Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

PR Vs Marketing

Summary
Contiguity of Marketing and PR Definition of Marketing Definition of PR Goals and Tasks of Marketing Goals and Tasks of PR Relationship Between PR and Marketing
Contiguity of Marketing and PR
PR and marketing are like cousins: relation is obvious, but its degree is hard to define at once. And what do the press say about them? Usually reading an article on marketing or PR leaves an impression that both of them are absolutely essential for business, but their functions and the difference between them remains vague; in fact, it's unclear even whether they are different branches, or one of them is the part of the other. It's hard to understand whom to hire if a product needs promotion. Should it be a marketing specialist or a public relations officer? Or maybe both should be hired, because only one of them is not enough? And if both are hired, will they work independently or will they collaborate? And is it possible that they will start to interfere with each other's work? So there are lots of questions, but to get these questions sorted out is not such a desperate task as it seems to be. Let us clear up the difference between marketing and PR point by point, because today they are the necessary tools for any company that wants to inform a customer about its product. Make the best use of them - and they will lead you to the great success.

Definition of Marketing
We come across these words here and there in newspapers, magazines, on the Internet, sometimes even in everyday life. So let's see what they mean. There are several hundred definitions of the word marketing. Some analysts hold the opinion that nowadays the essence of marketing is not a customer service, but beating business rivals; but classic definitions support another viewpoint. Philip Kotler, the world's foremost expert on the strategic practice of marketing, states that "marketing is the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit". The most comprehensive definition, in our opinion, was given by the American Marketing Association (AMA): "Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders".

Definition of PR
PR (abbreviation for public relations) is a set of actions aimed to promotion of a man, company, social movement, party and so on, based on informing the public and cooperating with it. One of the most popular definitions was given by Sam Black, former President of Public Relations Association: "PR is art and science of achieving harmony by means of mutual understanding, based on the truth and complete information awareness". The definition, that reflects the essence of PR, was developed by Public Relations News magazine: "Public relations is the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the public interest, and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance". If we compare the definitions, it's easy to notice that there is a connection between PR and marketing, as both of them deal with informational influence on a customer. To understand it better, let's consider tasks and goals of marketing and PR.

PR Vs Marketing

Goals and Tasks of Marketing
Textbooks define goals of marketing as highest consumption, highest consumer satisfaction, and widest choice. The tasks of marketing include research, analysis and estimation of real and potential consumers' needs, supporting development of new products and services, analyzing condition and development of markets, developing pricing policy, sales, and so on. The tasks are performed during marketing process, which includes the following steps: market opportunities analysis, target markets choice, marketing mix development and marketing events execution. So, marketing studies demand for a definite product and opportunities of promoting sales and encouraging consumers.

Goals and Tasks of PR
As for PR, it aims to create a positive image of organization and prevent spreading unfavorable rumors and information. The tools used to manage public opinion may also be considered the three main parts of PR. They are:

1. Promotion, which implies activities aimed at creating and encouraging interest for a person, a product or an organization.

2. Lobbying, that is responsible for establishing and supporting relations between interest groups and government, in order to influence legislative and governing processes.

3. Media relations - this PR-team activity embraces producing informative articles for mass media, organizing media support for various campaigns, and making news to draw media attention. Small and medium-sized enterprises usually consider PR as just media relations, because this part is the most important one for their business.

Relationship Between PR and Marketing
Let's keep in mind that all the PR tools are used successfully to achieve marketing goals of stimulating consumption. PR campaign is essential for positioning. It also increases the popularity of a product, influencing a customer and rising sales volume. Does it mean that PR is one of marketing tools? In this case - absolutely yes. However, public relations' functions are not limited to this. Let's get back to the beginning and compare the definitions: marketing is aimed to manipulate a customer, while the goal of PR is to manipulate company image. Not only products, but also companies and persons need a new image, and in this case PR is not just a marketing tool, but an independent practice. One more question is when one should choose PR from all the variety of tools. During the last twenty years the price of company image has increased, and now it comprises about 80% of the total company value. Even a minor growth of company image price results in a considerable increase of stock value price. Positive, stable company image has become an important intangible asset. And that is exactly the job of the public relations team: to create the image of the company. Using PR, one can correct image, thus immediately raising the profit. So we see, that marketing and PR are very close, and they often become allies on the battlefield of customers' minds. That is the reason they are often mixed up. But in general, marketing and public relations are two independent disciplines, equally essential and important for everyone who wants to increase profit and efficiency of the company.

PR Vs Marketing
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Authors: Eugenia Kolobukhova and Natalia Stepanova

Company:
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Theatre Marketing Ideas

Marketing and promotions in the performing arts for your theatre is often plagued with problems, the public does not always pay attention to such tactics, and marketing in the arts will compete with other forms of entertainment. So when a marketing program is started one should move carefully, testing different methods before committing serious money. I have met people who have already spent many thousands of dollars on some campaigns without a single conversion. They should have spent some to determine the value of the campaign before committing most of their budget to it.

It is of course difficult to market the theater with only a small amount of money or to gauge impacts on such amounts. Even so you must look for ways to work within and build up to the budget you have so that you do not sink it on a useless strategy. The following are some basic ideas and thoughts on marketing the performing arts including possible internet methods.

