| Marketing Communications in a Recession | | | | campaign, perhaps to maintain the corporate brand or |
| One of the first knee jerk reactions from Directors and | | | | product positioning, properly composed and carefully |
| Senior Managers when faced with an economic | | | | reviewed campaign objectives need to be set out and |
| downturn is to cut the marketing budget. The logic is | | | | communicated. |
| that with a slow down in the economy advertising or | | | | Try to set SMART objectives, for example: |
| promotions to raise awareness regarding your | | | | S = Specific, M = Measurable, A = Achievable, R = |
| products and services will be less effective. However, | | | | Relevant or Realistic and T = Timed objectives |
| there is a considerable body of evidence to suggest | | | | A SMART Objective: To raise awareness amongst |
| adopting a contradictory approach when it comes to | | | | UK based prehistoric animal model collectors from |
| marketing communications in difficult economic | | | | 20% to 80% within 8 weeks of the campaign start of |
| conditions. | | | | the launch of the new Carnegie Safari Dinosaur |
| I remember whilst studying for my Management | | | | Collectibles range. |
| Masters of Business Administration, reading about the | | | | Such an objective, is clear, precise and permits |
| strategy adopted by that global giant Unilever as it | | | | campaign activities to be measured against specific |
| faced the economic downturn in the early 1990s. This | | | | criteria. |
| multinational consumer products company regularly | | | | 3). PR has Cost Implications |
| spends over 10 percent of its annual turnover on | | | | One of the common misconceptions about Public |
| advertising and promotion. Interestingly, during the | | | | Relations is that even if you do not go to the expense |
| recession of the 1990s it increased its advertising | | | | of investing in a professional Public Relations agency, |
| expenditure by 9 percent. | | | | PR does have costs. The adage that there is "free |
| Source: M & M Europe (October 1992) | | | | publicity" to be gained is not entirely accurate. |
| Our habit of keeping articles which we read at the | | | | Admittedly, an article published in an influential magazine |
| height of previous recessions, proves its worth once | | | | or newspaper can prove to be very cost effective, |
| again. However, if organisations are going to maintain | | | | especially when compared to the cost of an |
| or increase the marketing expenditures then there is | | | | above-the-line advertisement but remember to cost in |
| no excuse for poor, ineffective communications that | | | | the time of your staff in composing and managing the |
| may result from this. Every sum of money | | | | PR exercise. There is also the "opportunity cost" to |
| incorporated into the budget must be properly | | | | consider, that is the cost of not doing other |
| accounted for with clear objectives stated and | | | | management tasks when you are focusing on |
| appropriate performance measures put in place to | | | | developing the PR campaign. |
| monitor returns. | | | | 4). Consider a Crisis Management Plan |
| One area that is often overlooked, an area that can | | | | One of the key functions of any PR role is to handle a |
| offer plenty of scope to provide cost effective | | | | company crisis appropriately, this area of Public |
| marketing communications is the use of public relations. | | | | Relations can be overlooked but the benefits of having |
| However, a caveat must be included at this stage. The | | | | a clear policy in this area is crucial to the continued |
| same principles of accounting for and measuring | | | | success of your business operation. For example, |
| performance must be incorporated into any public | | | | recently our company was emailed by an irate |
| relations budget just as a company would for an | | | | American lady who had come across a web log |
| above-the-line advertising campaign. | | | | posting about our "Dinosaurs for Girls" part of our |
| Public Relations - A Proper Definition | | | | website. She accused the company of not being |
| Public Relations or as it is perhaps better known - PR | | | | positive towards the role of women in science. One of |
| is often seen as the "black arts" of marketing | | | | our team members was given the task of providing |
| communications. Before we provide our top tips for | | | | more information to this particular person and ensuring |
| maximising your Public Relations exposure let us face | | | | that a more accurate and representative picture |
| clear up one or two definitions. Public Relations or PR | | | | regarding our company was communicated to the blog |
| is not just "press releases" and "press relations", a | | | | site manager concerned. Once information regarding |
| number of marketing societies and organisations | | | | our very proactive approach towards encouraging |
| provide detailed definitions and we have come across | | | | young women to learn more about Earth sciences, |
| several over the years, our own definition of Public | | | | including pictures of team members running a special |
| Relations is: | | | | fossil study day with an actress dressed as Mary |
| "The management science of studying trends in media | | | | Anning, one of the founders of modern palaeontology |
| and markets, predicting their consequences and | | | | was circulated this situation was rapidly cleared up. So |
| implementing planned, co-ordinated programmes of | | | | impressed was the blog site manager with our |
| action which serve both the organisations and | | | | professional approach towards the concerns of their |
| stakeholders interests." | | | | readers; that our response indicating a positive role for |
| One of our team members has worked for a number | | | | women in science was published on their web log. |
| of years as a lecturer in marketing communications | | | | 5). Be Creative - Think Outside the Box |
| teaching at Post Graduate level so we tend to defer | | | | Involve the whole company in the PR campaign, you |
| to him when it comes to such definitions. With the | | | | will find lots of ideas get generated and you can have |
| squeeze on marketing budgets we enclose our top | | | | some enthusiastic advocates of your company at |
| five tips on how to get the best out of your PR. | | | | your disposal. Getting your message across to your |
| 1). Think about Internal Publics not just External | | | | target market can be exceedingly difficult, there is so |
| Stakeholders | | | | much competition out there, but by being creative you |
| Many organisations focus on the need to maintain | | | | can often gain an advantage. For example, we have |
| goodwill and relations with external stakeholders | | | | carried out some interesting events to help promote |
| (external to the organisation). It is essential that | | | | our company from dinosaur days at schools to play |
| management recognises the importance of maintaining | | | | group visits with real fossils. The excited children |
| goodwill amongst that very important, and often | | | | surrounded by all the dinosaurs make excellent |
| overlooked group of stakeholders - the staff. In a | | | | photographic subjects and often, our activities attract |
| recession, the workforce will be concerned about their | | | | the interest of the local press, all keen to use the |
| jobs and their own financial position. Internal PR can be | | | | photogenic children/dinosaur mix in their newspapers. |
| used to keep team members informed about the | | | | Sometimes the less obvious can make a good news |
| company's progress, contracts won and updates on | | | | story. All firms are capable of composing a press |
| the market place. Staff can be motivated to help | | | | release about a contract won or the latest product |
| improve cost management, to save money on basic | | | | release, but recently we have focused on sending out |
| items such as stationery and administration all helpful | | | | pictures of our company van seen in unusual places. |
| when in the teeth of a recession. For relatively little | | | | As we travel over the UK, we have gained useful |
| outlay, just some care and thought in most cases, | | | | publicity in magazines as varied as online town |
| management can keep their staff on board. | | | | information services, to web logs, dinosaur themed |
| 2). Set Clear Aims and Objectives when considering | | | | magazines and even commercial vehicle publications. |
| Public Relations | | | | All the pictures of our vehicle show the company |
| Typically public relation campaigns are not thought out | | | | contact details, website, phone number, all helping to |
| in enough detail. Objectives are not clear and precise. It | | | | raise the profile and image of our company. |
| is vital to ensure that before commencing a PR | | | | |