TV as there were in the 1960s. In the 1980s, the spread of cable added yet another multichanneled outlet for product advertising. Against this backdrop the potential of public relations as an added ingredient in the marketing mix became increasingly more credible.
Indeed, marketing professor Philip Kotler has suggested that, in addition to the traditional four Ps of product, price, place, and promotion, two additional Ps be added to define the marketing concept today: (1) political power and (2) public opinion formation through public relations. Said Kotler, «Marketers are always looking at economic factors and rational factors. They should examine the conflicts, the special-interest and pressure groups, the vested interests, the political realities, and create appeals in those arenas».
1. Match the words with the correct definition on the right.
1) |
Impact |
a) |
an unofficial interesting story or piece of news |
|
|
|
that might be true or invented, which quickly |
|
|
|
spreads from person to person. |
2) |
Rumour |
b) |
the general situation in which particular events |
|
|
|
happen. |
3) |
Promotion |
c) something difficult or unpleasant that you have |
|
|
|
|
to deal with or worry about. |
4) |
Image |
d) |
activities to advertise something. |
5) |
Notion |
е) |
the way that something or someone is thought of |
|
|
|
by other people. |
6) |
Burden |
f) |
the force or action of one object hitting another. |
7) |
Backdrop |
g) |
a belief/an idea. |
2.Explain the meaning of the words in bold in the text and find the appropriate synonyms to them.
3.Insert the correct preposition.
1)____ the decade of the 1990s, PR, like most other organizational pursuits, must compete _____ its survival _____ an atmosphere _____ rising manpower costs, shrinking markets and volatile public opinion.
2)PR practitioners are increasingly expected to have mastered a wide variety _____ technical communication skills such ____ writing, editing, placement ______ articles etc.
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3)PR professionals also become systems managers, knowledgeable _____
and able _____ deal _____ the complex relationships inherent ______ the organization.
4)Like research, planning in public relations is essential not only to know where a particular campaign is headed, but also to win the support ______ top management.
5)Setting objectives, formulating strategies, and planning are essential if the PR function is to be considered ______ equal stature ______ other organizational components.
4. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets:
1)Marketing Professor Philip Kotler (say) that the days of traditional product marketing (give) away to a more subtle, social or PR marketing.
2)Although Kotler’s radical marketing (blossom) in the 1990s yet, his thesis (underscore) the importance of marketers.
3)Managers a decade ago (recognize) that PR programmes (add) another dimension to a marketing offensive.
4)If the entrepreneur (decide) that public relations support (be) helpful, the following rules (help) secure added recognition to a small firm.
5)An agency unfettered by internal corporate politics (trust) to present management with an objective reading of the concerns of its publics.
6)Once an organization (analyze) its environment, (establish) its objectives, (set) up measurement standards, it (be) ready to organize a PR-department.
Text 4. The Marketing Plan
For public relations to be effective as a tool in marketing, it must be introduced early in the marketing plan rather than as an afterthought. The plan should carefully lay out the organization’s objectives, strategies, and tactics for promoting and selling a product. Public relations may be used in the marketing plan to realize a number of objectives:
1.Helping a company and product name become better known.
2.Helping introduce new or improved products.
3.Helping increase a product’s life cycle (i. e., complementing advertising and sales promotion with additional product information).
4.Seeking out new markets and broadening existing ones at reduced costs.
5.Establishing an overall favorable image for the product and company.
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Basically, public relations can play a critical role in positioning a product appropriately in the market. A product’s position is the image the product conveys in the public mind. For example, if the public truly believes that Colonel Sanders’ chicken is «finger-licking good» then the firm’s product-positioning strategy has worked. When the public really believes that the folks at Allstate are «the good hands people» or that the group from Avis really does «try harder», that’s effective product positioning. Companies spend millions of dollars trying to position their products in the public mind.
Public relations offers a practical and inexpensive device for conveying product messages and helping position a firm’s products. About 8 of 10 new products fail to catch on, and the cost of these annual failures has been estimated in the billions of dollars. Public relations, then, should be involved early and integrated fully into the marketing plan. Whether in helping market a new product or enhancing the staying power of an old one, public relations can make a telling difference in product success.
1.Answer the questions:
1)What are the main sections of a marketing plan?
2)What are the main stages of a product life-cycle?
3)Prepare your own marketing plan for a product/service you like.
