Contemporary Communication of Procter and Gamble Company - Case Study Example

Procter and Gamble (P&G) is a global leader in the fast-moving consumer goods industry that markets billion-dollar brands such as Iams, Pringles, Oral-B, Dawn, Always, Duracell, Olay, Folgers, Crest, Downy, Bounty, Wella, Ariel, Braun, Actonel, Gillette, Pantene, Pampers, Tide, Head and Shoulders, Charmin and more. By comparing and analyzing two press releases of the company, various models are found in its practice of public relations. As a major form of communication to its various publics—its stakeholders that include customers, employees, government agencies, suppliers, shareholders and the rest of the society, P&G is able to maintain a certain image that it wants to portray, as well as inform the public about the various moves that the company makes that are relevant to these stakeholders. What is the general context of the press release? Public Relations sends a company’s message containing certain promotional information in a different light as apparent in a press release; but as part of a larger promotions or integrated marketing communications mix, the message in the PR is backed by an underlying strategy. P&G is in the business of fast-moving consumer goods—as it offers a diverse range of products that consumers use and consume in their daily lives. From abundant to scarce--the amount of resources that are available to the organization determines the degree of an organization to sustain growth; this is the capacity dimension of the organization, as Robbins has put it. The fast moving consumer goods is an abundant environment for P&G, as basically as the people in the world are consumers. The world market has a lot of opportunities in terms of untapped market where P&G can offer the vast range of its products. In order to sustain its image, P&G knows how to utilize public relations, as well as a means of communications to its target publics which includes the customers, suppliers, government agencies, employees and its shareholders, and the rest of the society. In one of P&G’s press releases entitled “P&G Increases Commitment to Children in Need” dated last September 26, 2007, the press release talks about P&G’s commitment to its social responsibility as mentioned in the annual meeting of Clinton Global Initiative. P&G has socially-relevant campaigns such as "Give Your Two Cents Worth" concept as part of its Childrens Safe Drinking Water campaign and the newly-introduced Pampers® Tetanus Vaccination Campaign in cooperation with UNICEF. The press release talks about P&G to increase funding and scope for its Live, Learn and Thrive™ partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). When viewed from a larger perspective, the press release is one of the tools in P&G’s integrated marketing communications mix, under Public Relations. The communications strategy used in this case is ‘affective strategy’—mentioned by Pickton and Broderick as adopted from the creative strategies identified by Patti and Frazer, (2002, p. 424) that “invokes involvement and emotion… [And] Not usually associated with ‘selling’ emphasis…” The press release entitled “New Water Purification Product from Reliance Products and Procter & Gamble now Available in Retail Stores” dated last February 14 is about a new product introduction by Reliance Products, L.P. and P&G--PUR Purifier of Water technology, a powdered water clarifier and disinfectant designed for outdoor recreation and emergency preparedness use. The press release serves to introduce the product to the public by educating the masses about its benefits—it provides clean drinking water at a very low cost per liter, and can be purchased in complete water treatment kits, or as additional replacement treatment packs. The press release has been used, in integration with the other marketing communications elements such as sales promotions. In contrast to the previous press release mentioned, this one uses an ‘informational strategy’ as identified by Pickton and Broderick (2002, p. 426), which primary aim is to educate and give details to convey pieces of information. What was accomplished in the communication? While a press release is just one of the tools which aim is to work in harmony with the other elements of the integrated communications mix of a company, P&G has been able to utilize it to serve its larger purpose. In line with this is the outcome of added publicity for the brands PUR and Pampers, as being mentioned in the article. P&G’s campaigns as mentioned in the article, such as “Children’s Safe Drinking Water campaign” where PUR plays a huge role, and “Pampers® Tetanus Vaccination Campaign” in cooperation with UNICEF, aids a lot in building the brands. PUR’s sales promotions “Give Your Two Cents Worth” concept-- two cents to provide safe drinking water to a child in the developing world for a day using the PŪR® sachets, as well as "One pack of Pampers equals one vaccine" a sales promotions concept for Pampers which aims to provide tetanus vaccine to newborn babies--help generate sales by positively associating the purchase of the brands with an image of a consumer who is socially responsible. They also strengthen the philanthropist image of P&G. Furthermore, in this article the corporate brand of P&G poses an image of a socially-responsible manufacturer; and when closely associated to its product brands such as PUR and Pampers the corporate brand builds trust among consumers. The second press release aims to introduce PUR as a new technology in the market. While the main purpose of the article is to create awareness about the product, it also talks about the cause where PUR plays a major part—the “Give Your Two Cents Worth” concept as part of the company’s “Children’s Safe Drinking Water campaign”. The PR does not only create awareness among the public of PUR as the ‘powdered water clarifier and disinfectant designed for outdoor recreation and emergency preparedness use’, but it also helps in building PUR as a brand by highlighting the product’s benefits—it “provides clean drinking water at a very low cost per liter, and can be purchased in complete water treatment kits, or as additional replacement treatment packs.” This press release also mentions the involvement of PUR to a cause-- P&G’s “Children’s Safe Drinking Water campaign”, and aims to associate a positive image of PUR to being social responsibility. Emphasis on this is given too by passages mentioned in the article from Reliance Products L.P.’s CEO and the campaign’s director. In its press releases, what Public Relations models did the company utilize? P&G utilizes the public information model in some of its press releases in order to reinforce the philanthropist image of the company. By informing the public about the