| Though marketing, advertising and public relations can | | | | speaking appearances at educational or industry |
| all be integral to the success of your company and | | | | seminars - anything that can put the company under a |
| they all have some glaring similarities in how they can | | | | good light while in the public eye is the public relations |
| help your company succeed on some level; each is | | | | department's main concern. |
| indeed a different element, approached in a different | | | | The company marketing plan is how both of these |
| way in order for it to work the way it is supposed to | | | | integral parts of business come together, along with |
| work in an effort to reach an ultimate goal. | | | | several other aspects, to ensure company success |
| Marketing could be considered the whole ball of wax in | | | | and growth. Each individual focal point of the marketing |
| this equation. A company's marketing department | | | | department is integral to the success of the marketing |
| could be subdivided into several smaller sections that | | | | plan. |
| operate as separate entities, but all work toward the | | | | Market research, which is probably the most intensive |
| same ultimate goal - which is the success and growth | | | | piece of the puzzle, will determine exactly who your |
| of the company. | | | | target customers are. |
| A company's marketing department could, and should | | | | With this information in hand, the product or service |
| include smaller departments that are responsible for: | | | | that you are offering can be priced accordingly for the |
| public relations, advertising, customer service, market | | | | target audience. Once pricing is established, the |
| share research as well as pricing, distribution and | | | | advertising department can begin its job of getting the |
| product placement. | | | | word out that your company has a service to offer. |
| The piece of the equation that is advertising has the | | | | Depending upon the advertising budget, this can be |
| sole responsibility of putting your product or service | | | | done in many ways: through television, radio, print ads, |
| where the public can see it. Advertising lets the | | | | billboards and/or flyers pointed directly toward the |
| consumer know what it is that you have to offer, then | | | | target customer. |
| lets them know why exactly they need it. A company | | | | The PR company departments' work can coincide |
| could pay a pretty penny for advertising; in fact the | | | | with the advertising departments, to ensure that the |
| advertising budget is often the largest part of the | | | | company is being viewed by the potential consumer in |
| marketing plan's expenditure. As the saying goes, "you | | | | an overall positive light while the flood of |
| have to spend money to make money." | | | | advertisements are reaching the target audience. |
| Public relations can make prospective consumers | | | | Working every angle of public relations along with |
| want to buy your product or your service, but public | | | | following a sound advertising campaign will ensure that |
| relations is a much less direct approach to gaining | | | | the most positive message possible reaches the |
| sales than advertising. The point of public relations is to | | | | masses of your target audience of customers. |
| highlight all of the positive things that your company | | | | Once the customers are reached and desirous of the |
| does and is involved in, while simultaneously keeping | | | | company has to offer, details like distribution of product |
| anything that could possibly be construed as a | | | | and inventory management are put into place to |
| negative out of the public eye. It is the public relations | | | | ensure that the service or product is always available |
| departments' responsibility to make the company look | | | | and delivered on time. |
| good in the public eye and they will take several routes | | | | From the above description, advertising and public |
| and measures to get there. A public relations | | | | relations may just seem like small pieces of the overall |
| department may schedule charity events, distribute | | | | marketing puzzle, but without them the marketing plan |
| press releases highlighting company achievements or | | | | could never fully be realized and the company's |
| company community efforts and schedule public | | | | success would suffer accordingly. |