Public Relations and Marketing

The Public Relations and Marketing area involve studying, marketing, public awareness and control of public relations, communications strategy development, and public relations activities. This involves a wide range of activities that deal with the impact of media, societal and personal communications on brand name and reputation. PR professionals and those in government relations work on a variety of projects to enhance corporate image, public opinion and sentiment, as well as to improve sales and build long term relationships with consumers. This includes researching and analyzing target markets, developing media campaigns, implementing positive images and selling ideas.

While the primary focus of PR was the development of public awareness, it developed into a much broader discipline to include efforts to promote product and service quality, develop market perceptions, provide information about the company, position the company for growth, and create business solutions. Marketing public relations, however, has had an additional focus as an element of strategic planning.

Both the PR and marketing disciplines are focused on creating and communicating a positive image of the company or organization. The goals are to influence decision makers through the media, industry contacts, and communications. They are also involved in the development of target audiences and the delivery of specific messages. The focus of the communications strategy is geared toward achieving maximum effectiveness in the smallest amount of time and at the lowest cost. Marketing communications plans are aimed at developing a brand identity and building customer loyalty.

Marketing and PR professionals can help their clients understand the current marketing climate and how the two disciplines can be applied to their own businesses. These professionals have a strong desire to educate the public, share information, and provide accurate and comprehensive information. In addition, they are skilled communicators with an ability to communicate the benefits of a product or service to the targeted audience. There are four main components to the integrated marketing communications strategy: sales, promotions, public relations, and advertising. The following is a brief description of each of these four elements.

Sales – In the sales realm, marketing and public relations professionals work to create new customer interest, drive sales, and close sales. These professionals ensure that the customers that they are targeting have enough information about the products or services that they have purchased from the company. They also determine the return on their marketing and public relations efforts by finding new customers or strengthening existing customer relationships. Sales professionals are often found in the finance department, although there are many who work in marketing or the creative departments. In general, these professionals are found in agencies, consultancies, and firms.

Public Relations and Marketing – In the public relations and marketing realm, these professionals are found in the communications agency and in the consulting firm. Their primary focus will be on the development of public policy and corporate policies while providing the public with accurate and comprehensive information. They will also assist in the identification of target markets and the creation of corporate branding strategies. Public relations and marketing professionals are also found in the government sector, though most are employed through independent firms or agencies.

Integrated Marketing Communications – In order for this field to exist, there must be a separation between the various disciplines and roles within the larger integrated marketing communications framework. There are two key areas that separate the various disciplines. The first area is the writing and editing of the Press Releases, which occurs at the planning, conceptualization, execution, and analysis stages. The second area is the search for the right target audience, which requires research and analysis of the target industry and the target audience itself.