one of the most successful” branding efforts using mobile devices, said Nic Covey, director of insights for research firm Nielsen Mobile (Puzzanghera).
Despite the fact that false text messages appeared before the actual message was sent and news sources broke the news in advance, forcing actual text to be sent approximately five hours earlier than planned and in early morning hours when most supporters were probably sound asleep, Obama still came across as tech-savvy and empathetic to his young supporters.
"The value of the message goes far beyond the 26 words and 2.9 million recipients," Covey said in a news release. "Here, Obama branded himself as cutting edge, inflated the already enormous press attention paid to his VP pick and further established a list of supporters’ most coveted form of contact: their cellphone numbers (Puzzanghera."
References:
Puzzanghera, Jim. “Obama’s VP text message reached 2.9 million people, Nielsen reports; No data on how many were awake when it arrived.” 26 Aug 2008. View the entire article here
Somewhere in be"tween"
Watch this CBS News clip to learn more about the power of tweens.
Kids today have strong opinions and spending power, and they take an active role in decorating their own space, picking out their own clothes, and even buying their own toys and electronic gadgets.
According to the CBS News story compiled by CBS national correspondant Tracy Smith, “Marketing To "Tweens" Going Too Far?,” they “can't drive or vote, and most can't even go to the mall by themselves. Yet 25 million kids, between the age of 8 and 13, form the most powerful consumer group since the baby boom.” This influential and powerful group is known as “tweens.”
Tween girls are especially prized, Smith points out, because they spend more money, and love to talk. One method used by marketers involves slumber parties. For example at one Los Angeles party with several tween girls attending, a box packed with goodies — accessories, games and new stuff designed to create a frenzy among them — sat in a spot strategically selected by marketing firm GIA, short for Girls Intelligence Agency (http://www.girlgames.com/).
It's part of is a multi-million dollar business strategy that relies on 8-year-old Danielle Koenig, the party's hostess. But more importantly, she is the alpha, or peer influencer, in her group (Smith).
"We have chosen these influencers across the country," says GIA CEO Laura Groppe, "and we have 40 to 50,000 of these girls registered." The GIA carefully cultivates girls like Danielle, Smith observes, and designates them "secret agents."
The most important thing in a secret agent, says Groppe, is "that her peers trust her opinion. … We have to approve them. You know, important strategic business decisions are being made off of this 8-year-old and her friends, so we have to make sure she's the right one." It's viral marketing. If the alpha girl likes a product, she tells two friends, and they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and it spreads like a virus.
I wonder though…is this too sneaky? Is it ethical?
"People have been selling to kids since the beginning of time," counters Groppe. "Marketers are obviously going to try to push the boundaries as much as possible. “A $300 billion market? You'd better be taking them seriously," Groppe remarks. Danielle is profiled for technology, Smith says, but there are other secret agents profiled as fashionistas, and others for movies. It's getting very scientific.
Too scientific? I can’t help but to think so.
Reference:
Smith, Tracy. “Marketing To "Tweens" Going Too Far?” CBS News. 14 May 2007. View the entire article here
I'll have the truth...please
I read an interesting article on aboutpublicrelations.com by Dr. Steven R. Van Hook titled
"Ethical Public Relations: Not an Oxymoron."
Van Hook summarized the importance of a public relations employee in his opening paragraph, explaining that “the public relations department is frequently the ethical heart of an organization.”
“Internal and external PR communications control of the flow of good and bad news to the staff and community. The PR team copes with company crises. PR pros sit at the elbows of top officers drafting a company's mission statements, its strategies, its vision,” Van Hook continued.
PR people are often put on the spot, criticized for “covering up” for the company. With that said, that is why nearly every code of conduct—especially ones targeted towards public relations officials—emphasizes the great importance of honesty. Arguments may become heated and stories may spin out of control, but honesty is something that should be held highly regarded through it all.
Van Hook mentioned a quote from business writer John Ellis: "The truth matters. Loyalty matters. Lies matter. Values matter. You know a Dilbert company the minute you walk into it. Dilbert-company employees know the exact calibration of corporate dishonesty (Van Hook)."
Public relations officials should strive to be conveyors of the truth and only the truth. With that said, don't lie. As Van Hook mentioned, “the uncovered cover-up frequently incurs more wrath than the original offense.”
