The public relations professional must be involved in marketing more than ever, especially during a recession--helping the client's cause or improving the client's profits in a period of economic depression. The uses of the themes stem from the marketing function. (I’m not sure about this sentence: what themes?) During inflationary periods, the client can buy considerably less advertising for their money than during better economic times, thus allowing a greater relative impact to be made by public relations.
In marketing terms, there is much more to the public relations function than "pushing a product." The economic impacts of our society drastically change buying habits, and the public relations person must be ready and equipped to help interpret why the company's product or service is a better buy over those of other competing companies.
To be an effective aid to marketing strategies, the public relations craftsperson must know as much about the whole marketing process as the marketing manager; this process includes distribution, dealership, cooperative advertising, and warranties.
Public relations professionals must never lose sight of the fact that a major part of their mission is to persuade people, and this persuasion is not just limited to clients. People make up diverse publics. The true test of public relations is its ability, through the expertise and capabilities of those who practice it, to market their client's products to these myriad, increasingly diverse groups of people.
Selling To a Diverse Public: In order to reach, or "sell" to these various groups, the public relations specialist must first identify who they are, ascertain what they do and how they fit in to their message, and, above all, determine how best to influence them. Success in these areas is what expert marketing is all about.
Successful public relations marketing efforts are a preconditioning force that alerts customers to new products, new uses of products, and new ideas in the marketplace.
Hard-hitting, straight product publicity is one of the oldest functions of the public relations expert. As the professional practices the craft, they should not leave this vital function by the wayside to cope with only what challenges them the most. Without publicity, which is at the heart of strategic marketing, clients may sell too few products, and when they see evidence of this in lowered profits, so too will the corporate public relations departments and public relations firms.
Public relations work to serve marketing and sales. Sometimes it operates on its own, when there is no advertising campaign for example. Public relations is a key part of what has made countless corporations the giants they are today.
See the following articles for more information:
- Specific Occupations Associated with Public-Relations
- How a Public Relations Practitioner Carries Out the Tactics
- Public Relations Serves Many Functions
- Public Relations Tools of the Trade