Theatre is about connection, connection with the audience. That is the difference between theater and film connection. This is the way for a theatre to build audience as will, through a connection with their community, with the people who may potentially watch your plays, to make them the audience.

Theatre Marketing Ideas

In one small town this connection was established with existing audience members through a simple hand shake. At the end of each play the actors, and other play participants would come out by the doors and shake hand with audience members who passed by them on the way out. While obviously not possible to a full extent in a large theater, many small theatres could benefit from this tactic. For in this simple act the audience is able to see and connect on a personal level with those who created the performance they just watched. If they did not like the performance initially this interaction is more likely to help them forgive the performers, and so will help the theatre avoid bad PR and word of mouth. This action can also lead those that did like or think the performance was OK to like it more, for we all like performances more when we know the people involved. In this respect this action is especially useful in marketing future theater events, for in that hand shake and a few words with the actor or actress whose performance a person liked, the actor or actress becomes more implanted in their mind and memory. That way if they are on a poster in the future, or on current posters which the person sees with their friends, the person is more likely point the play and the performance out to friends and potential audience members.

Another method of connecting with the local community is by going to assist or speak to high schools, and colleges in your area. By benefiting students, teachers, and contributing to the overall education of a community you have the opportunity to get in the paper, get talked about by teachers, and students in your community. Should there be enough interest you could hold workshops with members of the local community, on acting and directing. Such things help to provide a more supporting base which in turn will help to provide a larger and more consistent audience. For the primary method of marketing of most small theaters, or at least the best one is through word of mouth, so the most important thing you can do is get people to talk positively about your theater.

Theatre Marketing Ideas
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Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Ty Hulse is both and artist and a marketer, with a long history in the arts and theatre he has long been concerned about ways to use his understanding of marketing to help theaters perform. To this end he is creating the site http://www.yourtheaters.com - Which he believes will be able to help local theatres and performance groups succeed in the global web.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

How to Write Marketing Communications Plans

Marketing Communications are "all strategies, tactics, and activities involved in getting the desired marketing messages to intended target markets, regardless of the media used" (MarcommWise, 2006). Tony Yeshin (1999) defines marketing communications as "the process by which a marketer develops and presents stimuli to a defined target audience with a purpose of eliciting a desired set of responses" (Yeshin, 1999). Marketing communications are: adverting, sales promotions, personal selling, PR and direct and interactive marketing (Fill, 1999).
Consequently Marketing Communications Plan is the marketing plan which promotional plan incorporates two or more integrated marketing communications mediums aiming to reiterate the same goals and objectives. Marketing Communications Plans are considered by many professionals as an excellent way to effectively communicate with target audience.
Marketing Communications Plans are generally based on two different frameworks: Marketing Communications Planning Framework and SOSTAC (Fill, 1999).

Marketing Communications Plans consist of the following vital elements:

PR

Context analysis

How to Write Marketing Communications Plans

Promotional objectives

Marketing communications strategy

Promotional mix (methods and tools)

Budget schedule

Evaluation and control (Fill, 1999).

When writing marketing communications plan it is important to:

1. Set corporate, marketing and marketing communications objectives, which would support and integrate with each other.

2. Develop segmentation, targeting and positioning strategies

3. Develop creative message with which Marketing Communications Plan with communicate with target audience

4. Select and justify one or combination of marketing strategies (push, pull or profile)

5. Develop well-rounded and creative set of promotional mediums and allocate appropriate budget for each medium.

6. Create contingency planning strategy (in case something goes wrong)

7. Set strict set of evaluation and control mediums which would include milestones and continuous evaluation

References

Fill C (1999) Marketing Communications, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall Europe
Yeshin T, (1999) Integrated Marketing Communications, The chartered institute of marketing, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford
http://www.marcommwise.com/glossary.phtml?a=m&s=0

Please find below links to excellent Marketing Communications Plans:

C/M/315. INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS PLAN FOR ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD

S/M/162. Marketing communication plan: Philips SatinIce UK, and current marketing communications strategy analysis

S/M/158. Marketing Communication Plan for British Airways

S/M/158. Marketing Communication Plan for British Airways

E/M/14. Marketing Communications Plan for Pizza Hut

C/M/180. Internet music search engine Promotion Campaign

C/M/171. Analysis of the 50+ customer group for M&S and brief outline of a promotional campaign

P/M/311. Marketing communication Plan for Direct Lines the breakdown service

S/M/77. Project Management for Marketing Communications Campaign

P/M/289. Marketing Communications Plan for ROYAL DUTCH/ SHELL

S/M/69. Marketing Communications Plan for British Airways (BA)

P/M/269. Marketing Communications Plan for Shell

P/M/262. Marketing Communications Plan for North West Valley Sailing Club

C/M/117. Marketing Communications Plan for Hugo Boss

P/M/252. Marketing Communications Plan for the Introduction of New Product: Smoothie

P/M/139. Marketing Communications Plan for Haagen-Dazs

P/M/130. Marketing Communications Plan for the new degree programme

P/M/133. Marketing Communications Plan for Marks and Spencer

P/M/134. Analysis and development of Marketing Communications Plan for Adidas (US)

http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtmrk28.htm

How to Write Marketing Communications Plans

All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2006 Verena Veneeva http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtmrk28.htm

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