 |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
An Argument for PR September 12, 2002 "All I know is what I read in the papers." - Will Rogers Why should I try to get the media to tell my story when I can't control what they'll say, and it takes so much effort to get them to say anything at all? Isn't it just easier to advertise my message so I can say what I know is important when I want to say it? In a groundbreaking new book, The Fall of Advertising & The Rise of PR (New York: Harper Business, August 2002), father-daughter marketing gurus Al & Laura Ries develop compelling arguments that today's brands are built with publicity not advertising. In fact, brands like Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Palm, Viagra, Red Bull, and Zara were built with virtually no advertising at all. Too often, they say, marketers rely on advertising to build brands without really considering what gets people to buy in the first place. In their book, the Rieses raise countless examples of how advertising lacks credibility, the crucial ingredient in brand building, and how only effective public relations can fill this void. The Rieses believe that advertising should only be used to maintain brands once publicity has established them. There is an intuitive logic to the Rieses' argument. Today's average consumer is drowning in a flood of advertising that costs companies more than $200 billion/year or about $720 per American. The typical American is barraged with over 10,000 commercials a week through radio, television, direct mail, telemarketing, newspapers, magazines, billboards, and the Internet. Moreover, a University of Illinois survey found that 47% of all Americans said that most advertising insults their intelligence and 52% of Americans said that they think advertisements generally cannot be trusted. When you corner wild animals, they tend to lash out. When you oversaturate American consumers, they tend to tune out. Even advertisers themselves seem to realize that their messages are getting ignored. That's why you see more print and television ads being run to appear as if they were real news stories rather than ads. It's no accident that the fastest growing segment of television advertising is the infomercial. Consumers are hungry for information but realize that most commercials are not credible. When was the last time you purchased a product because of some advertised benefit? In contrast, can you recall picking a movie, choosing a restaurant, or buying a consumer product because you read a favorable review? Honestly answering those two questions gives you the best reason to favor public relations efforts over advertising in marketing new products or services. Does this mean that advertising has no role in the marketing mix? Of course not. However, advertising needs outside validation to be credible. Is it any wonder that you're seeing more restaurants, movies, and even consumer products highlight favorable reviews in their advertising? Yes, generating positive media placements takes a lot of work. But, the rewards are great. A well-executed public relations campaign will generate credibility for your products or services that can work for you in many important ways including serving as the base upon which to build a successful advertising campaign.
Home
| About Us | Products
& Services | Seminars & Events|
Resources | Contact
Us |
