Relationship between the Public Relations and Marketing functions - Essay Example

Relationship between the Public Relations and Marketing functions Over a long time, the question of where public relations fit into the range of business activities in general and its connection to marketing in particular has disturbed the minds and brains of both practitioners and academics alike (Reid, 2011). This identity problem facing public relation has led to confusion of many who view public relation as the element of integrated marketing communication arena. Many firms are searching for ways to connect with roles of marketing and public relations in marketing public relations. One of the open roles of public relation is to support the firm and its product branding activities (Turney, 2001). Public relations if well utilized serve as an efficient tool in building awareness through generating stories in the media. Then public relation after developing story in the media then takes another step to create a sense of an enigma among sales persons to boost their morale of work. Marketing mainly involves a variety of processes concerned with finding out what customers want, and then availing it for them at a profit (Weinreich, 2011). This process of marketing mainly involves four key elements, referred to as marketing mix. Red bull, one of the most popular soft drink producers has continued to enjoy continuous prosperity in many of its stall due to its ability to perfectly bridge the gap between public relations and marketing. In the attempt to popularize the company products, Red bull, has adopted various forms of marketing to promote its products. The company has intensively used advertising as one tool of its marketing (Dubois, 2010). Without advertising, many notable red bull products could be still unknown to consumers. Initially, Red bull solely depended on encouragement strategy to the consumers. They orally urged them to try the company’s products so as to realize the power and the uniqueness within them. Their marketing effort concentrates on getting more and more persons to buy the company’s product. They believed that after consuming their products, customers will get satisfied and later will serve as means of marketing message dissemination channel. Later, the company adopted modern means of marketing like advertising in order to reach more consumers so as to increase the company profits. As a form of marketing, advertisement has given the red bull company a competitive edge in the soft drink market (Yates, 2008). The company uses different forms of advertisement to raise public awareness about its product. It has used various media to tout its commodities uniqueness thus differentiating them from its competitor’s product. As part of its cohesive marketing mix, Red bull has used comparative advertisement as part of its marketing campaign. The company has run its advertisement in print media, television, radio, and internet (Guadagni, 2009). Advertisement has successfully served as the red bull’s most effective way for the speedy delivery of the new usages of red bull. Public relations refers to the function that ensures effective management of communication between a firm, customers and other key stakeholders to enhance a healthy relationship that cater for the needs of all parties involved (Reid, 2011). Though, Red bull uses broadcast approach to its advertising and public relations, her public relations staff, always engages a wider public involvement than the advertisement personnel’s. This is because the company’s public relation personnel not only focuses on the consumers only, but also target to create a healthy relationship between all the stakeholders involved in the company’s operation. Though the roles of public relations have begun to be appreciated in the modern business era, the debate between scholars and practitioners has intensified on the relationship between firm’s public relations department to the general concepts concerning integrated marketing communications. Through this intense debate, scholars have successfully come up with possible future for public relations (Roethenbaugh, 2009). In the first instance, public relations are becoming a new trend in supporting organization’s marketing activities. Public relations are nowadays hugely used by firms in their endeavors to promote penetration of new products to the market, to enhance the overall organization reputation and also to improve on the organization’s product branding (Roethenbaugh, 2009). A public relations campaign carried by the red bull staff tries to create goodwill for a product, and company in general (Just-Drinks.com, 2009). Many consumers have realized that advertisement as a form of marketing is the only way to increase the sales of a company’s product or service. With this, Red bull Company has opted to use public relations style communication to replace its traditional advertisement. Through public relation approaches; the company is producing materials written in journalistic style (Mathlesen, 2010). The materials are in depth giving more in-depth information about the company products as opposed to its marketing channels which only concentrated with single Today, organizations are keen to establish more than one transaction with their customers. Most of these market driven firms are developing and trying to sustain a relationship with their customers. The companies have opted to adopt a new business trend that lays it emphasis on relationship marketing (Just-Drinks.com, 2009). Relationship marketing is a role played by public relations department, which mainly involves creating, maintaining, and enhancing long term relationship with each organization’s customer as well as other stakeholders of mutual benefit to firms operations. The new trend towards relationship marketing has been embraced by many firms. With time, organizations have realized that customers have become more demanding (Reid, 2011). Every day they demand quality products that have favorable prices. Companies have also realized that it more cost effective to retain loyal customers than acquiring new ones. Many practitioners have mistaken relationship marketing with and marketing relationship. Certainly, marketing has existed for a long period. What differentiate it from relationship marketing is its nature and specificity (Lawder, 2010). While marketing relationship deals with all aspects of business e.g. rivalry relationship, dependent relationship, affiliation relationship, as well as independent relationship, relationship marketing focuses only on