Advertising and public relations. Means of advertising. Development of public relations

If you are a business owner, sooner or later you have a question, how to tell people about your service or product? Perhaps you produce the best products in the city or even in the world, but no one knows about it and does not know. After all, the market for a lot of similar products, already known to the buyer. It is for this purpose that each enterprise needs advertising and communication with the public. As a rule, the company organizes a department with the same name, which is engaged in promoting your trademark to the masses. What benefit for the firm in such a division, how much this will cost the company and whether advertising is effective in the modern world, we will understand this article.

What is the "public" and why contact with it?

Any company does not work in a vacuum, but in the information space. This space includes not only potential buyers, but also your competitors, the media, people who will not be your customers, but can pass on you both positive and negative information. The organization of public relations is the establishment of a flow of information from you to all these sources. If you do not see the need for such links, because you work successfully and have a permanent circle of customers, then you are a monopolist in the market. All other enterprises need to loudly declare themselves and their product.

Company image

Any enterprise from the moment of the beginning of the work in the market has the image. At first it's neutral, you and your products have not been tested yet. However, later, any of your actions can make the image either positive or negative. The market is arranged in such a way that it is much easier to get a negative image than to win a good name. Moreover, if people speak well about you today, this does not mean that such a trend will continue tomorrow, because it is necessary to work tirelessly on a positive basis.

But negative feedback is easy to earn, and getting rid of them is very difficult. Any negative buyer is passed on to your other potential customers and leaves you without a demand for a long time.

Now we will think, what commodity of the enterprise will interest the buyer first of all: the one that everyone praises, or the one about which only bad is heard? It is for the creation and regular maintenance of a positive image of the enterprise that a reasonable head is created by the department for public relations.

The role of public relations in the modern world

If you still doubt the need to create an active PR department, then let's look at the role this structural unit will play in your organization.

First of all, this is the creation of a favorable information field around your company. Experienced advertisers are able to provide the company with a positive image, constantly support it. Advertising and public relations are necessary elements for the successful functioning of the firm, along with a legal or accounting department.

Pr-communication with the public

Many people confuse advertising and PR activities. In fact, these are different concepts. Public Relations (public relations), namely, the abbreviation stands for, includes not only advertising, but also marketing and sociological research, communication, journalism. If the purpose of advertising is to impose an opinion on a product and sell it, then PR works more globally, its purpose is to form a public opinion about the company and, accordingly, about all the products of this firm.

Specialists of the department for public relations work with information: analyze the incoming data, study the target audience and its expectations and provide the consumer with the necessary information about the product and product in the form of advertising.

In addition, employees of the pr-department constantly receive feedback from consumers and send suggestions for product improvement to the director of the enterprise. How many employees should be involved in these functions? It depends on the leadership's vision. At some enterprises a department of several employees is formed, and if the company is small, then one person can cope with all tasks.

Loyalty of employees of the organization to its own brand

It should not be forgotten that advertising and public relations also include the so-called "intracorporate pr". How can you convince the public that your products are great, if your organization does not agree with this? This is the first step that an experienced pr-employee makes. He convinces all employees of the enterprise of the importance of what they are doing. For this, trainings, holidays, corporate parties are used. All these activities are aimed at ensuring that every member of your company feels important in the common cause, appreciates and loves his work and the product in which he participates.

Advertising as part of PR activities

Advertising - is the promotion of goods on a more coarse level, and at the same time more effective.

When employees of the public relations department collect information about the expectations of consumers, it's time to inform potential customers that it is you who produce the product or service that they need. After all, if "nameless" products enter the market, it is unlikely that someone will be tempted by it. People get what they hear. It is not necessary to think that we are talking only about advertising on television or radio, such methods of promotion are very expensive and not always effective. Promotional specialists know that the basis of advertising includes so-called "word of mouth", media publications, banners and billboards, promotion of goods with the help of promoters, tasting and stimulating the sale of goods shares.

How much does public opinion cost?

Advertising does not necessarily cost the company a "round" amount. Local newspapers will gladly publish an article about your production, if you invite journalists to the company, give them an excursion, and provide quality materials. Do not forget about the World Wide Web, without your own website today is indispensable.

Very useful for your company will be participation in sponsorship programs, assistance to orphanages, orphanages, support for sporting events, festivals. Participation will not be free, but certainly will be cheaper than commercials in prime-hours. Residents of your city will definitely appreciate your rush and notice your brand.

Remember that advertising media are famous for a rich arsenal, and an experienced and pr-manager should understand this. If your company is still unknown when the public relations department is working, know that employees are not working efficiently.

What should not the PR department do?

Many managers are tempted to "load" pr-managers with all sorts of organizational work. This can be a mistake, because, in carrying out your current organizational assignments, the employee can not build long-term strategies for the future. What should not be delegated to the pr-department?

1. Be an employee "on the hook". If you need a secretary or courier, then hire him. But do not shift assignments of this kind to your pr-manager, since then the work that he directly performs will be affected - advertising and public relations.
2. Independently attract money for activities. Undoubtedly, employees will need funds for activities. Articles in the media, banners, payment for the work of promoters costs money, and you must determine in advance how much you are willing to allocate for advertising. However, remember that if you attract money your advertising managers, their work will be ineffective.
3. It is up to you to decide how much money you need to work. This is the second extreme - to give "reins" in the hands of your managers, who will determine their own budget. Believe me, an experienced and creative specialist can spend without hesitation on advertising an amount equal to your annual gross income.

Pr-manager of a small company: payment of his labor

The development of public relations, as you have already understood, is the item of expenditure that should be immediately put into the budget of the enterprise. The manager does not ask himself how expensive the accounting department will cost, but pr still seems to many to be something extra, not very necessary. This is a big mistake, remember that without advertising you just stay at the same level as you are today.

How much will the maintenance of staff of managers in public relations cost? It depends on the size of your business.

If you work at the city level, you will not need a lot of employees. It will be enough for one or two people who know the matter. Remember that an experienced pr-manager is a "human orchestra". He knows what to do, where to run and with whom to negotiate. If the hired manager thinkslessly sits at the computer, then such a "specialist" does not suit you. Already a month after you have a public relations service, even in the person of one person, you must have your own website, local newspapers should have information about you, and your company must be heard by citizens. How much should I pay to such a manager? Of course, a specialist considers himself simply priceless, but on the whole his salary should not be lower than the salary of the leading managers of your enterprise. Remember that this person represents you in the market and "does" the face of your company.

Organization of a pr-service for a large organization

If your company has branches in many cities, you need to think about creating a small department for public relations in each city. In each city, the audience has its own expectations and preferences.

The organization of the advertising service can be carried out in the form of creating a general coordinating promotional department, as well as attracting brand managers to promote your trademark at the national level and go abroad to the international arena.