Chapter 18 Flashcards
Influencer marketing (Northlich definition)
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 salient segment of the population.
Role/goal of PR
♠ Foster goodwill between a firm and its many constituent groups (customers, stockholders, suppliers, employees, government entities…)
♠ Used strategically for damage control
♠ Launch & establish brands
♠ Persuade consumers to make purchases
♠ Do anything to appease disgruntled users of a brand
Stephen Brown quote
We have evolved to an intensely commercial world where TV shows feature stories about marketing and consumer psychology.
Digital media vs. mass media
Digital media offer the opportunity for firms to be part of the dialogue
Six primary objectives of PR
- Promoting goodwill - image-building function
- Promoting a product or service
- Preparing internal communications - disseminating information and correcting misinformation
- Counteracting negative publicity - damage-control function
- Lobbying
- Giving advice and counsel - preparing employees for public appearances…
Tools for public relations
♠ Press releases ♠ Feature stories ♠ Company Newsletters/e-Newsletters ♠ Interviews and Press Conferences ♠ Sponsored events ♠ Publicity
Typical categories of information that make for a good story
♠ New products launches ♠ New scientific discovery ♠ New personnel ♠ Annual shareholder meetings ♠ Charitable and community service activities
Publicity definiton
Essentially free media exposure about a firm’s activities or brands. It tends to carry heightened credibility
Proactive PR strategy definiton
‣ Takes an offensive approach
‣ Focuses on opportunities
‣ Guided by a brand’s marketing objectives
‣ Seeks to publicize a brand and build goodwill and buzz
Reactive PR strategy
‣ Takes a defensive approach
‣ Focuses on problems
‣ Guided by external pressures
‣ Seeks to quell negative publicity and recoup positive brand identity and public goodwill
Key components of PR program (proactive)
- PR audit
2. PR plan
PR audit definition
Identifies the characteristics of a firm’s activities that are positive and newsworthy
Components of a PR plan
♠ Situation analysis ♠ Program objectives ♠ Program rationale ♠ Communications vehicles ♠ Message content
Two steps that help implement a reactive PR strategy
- The PR audit
2. Identification of vulnerabilities
Influencer marketing categories
♠ Professional Influencer Programs
♠ Peer-to-Peer Programs
♠ Buzz and Viral Marketing
♠ Cultivating Connectors
Buzz marketing definition
Creating an event or experience that yields conversations that include the brand.
Viral marketing definiton
Process of consumers marketing to consumers via the Web or through personal contact stimulated by a firm marketing a brand.
Five T’s to generate buzz
♠ Talkers ♠ Topics ♠ Tools ♠ Taking part ♠ Tracking
BuzzMetrics what?
Provides services to clients for tracking word-of-moth activity across the Internet.
Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA)
Resource for learning about the art and science of buzz building
Corporate advertising definition
Intended to est. a favourable attitude toward a company as a whole.
Types of corporate advertising
♠ Corporate Image Advertising - create favorable predisposition towards the firm. Not designed to influence sales
♠ Advocacy Advertising
♠ Cause-Related Advertising
♠ Green Marketing
Advocacy Advertising
Establish an organization’s position on important social or political issues.
A huge component of PR…
Is about monitoring and managing what consumers are saying to each other about the brand
From the PR practitioners perspective…
The goal of influencer marketing is to help trusted sources take an advocacy position for their brand
Influencer MKT & Theory (two-step flow of communication) (Katz & Lazarsfeld, 1955)
- Organization - where the message is creates
- Opinion leaders - attended by influencers (messages)
- Public opinion - opinion leaders then communicate these messages to their social networks. Word-of-mouth matters!
Professional influencer marketing - brands target experts with hopes of making them advocates.
