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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 boards- panels of consumers who make suggestions about products and businesses • Consultants • Consumer 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 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 kits- folder containing articles, news releases, feature stories, and photographs about a company, product, or person • Hold press 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.