Is PR A Marketing Tool or Vice Versa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Is PR A Marketing Tool or Vice Versa - Essay ExampleThe old product-driven marketing concepts have habituated way to the consumer-oriented approach beca utilise of increasing economic competition. For this reason, companies have been forced to adopt a marketing mix to sell their products or services. In this strategic mix, specialized marketing animals often overlap and one method may take the function of another, such that marketing is use as a PR tool instead of the other way around. For example, it is not unusual to see a PR man distributing his companionships promotional materials during a luncheon or seminar he arranges for the benefit of the firm. This is sales promotion, a distinct marketing function, being squeezed into a distinct PR activity, in which case marketing is effectively used as a PR tool. In its purest sense, public relations is confined to media relations, internal communications, community relations, public affairs and government relations, financial relatio ns, emergency or crisis relations, and integrated marketing communications (Hendrix, 2001). PR uses media, a potent marketing tool, and the press release is its standard tool for promotion. The first requirement is to learn how to use media and build a working relationship with media practitioners (Smith). The end goal of doing interviews or sending out a press release is to raise a companys, its expertise and products or the high quality of its personnel. These are more or less the same objectives of marketing set by Kotler (1980), which are 1) to create work out sales, 2) to build the brand or companys image, 3) to communicate specific messages, and 4) to counter negative publicity or competitors activity.