one key theme of enhancing cooperation and collaboration between the organization and its customers. Relationship marketing, which is a role played by public relations department of a firm, deals with cooperative relationship that is interdependent and long term oriented (Reid, 2011). This role played by relationship marketing has a highly significant effect on the overall success of an organization. This is because; marketing players do not engage in opportunistic behavior as long as they have a long term relationship. Therefore, such relationships get to be built on mutual gain and cooperation. Differences in aims and objectives between marketing and public relations The primary function of marketing is to create organization commodity awareness and promotion. This direct role of marketing aims at improving the organization brand in the eyes of consumers with a sole aim of increasing the firm’s profit. When public become aware on the existence of the commodity that satisfies their needs in the market, they will eventually purchase it. This will lead to increase in the organization sales thus allowing it to increase its profit. Public relations enhance a healthy relationship between public and the organization in general. It aims at creating long term relationship between the external parties, who have an interest on the organization operation like consumers, suppliers, retailers and dealers (ReportBuyer.com, 2007). This good relationship that results from public relations roles act as the foundation of marketing strategies of an organization. The overall goal of marketing is trying to achieve profit, whereas the overall goal of public relations is to achieve positive reputation of the organization. The reason behind the creation of awareness of products to consumers by the marketing department is to sell more products and maximize on the organization’s operations, on the other hand; public relations are like an investment that an organization makes as a result of its attempts to maintain a positive image in the market (Roethenbaugh, 2009). Public relations benefits can be felt by the organization at a future date due to its long term nature. Marketing refers to a wider term used by the organization to refer to all the promotional activities that the organization adopts with an aim of boosting the organization sales. These promotional activities include advertisement in the media, giving of free samples and public relations activities (Simon & Mosher, 2007). So public relations activities are part of advertisement that the marketing department uses to achieve the organizational main goal of profit maximization. Marketers are always busy trying to plan how and at what cost the organization commodities can be sold at (Elliott, 2010). Public relations, on the other hand, keenly engage in gauging public perceptions and reactions towards the organization commodities and its marketing strategies. Conclusively, it is true that one of the key functions of public relation is to bridge the gap in between customers and business. Any firm should show a good will to the community. So public relation plays an extremely crucial role in ensuring a firm maintains an effective community relation that is comprehensive and long term (Fredrix, 2010). Through the use of a unique program, public relation support activities that improve the quality of their customers thus improving their firm image and long term relationship with the customers. Marketing on the other side, focuses on establishing, maintaining, and enhancing firms relationship with customers and other key stakeholders like distributors, at a profit and ensuring that objectives of all parties involved are met (Shauib,2011). The main theme of relationship marketing is to keenly enhanced cooperation and collaboration between the firm and it customers so as to enable the firm increase its sales. References Reid, A. (2011). Marketing vs. public relations: Clarification for the confused. Francis moran. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://francis-moran.com/index.php/marketing-strategy/marketing-vs-public-relations-clarification-for-the-confused/. Lawder, D. (2010). US-China talks to focus on trade barriers—Geithner. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSNLLIGE64020100518 ReportBuyer.com (2007). New report predicts energy drink sales in the U.S. to exceed $9 billion by 2011. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from             http://www.reportbuyer.com/press/new-report-predicts-energy-drink-sales-in-the-us-to-exceed-9-billion-by-2011/ Roethenbaugh, G. (2009). Global energy drinks market 2003-2008. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c29596 Simon, M. & Mosher, J. (2007). Alcohol, energy drinks, and youth: A dangerous mix. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://www.marininstitute.org/alcopops/energy_drink_report.htm Yates, D. (2008). Is coffee an old man’s beverage? Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://www.energydrinkreviewer.com/ Dubois, L. (2010). How to write a social media press release. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/11/how-to-write-a-social-media-press-release.html Elliott, J. (2010). Advertising vs. PR. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://www.tvaproductions.com/article/advertising-vs-pr—17.php Fredrix, E. (2010). Toyota: No apologies for safety problems in latest ad campaign. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/07/toyota-no-apologies-for-s_n_489229.html Guadagni, D. (2009). Social media: 5 strategies for interactive communications. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://innerarchitect.com/2009/06/22/social-media-5-strategies-for-interactive-communications/ Mathlesen, S. (2010). Advertising vs. public relations. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://www.suite101.com/content/advertising-vs-public-relations-a187370 Shauib, Y. (2011). Publics and target audiences. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://yashuaib.tripod.com/id12.html Turney, M. (2001). Public relations and marketing were initially distinct. Retrieved, January 07, 2013, from http://www.nku.edu/~turney/prclass/readings/mkting.html Weinreich, N. (2011). What is social marketing? Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://www.social-marketing.com/Whatis.html Just-Drinks.com (2009). Energy drinks sales hindered by Thai decline – research. Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://www.justdrinks.com/analysis/energy-drink-sale- hindered-by-thai-decline-research_id98736.aspx Read More