For example, recall the Pat Tillman crisis. Tillman was the Arizona Cardinals defensive back who famously volunteered for the Army in the spring after 9/11, giving up a $3.6 million N.F.L. contract extension. Sadly, Tillman was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.
Initial reports after his death said Tillman, 27, was shot and killed by Taliban forces during an ambush on April 22, 2004. An investigation later found that fellow soldiers shot Tillman, thinking he was part of an enemy force firing at them (CNN).
As New York Times reporter Frank Rich wrote in the November 6, 2005, edition, "It would be a compelling story, if only it were true. Five weeks after Tillman's death, the Army acknowledged abruptly, without providing details, that he had 'probably' died from friendly fire (Rich)."
Tillman's family demanded to know why his uniform and body armor were burned a day after he was killed and why they were not immediately told he might have been killed by fellow soldiers (CNN).
On March 4th, 2006, the Pentagon's Inspector General announced that after review, further investigation of Pat Tillman's death would be necessary to decide whether members in Tillman's unit should be charged with negligent homicide.
A 2005 report from Brig. Gen. Gary Jones contained sworn statements from soldiers involved in the incident who said they burned the items because they had taken pictures of the scene and knew how Tillman had been killed (CNN).
Initially, Tillman's blood-covered uniform and armor were said to have been destroyed because they were considered a biohazard (CNN).
These lies caused much pain for the nation and, most importantly, for Tillman’s family. And to think that the truth would have avoided it all is simply unbelievable.
References:
"AP: Pentagon to cite 9 officers in ex-NFL star's death,", CNN, March 23, 2007. Accessed 14 May 2008. View the entire article here
Frank Rich, "The Mysterious Death of Pat Tillman." “New York Times (information Clearing House).” 6 Nov 2005. Accessed 14 May 2008. View the entire article here
Van Hook, Steven R., PhD. “Ethical Public Relations: Not an Oxymoron.” Accessed 14 May 2008. View the entire article here
"Ethical Public Relations: Not an Oxymoron."
Van Hook summarized the importance of a public relations employee in his opening paragraph, explaining that “the public relations department is frequently the ethical heart of an organization.”
“Internal and external PR communications control of the flow of good and bad news to the staff and community. The PR team copes with company crises. PR pros sit at the elbows of top officers drafting a company's mission statements, its strategies, its vision,” Van Hook continued.
PR people are often put on the spot, criticized for “covering up” for the company. With that said, that is why nearly every code of conduct—especially ones targeted towards public relations officials—emphasizes the great importance of honesty. Arguments may become heated and stories may spin out of control, but honesty is something that should be held highly regarded through it all.
Van Hook mentioned a quote from business writer John Ellis: "The truth matters. Loyalty matters. Lies matter. Values matter. You know a Dilbert company the minute you walk into it. Dilbert-company employees know the exact calibration of corporate dishonesty (Van Hook)."
Public relations officials should strive to be conveyors of the truth and only the truth. With that said, don't lie. As Van Hook mentioned, “the uncovered cover-up frequently incurs more wrath than the original offense.”
For example, recall the Pat Tillman crisis. Tillman was the Arizona Cardinals defensive back who famously volunteered for the Army in the spring after 9/11, giving up a $3.6 million N.F.L. contract extension. Sadly, Tillman was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.
Initial reports after his death said Tillman, 27, was shot and killed by Taliban forces during an ambush on April 22, 2004. An investigation later found that fellow soldiers shot Tillman, thinking he was part of an enemy force firing at them (CNN).
As New York Times reporter Frank Rich wrote in the November 6, 2005, edition, "It would be a compelling story, if only it were true. Five weeks after Tillman's death, the Army acknowledged abruptly, without providing details, that he had 'probably' died from friendly fire (Rich)."
Tillman's family demanded to know why his uniform and body armor were burned a day after he was killed and why they were not immediately told he might have been killed by fellow soldiers (CNN).
On March 4th, 2006, the Pentagon's Inspector General announced that after review, further investigation of Pat Tillman's death would be necessary to decide whether members in Tillman's unit should be charged with negligent homicide.
A 2005 report from Brig. Gen. Gary Jones contained sworn statements from soldiers involved in the incident who said they burned the items because they had taken pictures of the scene and knew how Tillman had been killed (CNN).
Initially, Tillman's blood-covered uniform and armor were said to have been destroyed because they were considered a biohazard (CNN).
