Public Relations, Influencer Marketing, and Corporate Advertising

1. 18 Public Relations, Influencer Marketing, and Corporate Advertising ©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

2. Introductory Scenario: Bring on the Buzz Procter & Gamble creates buzz for Charmin • Enjoy the Go! Campaign • A dozen support agencies involved • Created on site “go teams” who greeted visitors but were also screened for social media skills • Celebrities get into the act • Sponsor a Broadway show and get news media involved—TV, newspaper, blogs

3. Public Relations The marketing and management communications process to foster goodwill between a firm and its constituents: • Customers • Stockholders • Suppliers • Employees • Government entities • General public

4. A New Era for Public Relations? Firms are using PR in new and different ways to create visibility and image for a brand by getting people to “talk” about the brand. BUT… • PR is NOT the tool for establishing brands in the market. • PR lacks the strategic control needed to establish a brand within the segment in the manner desired by a firm. • It is true that corporate execs want more “action” and visibility from promotion. PR is now more prominent in many IBP campaigns as consumer tire of mass media advertising. • Good PR can create a positive social “epidemic.”

5. The cellular phoneindustry has had tocombat the bad “PR” from distracteddriving incidents related to cell phoneuse while driving. © 2000 JABRA Corporation

6. Public Relations and Damage Control • Intel—Caused its own PR crisis by not responding to concerns about the performance of the Pentium chip. • Taco Bell and the PR “curse” of social networking. • Walmart in nearly constant damage control. • But, companies need to learn to handle bad news.

7. Objectives of Public Relations • Promote goodwill • Promote a product or service • Prepare internal communications • Counteract negative publicity • Lobby • Give advice and counsel

8. Tools of Public Relations • Press releases • Feature stories • Company newsletters • Interviews and press conferences • Sponsored events • Publicity

9. Public Relations Strategies • Proactive PR strategy • Guided by marketing objectives • Publicize a company and its brands • Take an offensive rather than defensive posture • Reactive PR strategy • Dictated by external influences • Focuses on problems, not opportunities • Requires defensive measures

10. Proactive Strategies • Public relations audit • Public relations plan • Current situation analysis • Program objectives • Program rationale • Communications vehicles • Message content

11. Reactive Strategies • Public relations audit • Identification of vulnerabilities

12. Influencer Marketing • A series of personalized marketing techniques directed at individuals or groups who have the credibility and capability to drive positive word-of-mouth in a broader and relevant segment of the population. • The idea is to give the influencer something positive to talk about with respect to firms and brands.

13. Professional Influencer Programs • Targeting professionals (doctors, therapists, lawyers, accountants, etc.) with positive PR messages with goal of having these “professionals” influence their clients attitude toward a brand. • “Seeding the conversation” between the professionals and their clients. • Tactics include trade show displays, direct mail communications, and personal selling calls—all IBP techniques. • The process provides professionals with “intellectual currency.”

14. Peer-to-Peer Influencer Programs • Targeting social networks with positive messages about a brand to pass along through their social networks. • The programs provide “social currency” within peer networks. • Buzz and Viral Marketing

15. Peer-to-Peer Influencer Programs Buzz and Viral Marketing • Buzz marketing is creating an event or experience that yields conversations that include the brand. • Viral marketing is the process of consumers marketing to consumers via: • The Web (e.g., via blogs, social media, or forwarding YouTube links) or through personal contact. Simulated by a firm marketing a brand. • The idea behind both buzz and viral marketing strategies is to target a handful of carefully chosen trendsetters or connectors as your influencers, and let them spread the word. • Cultivating Connectors • The sophisticated process of cultivating peer-to-peer influencers to positively tout a firm’s brand. • Procter & Gamble has enrolled 600,000 “connectors” in its Vocalpoint program—mostly women with wide social networks.

16. Corporate Advertising Designed to establish a favorable attitude toward a company as a whole. Objectives: • Build the image of the firm • Boost employee morale or attract new employees • Communicate an organization’s views • Position the firm’s products • Play a role in integrated brand promotion

17. Corporate advertising features the firm rather than one of the firm’s brands. Courtesy BMW

18. Types of Corporate Advertising • Corporate image advertising: Create a favorable predisposition toward the firm—not designed to affect sales. • Advocacy advertising: Establish the firm’s position on important social, political or environmental issues. • Cause-related advertising: Features a firm’s affiliation with an important social cause. • Green Marketing: Corporate efforts that embrace a cause or a program in support of the environment.

19. Drinking and driving is an important Social issue prompting corporate cause advertising. Courtesy, Miller Brewing Co.