In the spirit of Euro 2012, which is just around the corner (as is another sporting event that I'm struggling to recall), we wondered what would happen if Public Relations played Advertising.
Let's kick off...
Think about the last time you read a newspaper or magazine.
It doesn’t have to be a ‘worthy’ title – if it was this morning’s Sun, then it
was this morning’s Sun. (After all, this is just between you and us!)
Can you remember some of the stories you read? What were
they about?
Okay, now thinking about the same publication, how many
advertisements can you remember?
Over the years, we’ve asked these questions to many clients
and potential clients and the answers are always the same – they remember what
they read and nothing (or next to nothing) of the advertisements that were in
the same publication.
Public Relations 1 Advertising 0
Now, looking at the stories you remember, how much of that
editorial did you believe? Put another way, how much of what you read did you
think was a pack of lies? We reckon your answer to the latter is zero.
That’s because a publication’s readers accept that the
editor has filled his or her pages with information that he or she believes is
credible and genuinely of interest. The vetting process has already been
completed. The printed results can be taken at face value.
Can the same credibility be attached to products and
services featured in an advertisement, or is there an obvious bias?
Public Relations 2 Advertising 0
Now don’t get us wrong. Advertising has a significant role
to play in the marketing mix assuming (a) you have the budget required to
achieve the impact you need and (b) the resulting sales justify the
expenditure.
Taking out advertising space enables you to say exactly what
you want about your business and to present those messages in an eye-catching
format.
Public Relations 2 Advertising 1
But what if you don’t have the budget necessary to make the
campaign a success? Normally, one advertisement won’t do. You’ll need a
campaign over a period of time. Cutting your coat according to your cloth may
mean cutting the size of the advertisement, but a small advertisement – or even
a series of small advertisements - can be easily overlooked.
Placing a full-page advertisement in a well-targeted trade
press journal can set you back £1000 just for the space. But what if your
potential customers have, say, three or four well-targeted journals to read.
What if your customers are ranged across different market sectors, each of
which has their own relevant publications?
An effective advertising campaign can quickly go beyond the
reach of the vast majority of businesses out there,
Yet for the price of one full-page advertisement or less, a public
relations campaign could secure editorial coverage for your business across a
range of relevant titles and over a period of time – giving you the opportunity
to reach a bigger target audience and to enhance your prospect of sales.
Public Relations 3 Advertising 1
Full time.
And no need for penalties.