These lies caused much pain for the nation and, most importantly, for Tillman’s family. And to think that the truth would have avoided it all is simply unbelievable.
References:
"AP: Pentagon to cite 9 officers in ex-NFL star's death,", CNN, March 23, 2007. Accessed 14 May 2008. View the entire article here
Frank Rich, "The Mysterious Death of Pat Tillman." “New York Times (information Clearing House).” 6 Nov 2005. Accessed 14 May 2008. View the entire article here
Van Hook, Steven R., PhD. “Ethical Public Relations: Not an Oxymoron.” Accessed 14 May 2008. View the entire article here
Saturday
This one drives well Mom
Young children are increasingly the target of advertising and marketing because of the amount of money they spend themselves, the influence they have on their parents spending (the nag factor) and because of the money they will spend when they grow up. While this child-targeted marketing used to concentrate on sweets and toys, it now includes a range of adult-like products (Beder).
In the US there are over 57 million school age children and teenagers who spend about $100 billion each year of their own and their family's money on sweets, food, drinks, video and electronic products, toys, games, movies, sports, clothes and shoes. Additionally children 12 and under spend more than $11 billion of their own money and influence family spending decisions worth another $165 billion on food, household items like furniture, electrical appliances and computers, vacations, the family car and other spending (Beder).
The what? I followed up until “the family car.” Excuse me. Is the child driving the car through different terrains? Is the child filling up the gas tank and paying for maintenance and repairs? I think not.
One study estimated that children influenced $9 billion worth of car sales in 1994. That was in 1994—before cars had dvd players and other child friendly options. One car dealer even
explained: "Sometimes, the child literally is our customer. I have watched the child pick out the car (Beder).”
This means that car manufacturers cannot afford to ignore the children in their marketing. Companies such as Nissan sponsor the American Youth Soccer Organisation and a travelling geography exhibit in order to get exposure for their brand name and logo in child-friendly settings. Chrysler distributes 100s of thousands of glossy cardboard pop-up promotional books by direct mail that will appeal to children who love pop-up books. And Chevrolet has used advertisements featuring children. Some car dealers have added children's play areas and arcade games to their facilities (Beder).
Wow.
Well, I guess if the child is happy in the backseat, mom and dad are happy in the front, right?
Reference:
In the US there are over 57 million school age children and teenagers who spend about $100 billion each year of their own and their family's money on sweets, food, drinks, video and electronic products, toys, games, movies, sports, clothes and shoes. Additionally children 12 and under spend more than $11 billion of their own money and influence family spending decisions worth another $165 billion on food, household items like furniture, electrical appliances and computers, vacations, the family car and other spending (Beder).
The what? I followed up until “the family car.” Excuse me. Is the child driving the car through different terrains? Is the child filling up the gas tank and paying for maintenance and repairs? I think not.
One study estimated that children influenced $9 billion worth of car sales in 1994. That was in 1994—before cars had dvd players and other child friendly options. One car dealer even
explained: "Sometimes, the child literally is our customer. I have watched the child pick out the car (Beder).”
This means that car manufacturers cannot afford to ignore the children in their marketing. Companies such as Nissan sponsor the American Youth Soccer Organisation and a travelling geography exhibit in order to get exposure for their brand name and logo in child-friendly settings. Chrysler distributes 100s of thousands of glossy cardboard pop-up promotional books by direct mail that will appeal to children who love pop-up books. And Chevrolet has used advertisements featuring children. Some car dealers have added children's play areas and arcade games to their facilities (Beder).
Wow.
Well, I guess if the child is happy in the backseat, mom and dad are happy in the front, right?
Reference:
Beder, Sharon. “Marketing to Children.” View the entire article here
Hey marketers...are you on Facebook?
How did you hear about that? Facebook. Where did you see that? Facebook.Marketers should most certainly embrace the virtual lives of millions and millions of people worldwide. In fact, did you know that Facebook published the Facebook Insider's Guide to Viral Marketing?
According to the document, businesses now have the ability to expand their revenue base and acquire new customers through free Facebook Pages. Pages enable customers to interact, learn, purchase, and spread the word about your business to their friends. The key is Facebook’s stable and trusted platform, which gives companies the ability to connect with consumers and participate in the conservations they’re already having with their friends about their favorite local spots, artists, films and brands.