socially-responsible activities that it engages in, the public receives a coherent image that it wants to portray. This also educated the public about P&G’s various undertakings that impacts the other publics. Most of the times, P&G utilizes the publicity/press agent model in its public relations campaign as incorporated in its broader integrated marketing communications campaign. By utilizing the news value of a new product that the company launches, it is able to create credibility as well as create buzz in the market. In line with this is the outcome of added publicity for the brands PUR and Pampers, as being mentioned in the article. P&G’s campaigns as mentioned in the article, such as “Children’s Safe Drinking Water campaign” where PUR plays a huge role, and “Pampers® Tetanus Vaccination Campaign” in cooperation with UNICEF, aids a lot in building the brands. The second press release aims to introduce PUR as a new technology in the market. While the main purpose of the article is to create awareness about the product, it also talks about the cause where PUR plays a major part—the “Give Your Two Cents Worth” concept as part of the company’s “Children’s Safe Drinking Water campaign”. The PR does not only create awareness among the public of PUR as the ‘powdered water clarifier and disinfectant designed for outdoor recreation and emergency preparedness use’, but it also helps in building PUR as a brand by highlighting the product’s benefits—it “provides clean drinking water at a very low cost per liter, and can be purchased in complete water treatment kits, or as additional replacement treatment packs.” Were the press releases related in any way to each other or to major news or industry trends occurring at that time? The two press releases are related in a way that it talks of the same campaign--“Children’s Safe Drinking Water”. The first release talks of the campaign, with P&G’s social responsibility as the one being highlighted. The second one is about PUR, as a new product to be introduced which plays a major role in the campaign. Both press releases helps exhibit P&G’s philanthropist image—only the highlights and the context differs. The news worthiness of these events and moves that P&G undertakes that are relevant to the rest of the society enables the company to utilize the publicity, as well as the public information model of public relations. Through this, a number of communication objectives have been met: the company informs the public about the things it does that are relevant to the target audiences; it is able to communicate its new products or other campaigns that are still ongoing; its corporate brand image is reinforced and maintains coherence across all its communication activities. Did the company send a consistent and coherent message? P&G, in its desire to form a philanthropist image in line with its “Touching lives, improving life” corporate slogan has been consistent in its message in the two corporate releases. What seems to be noticeable in the press releases is that the core or the essence of the P&G corporate brand serves as the foundation or base of the PR. With this, P&G is able to pose a corporate brand image consistently, as well as coherently, with its corporate brand identity by just changing the highlights and context of the articles. The promotional information about the campaigns remains intact; the difference lies on how it is presented according to the related events when the time the PR is published. Comments “P&G Increases Commitment to Children in Need,” September 26, 2007 Two things liked about the posting Public relations is just one of the elements of the promotions or integrated marketing communications. There are two points to be admired in this press release: one, its ability to integrate the other elements of the IMC mix such as sales promotions and sponsorships in P&G’s cause-related marketing strategy; and, the article’s ability to exhibit P&G’s affective strategy for communications by using social responsibility as the context. Two things could have included to improve the posting The article has included the broadening of the company’s focus on safe drinking water campaign to people living with AIDS; however, it has not been elaborated as to how it would be implemented. While the company’s intention to help AIDS victim is indisputable, a reason why people living with AIDS are chosen among other possible beneficiaries of the campaign can also be included. “New Water Purification Product from Reliance Products and Procter & Gamble now Available in Retail Stores,” February 14, 2008 Two things liked about the posting The article is about introduction of a new product, or to better phrase—product introduction in a new market. Basically, the target audience of this article is the consumers, as well as potential influencers. Two things to be admired in this article include: one, the details that are given in the article are consistent with the target audience; and, this press release has been able to shift the full emphasis from benefits of the new product to a just cause in order to inspire purchase—by emphasizing on the need and coming up with a message to integrate the IMC elements. Two things could have included to improve the posting Although P&G as a corporate brand has been trusted for its products, the description of the new product, which is manufactured with Reliance Products L.P., is inadequate when it comes to the reasons to believe the benefits. Given that it is a product that has something to do with health, passages from renowned nutrition experts/scientists to support its claim would have been included in the release. Also, there was not enough highlight of the positioning of the product, making it suitable for outdoor recreation and emergency awareness throughout the article. Bibliography Bartol, K., Martin, D., Tein, M., & Matthews, G. 2001. Management: A Pacific Rim Focus. McGraw Hill Company, Australia. Duncan, T. 2005. Principles of Advertising & IMC. International ed. Philippines: McGraw-Hill. P&G. 2006. P&G 2006 Annual Report. Report dated 2006. Available from World Wide Web: < http://www.pg.com/annualreports/2006/pdf/pg2006annualreport.pdf > P&G 2007. Clinton Global Initiative. P&G News [online]. [Accessed 01 May 2008]. Available from World Wide Web: P&G 2007. New Water Purification Product from Reliance Products and Procter & Gamble now Available in Retail Stores. P&G Investor News [online]. [Accessed 01 May 2008]. Available from World Wide Web: P&G 2008. Protect Yourself From Teeth to Toes! P&G News [online]. [Accessed 01 May 2008]. Available from World Wide Web: Pickton D., & Broderick A. 2002. Integrated marketing communications. Philippines: Pearson Education Asia Pte Ltd. ROBBINS, S. 2005. Organizational Behavior. Philippines: McGraw-Hill. Read More