‣ Experts have the ability to influence product choices in their area
‣ The process:
• Don’t waste their time
• Encourage expert trial use
• Messaging with experts should focus on benefits
• Must commit long-term; aiming to build trus
Peer-to-peer influencer MKT - brands target influencers with hopes of making them brand advocates
♠ WoM - 2 or more consumers share an opinion directly
♠ Buzz - an event or activity that yields excitement associated with brand—leads to publicity
♠ Viral - brand message that spreads quickly and exponentially among consumers (digitally)
Common objectives of corporate MKT
- Build the image of the firm
- Boost employee morale or attract new employees
- Communicate an organization’s views
- Position the firm’s products against competition
- Play a role in integrated brand promotion
Corporate advertising example
Deepwater Horizon oil spilli
Lululemon textbook crisis communications
♠ Admit your mistake and offer recourse ♠ Laugh at yourself ♠ Keep the media informed ♠ Issue FAQs ♠ Maintain CEO integrity ♠ Keep brand ambassadors happy
PR definition
♠ communication efforts that attempt to “foster goodwill between a firm and its many constituent groups.” (O’Guinn et al.)
♠ communication efforts “that help an organization and its publics mutually adapt to each other.” (PRSA, 1982)
Take home messages about PR
♠ PR is about relationship maintenance
♠ Public goodwill is the greatest asset any organization can have
PR practitioners deal with 2 main questions
- Which publics are most important now and in the future?
* What do these publics think?
Types of PR - primary types of public relations
♠ Media relations ♠ Employee relations ♠ Financial relations ♠ Corporate relations ♠ Public affairs
PR (PR vs. Advertising basic differences)
‣ Focused on the organization
‣ Maintain public goodwill
‣ Addresses more audiences
‣ Focused on long-term image
ADV (PR vs. Advertising basic differences)
‣ Focused on the product / service
‣ Create consumer awareness
‣ Addresses fewer audiences
‣ Focused on short(er)-term image
PR (PR vs. Advertising differences in how they use media)
‣ Persuade media to give free coverage (“earned media”)
‣ Little control over media message
‣ Can garner more credibility
ADV (PR vs. Advertising differences in how they use media)
‣ Buy media coverage
‣ Complete control over media message (for traditional adv)
‣ Not as credible
Traits of a (good) PR practitioner
‣ Interpersonally gifted ‣ Patient and benevolent ‣ Energetic and dedicated ‣ Good listener ‣ Enjoys uncertainty ‣ Can think on demand ‣ Prescient ‣ Life-long learner ‣ Conflict mediator ‣ Don’t need constant praise
A huge component of PR …
is about managing the many varied perspectives and opinions that surround a brand or organization; it’s about understanding these perspectives, finding common ground, and designing strategic communication that’s derived from that common ground
Crisis Management - when most people think of PR, they think of CM
‣ All firms encounter problems; their responses are
critical
• These responses are increasingly critical because the
problems are more visible and more long-lasting in our new media ecosystem
‣ PR practitioners must be ready for crises a priori
PR practitioners must be ready for crises a priori (Crisis Management) - Good practices
- Crisis management teams are formed
- Crisis plans are in place
- Spokesperson is identified and prepared
- Messages are clear, consistent, and factual
- Response is swift
In today’s web-enabled world …
Consumer can talk about brands like never before; public relations practitioners must monitor and co-
manage these discussions
PR & the Internet - new challenges faced by PR practitioners
- Brands have less control over their messages
- Every employee is a spokesperson
- Gossip and rumors spread instantly
- Dissatisfied customers have power
Disaster is always nearby …
Effective PR requires being ready for these crises, even if they never happen
Consumer purchasing behavior is largely driven by…
interpersonal communication
2 huge components of PR …
♠ managing the many varied perspectives and opinions that surround a brand
♠ monitoring and managing what consumers are saying to each other about our brand
Cause (Types of Corporate Advertising)
Features a firm’s affiliation with an important social cause
Green (Types of Corporate Advertising)
Corporate efforts that embrace a cause or a program in support of the natural environment
In today’s world …
PR mistakes can have ripple effects that extend beyond one brand; PR practitioners must preserve their brand’s public image and be mindful of how its public image is connected to those of other
brands
Key PR problems in Deen’s announcement
- Wrong tone – disingenuous, self-serving, greedy
- Forced her talking points
- Delivered inappropriate talking points
- Woeful lack of knowledge or helpful information
- Accusatory and defensive interpersonal communication