Every day, most of Facebook’s 70 million active users log on to Facebook to learn about their friends and share information about their interests and activities. This regular interaction gives businesses the opportunity to connect with existing and new customers as effectively as a face-to-face meeting.
Keys to Using Facebook:
- Make business personal
People primarily use Facebook to share personal information with friends. The more you showcase the human element of your business, your products, and your people, the stronger of an effect it will have on everyone who views it. - Update your Facebook Page frequently
Facebook is geared to highlight new information and recent changes. The more often you add new content, the more often people will come back to your Facebook Page. You can also send Updates to your fans to announce in-store events, special promotions, new products, concerts, screenings, or other news. - Harness the power of News Feed
The News Feed on users’ home pages tells them what their friends are doing. When users become your fan, News Feed tells their friends and invites them to become fans as well. In turn, this can lead to the friends of their friends finding out about your business through their News Feeds, and so on in a virtuous cycle. News Feed is the key to spreading your message virally on Facebook. - Choose the applications that are best for your business
Facebook and its outside developers have built thousands of free applications for businesses, bands, and every other type of organization. Your Page comes with the basics pre-installed, but you can easily add whichever other applications are right for your business. For instance, a restaurant may choose to add an application for online ordering or reservations, while a film may add a cinema-locator so the user can find the nearest screening without ever leaving Facebook. You can even build your own applications. The more useful your applications are to your customers, the faster your fan base will grow. - Promote your Page through Facebook Ads. Facebook Ads allow you to reach exactly the audience you want and bring them to your Page. You can choose your audience based on age, gender, geography, educational status, relationship status, and precise interests or keywords. Your ads can be socialized so that users’ interactions are reflected in the ads their friends see, increasingly the virality of your Page. You can run ads both in traditional “banner” locations and in the News Feed. As with your Page itself, the key to success with Facebook Ads is to experiment and iterate on your work.
Check out the document here to learn more about Facebook’s personal recommendations on how to successful market your business, products, and services, as well as learn more about your target audience.
Listen...your consumers are talking
In a prior blog, I raved about official corporate blogs. This week, our discussion focused on the existence of unofficial corporate blogs.
Check out the unofficial blogs we viewed and discussed this week:
All Facebook
WalMartWatch
Unofficial Disney
Google Analytics ROI
The Notre Dame Nation
House of Chanel
Starbuck's Gossip
Google Maps
XBOX 360 Fanboy
Crocs
Blackberry
Positive Fanatics: The Unofficial Ikea Web Journal
Author Natalia Rose
The Apple Blog
Coca-Cola Conversations
So, what do these unofficial blogs mean for the companies they represent?
Classmate Julianne Davis said the unofficial Disney blog is a great way for Disney to recognize and understand the some of the safety concerns parents have when taking their children to visit a theme park such as Disney World. And, classmate April Trent pointed out the relevance of the unofficial Apple blog's polling feature. For example, one poll asked the question, "Will you be purchasing one of the new MacBook/MacBook Pros?" As April explained, the site lists how many users said "yep", how many users said "nope", how many users were unsure, and the total amount of votes. “This information,” she said, “could be used to gather an idea of how effective their marketing and/or product is within the market and help the company to figure out what steps need to be taken in the future.”
In my opinion, yes, unofficial blogs can certainly play a role in everything from the success of a newly launched product to the reputation of the company. In fact, market research conducted by JupiterResearch (a Forrester research company who conducted the survey of more than 2,000 online consumers in the US) has found that blog readers are strongly influenced by blog content when it comes to purchase decisions across a number of categories, and that blogs play a key role in ushering readers to the point of an actual purchase (Jarboe).
The company's August 2008 Harnessing the Power of Blogs survey found that blog readership has grown 300% over the past four years. The results also suggest that consumers who read blogs more than once per month -- or frequent blog readers -- use blogs as the top online navigation tool to discover other blog content, ranking higher than general Web search or blog search (Jarboe).
Looking more closely at how blogs factor into consumer purchase decisions and the nature of blog influence on buying behavior, the survey found:
Check out the unofficial blogs we viewed and discussed this week:
All Facebook
WalMartWatch
Unofficial Disney
Google Analytics ROI
The Notre Dame Nation
House of Chanel
Starbuck's Gossip
Google Maps
XBOX 360 Fanboy
Crocs
Blackberry
Positive Fanatics: The Unofficial Ikea Web Journal
Author Natalia Rose
The Apple Blog
Coca-Cola Conversations
So, what do these unofficial blogs mean for the companies they represent?
