In a recent blog, Seth talked about marketing intolerance. But what he also says is this;
"Marketing is a complicated beast. It's not just advertising. It's stories that spread, it's editorial content, it even includes interactions and facial expressions. Marketing amplifies human nature. When someone stands up in front of a crowd at a political rally or in a church, they're marketing. And when a Hollywood filmmaker turns someone of a particular race or sexual preference into an object of ridicule or contempt, that's marketing too." Here's the link - http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=198516
In my new book 'Underdog Marketing' co-authored with Dr Alex Davidovic, I write that you are in marketing mode the entire time even if you don't realize it. I place this type of marketing, as described by Seth, also as public relations – with media relations being only one component of that.
Following is an edited excerpt from 'Underdog Marketing'.
The previous chapters have concentrated on explaining communication and the importance of clear communication both internally and externally. The next two parts deal with Marketing and Public Relations, respectively, and they do work together.
Marketing is, in a nutshell, providing products and services to your customers better than your competitors do. Marketing is an umbrella under which all other activities – sales, public relations, advertising, special events, promotions – sit. But the art of public relations is the single most impacting element. Public relations activities will give you a higher profile and greater market penetration than any other single form of communication. Public relations also adds credibility to advertising.
Public relations is not media relations. Your business has a set of ‘publics’ that includes everyone who has anything to do with your business or anyone who sees or hears anything about your business. Therefore, we are surrounded by public relations threats and opportunities at every turn. And the cool thing about public relations is that, done correctly, it’s practically free.
When you attract media-related public relations you also attract credibility and a higher profile that most small businesses could afford to actually pay for.
In terms of your publics, you will market to them and you will provide public relations to them, regardless of what you do. Because your business cards, website, stationery, sales material, shop front, staff, uniforms, packaging, suppliers, family members, customers, will all be portraying your business in some way – so you might as well ensure that it’s positive, image-building and sales building, right?
Public relations is about image and reputation
Even if you have more work than you can handle, public relations in the marketing mix is not about sales; it’s about image and reputation.
So, you have more work than you can handle – for now. Will this trend continue? Will word-of-mouth marketing confirm that you are a great company to do business with? Will your products and services confirm that you are a credible business? Will the way staff and customers talk about you and your products and services serve you well? Or will it start to undermine all the business you have right now?
Because sales and business growth are two things; but sustainability, goodwill and having a spotless reputation are others. Advertising just shows people that you can talk about yourself. Positive public relations is third-party endorsement (media, customers, suppliers, influencers) that is 7 - 10 times more credible than advertising.
But far in excess of people looking to buy are people looking to be informed. And that’s what public relations does – it informs, influences, shapes viewpoints and creates trends.
When was the last time Paris Hilton paid for an advertisement?
Public relations is how you relate ‘publicly’ and ‘to your publics’. We all communicate, every day, to a variety of people. And in business that usually means communicating with known clients and unknown customers, staff, contractors, stakeholders, board members, government authorities, and even the media. These are all your ‘publics’. Public relations is how you project your image to anyone – and how your staff and colleagues project the company image.
Therefore, when you give out a business card, answer the phone, write a letter, respond to a complaint or issue a media release, you are engaging in a form of public relations. When it all goes pear-shaped, that’s when you need crisis communication – an under-utilized form of image and reputation saving.
So it pays to recognize who are your primary and secondary ‘publics’ and develop a strategy around communicating with them.
Unlike Bridget Jones, we don’t all “just fanny around with the press releases”.
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