2. Insert the correct prepositions.
_____ light _____ the difficulty today ____ raising advertising awareness above the noise _____ so many competitive messages, marketers are turning increasingly _____ product publicity as an important adjunct _____ advertising. Although the public is generally unaware _____ it, a great deal _____ what it knows and believes about a wide variety _____ products comes through press coverage. Articles _____ the newspaper’s «living» section — describing the attributes _____ a brand _____ Burgundy or the advantages _____ down coats or enriched dog foods — often arise _____ product-publicity information distributed
_____ the manufacturer.
3. Complete the text with the following words from the box.
Product publicity, lure, remove, self-serving, sanctified, generated, disservice, tacit, counselors stigma, intrinsic
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Perhaps more than anything else, the _____ of third-party endorsement is the primary reason smart organizations value __________________________ as much as they do advertising. Third-party endorsement refers to the _________ support given a product by a newspaper, magazine, or broadcaster who mentions the product as news. Advertising often is perceived as ____________. People know that the advertiser not only created the message, but also paid for it. Publicity, on the other hand, which appears in news columns, carries no such ___________. When a message is ____________ by third-party editors, it is more persuasive than advertising messages, where the self-serving sponsor of the message is identified.
Editors have become sensitive to mentioning product names in print. Some, in fact, have a policy of deleting brand or company identifications in news columns. Public relations _____________ argue that such a policy does to readers, many of whom are influenced by what they read and may desire the particular products discussed. Counselors further argue that journalists who accept and print public relations material for its __________ value and then __________ the source of the information give the reader or viewer the false impression that the journalist the
___________ facts, ideas, or photography.
Text 5. Public Relations Marketing Activities
Once an organization has received product publicity in a newspaper or magazine, it should market the publicity further to achieve maximum sales punch. Marketing can be done through article reprints aimed at that part of a target audience — wholesalers, retailers, or consumers — who might not have seen the original article. Reprints also help reinforce the reactions of those who read the original article.
As in any other public relations activity, reprints should be approached systematically, with the following ground rules in mind:
1. Plan ahead, especially if an article has major significance to the organization. Ideally, reprints should be ordered before the periodical goes to press, so that customers can receive them shortly after the article hits the newsstands.
2.Select target publics and address the recipients by name and title. This strategy will ensure that the reprint reaches the most important audience.
3.Pinpoint the reprint’s significance, either through underlining pertinent information in the article, making marginal notes, or attaching a cover letter. In this way the target audience will readily understand.
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4.Integrate the reprint with other similar articles and information on the same or related subjects. Often, several reprints can be combined into a single mailing piece. Also, reprints can be integrated into press kits and displays.
Trade show participation enables an organization to display its products before important target audiences. The decision to participate should be looked at with the following factors in mind:
1.Analyze the show carefully. Make sure the audience is one that can’t be reached effectively through other promotional materials, such as article reprints or local publicity. Also be sure the audience is essential to the sale of the product. For example, how responsible are the attendees for the actual purchase?
Select a common theme. Integrate public relations, publicity, advertising, and sales promotion. Unify all elements for the trade show and avoid, at all costs, any hint of interdepartmental rivalries.
3.Make sure the products displayed are the right ones. Decide well in advance exactly which products are the ones to be shown.
4.Consider the trade books. Often, trade 5 magazines run special features in conjunction with trade shows, and editors need photos and publicity material. Always know what special editions are coming up, as well as their deadline schedules.
5.Emphasize what’s new. Talk about the new model that’s being displayed. Discuss the additional features, new uses, or recent performance data of the products displayed. Trade show and exhibitions should reveal innovation, breakthrough, and newness.
6.Consider local promotional efforts. While in town during a trade show, an organization can enhance both the recognition of its product and the traffic at its booth by doing local promotions. This strategy means visiting trade magazine editors and local media people to stir up publicity for the product during the show.
In recent years, the use of spokespersons to promote products has increased. Spokespersons shouldn’t disguise the fact that they are advocates for a particular product. Their purpose is to air their sponsor’s viewpoint, which often means going to bat for a controversial product.
One example is the tobacco industry. In the early 1970s, with cigarette and cigar ads banned on television and radio, the Tobacco Institute, funded by the major tobacco companies, launched a far-reaching speakers campaign to get its story to the public. During the first three years of the campaign, tobacco speakers
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