Bell Ringer

Let’s say that we’re going to have a Marketing Education open house to show students, parents and guardians, and the business community the advantages of participating in a marketing education program. In addition to press releases to announce the event, list some other things we could do to get people to come to the event.

Publicity/Public Relations

Another Element of the Promotional Mix

Review

So far we’ve covered advertising, which was only one element of the promotional mix. This week we’ll talk about publicity/public relations and sales promotion!

Next week we will construct visual merchandise displays and begin our unit on personal selling, which is the final element of the promotional mix!

Objectives

Define and discuss publicity/public relations Compare and Contrast the different

audiences for public relations Discuss how to prepare a news release Prepare an actual news release for promotion

project!!

Why have public relations?

Present a positive image to customers, employees, and the general public

Examples: Grand opening of a mall Interview with a company official about hiring

plans Launch of a new product or product line Announcement of employee promotions or

retirements

Why have public relations?

Examples Cont… Presentation of an award to the company or to one

of its employees Company-sponsored event Community activity, such as a scholarship program

sponsored by the business Charitable activity, such as a walkathon for a local

charity, in which the business participates Cultural activity, such as support for a new exhibit

at a museum

Customer Relations

Customer advisory boardsCustomer advisory boards- panels of consumers who make suggestions about products and businesses

Consultants Consumer Affairs SpecialistsConsumer Affairs Specialists- design

programs to reflect customer needs for information on topics such as nutrition, health and wellness, and product safety

Employee Relations

Loyal and well-motivated employees who feel they are important to the company

Examples: Tuition reimbursement for college courses Newsletters for and about the company and its

employees Recreational programs Employee recognition programs for

improvements in performance and efficiency

Community Relations

Community RelationsCommunity Relations- refers to the activities that a business uses to acquire or maintain the respect of the community

Examples Sponsoring Special Olympics Providing mentors for marketing students Matching employee donations to local charities

Public Relations Specialists

Work with customers, employees, media, civic and professional groups, legislators, government officials, consumer activists, stockholders, environmentalists, and suppliers.

Work in both public & private sector

Public Relations Specialists

Principal task is to publicize good news about a company and its products--- and to control the damage done by any negative news.

Public Relations Duties

Annual reports for investors and interested customers

Brochures and responses to customer inquiries

Short feature articles for trade magazines Web site

Public Relations Duties

Develop press kitspress kits- folder containing articles, news releases, feature stories, and photographs about a company, product, or person

Hold press conferencespress conferences- meeting in which a business or organization invites media members to hear an announcement about a newsworthy event.

Now You’re the Public Relations Specialist

Writing a News Release: News release- a prewritten story about a

company that is sent to the various media Usually contains information about the

company’s employees, stores, operations, products, corporate philosophy, or participation in an event or program

Now You’re the Public Relations Specialist

Writing a News Release: NEVER use the word publicity Answer who, what, where, when, and why Avoid opinions, unless directly quoting Brief, but thorough

NOW…

Create a news release for the product you chose for your promotion project.

Using the handout as a guide, you should include all the necessary elements of a news release.