Classmate Julianne Davis said the unofficial Disney blog is a great way for Disney to recognize and understand the some of the safety concerns parents have when taking their children to visit a theme park such as Disney World. And, classmate April Trent pointed out the relevance of the unofficial Apple blog's polling feature. For example, one poll asked the question, "Will you be purchasing one of the new MacBook/MacBook Pros?" As April explained, the site lists how many users said "yep", how many users said "nope", how many users were unsure, and the total amount of votes. “This information,” she said, “could be used to gather an idea of how effective their marketing and/or product is within the market and help the company to figure out what steps need to be taken in the future.”
In my opinion, yes, unofficial blogs can certainly play a role in everything from the success of a newly launched product to the reputation of the company. In fact, market research conducted by JupiterResearch (a Forrester research company who conducted the survey of more than 2,000 online consumers in the US) has found that blog readers are strongly influenced by blog content when it comes to purchase decisions across a number of categories, and that blogs play a key role in ushering readers to the point of an actual purchase (Jarboe).
The company's August 2008 Harnessing the Power of Blogs survey found that blog readership has grown 300% over the past four years. The results also suggest that consumers who read blogs more than once per month -- or frequent blog readers -- use blogs as the top online navigation tool to discover other blog content, ranking higher than general Web search or blog search (Jarboe).
Looking more closely at how blogs factor into consumer purchase decisions and the nature of blog influence on buying behavior, the survey found:
- Blogs influence purchases: 50% of blog readers say they find blogs useful for purchase information.
- Blogs sway more purchases among readers than social networks: More frequent blog readers say they trust relevant blog content for purchase decisions than content from social networking sites.
- Niche focus ups influence factor: For those who have found blog content useful for product decisions, 56% said blogs with a niche focus and topical expertise were key sources.• Blogs go beyond tech: Outside of technology-related purchases, for which 31% of readers say blogs are useful, other key categories include: media and entertainment (15%); games/toys and/or sporting goods (14%); travel (12%); automotive (11%); and health (10%).
According to the study, blogs factor in to critical stages of the purchase process, weighing most heavily at the actual moment of a purchase decision. When it comes to respondents who said they have trusted blog content for purchase decisions in the past, over half (52 percent) say blogs playeda role in the critical moment they decided to move forward with a purchase.
Blog readers were also surveyed about the influence of blogs as it relates to the following steps of the purchase process:
- 21% decide on a product or service,19% refine choices,
- 19% get support and answers,
- 17% discover products and services,
- 14% assure,
- 13% inspire a purchase
- 7% execute a purchase.
For frequent blog readers, ads on blogs are on par with sponsored search results. However, trust of blog advertising exceeds that of social networking site advertising. A quarter of these readers say they trust ads on a blog they read; paid search links also accounted for 25% of the responses, while 19% say they trust ads on social networking sites.
The study also suggests that ads on blogs spur a number of activities: 40% of blog readers have taken action as a result of viewing an ad on a blog; 50% of frequent blog readers say this is the case.
The top activities include:
- 17% read product reviews online,
- 16% sought out more info on a product or service,
- 16% visited a manufacturer or retailer website.
Furthermore, one in five consumers who have read a blog in the past 12 months -- or general blog readers -- use blog links to discover new blogs. And, the study suggests blogs are not consumed in isolation -- 49% of blog readers and 71% of frequent readers read more than one blog per session.
Other key findings include:
- Links more powerful than search: For frequent readers, links beat search as a navigation tool: 38 percent said blog links were the top tool for discovering new blog content as compared to 34 percent who voted for Web search.
- Links signal trust: For frequent readers, blog links appear to have similar impact as a trusted recommendation from a person (a response from 39 percent of survey participants).
- Blog search not yet mainstream: Blog search engines received the lowest ranking from respondents: 6 percent of general readers and 11 percent of frequent readers say they use these tools to discover new blogs.
This is pretty impressive information for marketers to consider. From unofficial blogs, marketers and other company officials can better determine consumers’ likes and dislikes about everything from customer service to the features of a new product. As Jarboe mentioned, blogs are nothing new, but rather, a communication medium that has matured and moved from early adopter phase to the mainstream.
Reference:
Jarboe, Greg. “Blog Content Influences Consumer Buying Behavior.” Search Engine Watch. View entire article here
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