PR v Advertising

What is PR?

• Communication with stakeholders/publics

• Varying schools of thought

• Solely media relations

• Encompasses internal communications

• Depends on organisational structure

• Reality – messages can overlap

• Internal issues can be newsworthy

• External messages may have relevance to an internal audience

• Consider your target audience and the message you want to convey

What is Advertising?

• Bought or paid for media space

• Print media• Broadcast media

(TV/Radio/Internet)• Outdoor advertising

(Billboards, bus backs/adshels)

Channels• Leaflets/Posters• Direct mail• Advertorials• Promotions or

Competitions• Merchandise • Branding –

vehicles/uniforms• Packaging

Quirky Take On Advertising

Pros & Cons Of Advertising

Benefits• You get exactly what you pay

for

• You have complete control over the message delivered

• It can help to build brand identity

• Allows promotional measures to be built in to evaluate effectiveness

Disadvantages• Research proves people don’t

necessarily read adverts

• Location of advert is linked to its effectiveness

• To implement an effective campaign can be very expensive

• Repeated exposure required to reinforce message

When To Use Public Relations

• Timely• Relevant • Unique/Unusual• Tragedy/Trauma• Human Interest

• Consider items that have been making the news in the last week?

• Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand saga

• Homecoming parade and demonstration in Belfast

• Halloween related stories

• Feature articles – linked to James Bond

Pros & Cons of Public Relations

Benefits• Coverage may be result in a

third party endorsement

• More likelihood of people reading articles

• Can increase understanding of issues which you couldn’t achieve with advertising

• Can present the human face of an organisation

Disadvantages• Coverage is not guaranteed

• Sales not guaranteed as a result of activity

• Difficult to evaluate effectiveness

• Information may not appear as you wish

• If interview arranged you can’t proof article before it is printed

Working With A Limited Budget• Review current practices and

spend

• Be clear about who you wish to target

• Keep focused when reviewing advertising and public relations options

• Look at what competitors doing • Take note of things that make

you look a second time – could you use a similar mechanism to your advantage

• Cost various alternatives

• For e.g.: Billboard site in excess of £200 for 2 week cycle

• Cost of printing 48 sheet poster is additional

• Need a designer to prepare visual

• Whereas cost of designing graphics and branding of a car £170 – you have a mobile advertisement

Working With A Limited Budget• Build a database of useful

contacts

• Take details of feature correspondents and sports journalists

• Picture desks can operate independently to news desk

• Could you use media teasers to stimulate interest in your product or brand

• More expensive than e-mail invite but more memorable

• Open Days – invite media to sample activity for free

• Are there other events that could provide photographs – course completions etc.

• Are you an authority in your area – media outlets seek comment on news stories.

• Digital camera – can take high quality pictures. If local photographers don’t turn up at least have record of event.

Develop A Calendar Of ActivityAre there ways to link activities of key calendar events?

• January – New Year – Resolutions – Get Fit/Healthy

• February – Valentines Day – stories people finding love through hobbies

• March/April – St. Patrick’s Day/April Fool’s Day/Easter

• June/July/August – Summer holidays/features on activity breaks

• September/October – Halloween, mid-term break

• November/December – Christmas

• Known celebrations – 1st/5th/10th birthday, business awards/Investors In People/new employees

Advocate of PR

“Using yourself to get out and talk about it is a lot cheaper and more effective than a lot of advertising. In fact, if you do it

correctly, it can beat advertising hands down and save tens of millions of dollars.”

Richard Branson

Thank-you for listening !